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Chapter 160: Seizing the Opportunity
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Tuesday morning.
Having completed his mysticism curriculum, Klein didn't look for a quiet corner to read "Comparison of Ancient and Modern Names" or "Nighthawks Case Compendium," and instead stayed in the break room to play cards with Leonard, Kenley, and Royale.
I only told Mr. Azik to create an opportunity for me to take Sealed Artifact 3-0782 out… It'll still depend on my improvisation skills to seize the opportunity… Klein's mind wasn't on his cards, so he played terribly. He lost five soli in an hour, and he felt the pinch. He planned to concentrate on the game to recover some of his cash.
After he bought various ingredients for the Flaring Sun Charms yesterday afternoon, his private stash of cash reduced to less than one pound once again. Plus, he had to pay two soli every day for the carriage rental fees to search for the house with the red chimney.
As they were waiting for Kenley to shuffle the cards, he picked up the copper penny before him and spun it casually.
He suddenly felt Royale's gaze on him, a very intense gaze.
What? Klein was first stunned, then looked at the copper penny that was about to fall.
… Is she wary of me cheating with divination? We're just playing cards amongst ourselves, do we have to be so serious about this? He suddenly understood and slammed down the penny with a dry laugh.
Just then, Dunn Smith knocked on the door and entered. He looked around and said, "There's a situation in Morse Town. Leonard, please handle it."
Morse Town? Klein felt his mind jolt as he pretended to ask curiously, "Captain, what kind of situation?"
Dunn glanced over and explained, "Recently, there have been a few paranormal cases in the area. Firstly, people would hear sobs when walking past the cemetery and see vague figures flash by. Then, a widow encountered her deceased husband when she woke up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. She nearly fainted from the fright. In addition, there was an elderly man who lived alone. He began hearing heavy footsteps reverberating in the house all the time. However, silence reigned once again the moment he lights a candle or gas lamp. The people in the town are believers of the Goddess, so the local priest reported the situation."
No one got hurt, and it almost borders on the level of a prank…. It should be Mr. Azik… Klein used an expression and tone that he had rehearsed many times. "Captain, there might be a secret link for these paranormal cases to happen so suddenly. In this situation, divination could provide an important clue. I think I can help Leonard."
Upon hearing that, Leonard's green eyes immediately locked onto Klein. He was apparently trying to find clues and traces from Klein's face.
Dunn nodded first, but remained quiet and hesitant.
When Klein saw the Captain's response, he immediately added, "Some of these things might require ritualistic magic to purify them."
"Makes sense." Dunn thought and said, "You and Leonard will head to Morse Town then."
Without anyone saying anything else, he additionally added, "Hmm, you won't be able to make it for your combat training in the afternoon. I'll send someone to inform Gawain."
Phew, the first step is complete… Klein silently let out a sigh. He quickly packed away his soli and pence.
Then, he suddenly paused and looked sideways at Dunn. He said solemnly, "Captain, I think we should prepare for the worst. If there's a powerful wraith behind the paranormal events, it might be very dangerous for only Leonard and I. Plus, it takes two, uh—three hours to get to Morse Town, right? Even if we manage to send a telegram to request for backup in time, we would still have to hold out for quite a while…"
"So?" Dunn interrupted.
"I want to get the assistance of another teammate." Klein pretended to think for a moment and said, "And, according to the rules, a mission with three or more Nighthawks involved can apply for a level three Sealed Artifact. Yes, 3-0782 is most suited for this job."
Upon hearing that, Leonard laughed and said, "Exactly your style. Careful, cautious, taking no risks."
You seem to be implying that I'm a coward… I'm a person who looked directly at the Eternal Blazing Sun! Klein pretended that he didn't hear Leonard and earnestly looked at Dunn Smith.
"Captain, what do you think?"
"We should really take extra care against any accidents. There have been too many coincidences lately…" Dunn nodded thoughtfully and looked at the other two teammates. "Kenley, join Leonard and Klein on their trip to Morse Town. Oh, hurry up and write an application. After I sign it, retrieve Sealed Artifact 3-0782 from Chanis Gate."
"Alright," the short Kenley said, putting down the cards in his hand.
Alright! Klein fist-pumped in his mind while he looked anxious and solemn on the outside.
At that very moment, Seeka Tron was monitoring Hood Eugen in the asylum while Frye was on duty at Chanis Gate.
Klein left the recreation room and put on his black tuxedo. He took his hat and cane, then waited together with Leonard for Kenley at the stairway that connected to the basement
There was no one there, and it was extremely quiet. Leonard suddenly looked sideways at Klein and said, "I think you'd better give up on any unrealistic dreams."
"Ah… What?" Klein replied in confusion.
Leonard walked forward and stood by the edge of the stairs. He looked into the darkness of the stairway.
"Even during a mission, it will be impossible for you to discover my secret and understand my uniqueness."
… Bro, can you stop thinking so highly about yourself? Did you think I applied for this mission to spy on you? I didn't even have such thoughts! Enlightened, Klein chuckled.
"How can you be so sure that my uniqueness won't help to reveal your secret?"
Leonard's expression grew grave, but he then smiled and said, "It will, huh? I shall wait for you to discover it then."
When I gather more information and items, I will go to the world above the gray fog to help you do a divination. You're welcome! Klein thought sarcastically in his head.
Soon, the small-framed Kenley brought the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem up the winding stairs.
When Klein felt the unique warmth and purity, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that he had finally completed the very first and most difficult step in his plan of siphoning the powers of the Eternal Blazing Sun's divine blood.
Then, the three of them left the Blackthorn Security Company and walked to Zouteland Street. They walked towards the carriage that belonged to the Nighthawks.
"Will the purifying effect bother the horse?" Kenley suddenly asked anxiously. "I don't want a horse that can only praise the Sun to pull the carriage…"
He had been a Nighthawk for longer than Klein, but he was far from experienced.
"No, Sealed Artifact 3-0782 only purifies living entities with a high level of intelligence," Klein lowered his voice in response.
If not, I wouldn't be bitten by insects… he added blankly in his head.
"Oh, I see… Haha, I didn't read the information thoroughly enough." Kenley pressed down on his black silk hat and laughed in enlightenment.
