The Extra-dimensional Pioneer Of Fiction [Draft]

[Fantastic Alchemy: Inside]

"So..." Arlo drummed his fingers on the counter, curiosity getting the better of him. "What else do you sell here besides potions and alchemical items?"

Maria brightened, her glasses slipping slightly as she nodded eagerly. "Oh! Well, I actually have some jobs for sale too."

Arlo's brain screeched to a halt. "Wait, what? Jobs? For sale?" He straightened up, brow furrowed in confusion. "But during orientation, they said jobs could only be obtained through apprenticeship or as system rewards."

A small giggle escaped Maria's lips, and Arlo's eyebrow twitched in response. She quickly covered her mouth, trying to suppress her amusement. "S-sorry! It's just... that's what everyone thinks at first. But you see, some Pioneers don't like the jobs the system gives them, so they sell them to others."

"Huh." Arlo absorbed this information, his mind racing with possibilities. "What kind of jobs do you have?"

Maria disappeared behind the counter for a moment, returning with a thick ledger.

"Mostly crafting jobs," she said, flipping through the pages. "Let's see... I have Enchanter, Runesmith, Artificer—" She paused, her finger landing on one entry. "Oh, and there's this interesting one: Sequence 9: Seer Potion Formula."

Arlo's jaw dropped. "Hold up. Did you just say Sequence 9: Seer?".

In Arlo's thought, As in, Lord of Mysteries - Fool pathway. His heart rate quickened, memories of countless hours spent reading the web novel flooding back.

"Oh! You know about it?" Maria's eyes lit up. "A Pioneer sold it to me a while back. Said he wasn't interested in being a 'Beyonder' whatever that means. I've been studying the formula—it's fascinating stuff!"

Arlo's mind was racing. A actual Fool pathway job? Here? In the novel, Seers were known for their ability to divine the future through dreams and read the threads of fate. They could gain supernatural insights and, with advancement, develop powerful divination abilities. The pathway was considered one of the safer ones for initial sequences, but was weak at the start and does not have any combat ability.

"How much?" The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Aria hadn't covered jobs in their training yet, but this... this was too good an opportunity to pass up. He knew the Fool pathway inside and out—all twenty-two sequences, the characteristics, the dangers, everything.

Maria consulted her ledger. "That's depended to the availability of the ingredients."

Arlo did some quick mental math. The two health potions had cost him 100 credits, leaving him with 2000 credits from his initial stipend. He could afford it, but it would leave him with little emergency funds.

Is it worth it though? he wondered, weighing his options. The Fool pathway would give him divination abilities, enhanced intuition, and the power to see possible futures through dreams. All incredibly useful skills for a Pioneer who'd be exploring unknown worlds. Plus, he knew the pathway's advancement route— Clown, Magician, Faceless, Marionettist, and beyond. Each sequence would bring new powers and abilities.

"The guy who sold it," Arlo said carefully, "did he say where he got it from? "

Maria shook her head, her curls bouncing. "Just said it was his starter job from the system. He was more interested in combat-focused paths."

She adjusted her glasses again. "I've actually been tempted to use it myself, but my alchemy specialization keeps me plenty busy."

Arlo ran his hand through his hair, mind made up. The Fool pathway was perfect for him—it specialize in divination, illusions, changing appearances, and controlling strong muscles and facial expressions. They also turn others into marionettes after taking control of their spirit body threads. At High Sequences, they can turn their marionettes into another duplicate of themselves, bring things (including themselves) from the past to the present, create countless miracles, create a mysterious environment full of tampering and concealment, and fool all sorts of things. Their authority represents Secrets and Changes.

In the novel, many Beyonders died from losing control of their powers or attempting incorrect sequences, but he had the advantage of foreknowledge plus he knows the the other formulas for the Fool pathway.

"I'll take it," he said firmly, authorizing the transfer of credits through his BrainLink.

Maria's eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure? Most new Pioneers wait for a while before choosing a job..."

"Sometimes you just know," Arlo replied, thinking of all the times he'd imagined being a Beyonder have risk but it was worth it at the end. Who would've thought those hours of reading would actually come in handy?

