Phew, finally passed... That's it... Hearing Cresta Cecima's announcement, Kline, who had been mentally prepared, first exhaled a sigh of relief, then felt a slight sense of bewilderment—something not quite real, as though it were a dream. He had expected the examination to be more difficult and prolonged, but upon reflection, he realized that his current state was precisely what it should have been. If he hadn't absorbed the "Seer" potion within a month and actively pursued promotion, but instead had waited patiently for three years, the examination might never have even been triggered, and the matter would have been handled solely by the night watch captain of Tinggen. I had thought there would be an interview about family background and personal relationships... Ah, perhaps Lady Cecilia arrived in Tingen just two days ago and quietly completed this step already... I had assumed the assessment would include the completion of specific tasks—well, I've been overthinking it. The purpose of the assessment is simply to verify how well I've absorbed the potion, to check for any potential weaknesses, whether I clearly understand the concept of "playing the part," and whether I've shared my experiences with others... Thoughts flowed through Cline's mind, bringing him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Lady Cecilia." "Bravo, goddess!" Crysta nodded lightly. "Promotion is about serving the goddess more effectively and protecting the faithful more diligently. Keep this in mind—believe me, it will also help you resist the allure of losing control. Remember, it's the allure." "Allure..." Cline mused over the word. Créste studied him with his moss-green eyes, speaking seriously: "The 'role-playing' method helps you digest the magic potion and reduces the risk of losing control, but it's not a panacea. In fact, at times it can even blur the distinction between the role you're playing and your own sense of self. You know, opera and theater performers inevitably develop serious psychological issues—eventually, you'll truly go mad. Remember, you're only playing the part—that is the sole point of caution distilled by the Silver City, consistent with Cécile's description." Kline nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with the point. "Also." "Kreshta emphasized once again, "Loss of control is not merely related to potions—it is closely tied to your own emotional state and mental well-being. Indeed, the most essential quality of an extraordinary being is self-control. Only with such control can one resist the temptations of the evil deities and demons, and withstand the corrosive influence of emotions and desires such as envy and greed. Of course, I do not mean to completely eliminate such emotions and desires—this is something even humans, or half-divine beings, cannot achieve. Perhaps only certain exceptional sequences can reach that level." "Is it about maintaining these emotions and desires within a reasonable range, so that they do not overwhelm you and cause you to act irrationally or untypically?" Kaine suddenly thought of old Neil and asked the question out loud. Kreshta nodded firmly: "Yes." "That's all," he said, a few lines of wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes. "This is what I wanted to emphasize—next, I'll give you the recipe for the 'Carnival' potion and the corresponding ingredients." He bent down, lifting the silver box onto the long table, then turned around and took a few steps, blocking Claryn's view. When the surrounding light once again vanished in an eerie manner, Claryn, standing in pure darkness, suddenly realized that both the recipe and the ingredients were inside the box containing the sacred relics—though his gaze had been entirely drawn to the pure white bone sword, and he had failed to notice, or pay attention to, anything else inside. A few minutes later, the gas lamps restored the light to the alchemy room, and Cryste stepped back, allowing the items now arranged on the long table to come into Claryn's view. Most striking of all was a gray ram's horn, about the size of a palm, appearing as though shrunk from its normal scale. It was translucent and luminous, with a shimmering radiance, and within it, faint, intricate patterns layered one upon another. Beside it stood a blue rose, its petals adorned with red veins that intertwined, forming the outline of a smiling human face. Hahahaha, wuuwwww, hahahaha, wuuwwww—Klein heard a dreamlike interplay of laughter and weeping, seeing scattered gray glimmers floating in the air. A mature Honaquis gray mountain goat's single horn crystal, a complete human-faced rose—there, the key ingredients for the "Clown" potion were all in place! He gave a barely perceptible nod, then took a few steps to the long table before it. "80 milliliters of pure water, 5 drops of mandrake juice, 7 grams of black-sun powder, 10 grams of gold-cloak herb powder, 3 drops of poison-hellebore juice..." Klein glanced at the unrolled parchment, comparing the written instructions with his own memory of the original recipe. After confirming everything was accurate, he recalled the demonstration given by the old Neil. Taking a deep breath and then slowly exhaling, Klein composed himself and used the apparatus in the alchemical laboratory to distill the pure water required for the potion—water that, according to the recipe, had been repeatedly distilled. He then cleaned the black iron pot and placed the auxiliary ingredients into it, handling the process with the familiarity of someone who had performed chemical experiments in high school most often. Since no catalytic extraordinary materials