Chapter 32
Klein looked at dark-blue gelatinous liquid, finding it hard to describe it as either a block or cup of liquid . He swallowed his saliva and said in great difficulty, "Am I to drink it just like that?
"Is there no need for any other preparations? Like a ritual, an incantation, or a prayer?"
Old Neil acknowledged tersely before saying, "Preparation? There is . Get a cup of Intis Aurmir grape wine, suck on a Desi cigar, then whistle a relaxing tune, and dance a upbeat court dance . You can do a tap dance if you prefer that . Finally, play a round of Gwent cards . . . "
When he saw Klein's expression turn dumbfounded, Old Neil laughed and summarized what he had just said .
"If you feel nervous . "
. . . You are quite humorous, aren't you . . . ? The corners of Klein's mouth twitched as he resisted the urge to draw his gun .
He put his cane down and extended his right hand . As though he held something heavy, he raised the opaque cup . The smell of the potion was faint and seemingly ethereal .
"Lad, do not hesitate . The more you hesitate, the more nervous and afraid you will be . That will only affect the absorption that follows," said Old Neil with his back facing Klein . It was as though he had said it casually .
It was unknown when he arrived by the nearby water basin . He turned on the tap and washed his hands .
Klein nodded silently and took a deep breath . Just like he was back when he was a child, he pinched his nose and drank it like medicine . He moved the opaque cup to his mouth and tipped his head, drinking it down with a gulp .
A cool and smooth feeling quickly filled his oral cavity . It then flowed through his gullet and into his stomach .
The sticky, dark-blue liquid seemed to grow out thin and long tentacles, bringing stimulation and coldness to every cell in Klein's body .
He could not help but convulse as his vision rapidly went into a blur . All colors seemed to saturate . The reds were redder, the blues were bluer, and the blacks were blacker . The rich colors blended like an impressionist painting .
Klein had seen such a scene before . It was back when he was questioned by the Spirit Medium, Daly .
At that moment, his vision became a blur and although his mind felt light, it was clear . He felt like a castaway floating in the sea .
Slowly, his surroundings turned discernible . All the colors returned to their original as a grayish and blurry fog emanated .
Around him were bodies he found difficult to describe . There were transparent objects that did not seem to exist . Deep down, there were clean light clusters of different colors . The light seemed to possess life or contain immense knowledge .
This is a little similar to what I saw during the luck enhancement ritual . . . As Klein instinctively looked down, he realized that 'he' was still standing in his original spot, body convulsing .
Suddenly, he came to a realization, causing his consciousness to sink abruptly and fuse with him .
Boom!
The fog quickly dissipated as the colors restored to normal . The bright, clear halo and the inexistent objects instantly vanished .
The scene in the alchemy room returned to normal, but Klein felt his head swell . He felt like it was being yanked apart . Whatever he saw had countless afterimages . His ears were overwhelmed by an ethereal murmur .
"Hornacis . . . Flegrea . . . Hornacis . . . Flegrea . . . Hornacis . . . Flegrea . . . "
Klein felt a stabbing pain at his forehead as he quickly had thoughts of causing destruction to vent the discomfort in him .
He frowned and hurriedly shook his head .
"Is your vision abnormal? Are you also hearing things you did not use to hear?" said Old Neil, at his side with a concealed smile .
"Yes, Mr . Neil, what should I do?" Klein tolerated the intense mania and asked .
Old Neil chuckled .
"This is the resulting seepage of the potion's energy . You lack the means to control it . Alright, do as I say . Think of an object in your mind, something common . Make it simple and easy . "
Klein quickly focused as he envisaged his own halved top hat woven from black silk . He recalled the feeling when he touched it and its exact shape .
"Place all your focus on it . Keep repeating that while creating the outlines . Does it feel a little better?" Old Neil's voice penetrated into his mind like a serene song .
Klein turned his focus bit by bit to the imagined top hat . He felt the murmurs subside into a whisper before they vanished . The afterimages he saw also stacked upon one another and no longer appeared a blur .
"Much better," said Klein after calming his mind of chaotic emotions and having exhaled .
He looked down at his body and discovered that nothing abnormal had happened .
He moved his limbs and with half-anticipation and half-doubt, asking, "I succeeded? I'm now considered a Seer?"
Old Neil pulled out a mirror-like mercury plate and shoved it in front of him .
