Pause for a moment, Caine continued to write: "The essence of solving the potion problem lies in assimilation, not in mastery—this can be intuitively understood. "Mastery" simply treats the potion's power as an external tool, a tamed beast; no matter how well or skillfully it is managed, the power remains foreign to the self and carries a greater risk of counteracting the host. In contrast, assimilation involves viewing the consumed potion as an integral part of oneself, breaking it down, integrating it, absorbing it, and ultimately unifying it with the self into a cohesive whole." "This point is currently without question. The key question remains: why does 'embodiment' facilitate assimilation? "Based on today's astrologer's experience, I offer two hypotheses, pending further validation. "First, the act of 'embodiment' as reflected in the potion's name can alter the body, mind, and spirit, gradually aligning them with the resilient spirit that persists within the potion's core, thereby generating resonance and enabling incremental integration and absorption." "Second, the resilient spirit of the potion's core functions like a well-defended computer mainframe. To penetrate, breach, or dismantle it, one must first identify bugs, vulnerabilities, or keys—clues that are precisely revealed by the potion's name. Thus, by embodying the harmony between body, mind, and spirit, and convincingly impersonating a 'member of the team,' one can deceive the 'guards' and enter seamlessly—a concept that closely aligns with the description provided by Emperor Roscel. "Playing a role might indeed be effective—specific changes remain to be observed." Kline offered a阶段性 summary. Immediately afterward, he wrote down his second question: "Why does the 'Seer' feel unusual—more learned and specialized within the esoteric field—yet lack direct, effective counterstrategies? Shouldn't being learned and specialized make the 'Seer' stronger and better equipped to discover winning strategies?" "Here's the analysis:" "First, much like the web novels I've read before, I've found myself transported into a game world where different 'professions' must each have distinct strengths while maintaining relative balance. However, so far, there's no clear data-driven evidence or task-based progression—this factor is temporarily suspended, likely at a very low level." "Second, the fundamental principle governing this world is balance. The creator established this world with balance at its core." "Thirdly, when magic potions within the same sequence occupy the same energy level, this is the optimal state identified and summarized by our ancestors. Beyond this energy level, the system tends to collapse or lose control; if it falls below it, the desired exceptional power cannot be achieved. Therefore, at a fixed energy level, one aspect may be strong while the other naturally becomes weaker." "Fourthly, all things originate from the same source—the Creator—and are thus fragments of the Creator’s essence. The concept of mutual complementarity implies that each element has its own inherent imperfection." "Currently, we lean toward the third and fourth explanations, though the latter stems from uncertain myths and serves only as a reference." "Thus, we take the third explanation as our guiding principle and verify it through ongoing learning and future discoveries." By this point, Kline had filled two full pages, yet he did not stop. He began writing again, organizing new questions: "Based on today’s learning, my 'Transit Ritual' clearly exemplifies a classic case of ritual magic." "Ritual magic of this kind can be divided into three components. The first is the part of sacrifice designed to please or capture the interest of the corresponding entity. The second is the incantation that specifies the exact object of the request. The third is the substantive part outlining what specific assistance is sought—this must be clearly articulated using a formalized language and certain symbolic elements." "From this framework, analyzing the 'transformation ritual' reveals a clear issue: it lacks the third component!" "It includes the sacrificial part—placing the main food offering and walking counterclockwise four steps to form a square—and also has an incantation specifying the direction of the request, such as 'Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Xian Zun.'." "But its subsequent actions merely involve closing one's eyes and waiting—there is no explicit statement about the purpose of the ritual being to facilitate transformation." "In other words, the so-called 'transformation ritual' fails to clearly communicate what it seeks, leaving the corresponding entity completely uncertain and forced to interpret it freely... freely... freely." "Seriously! How can the book 'Qin-Han Secret Transmission of Techniques and Formulas' be so disappointing?" "Back then, I must have had water in my brain—somehow I ended up trying this..." Caine paused his pen, took two deep breaths, and worked to steady himself. "Exhale," he released a steady breath, and continued: "Let's reconsider and completely redesign this ritual, making it more complete, with the goal of returning to Earth—to the world of my parents and friends." "Then comes the question: Is that being truly free to express itself, or does it carry a deeper, hidden purpose?" "Even more specifically, is the entity described by the descriptive incantation