Beyond the Old Ones

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Time*

Chapter 36: Crazy Is the Word?

The next day*

Finalizing... Idle S9Marauder survived for 91 years.

Idle S9Marauder brought back the Error's Uniqueness.

Acting Progress... 100% 3x Boost in effect... 100%.

Unlocking Beyonder's Abilities of the Error Pathway's Sequence 9: Marauder

1. Superior Observation: They can see in the darkness and have an intuition of where valuable items are or even how much they're approximately worth. This applies to supernatural items as well.

Additional Note: This intuition can be so powerful, that they can sense if there is something valuable in a drawer or cupboard, without actually being capable of seeing what's inside.

2. Physical Enhancement: After advancing, Marauders possess a powerful body, granting them enhanced agility, dexterity, and strength.

First Additional Note: These enhancements grant a Marauder powerful coordination, near inhuman level of acrobatic skills, and excellent talent in the realm of throwing various objects.

First Side Note: This allows them to commit various feats of acrobatics, such as swinging themselves up by their feet, easily scaling the outsides of buildings or using backflips to evade attacks.

Second Side Note: Besides that, Marauders can also throw various heavy objects (such as swords or daggers), quickly and very precisely onto a target from a medium distance.

Second Additional Note: Marauders possess extremely very dexterous hands, which are even more improved than the general enhancements given to the rest of their body.

Side Note: Their wrist and finger flexibility and dexterity is drastically heightened, making them experts at sleight of hand and grants them an edge in fields that require precise finger strength.

2. Theft (Stealing): All the other previous abilities, whether it be Superior Observation or their Physical Enhancement, serve to make the Marauder's core skill of Stealing more potent.

What the fuck. Ninety-one years?! And this guy somehow managed to obtain the Error's Uniqueness?! Is that the reason it survived for so long? Was S9Marauder a downgraded version of Amon, or was it Amon himself, merely restricted to Sequence 9 due to this bizarre, simulation-like system of adventuring?

I take a deep breath before exhaling slowly, forcing myself to remain calm.

Regardless, I am currently just a Sequence 9 Beyonder, even with the ability to switch among the 22 Pathways without any problem. A Uniqueness is an incredibly powerful, fundamental aspect of a Pathway—existing above Sequence 1 and serving as the foundation of its authority.

A mere Sequence 9 Beyonder like myself is far too weak to withstand such an immense concentration of power. Even if I were to somehow survive—and "survive" is the most considerate way to put it—the process would be excruciating. My body and spirit would be forced into an unstable, unnatural evolution, twisting me into a grotesque abomination.

That said... I'd wager that's exactly what happened to S9Marauder. That's how it endured for ninety-one years before it finally died.

On the other hand, my situation is unique. There's a chance I might be able to wield the Error's Uniqueness without meeting a horrific end or transforming into a grotesque abomination. It would be best to confirm this with Computational Divination.

With a few taps on my laptop's keyboard, the results came in. Well, answers—plural.

There are specific requirements for using the Error's Uniqueness safely:

1. I must keep the Card of Error equipped at all times.

2. The Uniqueness can't be used inside the Sefirah Castle.

3. I am limited to using it once per day.

4. I only have three seconds to use it.

As long as I adhere to these three rules, I shouldn't have any issues utilizing the Error's Uniqueness—no matter how minor its effects may be. It's still considered using the powers of a Sequence 0 in the Error Pathway.

There are other methods to use the Error's Uniqueness—though they are far less safe. However, if used at the right time and place, they could still be viable. One such method is turning it into a Sealed Artifact, though this would come at a significant cost. Simply possessing it would carry a major drawback.

Sealed Artifacts typically come into existence through one of two means:

1. They naturally form when an out-of-control Beyonder dies, their essence condensing into an object of power.

2. They are deliberately crafted by a Sequence 6: Artisan or higher of the Paragon Pathway. Sealed Artifacts made this way tend to be stronger and have fewer negative side effects compared to naturally formed ones.

Unfortunately, I can't do either of these right now. My only remaining option is to contaminate it using the Sefirah Castle's aura, forcing it to transform into a Sealed Artifact. This process mirrors what happened with the Justiciar's Uniqueness, which eventually became the Trunsoest Brass Book after being corrupted by the Nation of Disorder.

I don't recall any mention of this in Book 1 about the Trunsoest Brass Book, so it must have been revealed in Book 2, which I have yet to read. Kind of biting me in the ass now, but at least unlocking a higher Sequence in the Fool Pathway should grant me access to its contents at some point.

In any case, I'd rather use it for three seconds per day than risk having the Sefirah Castle contaminate it.

I exit the Sefirah Castle and blink, immediately greeted by the sight of Momoyo and Aya locked in another staring contest.

"What are you two doing?" I ask, tearing down the Spirituality walls around me with my silver ritual knife before slipping it back into my backpack.

"We just finished discussing how to track down Momoyo's painting of a mountain." Aya replies.

"Oh? How'd it go? If you're still stuck, I might have a clue or two about where it's currently located." I say, settling down on the couch next to Momoyo.