were yet available, he did not observe any significant change in the liquid within the pot, only seeing the powdered impurities suspended throughout. With the preliminary preparations complete, Caine turned his attention to the two primary materials, sincerely relieved: "Whether it's the horn crystal of the Honaqis gray goat or the face rose—neither has any specified quantity. Perhaps the mature horn crystal or the complete face rose differs in volume from its peers only in degree, which would perfectly meet the requirements. Indeed, in such a mysterious and extraordinary world, this is absolutely plausible." "Then I won't have to worry about overloading the main ingredients!" After steadying himself for a few seconds, Caine picked up the face rose and dropped it into the iron pot. As soon as the strange bloom made contact with the liquid, it immediately began to hiss, and the surrounding ethereal laughter grew sharper and more intense: Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Caine didn't hesitate—he quickly grasped the translucent, enigmatic horn and tossed it into the pot as well. Pfft! The startling laughter vanished suddenly, and the scattered specks of gray light around swiftly contracted into the iron pot. Kline lowered his gaze and saw the liquid inside now tinged with gold, yellow, and red—interwoven yet remarkably clear. Gurgling, gurgling, bubbles rose and rolled within the liquid, yet could not breach the surface, only fading and breaking. This scene reminded Kline of the sparkling sodas from his previous life—the carbonated beverages of his past. It felt so delicious... a thought naturally surfaced in his mind, one that resonated with the essence of his people. Suppressing his tension, excitement, and anticipation, Kline used the apparatus to transfer the liquid from the black iron pot into a glass bottle. To his surprise, not a single trace of the potion remained in the pot. Indeed, a true elixir capable of elevating one to extraordinary heights. Kline raised his right hand, gazing at the beautiful, golden-yellow-red liquid now in his palm. Cresta Cecima, standing beside him, had remained silent until now, when she smiled and said, "Don't worry—at least, I haven't noticed any issues with your potion preparation." "I've been waiting here precisely to manage any unexpected reactions you might experience after taking the potion. Rest assured, as long as the issues aren't severe, I should be able to recover you." Hmm. Caine nodded, then placed the 'Clown' potion back on the long table. He removed the silver chain from his left sleeve, switched to holding it with his less-familiar hand, and gently hung the yellow crystal pendant so that it hovered just above the liquid, only a fraction of an inch away from the surface. For most non-magical exceptionalists, the pendulum method only indicates 'yes' or 'no'; of course, when basic information is insufficient and one resorts to elimination, the pendulum will remain still—no rotation—thus constituting a failed reading. And as a "seer," Caine had already tested this method—his pendulum could even vaguely determine the degree of "yes" or "no." His eyes deepened, and he murmured softly: "This potion is harmful." "This potion is harmful." ...After seven repetitions, he opened his half-closed eyes and saw the yellow crystal pendant making a slow, gentle clockwise rotation. A clockwise motion signifies affirmation—thus, this potion is indeed harmful. The gentle amplitude indicates the severity is low—so while it will bring about some loss of control, there are certainly drawbacks, but they are mild. Therefore, the potion is not problematic. Caine exhaled in relief, rewrapped the pendulum around his left wrist, and covered it with his sleeve. At that moment, Crystalline couldn't help but sigh: "...You are truly a professional seer." "Make full use of your strengths, yet avoid overreliance—don't let it become your panacea," Caine whispered, then picked up the "clown" potion once more. Drink it, and I shall become an extraordinary member of Sequence 8... At once, Caine no longer hesitated. He lifted the cup, tilted his head slightly, and gulped down the potion. Bitter! So bitter! Not at all pleasant! He immediately grasped what it meant to have something visually appealing yet unpalatable—his entire face crinkled with discomfort, and he wanted to vomit, yet couldn't. Then, Caine noticed his face growing redder, and other parts of his body undergoing similar transformations. He was certain he now resembled a steamed shrimp, while his consciousness had detached, turning into fine needles that seeped into the potion, piercing individual cells. It was a sensation so vivid that no microscope was needed—he could "observe" the cells directly. Standing there, he perceived the invaders penetrating the most delicate realms of his body. In those few seconds, he felt like a robot undergoing assembly and circuitry upgrades. 不知过了多久， his mind began to reflect his own image, much like hearing his own singing through in-ear monitors. Through this strange reflection, Caine realized he could now precisely control his facial expressions and body movements. At the same time, a constant hum filled his ears, and once again, the murmurs and cries he had not heard in a long time echoed around him: "Hornachis... Freglar... Hornachis... Freglar... Hornachis... Freglar..." Inhaling deeply, Caine envisioned layered spheres of light, gradually entering a meditative state, slowly shedding the occasional, slightly uncontrolled overflow of spirit. At that moment, he clearly knew he had achieved his promotion—he was now the "Clown" of Sequence 8.