"Look at your eyes . "
Klein focused his gaze and saw that he was wearing a black top hat . His outline stood out and his facial features looked normal . Apart from having his face covered in sweat, he did not seem different in any way .
He followed Old Neil's instruction and carefully looked at his eyes . Only then did he discover that his brown eyes had deepened quite significantly . It was so much deepened that it was like the night—one in complete darkness . It felt so deep that it could absorb the souls of others .
Normally, dark brown pupils are easily recognized as black . Without looking very carefully, even Klein himself would not have noticed .
"This is a physical manifestation of the potion's powers . When you learn Cogitation and how to converge your power, your eyes will return to normal . " Old Neil smiled as he reached out his right hand . "Congratulations, our new Beyonder, our Seer . "
"Thank you . " Klein reached out his hand and shook it . "Mr . Neil, when can I learn how to Cogitate?"
"You can learn it now . The initial steps of Cogitation is relatively simple . It's even more so for Beyonders," said Old Neil with a smile . "Just now, producing an object in your mind to divert your attention and turning the energy seepage inwards is actually the first step to Cogitation . Try doing it again . "
Klein closed his eyes and once again, his mind depicted the halved top hat .
His concentration seemed to be more easily focused than before . Soon, random thoughts that surfaced would quickly vanish, leaving the hat's outline .
"Let your brain go somewhat blank . Exchange the object you imagined . Use something that does not exist in this world, an object you imagine completely out of thin air . "
"You have to follow this rule . Only by doing so can you enter Cogitation, only then can you exceed the concept of 'I . ' The limitless 'I' will be become one with the universe, giving you the ability to see and understand the truth . You will obtain knowledge only you yourself can understand . In the domain of mysticism studies, it's called a Mystic Experience," said Old Neil using a pacifying tone . "You just need to listen to the descriptions that I'll get to later . What's most important is to enter Cogitation . "
Something that doesn't exist in this world . Imagine something completely out of thin air . . . Would things from Earth count? Klein attempted using an earthy-green intercontinental missile he saw on television . He replaced the halved top hat with this long and thick missile .
However, regardless of how he outlined it or imagined it, he ultimately only ended up focusing his attention .
It doesn't seem like it will work . . . Klein had no choice but to let his imagination run wild . He
outlined a sphere of light and then many similar objects, gathering them together .
The spheres of light stacked upon one another . It felt like an object of fantasy . Klein's thoughts gradually turned ethereal and afloat .
His body and mind calmed down . The objects that did not seem to exist, the fog with the bright clusters of light, and the complex colors appeared once again . They floated in the sky in close reach .
He extended his spirituality inch by inch as he looked down at them quietly . He sensed it and took it in .
"Very good . As expected of a Seer . You entered Cogitation very smoothly . You are just slightly worse than me back then . Slightly," said Old Neil with a chuckle . "In that case, I'll begin teaching you the most common, easiest to grasp, and most useful ability in the future in mysticism . Spirit Vision!"
He switched off the gas lamps one after another but opened the door to the alchemy room . It made the spot where Klein was dark, but not to the point of failing to make out silhouettes of objects .
"Alright . in your present state, raise your hands and place them in front of your eyes . Your index fingers need to face each other, but they are not to touch .
"Open your eyes and keep them open until you are accustomed to the darkness . "
Klein completed each step according to Old Neil's description . He saw the silhouettes of his fingers and the surrounding objects .
"Actually, you should be lying down to let your body be entirely relaxed . But since the effect of your Cogitation is not bad, let's continue . " Old Neil laughed . "Focus your gaze on a spot behind your hands . It has to be behind . Then, slowly move your fingers and maintain the same pose without touching them . Also, do not pull them out of your sight . "
Klein calmly listened to it and cast his gaze at an empty spot behind his palms . He then slowly moved his index fingers within his vision .
Once, twice, thrice . . . Suddenly, Klein saw a fiery-red color in between his fingers .
"Eh . . . " He let out a sound .
"You see color? That's right . That's the initial step to Spirit Vision . The color you see is your aura," said Old Neil with a chuckle . "No rush . Do it a few more times . After stabilizing it, look elsewhere . I'll also take this opportunity to explain to you the different meanings of the different colors . "
"Alright . " Klein moved his fingers back and forth while having his vision trained on the fiery-red .
