Seeing Leyton's expression soften, Audrey showed a genuine smile. After a pause, her voice calm and soothing, she said, "As your Psychiatrist, I need to know what problem you're currently facing."
"If this problem involves some private matters, we can request a private conversation with Mr. Fool, and I will also swear to hidden in Mr. Fool's name."
No, you can't have a private conversation above the Gray Fog. Sometimes knowing too much is a hassle. Klein muttered inwardly while maintaining his upright posture, eyes fixed straight ahead.
"No need," Leyton calmly shook his head. After a moment's pause, he continued, "Because I used some unconventional methods, the accumulation of divinity and the primitive madness from the Beyonder characteristic within me far exceeds that of a normal Beyonder. Even with some anchors, my state is still gradually deteriorating."
"Just now, in a virtual world, I encountered a highly impactful negative influence, somewhat similar to the 'Mental Plague' of your Spectator Pathway. I was in close proximity to the source of corruption, and my mental state was affected to a certain extent."
Audrey listened carefully, resting her hands on the edge of the mottled long table. She thought deeply for a while before speaking again, "I understand. My judgment is that this is the main reason for the deterioration of your mental state, but besides that, your mental state might have had some issues to begin with."
"It's like a dam holding water. If the dam itself has cracks and flaws, it will become a breakthrough point when facing a flood, tearing open a larger gap. Even if the flood recedes, the gap remains, and the water within the dam will continue to flow out."
"However, if the dam itself has no problems, everything will quickly return to normal after the flood recedes."
"From my observation, you have always been restraining and suppressing yourself. From your behavior, this state has lasted for a long time; it's not something that appeared in the last day or two. This indicates that your mental state was already not good before encountering this problem."
That sounds very reasonable. I never noticed it. Is this the authority of a Spectator? Klein looked back and forth between Leyton and Audrey with some surprise.
Straightening his body, Leyton spoke in a calm tone, "You are truly a qualified Psychiatrist."
Without waiting for Audrey to ask further, he continued, "My psychological state did have some issues from the beginning, stemming from self-doubt and self-negation."
"Do you know about the Ship of Theseus?"
"The Ship of Theseus?" Audrey shook her head in confusion.
Klein, who had been listening quietly from the side, suddenly froze. Something flashed through his mind, but he couldn't grasp it.
Leyton sat up a little straighter and chuckled, saying, "This is a paradox concerning identity replacement."
"If the constituent elements of an object are replaced, is it still the original object?"
"Is it still the original object after its constituent elements are replaced?" Audrey repeated softly.
Gradually, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Her spiritual intuition gave her a subtle premonition: she shouldn't think too deeply about this question, or something bad would happen.
Thump! Thump!
A crisp tapping sound came from the end of the mottled long table. Audrey turned her head slightly and saw that Mr. World, who had always appeared gloomy and reserved, showed a hint of worry in his eyes.
Feeling Miss Justice's gaze, Klein cleared his throat and said, "Don't think too deeply about this question. Your current identities are doctor and patient."
Audrey imperceptibly let out a sigh of relief, then nodded slightly to The World in acknowledgment, "I understand, thank you for the reminder."
She then turned her gaze back to Leyton, who was slightly to her front, and asked in a gentle tone, as if in casual conversation, "What is your confusion?"
Leyton lightly pushed off the edge of the table with both hands, leaning back against the chair. He crossed his arms and spoke in a somewhat low voice, "A ship sails continuously on the sea. As time passes, all its parts are replaced once, or even several times. Is it still the original ship? If it's not the original ship, then when was the original ship replaced?"
"We consume Beyonder potions to advance, constantly converging divinity, just like that ship sailing on the sea. Due to habits left over from acting, due to the influence of the Beyonder characteristic itself, and due to the changes brought by Beyonder abilities, we gradually detach from our original selves, becoming more and more like the top existence of our Pathway."
"When this similarity reaches a certain degree, a Beyonder can become a vessel for a divine descent."