As Klein had yet to master the skill of driving of a carriage, he sat inside the carriage for the following three hours. He rubbed the Sealed Artifact 3-0782 in his hand while he watched Leonard and Kenley take turns driving.
They finally arrived at Morse Town around lunchtime.
"How beautiful…" Kenley complimented sincerely as they stepped down from the carriage and looked towards the boundless golden wheat fields that surrounded the town.
The dates representing the Volcanic constellation was coming to an end, and the Bumper Harvest constellation was going to rule everyone's life.
Leonard was in the driver's seat as he looked around and opened his mouth, as though he was going to recite a sonnet.
But in the end, he only spurted one sentence, "How beautiful."
Klein held back the urge to laugh as he put on his top hat, took his cane, and got off the carriage.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a black priest's gown walked over. He drew a crimson moon on his chest and said, "Praise the Lady. Are you the friends that Saint Selena Cathedral sent to help us?"
"Yes, Priest Siur. May the Goddess bless you." Leonard jumped off the carriage and replied with a smile, "We're here to take care of the recent paranormal incidents."
"Seemingly. Seemingly." The gray-haired, blue-eyed Siur saw many townsfolk approaching as he quickly emphasized.
Morse Town wasn't big. Regardless of which direction one chose to travel in, one would enter the plains within ten minutes. The people who stayed there knew each other, so what happened earlier had spread.
Many townsfolk were waiting for the Church of the Evernight Goddess to send people to resolve the problem. Hence, when they saw that the priest was greeting three strangers, they quickly surrounded them out of concern and curiosity. Some tiptoed and some tried to hear what they were saying.
Leonard chuckled and said, "Priest, don't worry. We're professionals. Look, we brought Holy Water, silver daggers, Dark Sacred Emblems, and also garlic."
He took out the described items from the inner pockets of his clothes as though he was pulling a magic trick.
Garlic? Are you trying to stink the spirits to death? Klein found it ridiculous yet funny as he watched Leonard's performance.
Siur wore a look of confusion, and he even started to suspect that the Saint Selena Cathedral had sent over a bunch of frauds.
The citizens who surrounded them revealed gratified smiles, as though they were finally in safe hands.
Leonard got close to Priest Siur and explained softly into his ear, "They believe in these things…"
Without waiting for the priest's reply, he added, "Let's have lunch at the church first. Then, we shall take care of those matters."
Yes, lunch is very important… When those paranormal incidents are taken care of, it'll be time to take turns looking after Sealed Artifact 3-0782, and also the opportunity for me to make Flaring Sun Charms… Hopefully, everything goes smoothly… Of course, making Flaring Sun Charms during the daytime would get the best results… Klein thought, brimming with anticipation.
Chapter 161: Inverted Mausoleum
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Most of the buildings in Morse Town adhered to a style that was popular a hundred years ago. The most eye-catching building in the town was the black cathedral spire.
After settling the carriage, Klein and the others quickly finished their lunch of bread, toast, bacon, butter, and coffee.
"We can still tolerate about two hours and thirty-five minutes of Sealed Artifact 3-0782's purification." Kenley stood at the door of the church and took out a pocket watch from his suit's pocket. "I suggest dealing with the suspected haunting incidents first to prevent the situation from getting worse. Then we can return to the church and take turns watching over the Sealed Artifact to recover."
Under normal circumstances, Sequence 9, 8, and 7 Beyonders had to stay far away from the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem for two hours to recover completely, or at least an hour if they were to make a partial recovery.
"Alright."
"I have no objections."
Klein and Leonard spoke in unison.
"Then which case should we deal with first?" Kenley asked.
Leonard wiped away his frivolous attitude and said, "Let's start with the old man living alone who heard heavy footsteps in his house."
"Why?" Kenley asked instinctively. Klein was also interested to hear an explanation.
Could this be the intuition of a poet? He mocked Leonard secretly.
Leonard shifted his gaze from Kenley's face to Klein's, then looked at Kenley again. He smiled.
"Because it's the closest to the church."
"How did you know that? It's not written in the records…" Klein asked.
Leonard snickered. "Didn't I go to the bathroom during our meal? I came across a trainee priest on my way back and had a conversation. He told me that Noah's house was close to the church—Oh yeah, the old man's name is Noah."
He sure lives up to his name as an experienced Nighthawk when it comes to performing missions… Klein gave a dry laugh. He turned to Kenley and said, "Then let's go to Noah's house first."
"Alright." Kenley didn't have any objections.
They arrived at Noah's house a mere minute later…
Noah was an old man with thinning white hair. He had lost his left hand in a war when he was younger and had no choice but to leave the army. He returned to his hometown after he received his compensation.
At that moment, he opened the door and looked at the three strangers in front of him before looking at Siur who was rushing over from the cathedral. He said with a raspy voice, "Come in, I hope that you can solve my problem. I heard that you brought Holy Water, Sacred Emblems, a silver dagger, and garlic? This is great, my worries have eased greatly. Please forgive my blabbering, you have to understand the condition of an old man after not being able to sleep peacefully for two nights, Oh my Goddess, I've been so scared all this time that my head feels like it's in a cloud."
Leonard suddenly straightened his back when he entered the house, his eyes surveying the surroundings.
After that, Klein felt a cold aura within the room. Those were traces of activity left behind by a ghost.
"There really was an impure being here." Kenley was the last one to notice as he suppressed his voice.
"Very weak." Leonard said with a relaxed tone as he retracted his gaze.
The Midnight Poet was a job with a relatively high spiritual sensitivity when compared to all the other Sequence 8's in the Church's records.
"Yes." Klein could feel the warmth and purifying energy of Sealed Artifact 3-0782 quickly dispelling the sinister aura in the room without any trouble.
At this moment, the people of the town had all gathered at Noah's house, all looking curiously at Klein, Leonard, and Kenley.
Cough! Leonard cleared his throat and recited, "We have the blessings of the Goddess, those impure beings will vanish quickly and won't bring about any more trouble."
After that, he shot a look at Klein for him to perform a "purification ritual" for everyone to see.
Why me? Klein shot a look back.
Of course, he didn't know if Leonard understood what his gaze meant.
But clearly, Leonard understood. He said softly, "You're the expert in rituals."
