Chapter 214 - 214: Snape's Pathway

Words : 1752 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

"No one has any questions?" "I do." It was still Snape speaking. He had calmed the agitation in his heart and asked, "I want to know—where do we find the ingredients to concoct the potions?" "Once you've confirmed your chosen pathway, I will directly provide the prepared potion to you." Edward glanced around at everyone and admitted frankly, "Whether it's the potion formulas or the ingredients, I'm the only one who has them." "No wonder." Snape suddenly understood. "No wonder you're completely unconcerned about teaching this kind of 'magic' to others—because the method for advancing remains entirely in your hands. Passing on the potions not only won't harm your interests, it actually allows you to control others' futures." …Uh, I really didn't think about it that deeply. And who said it doesn't harm my interests? Just putting together the formulas and materials this time already cost me several thousand Galleons! Edward smiled lightly. "All right, next I'm going to explain two extremely important concepts that come after taking the potion. One is madness, which is the risk that comes with drinking potions; the other is the Acting Method, which teaches you how to avoid losing control as much as possible while digesting the potion and advancing to higher sequences." "Generally speaking, there are five main causes of losing control. The first is taking a high-grade or abnormal potion directly…The second is that once you've selected a sequence chain, you must walk down that particular 'pathway'—there's no turning back. If you take a potion from a different pathway, you will inevitably lose control…" "The third…fourth…and fifth…" "The best-case scenario for losing control is a sudden and extreme personality change—turning into a madman. But in most cases, people become irrational, mindless monsters driven solely by aggression. For many, that's a fate worse than death." Edward spread his hands. "This is the reality of the Beyonder path. It always walks hand in hand with madness—or rather, madness is the very essence of being Beyonder. So once you step onto this road, you'll have to constantly fight against insanity. One careless mistake, and you'll descend into complete loss of control, with no hope of return." "This…is something everyone must consider carefully." The room fell into a heavy silence. No one was surprised by the risk of losing control after taking the potion. They were all adults and deeply understood the principle of high risk, high reward. Edward smiled again. "Of course, if you can master the Acting Method, then before reaching high sequences, it actually isn't too dangerous. And high sequences…are still a long way off for all of you." He continued, "Which is why the Acting Method is the very core of the Beyonder path—the most important of all! Whether you can safely walk this road hinges entirely on it." Pausing briefly, he went on, "So then, what exactly is the Acting Method?" Edward wrote the words "Acting Method" on the board. "As the name suggests, it means playing the role that corresponds with your current sequence level." "For example, if you're Sequence 9—Apothecary—you need to act like a real apothecary: gathering ingredients, brewing potions, treating illnesses, and helping patients." "If you're a Corpse Collector, then you'll need to collect the bodies of the deceased, prepare them for burial, or even analyse the cause of death to uncover the identities of unknown corpses." "For a Mystery Pryer, you'd need to seek out hidden truths behind events and maintain curiosity about all things." "I won't list more examples—I believe everyone should understand. When your roleplaying is successful, you'll feel the potion within you gradually digesting. Once it's fully digested, you'll be able to advance to a higher sequence. Similarly, you can judge whether your acting is correct by how well the potion is being digested." At this point, Edward smacked his forehead lightly. "Ah, right—most people will eventually summarise a set of acting guidelines to help them act more effectively. But this isn't mandatory." "Because different people may understand the same sequence in different ways, their methods of acting could vary significantly. It really depends on the individual." Edward didn't mention the theory of the 'Castle' and 'Guards' in the Acting Method—that involved the origin of mystical abilities, Beyonder creatures, and other advanced concepts that the others didn't need to know for now. "Does anyone have any questions?" Professor McGonagall raised her hand and asked, "If the method we come up with for roleplaying is wrong, wouldn't that make us more likely to lose control?" "Exactly!" Edward nodded. Then, out of habit, he added, "Ten points to Gryffindor." The two of them froze at the same time. What a complete reversal of roles. "Ahem." Edward coughed quickly and said, "So when summarising your acting methods, you must be careful. But with the experience all of you possess, I trust it won't be a problem." Lupin hesitated for a long time before speaking. "My question isn't about the Acting Method…I want to know—if I choose the Prisoner