"If this similarity goes a step further, an existence that has already fallen can directly revive from within the Beyonder's body."
On both sides of the mottled long table, Audrey and Klein, who had been listening quietly, both looked moved. They unconsciously swallowed their saliva.
"The process of growth is the process of change. No matter how much we change, we are still ourselves."
Audrey's voice carried a natural affinity and infectiousness; even Klein, who was quietly listening, felt a sense of emotional comfort.
As she spoke, she cast another "Placate" on Leyton. Seeing the conflicted and stubborn expression on his face soften, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Leyton leaned back in his chair, his right hand cupping half his face, his index finger gently tapping the area below his temple. He spoke in a somewhat low and bewildered tone, "I thought so at first, until later I discovered some issues..."
"For a period, I felt that I was a pre-prepared vessel for a divine descent. Later, I rejected this idea myself, but precisely because of that, I began to doubt whether I was still the 'I' I thought I was."
Audrey's body tensed slightly. She first applied another "Pacify," then continued, "As Beyonders, our changes are influenced by many factors, and we unconsciously move in a fixed direction. But this doesn't mean we become 'him'; we are still ourselves, just with a trivial commonality."
"No matter what you doubt, the current you is true. This includes your existence, your social network, and the impact you have on this world."
"So you don't need to deny yourself. If one day you discover something different, it's just an additional identity."
"Just like me, I am both Justice of the Tarot Club and a noble from Loen."
"..."
Leyton rubbed his forehead and remained silent for a long while, then suddenly rose from the high-backed chair and bowed to "Justice" Audrey in gratitude.
"Thank you for your help. My condition has improved significantly. Let's stop here for today."
Audrey carefully observed Leyton for a moment, then smiled and rose from her seat, curtsying slightly.
"No problem. Actually, I didn't provide much help. You've always had control over your mind; you just needed some guidance and reassurance, and your state naturally returned to normal."
"However, as your Psychiatrist, I still need to remind you: don't be too hard on yourself. Appropriate mental relaxation is more beneficial for you."
"I can feel that your mental state has always been tense, constantly checking if there's a problem with your mind... Sometimes, relaxing yourself and letting nature take its course might have unexpected effects."
Leyton nodded, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"No problem, I'll pay attention... Heh... I'll come to you for psychological counseling in time."
Audrey nodded lightly, then turned to look at the head of the mottled long table, which was still empty.
As she thought about leaving the palace, Mr. Fool's voice suddenly echoed in her mind:
"I hear you."
Crimson light instantly surged, Audrey's body dissolved within the light, disappearing with it from the space above the Gray Fog.
After sending Audrey away from the space above the Gray Fog, Klein hesitated, turning his head to Leyton and saying, "She doesn't seem to have asked for her consultation fee yet?"
Leyton calmly replied, "It has already been paid in advance."
"What was the transaction you mentioned just now?"
Klein shifted in his chair and then said, "I met Marionette Gehrman Sparrow, the second mate of King of Immortality Agalito, on Toscat Island. He has now become my marionette. I want to buy that pair of scissors from you. There's no need to worry about those negative effects with a dead marionette."
"You didn't exchange his head for a bounty. That's not your style."
"Hmm, 10,000 pounds, do you accept?"
Leyton sighed, then offered a price.
My hard-earned pounds! Yesterday, I was still sighing that even without selling Marionette Gehrman Sparrow, I could be considered a rich man... All my hard-earned money, gone in an instant... Klein pressed his hand to his chest, sighing inwardly as he nodded in agreement to the transaction.
"When Mr. Azik brings that Mystical Item above the Gray Fog, just leave it there. Or, you can even have him help you seal it to some extent, which will make it easier to use."
"Although marionettes are essentially dead, it's best not to use those scissors for self-harm. If the fatal characteristic is triggered, your marionette might directly disintegrate into a pile of minced meat, or weather into white bones."
Leyton gave a few simple instructions, then had Klein send him away from the space above the Gray Fog.
Crimson light instantly engulfed his entire vision, then quickly receded.
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