"Strange…"
Yeah, this was really strange.
Ren couldn't recall doing anything that resembled a Clown, so why was the potion digesting so effortlessly?
Although it felt odd, rapidly digesting a potion stage wasn't a bad thing.
The only issue was that the gap in potion sequences remained just as large.
As the Clown potion was digested, Ren could clearly feel that Sefirah Castle was integrating with him at an accelerated pace.
The degree of synchronization had increased significantly.
And as a result, the permissions he could access within Sefirah Castle also expanded.
Now, he could temporarily grant himself the abilities of a Sequence 6.
But along with this, Ren received a critical information.
"Before reaching Sequence 4, you cannot borrow the power of Sequence 4 in advance."
"Sequence 4 marks the beginning of Mythical Creature transformations."
Resting his chin on his hand, Ren quickly understood the implication.
If low and mid-sequence Beyonders were still considered ordinary humans, then high-sequence Beyonders were something beyond human—half-mortal, half-divine.
Physically, mentally, and spiritually, they far surpassed normal humans.
Once someone reached high sequence, they would begin to exhibit Mythical Creature characteristics—the fundamental divide between mid-sequence and high-sequence Beyonders.
"If I attempt to break the limit and borrow Sequence 4's power prematurely, my body will be transformed by the influence of the source material… huh?"
"Wait… isn't that a good thing?"
Starting the transformation toward Sequence 4 before actually reaching it, that didn't seem bad at all, right?
Yet, Sefirah Castle had warned him against doing so.
Ren never ignored warnings from Sefirah Castle.
If it really intended to harm him, it wouldn't bother issuing a warning at all.
But it had.
That meant this was a dangerous choice.
Ren sighed and shook his head slightly.
"I guess this isn't as good as it sounds for me."
Memorizing this warning, he immediately dismissed any thoughts of borrowing Sequence 4's power.
There was no need to recklessly explore the unknown, especially when it wasn't beneficial.
Shifting his focus, Ren relaxed his boiling spirituality and checked his current state.
"It seems there's no negative effect on me."
"And Wild Card's value is still rising."
He couldn't help but sigh.
If he hadn't obtained Wild Card early on and had jumped directly into Sequence potions, he wasn't sure if he would have made it this far.
Even though there were no other Beyonders in this world, if it had been only him, maintaining absolute rationality would have been nearly impossible.
Ren was well aware of his own nature.
He wasn't someone with extraordinarily strong willpower.
If he had been a revolutionary from a past era, maybe he could have endured.
But he was just an ordinary person, living in modern society, enjoying the comforts of the times.
He lacked the unyielding determination of those who had fought through hardship.
Growth required support.
Without it, he couldn't walk this path alone.
---
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A sudden knocking at the door interrupted Ren's thoughts.
Sighing, he got up and walked to the entrance.
When he opened the door, he wasn't surprised to see a familiar black-and-white panda pajama outfit.
"...Aren't you sleepy this late at night?"
Ren gazed at his neighbor with mild exasperation.
"I've been thinking about the studio lately, and it's been keeping me up."
Okino Yoko had her reasons.
Lately, she had been contemplating starting her own studio, a major step toward her dream of running a business.
She was no longer just an idol under an agency.
She wanted to become her own boss.
"Fine, come in first."
"Hehe~"
Yoko grinned and stepped inside.
Like it was second nature, she closed the door behind her, locked it, and then pulled out a pair of fluffy indoor slippers from the entrance cabinet.
After slipping them on, she followed Ren into the living room.
She plopped onto the sofa, exhaling deeply.
"Ha… suddenly becoming my own boss… it really feels like a dream."
Ren glanced at the visibly relaxed Yoko and shook his head helplessly.
"If your true fans saw you like this, they'd probably be terrified."
Hearing this, Yoko just rolled her eyes.
"There's always a difference between being on stage and being at home."
"Fans say they want idols to be 'real,' but even the most genuine idols have a distinction between their private life and public image."
"Even as an idol, you need to be casual at home—otherwise, fans will feel like it's all fake."
"That said, I always try to show my fans the truest version of myself."
"Otherwise, if the contrast between my stage persona and my real self is too big, it could cause serious issues."
"You're not wrong."
Ren agreed.
Many celebrities who built their careers around a certain public persona had suffered major backlashes when their real personalities clashed with their image.
A strong public persona could attract fans, but if it ever collapsed, those same fans could become haters overnight.
So, it was always better to maintain a moderate image—not too high, not too unrealistic.
"You're still thinking about the studio even this late at night?"
"It's been a few days. Have you reached out to anyone in the industry yet?"
"I have, but almost every time I bring it up, I get rejected."
Ren wasn't surprised.
"That's not necessarily a bad thing."
"Yeah… it's actually not."
Yoko chuckled.
"If I tell them about my plans in advance, they won't be able to negotiate with me later out of guilt."
"But it's not like I got nothing out of it."
"A few close friends—people I used to work with—have reached out to me."
"They said if I actually go through with starting a studio, they'd support me."
"Of course… if I can help them cover their contract termination fees first."
Ren nodded slightly.
"Just make sure to set clear rules in advance. You don't want unnecessary trouble later."
"You need to confirm that their words aren't just empty promises."
"Don't worry, I've already told them that."
Hearing this, Ren picked up on something.
"So… you're so excited that you can't sleep?"
"Hehe~"
Yoko smiled sheepishly.
"Well, you're still awake too, right? So I figured I'd come over and chat."
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.