pathway and advance to Sequence 7: Werewolf, what will happen? Uh, I mean, Professor…you mentioned earlier that a Werewolf who advances through potions won't be…like me—uncontrollable. That it's more of a special state, one where you gain a more powerful combat form temporarily by transforming. But my situation is rather…unique." "I'm sorry, Mr. Lupin. I don't know the answer to that either." Edward thought for a moment, then added, "But based on my experience, the power of the potion…might override the werewolf's toxin. Which is to say, once you reach Sequence 7, there's a possibility that your formerly uncontrollable state as a werewolf will be replaced." "…I understand." Snape spoke up next, his eyes filled with both hope and anxiety. "Does the Underworld truly exist in this world? Do the souls of the dead really go there?" "Sorry, Professor Snape. I can't give you a definitive answer to that question either." His lips pressed into a thin line, face slightly pale. "If there's no Underworld, then why would there be a Sequence like Gatekeeper that requires summoning souls from it?" Edward replied, "That brings us back to one of the other reasons I initially mentioned for passing on the potion pathways—but I can't tell you that just yet." Snape lowered his hand, his gaze flickering as he sank into thought. Edward didn't know whether he—or any of the others present—had begun to suspect something. But that wasn't surprising. After all, they were all intelligent people. Still, he and Dumbledore had come to a consensus: say nothing, admit nothing. The rest? Let them guess. "Everyone's heard the story of the Three Brothers and Death," Edward said. "Although it's just one of the tales from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the Deathly Hallows themselves truly exist." "Also, Lady Helena once told me that after she was killed by the Bloody Baron, she felt as though she'd nearly drifted into the world of the dead in a daze." Snape's eyes were shining brighter and brighter. "Any more questions?" This time, no one spoke up. "Then, that's it for tonight's class. Over the next week, I want all of you to seriously consider which pathway you'd like to choose. When the time comes, I'll prepare the appropriate potion for each of you. However…" Edward shrugged. "Although I mentioned that there are 22 pathways in total, due to the lack of materials, I can currently only provide potions for 14 of them: Apprentice, Seer, Spectator, Sailor, Apothecary, Planter, Corpse Collector, Sleepless, Warrior, Hunter, Assassin, Prisoner, Secrets Supplicant, and Mystery Pryer." "So you can only choose from these 14 for now. Of course, if anyone prefers one of the other 8, you'll just have to wait a little longer." He smiled. "During this time, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me at any time. Starting next week, I'll also begin teaching everyone a completely new language—Ancient Hermes. This language holds the same importance to Beyonder powers as ancient runes do to magic." Dumbledore rose from his seat and clapped gently. "Now, let's all give Professor Edward a round of applause for his excellent lecture tonight." Clap, clap, clap. This time, everyone joined in. Edward could only bow in response. Audrey got up and walked over, smiling playfully. "You did pretty well up there, Professor Edward." "Ugh, don't tease me. If not for the needs of [Converging Paths] and future acting, I think you would've done a much better job than I did." "Heehee, I'll take that as a compliment~" Dumbledore gave a few final instructions, and one by one, everyone said their goodbyes and left. As they passed Edward, each one said, "Thank you for the lecture, Professor Edward." Soon, only Dumbledore and Snape remained in the room. Dumbledore smiled gently and said, "Do you know why I insisted on emphasising your role as a professor—your identity as a teacher?" Edward blinked, then suddenly understood. "You mean that passing on knowledge and abilities isn't just about the act of teaching—it also involves identity and recognition?" Most people understand what they're roleplaying when they act—but that doesn't mean the people around them do. For example, the line between Trickmaster and Magician can be blurry. To truly act well, it's not enough to know your own role—you have to get others to acknowledge and believe in it, too. That was why Edward had always subconsciously corrected people when they mistook him for a Magician while he was acting as a Trickmaster. The Snake of Mercury Will had shown similar behaviour—he possessed clairvoyant powers, yet kept insisting he had only 'glimpsed' changes in fate. Thinking of this, Edward scratched his head. But my Sequence 5 is Wandering Mentor, not Wandering Professor… Though come to think of it, there wasn't much difference between a professor at Hogwarts and a mentor anyway. At that moment, Snape walked over, expression firm and resolute. "I don't think I need to wait until next week. I've made my decision." All three of them turned to look at him. "I want to choose the Corpse Collector pathway." ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.

Chapter 214 - 214: Snape's Pathway

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