Alright, blame me for being the one who volunteered for this mission. Klein tidied his clothes and took out the Holy Water, Sacred Emblems, a silver dagger, and garlic from Leonard.
He first placed the Dark Sacred Emblem in front of his chest, then peeled the garlic and tossed its cloves one by one to every corner of the house.
"Hmm, this is how garlic is used to dispel ghosts?"
"It's different from the descriptions in the newspapers…"
"Will this work?"
…
The townsfolk looking at them broke into discussion, curious and excited, as if they were watching a circus.
It's useless! I'm just acting! Klein suddenly felt that he had become a clown. He closed his eyes and splashed the holy water onto the ground with the silver dagger.
He splashed the water as he walked around the house, reciting an incantation, "The Evernight Goddess…
"The Mother of Secrets… The Lady of Crimson…
"Empress of Disaster and Horror…
"Mistress of Calm and Silence…"
…
These typical acts of a charlatan shocked everyone present as the townsfolk fell silent.
And once people turned silent, it was easy for them to notice something they missed.
"What a warm feeling."
"It feels like I'm sunbathing…"
"No, I feel like I'm looking at a pure sky…"
"How magical… Is this the effect of the Holy Water?"
"They sure live up to their names as priests from Saint Selena Cathedral!"
"Praise the Lady!"
…
The townsfolk discussed in whispers. The looks they gave Klein, Leonard, and Kenley slowly became that of respect. Noah also visibly relaxed, not doubting that the problem had been solved.
Sealed Artifact 3-0782 is doing all the real work here… We don't actually need to do anything to chase the ghosts away, all we need to do is stay here for a minute. It's not tiring or troublesome at all… After Klein purified the sinister aura off every corner of the house, he opened his eyes and put away his silver dagger, drawing the shape of the crimson moon in front of his chest with a serious expression. "Praise the Lady!"
"Praise the Lady!" the townsfolk replied devoutly.
"We still have things to deal with, but we need absolute silence." Leonard smiled as he looked around.
The townsfolk, after witnessing something so professional, didn't stay. They receded from Noah's house like a tide following Priest Siur's lead. Even the master of the house had to leave temporarily.
"I actually wanted to take a nap…" Noah pouted as he walked toward the cathedral.
Leonard took a step forward and closed the door, then turned towards Klein.
"Do a divination on the cause of this incident."
"No problem." Klein also wanted to find out what he could divine.
I know Mr. Azik did this, but he seems to be of a rather superior nature. Haha, a person that can live for 1300 years must be of a superior nature… So my divinations should definitely be affected. Under such circumstances, without the help of the mysterious space above the gray fog, even I'm not sure what revelations I would receive… Klein took out the pen and paper he brought along with him and wrote down a divination statement:
"The cause of the haunting at Noah's house."
He held the piece of paper and walked to a round table. He then took a seat, closed his eyes, and leaned back.
Klein suddenly saw a black mausoleum in his blurred, hazy dream world.
It was similar to a pyramid, but stood inverted and was almost fully buried.
A black fog obscured everything within the ancient mausoleum.
Klein snapped awake and opened his eyes.
"Did you find anything?" Kenley asked in concern.
Klein thought for a moment and described the revelation he received in his dream without hiding anything. He ended it by saying, "The mausoleum was definitely not in the style of the Northern Continent, I mean the Fifth Epoch. I'm somewhat of an expert in this field."
Leonard nodded, seemingly in thought.
"That's an Inverted Pyramid from the Southern Continent. It represents the entering of the nether realm from the living world. It's a mausoleum that only the so-called Descendants of Death can erect for themselves, be it in the Balam Empire of the past, or its satellite states such as the Highlands Kingdom.
"In some sense, it's the symbol of Death.
"Well, the ghosts are definitely related to Death. The results of the divination are undoubtedly correct!"
Ignoring Leonard's mockery, Klein suddenly had an interesting thought.
Could Mr. Azik be the descendant of Death, or could he have made a transaction with Death to obtain such a long life?
According to a chapter from The Revelation of Evernight, as well as the internal records of the Nighthawks, Death was a malevolent god, once causing a catastrophe in the Northern Continent at the end of the Fourth Epoch. Those times were now referred to as the Pale Era.
Hmm, it's said that Death fell to the combined efforts of the Seven Gods… It's impossible to determine when Lamud Castle was built — but it couldn't have been built before the Pale Era.
If there was a connection, then there would be something to investigate regarding the person working behind the scenes, lives in the house with the red-chimney, and stole the skull of Mr. Azik's child…
Of course, this could be an excuse for the Northern Continent to colonize the Southern Continent. After all, most of the inhabitants of the Southern Continent believes in Death…
The three Nighthawks didn't stay for long since they didn't discover anything. They soon left Noah's house and started dealing with the two other haunting incidents.
The same process, the same results. They quickly rid the town of the auras of dead spirits, but didn't manage to find the cause of all the trouble.
Along the way, Leonard asked the townsfolk if any strangers had entered the town in the past few days, but received a negative answer.
Mr. Azik didn't come? He must've come and left in secret without anyone noticing him. He sure is cautious… When he said that he would be returning to Tingen by Wednesday, did he mean that these spirits would vanish on their own accord today, even if we weren't here to deal with it? Klein thought about it as he returned to the entrance of Morse Cathedral with Leonard and Kenley.
They could still last another hour and forty-five minutes with the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.
"We'll take one hour shifts looking after the Sealed Artifact." Klein suppressed the excitement in his heart. He looked at the color of the sky and said, "Let's try to head back to Tingen City for dinner."
"No problem." Leonard glanced at Klein and laughed. "But for safety's sake, I suggest that two people look after the Sealed Artifact while one rests."
Klein froze for a moment, his mind churning quickly. He smiled in reply.
"Sure, but this way, we have to calculate the most logical rotation. Who gets to rest first? Who's next? And who will be last? How much time do we need to recover? And by how much? Well—I think that we have to establish an algorithm with an unknown value in order to establish the best way, then compare it with the effectiveness of having one person look over it at a time… It's even better if we can compare the efficiencies too. Let's first assume that the unknown value is…"
"Wait!" Leonard's green eyes were filled with blankness and fear. "If that's the case, let's look after it one at a time. The person looking after it will stay in the cathedral during his shift, as it has a sufficiently large radius. Of course, we'll have to get Priest Siur and the rest to stay somewhere else. The other two will stand guard outside the church and prevent others from coming close."