==================================================

"Could you brew the potion for me?" Arlo asked, his eyes fixed on the formula.

"Right now?" Maria's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "Are you absolutely certain? Getting a Job isn't just about gaining power - it will fundamentally shape your future path as a Pioneer."

"I'm sure," Arlo replied without hesitation. His voice carried a quiet determination that made Maria study him for a long moment.

She sighed, but nodded. "Very well. Watch carefully"

Maria cleared her workspace, setting out various containers and ingredients with practiced efficiency. She grabbed a pristine beaker and began measuring the supplementary ingredients with precise movements. "First, we need 100 milliliters of Purified Water as the base," she explained, pouring the crystal-clear liquid. "Then 13 drops of Night Vanilla Liquid - not 12, not 14, exactly 13." The dark drops fell one by one, creating swirling patterns in the water.

Arlo watched intently as she added 7 Gold Mint Leaves, their metallic sheen catching the shop's lights. "The number seven resonates with divination," Maria noted. She carefully measured 3 drops of Poison Hemlock, her hands steady. "Hemlock connects to the dream realm - but too much would kill you."  

"Next came 9 grams of Dragon Blood Grass Powder, turning the mixture a deep crimson."

"Now for the main ingredients," Maria said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. She retrieved a small vial of iridescent blue liquid - Lavos Squid's Crystallized Blood - and measured out exactly 10 milliliters.

"The final component," she announced, producing a crystal that seemed to contain trapped starlight. "50 grams of Stellar Aqua Crystal, ground to precise specifications."

Sizzle!

Illusory fog Instantly spewed forth, turning the alchemy room into a blur.Arlo seemed to see a vast array of stars amid the fog and felt like he was being observed by an invisible existence

As the crystal dust hit the mixture, the potion began to swirl of its own accord, darkening to a deep blue.

A few second later, the fog dissipated.

Maria carefully poured the finished potion into a glass bottle, studying it with a critical eye before nodding in satisfaction. "It's ready."

[Sequence 9: Seer Potion]

Description: A dark-blue gelatinous liquid with a faint and seemingly ethereal scent.

Stats: Int and Wis +10, Charisma +2

Effects: Grants the Job (Seer) upon consumption. 

Without hesitation, Arlo uncorked the bottle and drank. A cool and smooth feeling quickly filled his oral cavity through his gullet and into his stomach

The sticky, dark-blue fluid seemed to grow out thin long tentacles, bringing stimulation and coldness to every cell in Arlo's Body.He could not help but convulse as his vision rapidly went to blur. All colors seemed to saturate. The reds were redder, the blues were bluer, and the black were blacker. The rich colors blended like an impressionist painting

Arlo thought "Is this what Klein felt, a very weird feeling."

At that moment, his Vision. He felt like a castaway floating in the sea

Slowly, his surrounding turned discernible. All the colors return to their original as a grayish and blurry fog emenated

Around him were bodies he found difficult to describe. There were transparent objects that did not seem to exist. Deep down, there were clean light clusters to different colors. the light seemed to posses life or contain immense knowledge

Suddenly, he came to a realization, causing his consciousness to sink abruptly and fuse with him.

Boom!

The fog quickly dissipated to normal. bright, clear halo and the inexistent objects instally vanished.the room returned to normal, but Arlo also felt his head swell. He felt like it was being yanked apart. Whatever he saw had countless afterimages.

Arlo felt a stabbing pain at his forehead as he quickly had thoughts causing destruction to vent the discomfort in him

Arlo remembered what Old Neil said to Klein. Arlo quickly focused as he visage of a pencil to enter cogitation. 

Arlo turned his focus bit by bit to the image a pencil. He felt the murmurs subside in to whisper before they vanished.

Looking down, Arlo saw his body still standing in place, trembling. His consciousness snapped back into his physical form with jarring suddenness. The room stabilized, but his head felt like it was being pulled apart.Then, as quickly as it began, the sensation passed. A system notification appeared:

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Job: Seer]

==================================================

A wave of sensations washed over Arlo as the potion's effects settled. Opening his status window through his BrainLink, he couldn't help but grin at the changes.

