The key thing about potions is not about grasping them, but digesting them! It's nothing about tapping powers, but acting! And the name of a potion is not solely symbolic at its core, but a concrete imagery, and the 'key' to digestion!
The essences of Godhood in different Beyonder Characteristics are different, and is symbolised by the sequence name. The Acting Method (扮演法, Bànyǎn fǎ) is the process of acting according to the potion's name to deceive the mental imprint of the Original Creator within the Beyonder Characteristics and digest it bit by bit.
As a Beyonder digests more of their potion, their control over the corresponding Beyonder powers also improve. Fully digesting a potion is an important factor to ensure a Beyonder can advance to the next Sequence without losing control.
Klein's Analogy[]
Imagine the core powers of your potion as a tightly guarded castle. The remnants of the psyche that can cause a backlash resides within that castle. Our goal is to get rid of it and become the true master of the castle.
There are two ways we can do that. The first is to forcefully invade the castle. There is no guarantee that this will work, and you will most definitely injure yourself unless you can suppress it with absolute power. But of course, we are not equipped to do that.
The second way is to get the owner of the castle to extend an invitation. This invitation can allow us to slide through the scrutiny of the guards and infiltrate the castle. We can then easily finish off the enemies. But the problem lies in the fact that this invitation specifies the facial features and characteristics of the guest. Thus, we have to disguise ourselves and act as a guest.[1]
And all acting has one premise, which is that one possesses all the powers needed...
Characteristics[]
According to Madame Magician, the acting principles summarised by different people will vary according to their unique minds and experiences. The acting based on the potion's name is like tarot cards. There's a difference between the upright and reversed position.[2]
At some sequences, it is possible to act ahead of time in order to immediately digest a portion of the corresponding potion upon consumption
- For example, the Fool Pathway's Sequence 3 Scholar of Yore, which can be partially digested related to the amount of historical knowledge the Beyonder had accrued. Upon consuming this potion, due to the depth of his knowledge, Klein Moretti had immediately digested 80% of his own Scholar of Yore potion after it's consumption.[3]
If a lower sequence Beyonder can "act" with a higher sequence Beyonder as the witness, the feedback greatly aids digestion.
Acting method at the Uniqueness level[]
At the Uniqueness and Sequence 0 level, the potion can be digested, but it shouldn't be fully digested; the best way is to accommodate and control it instead. This is because digestion is equivalent to acting, which means getting closer to the original nature of the Godhood. If one digests, it's easy to lose their sense of self, defeated by Godhood.
However, Sequence 0 can't avoid the influence of Godhood, so "They" look like "They" are acting.[4]
Background[]
Without the spread of the “acting method,” wild Beyonders are ticking time bombs… But if the “acting method” is popularized, then the situation would become even more chaotic and bloody…
The Church of the Evernight Goddess has the Holy Cathedral's rules about the acting method, they have to swear to the Evernight Goddess that they never reveal the details of the acting method to those who do not know of it. They will only be permitted to know after they become a core member of the Church, such as an archbishop or a high-ranking deacon.[5] This is similar to other Orthodox Churches.
Though the Acting Method is not known by most Beyonders, it is taught in general education classes in the City of Silver. The one and only key point for the acting method is to ‘Remember that you're only acting.’[6] If one is too immersed in acting, the chances of losing control increase drastically.
According to the Church of the Evernight Goddess, it varies from three months to two years to fully digest a Sequence 8 potion with the acting method to advance to Sequence 7. It depends on whether you can grasp the core spirit and corresponding principle during the 'acting' process. From Sequence 7 to Sequence 6, it varies from half a year to three years; likewise for Sequence 6 to Sequence 5. As for Sequence 5 to Sequence 4, three to twenty years.[7]
References
- ↑ Lord of Mysteries, Chapter 59
- ↑ Circle of Inevitability, Chapter 301
- ↑ Lord of Mysteries, Chapter 1138
- ↑ Cuttlefish's WeChat Post: "Marauder Pathway Abilities"
- ↑ Lord of Mysteries, Chapter 167
- ↑ Lord of Mysteries, Chapter 158
- ↑ Lord of Mysteries, Chapter 148
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