"I share the same opinion." Kenley had felt a headache coming on as Klein spoke about the mathematical problem.
"Alright." Klein nodded, looking as though he was forced to do so.
If he hadn't been able to convince his partners, then he would have to make a deal with Leonard in secret, giving away some information about himself to get him to leave.
But the problem was solved now!
Chapter 162: Intense Sunlight
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Weak light shone through the narrow window from high above, making the interior of Morse Cathedral a little more visible.
Klein put his top hat on his knee while he leaned his leg against his cane. He sat quietly on the first row of the left pew and looked at the altar before him.
There weren't any statues of the Goddess except for a massive Dark Sacred Emblem. Its base was black, with a crimson half-moon that was surrounded by radiant points of light.
On the wall behind the Sacred Emblem, there were a few openings which allowed sunlight to shine in from the outside. They were focused into tiny specks of pure light which combined with the dark surroundings to form a scene that resembled that of a lofty starry night sky.
None of the traditional Gods ever left behind an actual image. Only their symbols are worshiped and glorified by people… That seems to be a manifestation of the command, "Do not look directly at God"… Klein let his thoughts wander. He wasn't in a hurry to make the Flaring Sun Charms as soon as he got the opportunity to be alone with Sealed Artifact 3-0782.
He felt that he had to be careful, patient, and had to wait. Within the first fifteen minutes, it was possible that Leonard and Kenley would enter at any moment to remind him about points that he should take note of.
In this extremely quiet atmosphere, time flew by quickly. Klein suddenly snapped back to his senses as he took out his silver vine-leaf pocket watch, flipped it open, and took a glance.
Twenty minutes have passed… He muttered to himself. He then set his silk top hat and silver edged black cane by the side. He got up and walked towards a hidden corner near the altar.
At first, he faced the side of the altar, but once he saw the large Dark Sacred Emblem and the holy scenery that resembled a depiction of a night sky, he felt guilty and uncomfortable. Hence, he turned his back to the altar.
Then, Klein took out the Sealed Artifact 3-0782 from the inner pocket of his black tuxedo. He bent down to place the golden unadorned badge on the ground.
Klein took a look at the Sun symbol that was filled with abstract meanings, then he took out a small candle mixed with sandalwood. He put it right at the bottom of Sealed Artifact 3-0782.
That was the dualistic ritual that he learned from the Eternal Blazing Sun. He used an item that was closely related to the deity to represent "Him" while he used the candle to represent himself.
He took a deep breath to ease his tense emotions. Klein then took out the items required for the ritual, one after another, including a carving knife, two thin gold slices, Sun essential oil extracted from the combination of black-rimmed sunflower, golden-rimmed sunflower and white-rimmed sunflower, Golden Hand fingered citron powder, and also rosemary powder.
After that, Klein adeptly used the silver ritual dagger to guide the flow of spirituality. He guided it to flow around the simple altar and created a shapeless sealed wall.
He squatted down, placed the silver dagger down, and extended his right hand. He lit up the candle that represented himself by rubbing his spirituality.
Under the flickering dim light, Klein picked up the Sun essential oil and dripped a drop onto the flame.
With a puff, an illusory fog spread out with the slight scent of sunlight.
After burning the fingered citron and rosemary powder, Klein held the carving knife and golden slices. He stood up, took a step back, and then recited in Hermes, "The blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
"You are the Inextinguishable Light, the Embodiment of Order, the God of Deeds, the Guardian of Businesses."
…
Inextinguishable Light, Embodiment of Order, God of Deeds, and Guardian of Businesses were all parts of Eternal Blazing Sun's honorable titles. If there wasn't the prefix of the blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun, the ritual would require the god's response to proceed. If so, Klein suspected that the Eternal Blazing Sun would recognize him as the disrespectful person that looked at "Him" directly. Then, Leonard and Kenley would only find a pile of black ashes when they entered.
Plus, the ritual had to be conducted via Ancient Hermes, a ritualistic language that stemmed from nature. Only a language without any protection but had outstanding effects could allow an incantation to sidestep around the Eternal Blazing Sun and point towards the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.
At the same time, as he was stealing the power from a deity, Klein had no way to divine if it would be successful ahead of time. He felt that it would result in him directly dealing with the deity again. So, he could only recite the rest of the incantation with a strained heart, "I pray to you,
"I pray for you to give me strength,
"Give me strength to complete the Flaring Sun Charm.
"The blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun, please transfer your strength into my charm…
"Oh fingered citron, a herb that belongs to the Sun, please bestow your powers to my charm…"
…
As the incantation neared completion, Klein suddenly felt something light up before him.
The simple gold badge radiated with an intense light, as though the sun had descended onto the land.
Klein suddenly found himself enveloped in extreme heat. His hair was heating up rapidly and was almost on the brink of igniting.
His feet felt like they were stepping barefoot on yellow sand that had been exposed to the midday sun, and his face and body were greeted with the hot wind blowing from every direction.
In that instance, he felt that he needed to do something to let the burning energies out. Otherwise, he would turn into a human candle.
It required almost zero thought as Klein lifted both his hands. While his thoughts were boiling over like porridge, he relied on the combination of his spirituality and the strong winds, as well as his instincts and ritualistic guidance, to begin etching symbols, corresponding Path Numbers, magical characteristics, and ancient incantations onto both sides of the gold slices with his carving knife.
Outside the church, Leonard was standing in the shadows to hide from coming into contact with direct sunlight.
Suddenly, the sunlight intensified, like the hottest days of a year in early July.
He squinted his eyes and looked towards the sky. He saw that the blue sky had no clouds or dust. It was so pure that it made people gasp with admiration.
"Such strange weather." Beside him, Kenley also noticed the changes in the sunlight.
Leonard responded with a smile when he suddenly turned his head.
He knitted his eyebrows slightly and cast his gaze towards the cathedral.
"Luckily Rozanne isn't here. Otherwise, she would be complaining about the sun tanning her skin," Leonard looked away and said with a smile.
