Nareth searched the luxurious palace, his eyes scanning the vivid murals.
The crystal chandelier above illuminated the hall as if it were daylight.
Striding across the marble floor cushioned by a soft carpet, Nareth used his senses, tracking air currents and tapping the walls, until he finally discovered a hidden door behind an oil painting in the study.
'Clearly, the greedy king trusted no one.'
He placed his ring into the corresponding round indentation in the wall.
Nareth sensed a complex series of internal chanisms activate. After a mont, the wall before him slowly opened to reveal a secret passage.
He stepped in and descended a spiral path.
After a hundred steps, he reached a platform. At the end stood a Sentinel, just like the one he had seen in the Fender family's vault.
Nareth stepped back with his right leg, preparing to lunge forward.
The Sentinel's eyes glowed red. A sharp alarm blared. From the heavy tal rails on either side, three copper pipes extended from each, spraying torrents of fla that rotated rapidly over a 120-degree arc.
In an instant, Nareth calculated the path to dodge.
He leapt forward, landing precisely at the intersection point between the first and second fla arcs, where the fire had yet to reach.
His second step struck just as the blind spot opened between the second and third arcs.
On the third step, he was already in front of the Sentinel, crashing directly into it.
The Sentinel, having served the royal Boleslaw family for hundreds of years, its alloy circuits aged by ti, could finally rest.
Then, Nareth smashed through the alloy gate and stord into the treasury.
Upon entering, he was imdiately drawn to a massive furnace at the center.
He stepped forward and found red text etched into the gilded furnace body.
One side displayed scientific script made up of 1s and 0s, while the other side had the local Low Gothic from Vostroya.
The first thing he noted was the furnace's size, 19 ters tall with an 11-ter diater.
He didn't need the ladder. He simply reached out and opened the furnace door on the side where the two languages intersected, touching the interior.
The prothium fuel chamber was icy cold. The infusion tubes were spotless.
He checked the other side, no trace of residue there either.
Nareth continued to inspect the furnace inscriptions:
"Praise be to the Omnissiah. This forge cast is made from the first batch of steel forged in Vostroya after the Enlightennt granted by the Omnissiah."
"Bestowed to the rulers of Vostroya's hive cities, to reward the servants of the Omnissiah."
Stamped at the bottom was a na he recognized: The Magos of Mars – Kivior.
'So this furnace was built to symbolize the friendship between the tech-priests and the hive city royals. But it suits my purpose perfectly. My body can enter the true side of the Kingdom of Disorder. That ans I should be able to concoct potions within the source essence space. Now's the ti to test if this theory works.'
With that, Nareth placed both hands on the gilded furnace.
With a thought, his body and the furnace vanished together.
He reappeared in a plaza in the so-called "First Layer" of the Kingdom of Disorder. Letting go, the furnace stood steadily on the obsidian-like ground.
He returned to the treasury, collected 21 magical ingredients of 14 types, and brought them into the Kingdom of Disorder.
Upon organizing the materials, Nareth realized he had everything needed for the "Warrior" potion. For the "Arbiter" potion, he was only missing a judge's gavel.
'Hmm, Estupiñán was an Arbitrator. His will do.'
He returned to the real world and contacted Roslov via communicator.
"My lord, two waves of enemies tested our defenses earlier but were repelled by the Fender family's guards."
"The hive spire has been fully cleared. Only your followers remain."
"Good work. Send soone up with a canister of prothium and a rubber spatula."
.....
In the Kingdom of Disorder, Nareth threw the "Vulture's" chainsword into the furnace.
After a series of pops and crackles, a red, gel-like substance remained inside.
Scooping it into a bottle, Nareth saw no residue in the furnace and recognized the uniform consistency of the substance. The "Warrior" potion was a success.
He was thrilled.
'Since I can concoct potions in the Kingdom of Disorder, I control the Beyonder system. I can now choose those I trust and raise them as Beyonders.'
The essence of the Sequence system is the supernatural abilities granted by the potion.
Only with the correct formula and all ingredients can one concoct potions infused with mystical powers. Drinking them grants the consur Beyonder abilities in accordance to their pathway.
The knowledge that cos with the drinking potion, even if Tzeentch acquires it, unless the potion is consud, he cannot produce Beyonders.
For example, the "Sleepless" potion he gave Bukayo: Only by drinking it and gaining the Beyonder ability "Nocturnality" can one remain awake all night and get by on just a few hours of sleep.
Tzeentch might biologically modify a cultist follower to not need sleep, but that isn't a true supernatural ability.
The legal knowledge he acquired, even if Tzeentch acquired and bestowed it on his followers, would not have been able to defeat the Gold Barrister in the sa way as he had without spiritual enhancent and the acquisition of the Beyonder ability, "Eloquence".
Even if Tzeentch grants similar mind manipulation or deceit powers, they wouldn't be true Beyonder abilities.
No matter what knowledge Tzeentch gleans from the potion, He can only grant what He already possesses.
Beyonder ability is the core.
The potion formula is the only key to unlock that gate.
Yet, Nareth still had to deal with one issue: the Chaos Gods could observe reality, and potentially witness the potion-making process.
Though they may bless followers, their interest in the potion system itself poses a threat.
Now, being able to concoct potions in the Kingdom of Disorder, he has eliminated the one true danger.
No entity can peer into that realm.
As for the three potions he previously brewed, "Lawyer", "Barbarian", and "Sleepless",
he didn't care if Chaos copied the first two. He even welcod it.
High-level Sequence users could exert great influence over those within their path.
If he ascends to Sequence 0, "Black Emperor", and gains Source Essence, he could rewrite potion formulas, tweak abilities, and control all users in his path.
If Chaos nurtures troops for him, Nareth would gladly call them "benevolent gods."
The only potential loss would be the "Sleepless" potion.
But as long as he controls Vostroya's satellites, the Chaos Gods will never acquire moonstone, the key material, no matter how closely they watch.
Besides, Sequence 9 is only the beginning. It lets soone reach a mortal's peak in a specific area.
"Lawyer" lets a layman beco a top-tier legal expert, nothing more.
"Sleepless" makes one slightly more powerful in the dark. Bukayo used night vision and his "Child of the Night" boosts to kill gang mbers, but even he couldn't beat Imperial auxiliaries equipped with night vision gear.
Even Sequence 8s are far from Astartes in combat power.
After awakening his gene-mory, Nareth's main power cos from his Primarch physiology abilities. Beyonder powers will beco increasingly useful as he ascends the sequence.
But he won't give these abilities out lightly.
Loyalty and potential are what he values most.
Back in the real world, Nareth imdiately summoned Roslov and used the newly brewed "Warrior" potion to raise him as a Beyonder being.
Though Roslov wasn't as gifted as Bukayo, he was far more loyal.
Also, when Beyonders die, their powers crystallize into essence, which can be reused as ingredients or to craft mystical items.
If recovered, nothing is wasted, making betrayal even less of a concern.
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