Chapter 3 : [Fallacy]

After completing this sentence, just before Klein could react, Lin Ruo took control of his spiritual form and glided towards the wall, passing right through it.

However, once out of Klein's line of sight, Lin Ruo didn't continue testing how far he could move away from his opponent. Instead, he silently activated his own supernatural abilities.

"I don't understand Loen's common language, this is a false assumption," Lin Ruo whispered, and then he received feedback from his supernatural power, confirming the success of his attempt.

This meant that from now on, he would naturally comprehend the meaning and writing of the Loen common language he heard and saw. Even without any prior learning, he would understand it—until he dispelled this "false assumption (fallacy)" or the energy consumption became too high to maintain.

Yes, maintain!

This was the distinction between "false assumption" and "truth assumption." "Truth" consumed energy instantly. Once the destined outcome was set, regardless of whether it came to fruition or not, energy would be expended upon activation.

On the other hand, "false assumption" worked differently. It required continuous energy consumption in most cases. Just like Lin Ruo had done, whether it was distorting others' perception or distorting reality, these effects were unlike the destiny-guided consumptions that could be disregarded after activation. They needed a constant application of his supernatural abilities to uphold.

Multiple false assumptions could be upheld simultaneously, but this wouldn't reduce the energy consumption. Therefore, under normal circumstances, Lin Ruo refrained from maintaining multiple false assumptions at once, as it was too burdensome.

After temporarily grasping Loen's common language, Lin Ruo used "false assumption" to temporarily acquire the basic knowledge of Hermes language used in the field of mysticism.

This wasn't just an experiment, but also a way to ensure he wouldn't be completely ignorant when navigating the world of the Beyonder—as for knowledge from other Beyonder fields, he'd have to learn gradually later on.

Lin Ruo had confidence in his learning ability; he rarely forgot anything he learned. Learning a new language became quite easy when he could use "false assumption" to understand the language's reading and writing beforehand.

"Since languages related to the Beyonder field can be comprehended through this ability, what about corresponding knowledge?" After confirming his success in comprehending languages through "false assumption," Lin Ruo pondered and continued, "I don't know the formula for the Sleepless Path Sequence 9 potion. This is a false assumption."

As he activated his supernatural ability alongside language, Lin Ruo received feedback—his attempt to activate "false assumption" failed.

"As expected... this assumption can't be realized." Lin Ruo wasn't surprised by this outcome, having already suspected it. He calmly continued to experiment with his abilities.

"I don't possess a physical body; this is a false assumption."

Failed to activate...

"I'm not a Beyonder of the Seer pathway, a Miracle Invoker. This is a false assumption."

Activated... Huh? It worked?

Lin Ruo blinked, sensing a distinct additional presence within him as the ability took effect. The knowledge that accompanied the supernatural ability informed him that it was related to the aura of a Seer.

To those who understood, this was Sequence 2 of the Seer's Path. Even if someone used Beyonder abilities to examine him, the result would be the same.

However, there was a catch.

Lin Ruo hadn't truly acquired Sequence 2 of the Seer Path; he'd merely generated a convincing illusion.

This revelation wasn't too surprising to him. Back in his previous life, he had never succeeded in using "false assumption" to grant himself abilities beyond "truth assumption." His current experiment aimed to determine whether the differences in this world might yield a change.

But what truly amazed Lin Ruo was the information he received after activating the supernatural ability: his energy couldn't support the simulation of Sequence 2 of the Seer Path; it would be depleted almost instantly.

This seemingly trivial information left Lin Ruo a bit taken aback.

Could it be...

"I'm not a demigod in the way of divination; this is a false assumption."

In an instant, unfamiliar power surged through Lin Ruo's being. It was the power of a Sequence 4 Bizarro Sorcerer from the divination path.

As expected!

A smile tugged at the corners of Lin Ruo's lips as he delved further into his use of "false assumption."

Fortune-telling, combat, manipulating the spirit body's threads... Practically all the abilities attributed to the Bizarro Sorcerer class in the original work were now at his disposal.

Lin Ruo began experimenting with these newfound abilities involuntarily, yet he ceased after a few trials.

Maintaining this form, however, already consumed nearly one-fifth of his energy in just eleven or twelve seconds. Lin Ruo ended this "false assumption," sensing the differing energy drain within his body and making a conclusion.

"If I don't uphold other 'false assumptions' simultaneously, I can maintain Sequence 4 state for about 60 seconds. But after that, I'll likely be temporarily incapacitated and require a lengthy recovery..." Lin Ruo stroked his chin, his expression slightly peculiar. "One minute... with strategic use, I could change situations, but it also feels akin to the collapse of a mirage."

Despite this, he harbored no significant discontent. Compared to his previous inability to acquire combat power through "false assumption," being able to enter the "One-Minute Superman" state was a significant improvement.

He conducted a few more experiments, mostly confirming what he knew from his past life. When it came to Beyonder matters, he was mostly on point. However, there was an upper limit: Sequence 4. While he could attain Sequence 4 and below using "false assumption," the cost was substantial. The closer the Sequence was to 4, the higher the cost. After several attempts, Lin Ruo was left almost drained.

If he hadn't curbed his desire to continue experimenting, he likely wouldn't have enough energy left to comprehend Loen's common language or Hermeticism.

Post-"false assumption" experimentation, Lin Ruo, lacking the energy to test his "truth assumption" ability, determined the distance he could be from Klein—approximately 100 meters.

Admittedly, this range wasn't exceedingly restrictive, but neither was it expansive. However, given his current peculiar state, staying close to Klein might be advantageous.

Returning to the room, Lin Ruo found Klein earnestly wiping away blood stains from the table, remnants of the original owner's suicide. Klein occasionally glanced at the mirror.

Once Lin Ruo floated into the mirror's view, Klein naturally noticed him. He inquired immediately, "How did it go?"

"I gave it a try. My movement range seems to be limited to about 100 meters from you. No matter how far I try to go, it's as if an invisible barrier prevents me from moving forward," Lin Ruo responded with a smile. This time, he spoke in Loen's common language, rather than Chinese.

Klein didn't find the language switch odd; their previous conversation had included references to Backlund, a known place in this world. Klein had subconsciously categorized him as a seasoned traveller between worlds. For someone like that, understanding this world's language was only natural.

"Are you then trapped by my side?" Klein furrowed his brow and inquired. While lingering doubts remained in his mind – such as why, despite being just a mere hundred meters away, the other party had taken so long outside – in this moment, Klein acknowledged the truth. For Lin Ruo, being tethered within a hundred meters of him equated to captivity.

For Klein, this arrangement proved to be decidedly inconvenient, burdened by the presence of such a spirit constantly trailing behind him.