The blazing sunlight remained intense for a few minutes before it returned to normal.
In the cathedral, Klein's carving knife finished the final stroke.
As he finished the magical characteristic that represented light, the spirituality on both sides of the gold slices suddenly melded together, as the light converged onto the metal.
No, this is even closer to godhood… Klein was finally relieved from the boiling and burning sensations. He examined the two Flaring Sun Charms in his hands with a clear mind.
The golden luster on the surface of the charms had turned dim, and the pattern looked ancient yet complex. There was a warm, damp feeling that seeped into Klein's skin bit by bit.
"Not bad. I finally have a more impressive trump card." Klein sighed emotionally.
He set the activation incantation for the Flaring Sun Charms as the word "light" in Ancient Hermes.
I want light and there will be light… He quipped, amused. Then, he put the Flaring Sun Charms into another pocket. He didn't put them with the Slumber, Requiem, and Dream Charms, because the Flaring Sun Charms would decrease their efficacy period.
"Yes, the power of the Flaring Sun Charms can be maintained for at least a year, or even longer." Klein reined his thoughts back and looked at the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem on the ground.
It didn't look any different on the surface, and it still gave off feelings of warmth and purity. Klein finally relaxed, and quickly completed the ritual and removed the spiritual wall.
At that point, he thought to examine himself. He realized that his clothes were almost drenched, and he was covered in sweat. The edges of his hair were slightly curly too.
Thankfully, thankfully… Klein sighed in satisfaction. He put away his things and returned to his original seat. He was so exhausted that he slept the moment he sat down, until he was woken up by footsteps.
His eyes shot open, and he touched the Flaring Sun Charms subconsciously to see if they were still there.
"You don't look alright?" Leonard asked as he entered the cathedral.
Klein massaged his temples, stood up, and smiled.
"I'm nearing my limit."
He took out his silver pocket watch and took a glance. "Just in time. It's your turn to look after Sealed Artifact 3-0782."
Before he finished speaking, Klein took off the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem and passed it to Leonard.
Leonard watched Klein walk out of the cathedral. Then, he dropped his frivolous attitude and examined Sealed Artifact 3-0782 attentively and seriously. He grew confused and looked bewildered.
After the shifts ended, the three Nighthawks began their journey back.
Before that, they told Priest Siur to take note of the town's situation. If there were any paranormal incidents, he was to immediately send a telegram to Saint Selena Cathedral.
At twenty minutes past seven that night, they finally arrived at Zouteland Street and returned Sealed Artifact 3-0782.
When he had made sure that the Captain didn't notice anything unusual, Klein left the Blackthorn Security Company and arrived home before eight.
He took out his keys and opened the door, only to see an unknown figure.
It was obviously a maiden who wasn't even in her twenties. She was in an old, grayish-white dress, and she was wiping the dining hall with all her might.
She had black hair and brown eyes. Her eyes were small, her nose wasn't sharp enough, and her facial features were very ordinary.
Who is this? Klein was stunned at first, then he realized that she was most likely the maidservant that had come for a trial.
At that moment, Benson lowered his newspaper and looked at his brother. He smiled and said, "A company that doesn't allow employees to leave the office on time is annoying."
"But it provides a salary that can counteract any kind of dissatisfaction," Klein replied with a laugh.
When Miss Justice's 300 pounds reach me, I'll inform Benson and Melissa about my raise to six pounds a week, that way they would worry less about our family's finances… Klein thought as he put his cane aside and took off his top hat. He walked to the living hall and lowered his voice as he asked, "Have you made a choice?"
He had divined the information of the three maidservants the day before, and he had found that all three were suitable. Hence, the decision was left to his brother and sister.
"Yes, Bella. Weekly salary of five soli. She's very willing and also capable of learning cooking. She hopes that she can become a home chef, at which point her weekly pay will double. Her father is a factory worker at the Tingen Steelworks Union Factory, and her mother is a laundry worker," Benson replied with a chuckle. "Of course, another thing that led Melissa and me to the decision is that the other two servants believe in the Lord of Storms, and she is a believer of the Goddess. I personally don't mind the believers of the Lord of Storms, but Melissa didn't quite like the idea."
It wasn't that Melissa didn't like it, a more accurate description would be "I grieve at their misfortune and am infuriated at their refusal to resist." Yes, it was said by Lu Xun! Klein recalled his sister's behavior, and revealed a smile.
Benson didn't elaborate further. He put down the newspaper and stood up.
"Since you're back, let's have dinner."
…
The next day, Klein entered the Blackthorn Security Company in a good mood.
"Good morning." Rozanne looked to the left and then the right. Then, she said, "Old Neil is sick, let's go and visit him at noon. What say you?"
"Old Neil is sick?" Klein asked in surprise.
Could it be that the ritual for treating diarrhea caused severe constipation?
Well, from the way he acted after learning of the "acting method," it's not impossible for him to suddenly fall sick… He's getting old, so once his mind turns frail, his body would also suffer from those ramifications…
Rozanne nodded and said, "Yeah, he sent someone to the Captain to request some time off."
Klein nodded slightly. "Let's visit him at noon. Sigh, Old Neil sure is pitiful. His wife passed away early, and his son is busy in some other city. When he's sick, all he can do is stay at home in loneliness and helplessness."
That was the first thing he recalled from his first visit to Old Neil's house.
Listening to Klein's sigh, Rozanne opened her eyes wide and asked in shock, "When did Old Neil get married?"
Chapter 163: Various Signs
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
What? Klein was left dumbfounded when he heard Rozanne's question. He recalled in his daze, "I previously visited Old Neil's place just last month. I saw a piano in the living room and he told me that his deceased wife loved music…"
As he spoke, Klein suddenly became alarmed as he began having unpleasant thoughts.
Rozanne knitted her beautiful brows and said with uncertainty, "Perhaps I remembered wrong… No, Mrs. Orianna and I frequented Old Neil's place during the earlier half of the year. There was no piano in his living room back then. I clearly remember asking him why he chose to remain single. His answer was that he hasn't met a lady that he wished to marry…"
There was no piano during the earlier half of the year, and he answered the question of why he chose to remain single… Klein tightened up and asked in a deep voice, "Rozanne, how long has it been since you visited Old Neil's place?"
