Not Everyone Gets To Choose

"I don't have what you need, but I possess the clues, and I can bring it to you at the next gathering! Alternatively, if you accept the Gold Pounds, I can provide you with 800 pounds immediately!" The woman, her face completely concealed in shadow, promptly responded.

Lin Ruo glanced at her, then overheard the elderly man from the Eyes of Wisdom speaking leisurely, "I have a potion formula for the [Provoker], priced at 450 pounds."

Indeed, Lin Ruo thought to himself, feeling reassured. He first turned to the Eye of Wisdom and said, "Deal!"

He then shifted his gaze to the woman with the shadowed face and stated, "For the [Briber] potion formula, 800 pounds."

"Deal!" The woman with her face in shadow eagerly nodded.

Lin Ruo then proceeded to count out the golden pounds just deposited from his bag and handed them to the waiter. Following the same procedure as before, Lin Ruo found himself with an additional folded paper and 800 pounds in his hand.

Perhaps due to feeling pressured, Lin Ruo, having obtained the formula, wasn't overly excited, but rather, he felt a sense of relief. Nevertheless, he couldn't resist opening the potion formula to take a look:

"Primary ingredients: the eyes of an adult black cat, a complete gargantuan plant.

Auxiliary ingredients: 50 milliliters of distilled liquor,

10 drops of honeysuckle extract, 5 grams of grapevine (vitis) ,powder 10 grams of Aqua fern grass powder."

It wasn't significantly different from the typical Sequence 8 potion formula. There were two primary ingredients, but they weren't particularly rare, considering it was only a Sequence 8 level potion. The auxiliary materials were essentially common items in the world of mysteries. While they weren't as easily available as Sequence 9 supplementary materials, they weren't scarce either.

Lin Ruo was confident that he could acquire all these items through his current connections. It seemed that once he had digested the hunter's potion, he could advance to become a [Provoker]. Yet, the thought of playing the role of a [Provoker] made Lin Ruo's expression somewhat odd.

"Will the [Provoker] potion dissolve in my mouth if I provoke the Sauron Einhorn Medici Evil spirit?" he pondered.

Nonetheless, he decided to give it a try. After buying the provoker potion formula , Lin Ruo observed the other transactions, but nothing else caught his interest.

After all the deals were concluded, the Eyes of Wisdom announced the end of the party and arranged for participants to exit the room individually, allowing three minutes for each. Perhaps considering Lin Ruo's status as a suspected Sequence 9 rookie, the elderly man from the Eyes of Wisdom arranged for Lin Ruo to leave first.

Lin Ruo accepted this favor and exited the room swiftly. He navigated through the alleyways and returned to the Bravehearts Bar. Upon leaving the bar, he changed carriages multiple times before finally reaching his residence.

Yawning lazily, Lin Ruo placed the paper with the potion formula and his wallet on the table and picked up the textbook on ancient giant language.

"Learning ancient giant language, ancient elven language, ancient Hermes language...and acting, tearing up the script, learning mystery field knowledge from Klein's lessons... Phew!" As Lin Ruo counted the various tasks he needed to complete, even he felt somewhat overwhelmed.

"I can't afford to let my guard down for a moment!" He sighed and resumed his studies, fully immersing himself in the world of learning.

...…..

"Good morning!"

As I've grown accustomed to being summoned to Tingen at a moment's notice, once again, I closed my eyes and found myself in Tingen. Upon seeing Klein, who was in the middle of brushing his teeth, I not only greeted him calmly but also offered a friendly Chinese-style salutation.

"Uh, good morning!" Klein, who had been taken by surprise while brushing his teeth, responded with a start but soon chuckled as he recognized me.

"You're going to become an Extraordinary today, are you nervous?" I asked with a smile. Klein had already informed me of his decision when we met yesterday.

"I'm a bit nervous, but I'm looking forward to it," Klein replied after a moment of contemplation.

"Good attitude!" I commended him before falling silent. I patiently waited for Klein to finish his morning routine, have breakfast, and accompany him to board the trackless carriage to Blackthorn Security Company.

As we disembarked from the carriage and stood at the entrance of Blackthorn Security Company, Klein took a deep breath and suddenly remembered something, prompting him to ask, "By the way, Lin Ruo, which Path have you chosen? Of course, if it's not convenient, you don't have to tell me."

"Me?" I paused, wearing a smile on my face. "I've chosen the Hunter Path. It signifies the path of war."

"War... What's the connection between hunters and war?" Klein was a bit puzzled but chose not to inquire directly. Instead, he commented, "I thought you might choose to be a spectator or something similar. I didn't expect you to be a hunter."

Even though Klein hadn't read the detailed description of the Hunter Path, just from the name of the Path and my mention of it symbolizing war, he could deduce that it likely focused on direct combat.

Despite our relatively short acquaintance, Klein could tell that I wasn't the type who particularly enjoyed frontal combat. In fact, he had a hunch that I was more inclined to use my intelligence behind the scenes to strategize for others, orchestrating events without being in the spotlight.

If that was the case, I'd naturally prioritize the behind-the-scenes aspect, regardless of my choice.

"Surprised?" I glanced at Klein, sighed softly, and said with a hint of disappointment, "If I had the choice, I'd actually prefer to be a spectator. It aligns better with my aesthetic... But unfortunately, not everyone gets to choose."

Klein was momentarily taken aback, realizing that he had touched on a sensitive topic related to my semi-exceptional status, which both I and Dunn had explained to him before. He quickly apologized, saying, "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay; I've accepted this fact a long time ago! Besides, the Hunter Path isn't all bad. There's no Sequence 0, and its combat effectiveness in direct confrontations is still formidable... and it's better than being a Witch, isn't it?" I quipped, recovering from my momentary melancholy faster than Klein. I even managed to inject a touch of humor into the conversation.

Klein couldn't help but recall what I had taught him about the Witch's methods of body alteration and couldn't help but smirk.

"Well, let's not delay any further; go on in! Today, you officially become an Extraordinary!" I urged, and Klein promptly entered the Blackthorn Security Company. He first inquired about Dunn's whereabouts and, after confirming that Dunn was in his office on the second floor, knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Dunn's deep and reassuring voice invited him inside.