Seeing Quevedo's mouth slightly open, Furen felt a little uneasy and asked, "Quevedo, is there a problem?"
Quevedo's expression changed, and finally, as if making a decision, he replied to Furen with a familiar smile: "Nothing, it's just that I heard the key to potions lies not in mastering their power, but rather in their name."
Furen was surprised by Quevedo's words, sensing that he wasn't as straightforward as he had imagined, but he had no intention of finding out more. After all, Quevedo was still his friend and had no intention of harming him, or Karl, or Erich.
When it came to friendship, Furen never tried to uncover the true nature of his friends. Everyone had their own private space, and Furen himself kept many secrets, but that didn't prevent a beautiful friendship. The key to friendship lay in finding common ground while respecting differences.
Although Quevedo was certainly hiding secrets from Furen and Erich, and Furen felt that these secrets were quite important, Furen did not wish to investigate unless Quevedo was willing to reveal them to him.
Erich paused, glanced at Quevedo, a knowing look appearing on his face, before quickly regaining his composure.
Karl, on the other hand, seemed completely bewildered, staring gravely at Quevedo with a hint of confusion. But given that Quevedo was a veteran who had long been a beyonder and had spent several years in the World of Mysticism, he could only nod to indicate that he remembered this point.
Seeing that Karl didn't understand the main point, Furen told him: "Although I don't have much experience in the world of mysticism, my father once told me that the secret of potions lies in their name, and only secondarily in the powers they confer."
Furen's knowledge of impersonation was not surprising; after all, even in decline, Abraham's family remained a family of fallen angels, and its basic impersonation techniques were still widely known. Furthermore, due to its decline, it had not established oaths of secrecy like the major churches.
Seeing that even Furen, who was supposed to already be a Beyonder, had emphasized this point, Karl knew that this was the main benefit he had gained from participating in the Beyonder Gathering. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll remember that."
The gathering was drawing to a close when the four friends began to chat. However, as Furen and Quevedo exchanged a few words, the host suddenly announced: "...And now, a mission!"
The masked host paused, then looked at the audience and declared, "The reward for this mission is extremely generous, so I made it the final transaction of this meeting."
After ensuring the room was silent, the host continued: "The mission is to find members of the Abraham family. Each clue is worth 10 pounds, and if you find or capture members of the Abraham family alive, you will receive as a reward the recipe for the 'Assassin' potion from Sequence 9 and Beyonder materials..."
The participants were somewhat tempted, but not overly so. After all, those who could attend this Beyonders Gathering were either already Beyonders, or had been brought by individuals who were Beyonders; a potion and a recipe from Sequence 9 therefore did not cause much of a stir.
The host continued: "...and also a potion recipe from sequence 8, and a well-kept secret concerning the potion sequences."
This caused an uproar among the assembled members. After all, the potion recipes for sequences 8 and 9 were worth between 600 and 1,000 pounds each, and the Beyonder ingredients around 600 pounds. But perhaps the most exciting aspect was the profound secrecy surrounding these potion sequences; in the mystical world, knowledge is power.
Someone asked, "Mr. Kadross, did you have what you said checked?"
Kadross replied, "Of course. The commission I received came from a prominent member of our Beyonder Assembly. She had come here before to finalize this agreement with me. Rest assured, a recipe from Sequences 8 and 9 and a potion from Sequence 9 will not prove me wrong. I know this secret as well. It is very important to you, and worth over 1,000 pounds."
The members of the gathering whispered among themselves, because the reward for this mission was rather substantial.
Kadross, examining the document detailing the mission, continued: "Clue: the Abraham family's Beyonder path is that of 'Apprentice,' but they have been in hiding for a long time. They are nothing but traitors. If you find any Beyonder individuals who have followed the 'Apprentice' path, I suggest you report them to me. Consider this a clue. If this person is indeed a member of the Abraham family, congratulations! You will receive all the rewards except for the Sequence 8 potion recipe. So, do your best."
Upon learning of the mission to find the Abraham family, Furen knew it originated from the Demon Sect. A chill ran through her at the final clue. After all, this kind of mission amounted to the oppression of all Beyonders who had followed the Apprentice path; the target was no longer just the Abraham family.
Quevedo, initially very enthusiastic, suddenly seemed to remember something. Like a goose whose neck is grasped with two fingers, his eyes widened and he slowly turned towards Furen.
Karl and Erich both turned to Furen at the same time, while Quevedo reacted quickly and said, "Hey everyone, this mission is really rewarding! Do you have any leads?"
He then quickly signaled to the people at his table to gather and whisper. Erich and Karl complied without hesitation, mingling with the people at other tables who were discussing the matter.
Once all four were gathered, Quevedo asked in a low voice, "Furen, are you from this family?"
Furen initially wanted to ignore the question, but hesitated for a moment, telling himself that these friends were trustworthy. Although he had only known them for a few days, his intuition told him they weren't the type to betray their friends, and besides, the potion recipe was already perfected.
Floren then confessed: "That's right, my real name is Furen Abraham."
Quevedo asked with interest, "I see. Why is your family wanted? Who is it?"
Furen replied with an ironic smile: "I don't know. You probably don't either, but our Abraham family, for particular reasons, hid its real family name and took another. After that, we lived scattered. So why we are being sought, I'm not entirely sure either."
Quevedo said with some disappointment, "Oh, so that's how you live," then added, "Don't worry, we won't reveal your true origins to anyone."
(End of Chapter)