After carefully pouring the liquid from the crucible into a glass bottle he had prepared earlier, Roland did not drink it immediately.

According to Bronson, the Spirit Summoning Potion, being a Potion that forcefully Awakened the Consciousness Shallows, was bound to deliver a powerful shock to one’s Spirit.

While not life-threatening, failing to Awaken the Consciousness Shallows meant you couldn’t try again for a short period. Doing so could lead to a mental collapse.

Furthermore, Roland’s routine had been completely disrupted these past few days while Refining the Spirit Summoning Potion, and his Spirit had been in a state of long-term exhaustion.

If he took it rashly now, the chance of failure was high.

’I should get some proper rest first...’

With that thought, Roland carefully stored the Spirit Summoning Potion away. Without even bothering to wash up, he flopped onto the soft bed.

Before long, the sound of tired, steady snores filled the room.

「Time passed quietly as he slept.」

Roland slowly opened his eyes only when the next day’s setting sun once again cast its twilight glow into the room.

He stretched his slightly stiff body. Once he was fully awake, he got up, went downstairs, and spent some money on a hearty meal.

After confirming that his mental state was back to its peak, Roland returned to his room.

He poured a cup of hot water to soothe his throat before finally taking out the bottle of Spirit Summoning Potion.

Gazing at the swirling blue-green liquid in the bottle, he took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one go.

The next moment, an icy liquid slid down his throat.

Immediately after, it felt as if a bolt of lightning had exploded from his stomach, sending a tingling, numbing sensation coursing through his entire body.

Roland’s pupils constricted. Everything in his vision began to twist and dissolve.

The walls melted like wax, the floor turned into flowing ripples, and his consciousness felt as though it were being dragged into the Deep Sea by some invisible force, sinking, sinking...

’So this is... the Consciousness Shallows?’

When light returned to his pitch-black vision, Roland found himself standing on a dim, gray beach.

The sky was an oppressive leaden gray. The sea was as black as ink, and the churning waves gave off an eerie, ghostly blue light.

The air was thick with the stench of salt and decay. Every breath felt like inhaling an icy mist that stung his lungs.

In the distance, waves crashed against the shore, each one washing up broken objects.

Twisted metal fragments, half-rotten books, and even... mangled humanoid bodies.

They were washed ashore, only to be dragged back into the Deep Sea by the receding tide, as if in some horrific cycle.

Roland looked down and saw that his feet were slowly sinking into the sand.

No, that wasn’t sand.

It was countless tiny, writhing black particles, like some sort of living creature trying to devour him completely.

’This must be... an Illusion, right? If that’s the case...’

Seeing this, Roland didn’t panic. Instead, he frowned, deep in thought.

Just then, the sea’s surface began to churn violently, and a massive Shadow slowly emerged from beneath the water.

It was a blurry human face, yet it was large enough to blot out the entire horizon.

Its eyes were hollow black voids, and its mouth slowly opened, letting out a silent scream.

A sharp pain instantly pierced his eardrums. Roland felt as if countless fine needles were stabbing into his brain.

Fragments of his memories flashed past in a chaotic blur.

They were torn apart and reassembled by some force, ultimately turning into sharp blades that stabbed into his soul.

He drew a sharp, hissing breath.

Roland’s body began to convulse violently, and cold sweat soaked his clothes.

His fingers dug so deeply into his palms that blood dripped from between them, yet he was completely unaware of the pain.

At that very moment, a cold and solid power surged from the depths of his soul.

The gray sky suddenly froze, and the churning black sea became like a frozen mirror.

The moment the sky-blotting face touched Roland, it shattered like fragile glass.

And the soul-piercing pain from before seemed to fall into the Void along with the countless fragments.

’It seems my [Will of Steel] took effect...’

Watching the crumbling scene before him, Roland shook his head, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

’I just don’t know if this phenomenon caused by the Spirit Summoning Potion counts as Spiritual Control or a Spiritual Attack...’

The black sand at his feet was still writhing, trying to drag him into the Abyss, but his feet were as firm as if they were cast from steel.

Gazing at the black particles trying to crawl up his arm, Roland’s lips curled into a slight smile. He slowly raised his hand and then clenched it into a fist.

