"Harras, Belize, Katy, Parker... It seems that the Beyonder guarding Capim isn't any different from the original."
After extracting the information he needed, Lin Ruo refrained from immediately eliminating the two accomplices who were steeped in crime, as he feared this might alert others. Instead, he instructed them to end their lives the following night. Taking a moment to intervene when he encountered a scoundrel attempting to assault a nearby woman, Lin Ruo later returned home.
Recalling the core details of the original text, he roughly gauged the sequence and abilities of the four Beyonder guarding Capim. Armed with this knowledge, Lin Ruo crafted an intricate strategy that harmonized with his personal capabilities and resources.
The night deepened in this scenario.
...
Even though Lin Ruo anticipated being drawn back into Klein's side, when the actual event occurred, he was still mildly bewildered.
Having been asleep around three or four in the morning, Lin Ruo was in a groggy state. Abruptly, he awoke, only to have his vision darken after a mere second or two.
Simultaneously, he found himself in a spiritual form in another city, eyes fluttering open. Gazing forth, Lin Ruo's eyes met the sight of Klein standing alone on the street.
This sight compelled Lin Ruo to blink, his presence oozing with mischievousness as he floated towards Klein, his voice ringing out with a loud greeting, "Greetings! Good evening, or should I say good morning?"
The words were naturally spoken in English.
Klein, who had been gazing off in a particular direction, flinched, taken aback by Lin Ruo's unexpected greeting.
Swiftly recovering, he shifted his focus towards Lin Ruo's voice and found him, despite being invisible. Though nothing was visible, he still addressed, "Lin Ruo?"
"It's me!" Lin Ruo nodded affirmatively.
"You startled me half to death," Klein complained, his relief evident. Following Lin Ruo's abrupt disappearance, he'd harbored concerns for his well-being, a camaraderie having developed between them.
With Lin Ruo's return in the flesh, Klein found his unease quelled. However, perplexed, he inquired, "What happened to you earlier? Why did you suddenly vanish?"
"Well, as I mentioned before, I was suddenly summoned to establish contact with you. The reason for my disappearance in the morning is similar to that of my summoning. I returned to where I belong." Lin Ruo responded frankly, abstaining from revealing any physical complications.
"Back to where you came from? Yet couldn't you have left me with a hundred-meter radius?" Klein puzzled, his realization dawning, "Has our inexplicable link been severed?"
"Not exactly!" Lin Ruo shook his head, explaining, "The link between us is still intact. This is something you should be able to sense once you become a Beyonder."
"As for what transpired in the morning, to be candid, I'm not entirely certain. However, after I returned to that place, while the connection to you persisted, the restrictions on my range of movement lifted. Nonetheless, these restrictions have resurfaced now. It appears this distance limitation solely applies within this setting." Lin Ruo elucidated, refusing to feign comprehension where he lacked it.
After all, a Senior Traverser needn't feign omniscience nor omnipotence; there was no obligation to pretend to understand every matter.
In response to Lin Ruo's explanation, Klein contemplated, subsequently inquiring, "Then, what's the rule behind your being yanked to my side? What were you doing before getting pulled over?"
"Sleeping. Although I did sleep for a while, it shouldn't have caused this." Lin Ruo shrugged, his words delivered without reservation.
Sleeping?
Klein paused, comprehending the normative nature of this activity. Given the time of three or four in the morning, most individuals would be asleep.
Though aware Klein couldn't perceive him, Lin Ruo floated closer and queried, "Speaking of which, why weren't you out at midnight?"
This query arose due to Lin Ruo's supposition.
According to the plot, at this point in time, Klein would likely have been contacted by the Nighthawks due to the Antigonus Family's Notebook. He would have also passed Dunn's examination through the dream-sober blessing granted by the Night Goddess. This scene would depict him standing solo on a street, likely having visited the Spirit Medium, Daly Simone, undergoing further investigation, fully exonerating himself, and possibly receiving Dunn's invitation to join the Nighthawks.
Indeed, this supposition held true. Responding to Lin Ruo's question, Klein paused before elucidating his actions following Lin Ruo's departure, which closely aligned with the original narrative.
Upon recounting, Klein inquired, "Lin Ruo, as a Beyonder, you must be aware of the concept of a Beyonder losing control, yes?"
"Loss of control..." Lin Ruo sidestepped Klein's initial query, exhaling before responding, "The threat of losing control is one that every Beyonder faces. It's connected to the origin of the unique characteristics within this world's Beyonder beings."
"Unique characteristics ? What are those?" Klein's ears registered this phrase for the first time.
"I probably shouldn't have said it, but it's the foundation of the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility . A Beyonder is born by ingesting a potion. When a Beyonder dies, the potion they've taken crystallizes into corresponding materials. These are the Beyonder characteristics ."
"Furthermore, these Beyonder characteristics serve as the main ingredients in potion formulas for their respective sequences. When blended into new potions, they ensure an endless supply of Beyonders. It sounds like... cannibalism, doesn't it?" Lin Ruo's explanation prompted Klein's realization of this world's Beyonder world's brutality.
"You could interpret it that way, but it's not quite as sinister. After all, Beyonder characteristics are essentially crystallized potions. Think of them as mushrooms... Does this analogy make it slightly easier to accept?" Klein found the concept slightly more digestible, Lin Ruo having offered a witty analogy.
"Mushrooms..." Familiarity with this term softened Klein's earlier disquiet, stemming from the Beyonder world's grim realities. "Do mushrooms exist in this world?"
"Yes, a variety of mushrooms thrive here, some of which are quite... distinct." Lin Ruo offered with meaning, continuing, "Furthermore, the potion formula doesn't necessarily require the Beyonder characteristics of others. You're already familiar with the ingredients, most of which come from Beyonder creatures... Essentially, Beyonder characteristics act as substitutes for the rare materials."
"In reality, few people comprehend the essence of Beyonder characteristics . The majority of Beyonders remain oblivious to the nature of Beyonder characteristics and Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility. This even includes most official Beyonders. It's tied to Sequence 0, a secret concealed from the masses. Yet, in a sense, this might actually be for the best." Lin Ruo paused at this juncture, affirming, "It serves a purpose."