Old Neil thought for a moment before saying, "To put it simply, the mainstream way of mysticism is to split non-physical parts of a human into four levels . At its core is the Spirit Body, which is also everyone's basic spirituality . There is a school of thought that believes all biological creatures have spirituality and have a Spirit Body .
"I'm not sure about anything else, but to Mystery Pryers, the goal of Cogitation and the method to increase our strength is directed toward the Spirit Body .
"Outside the Spirit Body is the Astral Projection . It is the means for the Spirit Body to communicate with the spirit world and with stellar space . It's considered an external manifestation of the Spirit Body . Besides, it will be directly related to your personal ambition and your prevailing emotions . . . The scenes you see after consuming the potion are scenes your Astral Projection sees when it wanders through the spirit world . That world does not obey the laws of the physical world . It involves exceeding the concept of 'I,' the limitless 'I', and the Universe's 'I . ' The past, present, and future might be stacked upon one another and that is the source of divination .
"In the spirit world, what you see is just an imagery, a symbol . You have to interpret it to understand its actual meaning .
"Divination and many magic spells are cast through the Astral Projection .
"Do not mistake its relationship and differences with a Spirit Body . "
One is just a body and the other is for form . . . Klein continued looking at the aura in between his fingertips and made the simple conclusion .
"Further out will be the Body of Heart and Mind . From this point forth, it will combine with the physical body . . . It involves your brain and is an overall manifestation of your inferential abilities, your analytical abilities, your observational abilities, and identification abilities . Some potions will mainly raise this . Quite a number of magic spells target it as well . "
Old Neil explained in relatively great detail, "The outermost layer is the Ether Body . It is a manifestation of your vital energies and physical form . "
"The aura color you see is an external phenomenon of your Ether Body . In other words, apart from the spiritual bodies, ghosts, and specters you can see directly with Spirit Vision, it might also include certain existences that should not be seen . You can also see the Ether Bodies of others or their auras . From their thickness, brightness, and color, you can determine their health and emotional state .
"When your Spirit Vision improves and you grasp more mysticism knowledge, you will be able to discover even more details . You can even determine the lifespan of others .
"By the way, the emotional state I mentioned would also manifest itself because of your Astral Projection . When you go higher in Sequence, your Spirit Vision will reach a relatively high stage . You can even be able to see someone else's Astral Projection . That way, you will learn even more things . This is a level only Seers and Mystery Pryers can attain .
"Some fellows even claim that the strongest form of Spirit Vision allows one to see anything in any place, including the past and future . However, I'm skeptical about it . "
It sounds quite powerful . . . Klein was almost turning eager .
Old Neil coughed and continued, "Let's return to the Ether Body and the colors of the auras . Your limbs and parts that are required in motion will appear red . Your head and brain's surface will appear as purple . Spots that excrete waste will appear orange . The digestion system will appear as yellow . The heart and other regulatory systems will appear green . Your throat and other parts of the nervous system will appear blue . An entirely balanced body will make a body be cloaked in white . . . That is a symbol of health .
"Once it turns dark or the thickness thins, the color will change . That indicates that the corresponding spot has turned problematic . It means it's in a state of exhaustion or illness .
"In addition, the inner layer of the Astral Projection represents prevailing emotions . Red means passion and excitement . Orange means warmth and satisfaction . Yellow means happiness and extroversion . Green means calm and peace . Blue means coldness and stillness that one is in thought . White means brightness, an eagerness to improve . Dark colors mean worry, sorrow, and silence . Purple means that spirituality is taking control of the lead, coldness and estrangement . . . "
Klein silently memorized the information and stabilized his initial Spirit Vision .
"Good, you can look at other objects . " Old Neil did not speak further as he nodded .
Klein slowly turned his head and looked at Old Neil . Indeed, he saw different colors in different parts of his body . The aura was both thick and thin at different spots . The purple color at his head was brightest and his limbs' redness was relatively dark . The overall whiteness to his body was somewhat faded as well .
Indeed, he's getting on in age . . . Klein made a silent comment to himself .
Only with what he saw did he feel that he had become a Beyonder!
"I am now a Beyonder!"
He shifted his gaze and carefully sized up Old Neil when suddenly he saw a translucent pair of cold and ruthless eyes without any brows in the void behind him!
This nearly illusory eyes were staring at Old Neil intently, as well as him!
This . . . Klein shuddered as he gapped and said, "You have a pair of eyes behind you!"
Old Neil was taken aback before he forced a smile .
"Ignore them . "
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