"Disperse."

The moment he spoke, the entire Consciousness Shallows trembled violently, as if forcibly suppressed by some irresistible will.

The waves rolled back, the sky cracked, and the broken things washed ashore all disintegrated, turning to dust and vanishing.

In reality, Roland’s eyes snapped open.

His breathing was steady, his heartbeat was regular, his back was not covered in cold sweat, and his palms were unharmed.

Looking up, he saw that the cup of hot water he had just drunk was still steaming gently, proving that everything that had just happened had occurred in the blink of an eye.

After a moment’s hesitation, Roland carefully sensed the changes in his body.

But aside from a cool sensation in his brain, there was nothing unusual.

’Does this count as... successfully Awakening my Consciousness Shallows?’

Just then, a line of dazzling gold text appeared before his eyes:

[It has been detected that the host has successfully Awakened the Consciousness Shallows. The Upper-tier Profession: Juggler is now available.]

[Requirements: 3 Power, 6 Agility, 5 Spirit, 0/3 Tricks of any Level mastered, 0/100 total Tricks cast.]

[Host does not meet the requirements for this Profession.]

’So I did unlock a new Profession... but Juggler? Like a clown from a circus?’

Roland stroked his smooth chin, an image of a comical figure with a white face and a red nose involuntarily appearing in his mind.

’My Power and Agility meet the requirements. As for... right!’

Seeing the Spiritual Attribute requirement, Roland immediately called up his Professional Panel.

His Spiritual Attribute, which had previously been 1.8, had now jumped to 2.8.

’My Spiritual Attribute increased by a full point? Then if I keep taking the Spirit Summoning Potion...’

No sooner said than done.

Roland got up from the bed and walked over to the wooden table covered in Alchemy Tools.

With his prior experience, the Refining process went exceptionally smoothly this time. The only thing that surprised him was...

’Is this thing’s Life Energy really so tenacious?’

Due to his multiple previous failures in Refining, Roland had made several trips to the fish market to purchase Devil Fish. He had even become a familiar face to the fishmonger, a woman named Jenny, and the price had dropped again and again.

The Devil Fish in his hand was one he had bought the day before yesterday.

Even after surviving for two days out of water, it was still writhing slowly.

’It’s strange, how does that Jenny always have some in stock? Wasn’t the Fishing for Devil Fish supposed to be difficult recently...?’

Shaking his head to clear these stray thoughts, Roland pulled out the Dagger at his waist and deftly extracted the Fish Eye Essence.

The solution changed color. He bottled it, focused his mind, and drank it down.

Perhaps thanks to the increase in his Spiritual Attribute, the impact of the Illusion was far less intense this time. Coupled with the protective effect of [Will of Steel], he broke free from the Illusion before he even had time to react.

And on his Professional Panel, the value of his Spiritual Attribute jumped again.

It climbed from 2.8 to 3.4.

’It seems that, just like with the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique, the Potion’s effects diminish with repeated use.’

’But that’s fine...’

As he thought this, Roland took out his coin purse and counted the money inside.

’The money I have left should be enough for me to Refine a dozen or so more Spirit Summoning Potions. After drinking them all, I’ll definitely meet the Spiritual Attribute requirement for the [Juggler] Profession.’

’Once I get back to the estate, Mr. Bronson should be done carving that piece of bone. It’ll be a seamless transition—I can learn Tricks while also completing the requirement to cast a hundred of them for the Profession...’

’And since Juggler is an Upper-tier Profession, its Traits surely won’t be too bad. Plus, it can trigger Professional Resonance with [Warrior] and [Blacksmith]...’

As he was lost in these pleasant thoughts, a commotion erupted outside his window.

Hearing the noise, Roland frowned.

The inn he had chosen was next to the main road, but it was usually very quiet.

In all the time he had been staying here, there had never been such a racket.

Puzzled, Roland looked outside.

He saw the residents of Distant Harbor surging excitedly toward the city gates.

"King Morne is coming!"

"Heavens, why would such an important figure come to our Distant Harbor?"

"Who cares why? Let’s go see!"

"I can’t believe I’ll get to see the legendary hero with my own eyes in my lifetime!"