"You do?!" Momoyo's eyes widen in shock. "It's only been, what? An hour since you blanked out doing your spiritual ritual or whatever, and you already have the answer?!"

Aya, on the other hand, appears far more composed—though curiosity gleams in her eyes.

"I must admit, I find myself quite intrigued by this ritual you've performed." Aya says smoothly. "Would you be so kind as to elaborate in greater detail? After all, we have time to spare, with nowhere pressing to be—aside from a few places where I might uncover clues about Momoyo's painting of a mountain… and perhaps even a lead on my missing body."

I give them both a deadpan look. "As I've mentioned before, I'm a Seer. A legit one, not one of those fakes."

I pause for a moment before continuing.

"The ritual I performed helped me focus and establish a deeper connection with the flow of time—primarily history and potential futures." That last part was only half true, but they didn't need to know that.

I wait, giving them a chance to ask questions before proceeding.

"Ritualistic Magic." I explain. "Is a structured way to interact with supernatural forces—whether to gain power, summon beings, or uncover hidden knowledge. It relies on symbolism, precise incantations, spiritual strength, and environmental factors to function properly. But there are risks. If performed incorrectly, a ritual can harm or even kill the user. Higher beings might manipulate those who invoke them. Frequent exposure to supernatural forces can lead to insanity.

I lean back slightly.

"Of course, I have enough knowledge and experience to prevent any of that from happening to me."

"So, where is the painting?" Momoyo asks excitedly.

"Underneath your grandfather's guest room bed—the one on the south side near the pond." I give her a dry look. "And before you ask, the whole reason you were sent out of Japan to look for it was to gain experience outside of fighting."

I raise a hand as Momoyo opens her mouth to say something.

"Again, before you ask, I didn't dig deeper into why this bizarre idea became a reality. It seemed like personal business, so I didn't want to pry."

Aya, in contrast to Momoyo's growing frustration, watches me with an intense, unwavering focus—clearly waiting for me to elaborate further on Ritualistic Magic.

I sigh and shift back to the topic. "Returning to Ritualistic Magic—every ritual needs a target. It can be orthodox gods, hidden beings, evil gods, devils… even yourself. If the performer prays to the orthodox gods, they need to check or choose a date and time when 'They' hold dominion. This, combined with the ritual's purpose, determines the required incantation."

I continue, unfazed by Momoyo fuming in the background.

"Additionally, if the performer wishes to pray to an existence, they must prepare offerings—herbs, essential oils, powders, extracts, and so on—aligned with 'Their' domain. Most ingredients are used to craft candles, with two related ingredients per candle to maximize effectiveness."

Aya's lips curl slightly, and her interest is undeniable. "Interesting."

"Anyway, there's more to Ritualistic Magic, but I don't think Momoyo has the patience to sit through it right now." I remark, giving her a side glance. She looks about ready to tear the entire building apart just to vent her frustration.

"Indeed." Aya agrees. If she had a body, I imagine she'd be nodding right about now.

"I need to make a call." Momoyo growls, pulling out her cell phone. She doesn't even bother to leave the room for privacy, clearly too irritated to care.

"Tell me, Aya." I begin, allowing Momoyo to continue her call with her grandfather or whoever sent her on this pointless wild goose chase. "How did you lose your body, to begin with? And what would you do once you get it back?"

Aya's tone is flat, almost resigned, as she answers. "I was literally asleep one day, only to wake up and find myself reduced to just a head—watching as complete strangers carried off my headless body." She pauses, her voice steady. "Granted, it was one of those deep, deep periods of sleep, so by the time I even realized what was happening, it was already too late."

A sigh escapes her, long and heavy.

"Regardless, I want my body back. Then I want revenge. After that… well, I'm still debating whether to find a way to end myself for good. Immortality, as it turns out, becomes dreadfully dull after a while."

"I see." I nod slowly, processing her words. "Later, I could perform the ritual again to do a Divination and see if I can locate your lost body, like I did with Momoyo's painting of a mountain."

Aya offers a faint, almost sardonic smile. "That would be delightful. I'll thank you in advance."

I glanced over at Momoyo, who just finished her call. She lets out a very long sigh as she puts her cell phone away. "Something wrong, Momoyo?"

"Yeah, turns out this whole thing is just an excuse to avoid me having to beat up another guy who's weaker than me, using his background connections in a pathetic attempt to get his hands on me through my grandfather." Momoyo's right eyebrow twitches and a vein pops out on her forehead. "It's still ongoing, too. So, I won't be able to return to Japan anytime soon."

"Look on the bright side." Aya says to Momoyo, her tone dripping with irony.

"What bright side?" Momoyo snaps back, clearly unimpressed.

"You get to keep hanging out with us." Aya points out, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Hm. You're not wrong." Momoyo shrugs, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"Plus, you won't have to worry about running out of money anytime soon, right? Since your grandfather must've prepared a separate budget just for your travel experiences alone." I chip in, offering a wry smile.

"Again, you're not wrong." Momoyo nods in agreement. "Okay, let's go get Aya's stolen body and travel the world!"