"Not ever since Kenley became a Nighthawk, and Viola chose to resign as a clerk. I've been either burning the midnight oil or catching up on sleep, so how could I have the time to visit him? It's been… since the beginning of June." Rozanne became a little lost upon receiving the question, so all she did was answer honestly.
Klein's heart sank, as if he sensed something was wrong.
He fished out a halfpence from his pocket and held it between his thumb and middle finger.
He took a deep breath and quickly decided on a divination statement.
"There's something wrong with Old Neil's current situation.
"There's something wrong with Old Neil's current situation."
…
His pupils quickly darkened as he recited the statement silently and entered Cogitation.
Ding!
He flicked his thumb, pushing the brass coin into the air and allowing it to spin.
Pak! The coin fell right into Klein's open palm.
This time, the portrait of George III was facing up.
The portrait signified that it was correct, that it was positive.
That meant that there really was something wrong with Old Neil's current situation!
As Klein clenched the coin, he suddenly remembered the translucent pair of cold and ruthless eyes without any brows that he had seen behind Old Neil when he had just become a Beyonder and was experimenting with his Spirit Vision.
Old Neil had explained that the pair of eyes was a characteristic of ritualistic magic!
That's right, I also saw an almost formless human figure by the door at the periphery of the light. The color of its aura was identical to the surrounding darkness… Also, after I completely digested the Seer potion, I secretly changed the way I activated my Spirit Vision to the tapping of my left molar. I happened to look at Old Neil and he suddenly coughed violently… Scene after scene appeared in Klein's mind, turning his expression grim.
Rozanne looked at him and asked in fear, "Did Old Neil lose control? No way, even though he's petty and stingy, and wants to be reimbursed for all of his expenses, he's still a good person. He rarely gets angry. No way, he wouldn't lose control…"
"I cannot be sure, but I think that Old Neil is on the brink of losing control." Klein consoled Rozanne. He quickly made his way past the partition and opened the door to the Captain's office.
Dunn Smith was startled by the sudden intrusion, nearly choking on his coffee.
"What happened?" He didn't blame Klein, his expression instantly becoming stern.
Klein answered simply without hiding anything, "Captain, my divination tells me that there's something wrong with Old Neil.
"Last month, Old Neil told me that his late wife loved music, but today, Rozanne told me that he's remained single all this time.
"Also, on the day that I became a Beyonder, I saw a pair of mysterious eyes looking over everything behind Old Neil. There was also an almost transparent human figure near the door spying on us. He told me that those were characteristics of ritualistic magic.
"I felt that something was off and, thus, attempted a divination."
After Dunn finished listening intently, he stood up immediately. As he walked over to to the coat rack, he asked in puzzlement, "Why didn't you directly divine if Old Neil had lost control?"
"Over the past month, Old Neil hasn't acted any differently from ordinary Beyonders. He even worked with me to help Swain deal with a Mandated Punisher who had lost control. I've also observed the colors of his aura from time to time and noticed that he's relatively healthy other than his frailty that's due to his age. Thus, I think that he's only close to losing control. He could still be saved," Klein explained his point of view in one breath.
Dunn put on his black hat and windbreaker before nodding.
"A very reasonable deduction… Let's go pay a visit to Old Neil now, and oh—try not to agitate him if possible.
"After that, we can attempt to control him and use ritualistic magic to stabilize his condition to prevent it from getting worse."
Control… Klein had an idea when he heard this term.
"Captain, could we use Sealed Artifact 3-0611?"
He had been thinking about how he could resolve Old Neil's problem and save him, but he hadn't arrived at an answer as he had been too flustered, too uneasy, and too worried. He was reminded by Dunn Smith's words and recalled that the Sealed Artifact might be useful.
"Number: 0611.
"Name: Peaceful Hair Strands.
"Danger Grade: 3. Considerably dangerous. It has to be used carefully. It can only be applied for operations that require three or more people.
"Security classification: Official Nighthawk member or above.
"Sealing Method: No direct contact with living organisms.
"Description: A simple decoration formed with many strands of black hair.
"As long as contact is made with a living being without any protection, the living being would lose all their desires and emotions, including, but not limited to: Hunger, Anger, Grief, Pain, Envy, Jealousy, Hate, Joy, Satisfaction, Greed, etc.
"It has been ascertained that living beings under 0611's influence will even lose the desire to break contact with it. They will silently stay in their spot until the end of their life.
"If an external force is used to break contact between the person and 0611, then the person will gradually recover. But experimental data suggests that the prerequisite to this is that the person has not been in contact with the Sealed Artifact for more than two hours.
"Once the contact lasts for more than two hours, the victim would become silent for eternity.
"The highest Sequence tested is Sequence 5.
"You can avoid contact by means such as wearing gloves.
"The strands of hair aren't equipped with the capability to live. It doesn't have any inclinations of escaping the seal.
"Appendix: These strands of hair appeared during a failed advancement. It was something left behind when a Captain of the Nighthawks failed to advance to Sequence 6."
The grayed-eyed Dunn nodded after he heard Klein.
"Great suggestion, I nearly forgot about 3-0611. Find Royale in the recreation room. I'll retrieve the Sealed Artifact from Chanis Gate and submit the application after we come back."
That's the way, no time to waste! Klein didn't dawdle. He immediately went to the recreation room and shouted for the usually expressionless Sleepless Royale.
"What's the mission?" Royale asked calmly.
Klein exhaled and said in a serious tone, "Pay Old Neil a visit."
"Pay Old Neil a visit… he?" Royale opened her eyes wide as she had an ominous feeling.
"It's not confirmed yet." Klein shook his head gently.
Royale didn't speak any further. They slipped into silence, turning the mood heavy.
A few minutes passed, and Dunn finally returned from the basement.
He was wearing black gloves and had a tangled mess of black hair in his hand.
Compared to the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem, the Peaceful Hair Strands didn't look particularly weird. It would be glossed over by people if it were tossed on the road somewhere.
After calling for the chauffeur Cesare, the four of them made their way to Old Neil's house.
The wheels of the carriage rolled across the asphalt road that was wet from the rain. The carriage interior was more silent than the night.
