Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 255 - 189: The Journey of the Central Administrative Province (Part 2)

Chapter 255: Chapter 189: The Journey of the Central Administrative Province (Part 2)

"Did you have any reaction after drinking the magic potion, Malin?" Logan, who was still an Apprentice, had a big plan that made him the wealthiest apprentice in Carterburg, but it still hadn’t advanced him any further—it wasn’t a matter of money, his wealth was enough to buy him a high-tier sequence foundation magic potion.

Speaking of magic potions, it’s necessary to clarify that the sequence of magic potions in this world is like the original occupations, which can be ’done part-time,’ meaning a person can possess two or even more sequences, of course under very strict conditions.

The sequences of this world are divided into four tiers.

First is the unique Legendary Sequence, inherently noble and aloof. As soon as one person embarks on this path, no other person can obtain it unless they bring another back from a different timeline, but even then, the exclusivity of two unique sequences will cause both people to fight to the death. Quickly, they would be drawn together due to the mutual attraction of the super sequences, even if this attraction isn’t the desired outcome for either side.

This kind of incident is not well-documented in history; there are records of it happening three times, and all three ended with the death of one party, while the whereabouts of the missing sequence could not be confirmed whether it had vanished or returned to that timeline.

This kind of sequence will inevitably lead to T0, the peak. These sequences can bring significant enhancement to the bearer, but they often come with many restrictions. Take, for example, the Legendary Sequence ’Death Weaver.’ It’s an extremely powerful sequence. The bearer can traverse cities like a spider, endowed with fighting instincts far beyond ordinary people. Their bodies can transform into terrifying insectoid forms, with carapaces that can freely switch between extreme hardness, capable of blocking any non-Legendary melee weapon attack, and extreme softness, even armor-piercing weapons are ineffective; the latter allows them to navigate through any tight spaces. In the night, they are the most dreadful assassins because they can even launch attacks from a flushing toilet.

The reason why this sequence is understood so thoroughly is that five consecutive Death Weavers died at the hands of the Church of Justice, and their skulls still hang on the wall of trophies in the headquarters’ Holy Hall to this day.

Below the unique Legendary Sequences are the high-tier sequences, which are very specific to the user’s personal abilities, like Malin’s Detective sequence. His ladder is Apprentice (10) — Author (9) — Historian (8) — Antiquary (7) — Magician (6) — Engineer (5) — Alchemist (4) — Detective (3). It looks daunting, without some real skill, nobody should even think about climbing to the peak of this high-tier sequence. Moreover, all high-tier sequences possess their own crossover and compensatory aspects. For instance, Author (9) can enhance a regular sequence ’Agent.’ After becoming an Author (9), taking an Agent magic potion can result in immunity to whispers.

Of course, the more steps in the ladder that can enhance a regular sequence, the more dangerous the high-tier sequence becomes because greed is a very difficult human instinct to control. That’s why bearers of the Detective sequence have the highest distortion rate of all high-tier sequences.

The third tier consists of regular sequences, which are usually what alchemists create by reducing the high-tier sequences. They are lower in danger, stair numbers, and enhancement values. There’s a trade-off, but they win in terms of safety. For example, the Spiderwalking Potion that Malin provides to the children serving him—although it’s a bit pricey, it can save lives. There have been several records of apprentices using this sequence to escape pursuit, and every time they return alive with the news, it tolls a death knell for those evil Chaotic Believers and scoundrels.

The fourth tier isn’t the lowest tier of sequences but belongs to the unique coherent sequences of the Church and Guilds. Take Colin, for instance; his first sequence is ’Priest,’ and the ladder is: Apprentice (10*) — Probationary Shepherd (9) — Shepherd (8) — Priest (7*). The level 10 Apprentice is a common ladder, the prerequisite for the vast majority of sequences, and level 7 Priest is the endpoint of this sequence, which is also the common prerequisite ladder for the Church of the Earth Goddess’s exclusive sequences: Shepherd, Harvest Cleric, and Earth Cleric.

Yes, this is a coherent sequence, and Colin is now a level 6 Hymnist, which means he has chosen the path of the Shepherd. The Shepherd sequence is: Priest (7) — Hymnist (6) — Sacred Chanter (5) — Shepherd (4). The sequences Shepherd, Harvest Cleric, and Earth Cleric converge at Bishop (3) on ladder 3. Ahead of it is the final Clergy Sequence.

These are the coherent sequences of the Clergy; they can be rendered harmless as long as one adheres to the alignment. The only issue is... one must pledge loyalty to a Deity.

And for Malin, even after so many years, he still believes that he is better suited to being a non-believer.

Even if the deities of this world can make good on their promises, Malin doesn’t want to sacrifice his faith for it because he has always believed in one thing—that only oneself can be one’s own Savior.

"Malin, how’s the taste of the magic potion?" Logan began shaking Malin’s body—speaking of which, besides his beloved big plan, his height was also his secret weapon. The guy was already heading towards 1.6 meters, a true testament to his Highlander bloodline. That height is nothing short of giant beneath the giants.