the same one—whether it's pointed to on Earth or within this world?" "If so, then the differences between the first and second rituals could be attributed to free expression. Yet, if both the second and third rituals allow the traveler to reach the misty realm and connect with 'Justice' and 'The Hangman' with almost no distinction, what then explains that consistency?" "When the fourth ritual of tomorrow afternoon can be proven stable and repeatable, it will mean the effect has solidified—meaning the requested outcome is now implicitly embedded within stages I am still unaware of. Consequently, any new descriptions or additional requests will no longer receive clear responses, and may instead only cause the ritual to become disordered and produce adverse effects." "Is the difference between the first and subsequent rituals—when the object of the ritual remains unchanged—due to the nature of the world in which it occurs, as if using different interfaces?" "How should I design the ritual to achieve the effect I desire?" "If we consider that the entity pointed to in the first instance differs from that in the later ones, then the earlier issues are fully explained. Yet, similarly, the stability and consistency observed in the second and third rituals imply that the requested outcome is now implicitly embedded, making it difficult to make any changes." "The most crucial point: who is the entity being pointed to, where is He located, and how does He offer no clear indications or guidance to me?" "Is He deep within that misty world?" "Could He perhaps be considered a being in a state of slumber—one that responds to stimulation with consistent feedback, without otherwise interfering with me?" "Then we could design various rituals to stimulate Him and summarize the patterns of feedback, eventually arriving at the correct method for his return." "But the issue is, if He is not asleep, then every trial might lead to dreadful consequences—extremely dangerous." "The first trial must be especially cautious, carefully designed to avoid provoking Him..." "Indeed, this is quite a challenge—something that will require further learning." Klein sighed and reached a conclusion. Later, he scattered notes on other matters: "Constantly, there is an intangible voice echoing in my ears, shouting 'Hornachis' and, um, is it 'Ferlagra' or 'Feregra'?" "Hornachis is a mountain range spanning the kingdom of Roon and the republic of Intis, with its main peak exceeding six kilometers in height." "According to the Antigonous family's records, during the Quaternary period, there was a land of the night—the goddess of night. Is there any connection between this land of the night and the goddess of night? Are they allies or adversaries? Was the Antigonous family's downfall at the hands of the Church of the Goddess of Night due to the existence of this land of the night?" "The whispers I've heard come from that record, from the sustained cries of the Antigonous family spanning over a thousand years?" "Feelegra—Fregla—what does that signify?" "A fascinating question. The fact that they preserved such records and maintained the 2–049 seal suggests the Antigonous family wielded considerable extraordinary power. Then, which sequence path did they hold? Was it complete, or incomplete?" "It's a bit coincidental that we discovered the notes were in Rael Biber's hands, yet there's no trace of any deliberate arrangement—almost as if it's fate itself." ...One thought after another flowed onto the page, and Caine wrote freely about the events he'd encountered and his own speculations. He wrote continuously, filling four pages—both sides. Snap! Caine suddenly tore the four pages free, read them from beginning to end several times, occasionally circling passages with his pen, or adding a few more sentences. Time flew by swiftly. The red moon was briefly obscured by clouds. Caine picked up the watch on the table, clicked it open, and glanced at the time. He set the watch down, then took out a box of matches from the drawer, struck one sharply, and held it close to the four pages of notes. The orange-red flame licked at the paper and spread rapidly. Caine placed the four pages onto the wooden trash can, watching as the ashes drifted and fell. He loosened his fingers, letting the paper fall. Within no more than a dozen seconds, everything had vanished, leaving only the still slightly swirling ashes and the charred traces at the base of the wooden cask, whispering of what had once been. Thanks to the secret diary of Emperor Roscel, Caine dared not leave evidence that he could write Chinese—should the old Niel and others discover those four sheets just now, the matter would become unclear. When composing confidential notes, whether in Rûn, Old Fussack, or Hermes, Caine worried that the figure watching him in his dreams would see and comprehend the contents. Thus, he wrote in Chinese to organize and synthesize his thoughts, then burned the papers once the task was complete, ensuring no trace remained. And precisely because he could not preserve them, he devised a plan: to summarize once a week, thus preventing himself from forgetting. As the ashes settled, Caine pulled out a sheet of white paper and wrote at the head: "Dear Mentor:" He intended to write a letter to Professor Coen Quentin, the senior associate professor, inquiring whether he had any historical materials related to the Hornachis Main Peak.