It was unknown how much time had passed until Dunn sighed.
"Old Neil did have a partner that he was about to be engaged with when he was younger, but she suddenly became terminally ill. Old Neil risked divulging the secrets of the Beyonders and tried using ritualistic magic to save her, but he didn't succeed. Old Neil back then was just a beginner in mysticism.
"According to the records, the Nighthawks back then were all on alert, afraid that Old Neil would lose control because of this. But luckily, he managed to find his sanity and looked normal."
Let's hope that this is a false alarm as well… Klein couldn't help but draw a crimson moon before his chest and prayed, "May the Goddess watch over him."
Dunn and Royale followed suit.
"May the Goddess watch over him."
…
The sky started to turn brighter as the dark clouds receded. The Nighthawks arrived in front of Old Neil's bungalow.
After getting Cesare to drive the carriage far away, Dunn collected himself and walked towards the main door, cane in one hand and Sealed Artifact 3-0611 in the other.
Klein pressed down his hat as he and Royale followed behind the Captain. They made their way past the rose and gold mint garden.
When they reached the door, Klein took a step forward and pulled on the rope connected to the bell within the building.
Clink! Clang!
A pleasant chime resounded in the house as it broke the heavy silence.
Clink! Clang! Clink! Clang! Klein pulled several times, then politely took a step back without making any further attempts.
The three Nighthawks waited patiently for a few minutes, but they didn't hear any footsteps approaching the door.
"Perhaps Old Neil went to visit a doctor and isn't at home." Klein forced a smile.
He hadn't finished his sentence when a melody came from within the building. It was the music from a piano. It was like a silent lake veiled by a thin mist beneath the moonlight.
Dunn's expression became abnormally stern and grave. Klein's heart sank as well.
Just as he was about to do another divination, he suddenly saw liquid flowing out from the gap beneath the door.
The stream of liquid was transparent and pure at first, before it became dyed crimson, a crimson similar to that of blood. It was an intensely dark crimson red.
Chapter 164: Miserable Wretches
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
The color of fresh blood was reflected in Klein's eyes as they intently locked onto the flowing liquid.
Just then, there was a light cough from within the house. Old Neil spoke with a raspy voice, "Dunn, why are you here?"
Dunn's gray eyes were extremely deep. His mellow voice replied calmly, "I heard that you're sick, so we came to visit."
There was a sudden silence in the house. A few seconds later, Old Neil roared in anger and terror, "No! You're lying!"
Without waiting for Klein and company to say a word, his tone suddenly became weak.
"Yes, I know my condition isn't quite right."
Old Neil… Klein closed his eyes, but the bloody liquid that was seeping through the gap of the door didn't cease.
Then, Old Neil raised his voice and said, "All this time, I've never hurt anyone, nor have I thought of hurting anyone! I never—I never betrayed the secrets of the Nighthawks, one even one! At the most—at the most, I've made claims for undeserving expenses. I really haven't committed any evil!"
"Klein!" He suddenly shouted like he usually did. "I told you about the maxim of the Mystery Pryers, 'Do as you wish, but do no harm.' I still live by this saying. I'd rather be patient—I'd rather endure than do things that will harm others…"
With that said, he pleaded sincerely, in fear, "Dunn, Royale, Klein, go back. Go back. Wait till tomorrow—by tomorrow, I'll be back to normal. I swear—I swear to the Goddess, I wouldn't harm anyone. Really!"
Dunn closed his eyes and asked extremely gently, "What do you plan on doing? What have you been trying to do all this while?"
"Me?" Old Neil was confused at first before he described with a tone filled with hope, "I'm trying to resurrect Celeste. Dunn, I found a way, I'm on the right track!
"You should have heard about it. Back then, I made a mistake during the ritualistic magic to treat her illness, so I failed. I failed to save her. I now know it was because I had yet to master mysticism. But now, I now have enough knowledge and experience to complete everything! It's regrettable that I wasn't inspired by the maxim of the Mystery Pryers and Daly's example. I missed the best opportunity. If-if I was a High-Sequence Beyonder, all of this would become extremely easy." As he spoke, Old Neil's voice sounded tearful, "No, I cannot give up again… Dunn, go back. Go back, please. I beg of you."
Klein clenched his teeth as he heard the Captain ask emotionally, "How do you plan on resurrecting Celeste?"
Old Neil instantly became very excited.
"I'll use the 'Alchemical Life' method to create an immortal body for her. Dunn, you might not know of it, but Sequence 4 Beyonders from the Church of Mother Earth are good at this. The corresponding Sequence in the Savant pathway can barely do it as well. Yes, I will complete it with the aid of God's favor.
"Then, I'll summon her spirit from the spirit world and pray for God's help to combine her spirit and body together.
"Isn't it a great idea?"
Dunn lifted the corner of his lips forcefully and said, "Yes, it's a great idea. Old Neil, let us in. Perhaps we can help you."
"… Dunn, are you still not willing to let me off the hook?" Old Neil pleaded, "Go back, just go back. I'll return to normal tomorrow, really. Dunn, I swear I'll never steal your coffee beans again. Klein, Royale, I swear I won't make you help me with my undeserved claims! Really!"
In Klein's and Royale's blurry vision, Dunn lowered his head before lifting it up again. "Old Neil, you're misunderstanding. We're here to visit you. You are our teammate. You're sick, and you aren't well. We definitely needed to visit you. Open the door. Let us see you, so that we can be certain. If you're really okay, we'll return immediately. As you know, there are especially many missions recently. We have to monitor the asylum while we take care of various other sudden incidents."
Old Neil hesitated for a moment before saying, "There's really nothing serious about my condition, really. I'll recover by tomorrow."
The bloody water that flowed out through the gap under the door went down the stairs, towards the stone path, and onto the garden's soil.
"Old Neil, we've known each other for about fifteen years now, right? We've worked on countless missions together. I'm really concerned and worried for you. I have to see you with my own eyes before I'll be at ease," Dunn said gently.
"… Alright," Old Neil pouted. "There's really nothing wrong with me."
With a creak, the door opened slowly. Klein quickly wiped his eyes and allowed his sight to return to normal.
Then, he saw that the carpet in the lobby was red and sticky, covered in blood and hair.
