Chapter 291: “Psychiatrist” Experience

After informing Sato Miwako, Ren took out the maple leaf gold coin and performed a simple divination.

Will Sato Miwako help conceal my identity?

He flicked the maple leaf gold coin. It spun through the air and landed in his palm—letter side up.

Looks like Officer Sato is still abiding by their agreement. Then he could trust her.

If it had been earlier, Ren might have judged others based on how they acted in the original storyline. But now that the story had become reality, some of those perceptions needed to change.

Just like what happened with Chikako. A shift in her thinking had allowed her to break through her predetermined fate. If one continued to judge people based on past impressions, it would eventually lead to a pitfall.

So, it was better to remain cautious with everyone.

A single test, a single divination—those were more reliable for judging character.

Still, compared to the human heart, Ren placed more faith in power.

Even when trust was necessary, he believed it should be based on what a person had done. It was a matter of cost-efficiency in terms of time and effort.

That said, Sato Miwako was someone he could trust.

In fact, Ren was starting to have an idea.

Should I turn Sato Miwako into one of my believers?

From a strategic point of view, pulling in people in higher positions might have greater value. But Sato Miwako had a quality that those power-hungry types lacked—integrity. That trait alone meant she was less likely to betray her god after becoming a believer.

The upper echelons of the Metropolitan Police Department had all clawed their way up the greasy pole of power.

But those who lacked excessive desire for authority and instead held strong ideals—those people were better suited to becoming believers.

And considering how often they would interact going forward, having a believer embedded within the police force might be a significant advantage.

When the time was right, he could try.

Silently developing a power of his own. Though it was solely for spreading faith, this approach was entirely new to him.

Interesting.

Ren smiled faintly, then quickly calmed his expression.

He walked to the inner living room and saw Ayako and Chikako seated there, both visibly pale.

Clearly, what they had just witnessed had been far too intense.

"Miss Ayako, have you thought about your choice of Sequence?"

Ayako, still catching her breath, heard the question. She tried to steady her pulse as the Spectator Pathway information surfaced in her mind.

She raised her head.

"Amamiya-san, I'd like to experience the power of the Spectator Pathway."

"Oh… Psychiatrist? This is a good moment to try it."

The supernatural abilities of a Psychiatrist were especially useful for mental stress. It was indeed the perfect time.

Ren gave a small nod.

"Then, Miss Ayako, please prepare yourself."

"Yes."

Ayako nodded slightly, then closed her eyes and gradually settled her emotions.

She felt a soft warmth on her forehead—the temperature of someone's fingertips.

"I bestow power upon my believer."

Upon hearing those words, Ayako suddenly felt her soul lift from her body. She floated weightlessly into the air.

When she opened her eyes, she saw herself sitting in the chair, with Ren's finger gently touching her forehead.

The sensation didn't last long. It was as if she were falling in a dream—her consciousness plunged downward from a great height.

When she opened her eyes again, her consciousness had returned to her body.

At the same time, an enormous wave of information rushed into her mind.

She turned to look at Chikako, and in that moment, she understood what the power of a Spectator truly was.

It was like watching a stage play with subtitles, seen from the audience's perspective.

The thoughts and actions of the actors were laid bare before her.

It felt as if she could read minds. As if she could easily perceive another person's mental state and understand their thoughts.

Can I also see what Amamiya-san is thinking?

That idea flashed through Ayako's mind.

But when she turned toward Ren, she froze.

She couldn't see any mental fluctuations at all. She couldn't even perform the most basic level of mind reading. Strangely enough, a voice inside her heart whispered: The person in front of you is just an ordinary person.

She had heard that inner voice enough times now to instinctively trust it.

But the moment she snapped back to awareness, Ayako frowned. How could Ren be an ordinary person?

"How do you feel?"

Ren's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Ayako took a deep breath and nodded.

"It's… a fascinating feeling. Like I can see through everyone's thoughts."

"Both Sonoko and Chikako are still thinking about the incident. Chikako is scared. Sonoko isn't afraid at all."

"Sonoko isn't afraid because she's already seen worse."

Ren began explaining.

"Once a corner of the world's darkness is revealed, those who see the truth will naturally grow. This time, Sonoko witnessed the toll an evil spirit takes on its host. That was the part she didn't see last time."

"Also, evil spirits are difficult to form. But if someone dies with a strong obsession, that obsession can twist their soul into an evil spirit after death."

"When facing an evil spirit, you must be especially cautious. While they lack self-awareness, the moment you enter their hunting range, they will attack indiscriminately."

"Since only specific powers can affect evil spirits, it's best for anyone without such abilities to avoid encountering them altogether."

Evil spirits were extremely difficult to deal with.

Only a few seals and special Sequence abilities could truly harm them. Most low-Sequence Beyonders didn't have those capabilities.

That said, evil spirits were rare precisely because they were so difficult to form.

But Ren thought about the strange nature of Beika City. In the cases he had witnessed there, it seemed like nearly everyone had unresolved obsessions before death.

In fact, he felt that evil spirits might be one of the most common phenomena in Beika City.

Even though he didn't want that hunch to be true, the instincts of a Beyonder were often unnervingly accurate.

Shaking his head, Ren refocused on Ayako.

"Then, Miss Ayako, you may give it a try."

(To be continued.)

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