[Stats Info]

Strength: 7

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 8 (+10) = 18

Charisma: 4 (+2) = 6

Luck: 5

Endurance: 9

Wisdom: 8 (+10) = 18

Remaining Status Point: 35

His Intelligence and Wisdom had each jumped by 10 points, while Charisma received a modest +2 boost. The rest of his stats remained unchanged, but that hardly mattered when a new notification caught his attention: 

[Congratulation! : Mana Points Established]

[Status Window]

Arlo Leeroy

Job: Sequence 9: Seer (0%)

Race: Human/Beyonder

Level: 7

EXP: 240 (1280)

HP: 115/115

MP: 150/150

"Worth it," Arlo muttered under his breath, feeling a subtle new energy coursing through his body. It reminded him of that tingly feeling you get when your foot falls asleep, except this was... pleasant?

Arlo look at his new skills obtained from being a Seer

[Skills Info]

Enhanced Memory Lv: 1/10 - Initially, those who drink the Seer potion will gain a slight increase in memory that will continuously improve during potion digestion.

Spirit Vision Lv:1/10 : They can use Spirit Vision to see non-physical things, such as ghosts and specters. They could see the different parts of a Soul, deduce a person's health and emotions through it, and determine if something has a magical aura.

Divination Arts & Ritualistic Magic Mastery Lv:1/10: They can master all kinds of Divination methods, including astrology, spiritual numbers, and scrying as well as become more learned than a Mystery Pryer when it comes to Ritualistic Magic.

Danger Intuition Lv:1/10: They can intuitively detect danger using their Spirituality.

"Are you alright?" Maria's voice cut through his thoughts, genuine concern evident in her tone. "The first transformation can be quite intense."

Arlo managed a small smile. "Better than alright, actually. Feels like getting a power-up in Dark Souls, minus the whole 'you died' part."

"Oh, wonderful!" Maria clapped her hands together, her previous worry dissolving into enthusiasm. "Now, about the payment..."

"Right." Arlo straightened up. "How much do I owe you?"

"Let's see..." Maria adjusted her glasses, consulting her hologram ledger. "That'll be 700 credits total."

Arlo blinked. "Seven hundred? That's... specific."

"Oh yes!" Maria's eyes lit up as she broke down the costs. "300 for the formula rights, another 300 for the rare ingredients, and 100 for the labor. Quite reasonable, really!"

Reasonable my ass, Arlo thought, fighting to keep his expression neutral. This woman could probably sell sand in a desert. Still, he couldn't argue with the results. With a resigned sigh, he authorized the transfer through his BrainLink.

[Credits Transferred: 700]

[Current Balance: 1300 Credits]

There goes most of my startup fund, Arlo mused, already mentally reorganizing his plans. He'd need equipment, supplies, maybe some basic protection... "Hey, Maria? Any suggestions on where I might find some decent gear that won't completely destroy what's left of my budget?"

"Oh!" Maria perked up, clearly in her element. "Head west from here – there's this fantastic thrift shop. Don't let the 'second-hand' label fool you; they've got some real gems if you know where to look. Perfect for Pioneers watching their credits."

"A thrift shop, huh?" Arlo couldn't help but think of all those isekai protagonists who found legendary gear in unexpected places. Though knowing my luck, I'll probably just find some NPC's old boots.

"Trust me," Maria winked, "some of my best finds came from there. The owner's got an eye for quality, even if the shop looks a bit... rough around the edges."

"Thanks for everything," Arlo said, meaning it despite the dent in his wallet. He turned toward the door, already mapping out his route to the thrift shop.

"Come back soon!" Maria called after him cheerfully. "I've got a feeling you'll be needing more potions before long!"

Yeah, Arlo thought as he stepped outside, and probably need to sell a kidney to afford them. Still, he couldn't quite suppress a smile. He was officially on the Fool's pathway now – just like Klein in Lord of Mysteries, but with significantly less chance of going insane. Probably.