He looked forward and up, only to realize that the living room's floor, ceiling, round table, piano, and chairs were all covered in the same disgusting, sticky and hairy liquid.
Old Neil's head hung in the air, connected to the ceiling by a thick liquid. His forehead and cheeks each had a pair of eyes. They were cold and ruthless eyes with no eyelashes.
The piano's keys were dancing on their own, playing a melodious tune.
"Dunn, look. I'm really okay," Old Neil said with a radiant smile. "Royale, Klein, you think so too, right?"
The moment he opened his mouth, Klein saw the same thick, hairy, and bloody liquid flowing inside it.
Dunn's gray eyes shimmered as he chatted like everything was normal.
"Old Neil, where did you learn the Alchemical Life and resurrection ritual from?"
Old Neil replied excitedly, "I heard it. I tried the first part, and confirmed its authenticity! It's a gift from God! He kept describing it in my ears. He kept describing, He is—He is…"
Old Neil's voice came to a halt. More than ten seconds later, he continued in fear and in apparent loss, "He is the Hidden Sage…"
The Hidden Sage? Isn't that the non-anthropomorphic god that the Moses Ascetic Order believes in? The god that was resurrected, bringing about evil and corruption… The Moses Ascetic Order has the complete Mystery Pryer Sequence… Klein's heart stirred as many thoughts came to him.
Upon mentioning the Hidden Sage, Old Neil seemed to finally awaken. He looked around vacantly and observed everything.
In the indescribable silence, his six eyes looked towards Dunn, and he said with a bitter smile, "So it turns out—it turns out that I've already become a monster…"
Without waiting for Dunn and the others to reply, Old Neil suddenly revealed a smile, one of groveling, fear, and cowardice.
"Let me go. I'll go deep into the mountains and won't appear again. I'll never harm anyone. I'll only attempt my ritual quietly, really. Let me go, please. I beg of you."
Just then, Klein felt something illusory shatter before his eyes.
Then, Old Neil's four cold-looking lashless eyes flashed with a dark glow and locked onto Dunn. His expression suddenly turned cold.
"You're pulling me into a dream!
"No, it's useless! My eyes can see through all of that!"
The sticky blood that covered the ceiling, floor, and walls started squirming, like a giant opening its mouth to swallow Klein and company. Old Neil's head grew blurry like overlapping afterimages.
Klein didn't fumble for his revolver; instead, he extended his hand into his pocket and planned to use his Slumber Charm.
Suddenly, everything calmed down before him. The sticky, bloody liquid suddenly turned placid like a still lake.
Old Neil lost his coldness, hatred, desire, and all other expressions. He became quiet and peaceful.
It was unknown when Dunn had thrown Sealed Artifact 3-0611 into the blood.
The four lashless eyes on Old Neil's forehead and cheeks slowly closed, seemingly having lost the desire to keep them open.
Any living creature that came into contact with the Peaceful Hair Strands would turn peaceful and lose all motivation until the end of their life.
Dunn, Klein, and Royale drew their guns at the same time and aimed at Old Neil's head.
Then, Old Neil revealed a look of extreme fear. He was struggling, his strong desire to live fought against the effects of Sealed Artifact 3-0611.
The four extra eyes disappeared. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth were still deep, his hair was still white, his crimson eyes were still turbid, just like when Klein had first met him.
"Dunn, do you remember the time I saved you…
"Royale, do you remember when I helped you redeem your family's lives…
"Klein, do you remember how I taught you mysticism every day? Do you remember when we talked about how to make claims? Do you remember how I made you hand-ground coffee? Do you remember when we fought against a Mandated Punisher Rampager?"
…
The illusory pleading echoed in Klein's ears, and his right hand that was holding the revolver trembled. He found it difficult to pull the trigger.
Bang! Bang!
The two silver demon hunting bullets flew out and penetrated Old Neil's head one after another.
Klein watched as the familiar, abnormal face revealed a hopeless expression. He saw the man's skull tear open, the red and white within spurting in all directions.
The sticky blood that coated their surroundings started shrinking as it flowed back into Old Neil's broken head that had fallen to the ground. Dunn and Royale lowered their guns simultaneously, and all was silent.
Klein looked at everything before him—Old Neil's "corpse" was becoming a ball of rotten flesh. He saw that there was a pair of eyes, crimson and crystal clear, yet incredibly pained amidst the blood and flesh.
He felt like everything that had happened was just a dream and found it impossible to bring himself into believing the sequence of events and how it had ended.
He stood dumbfounded as he saw Dunn take two steps forward, his figure stooped.
Dunn looked at Old Neil's "corpse" and muttered heavily, "We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."
Chapter 165: Epitaph
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
"We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."
Dunn's words echoed throughout Old Neil's house. They reverberated across the corroded floor, the walls, and ceiling, as well as within Klein's mind and soul.
He'd never had a stronger impression of that sentence than the one he had now.
He felt that he wouldn't forget this feeling for as long as he lived, even if he were to return to Earth.
Amidst the still atmosphere, Dunn walked towards Old Neil's "corpse" and kneeled down. He took out a white handkerchief from the pocket of his windbreaker and covered it over the dark red, crystalline eyeball which looked pained.
At this moment, Klein noticed that the keys of the piano had stopped moving. A faint, translucent figure appeared.
This… Klein, who had activated his Spirit Vision before entering the house, froze.
He hadn't noticed this strange "soul" until now!
Was it because he was distracted by Old Neil, or was it due to Old Neil's abilities after he lost control? Klein saw the formless figure evaporate quickly, vanishing before his very eyes. He had a faint idea of what was going on.
Suppressing the heavy feeling in his heart, he heard the Captain order, "Search Old Neil's house carefully for possible clues."
"Alright." When Klein spoke, it took him a minute to recognize his own voice. His voice was raspy and deep, as if he had the flu.
"Alright," Royale also replied.
The condition of her voice is about the same as mine… It's like our nostrils are blocked… Klein looked at his female teammate, who typically didn't have much of an expression. It was as if he was knowing her for the first time.
Placing his cane on an umbrella rack near the door, he made his way around Sealed Artifact 3-0611. He took heavy steps into the living room and up to the second floor. He then searched every room for possible clues.
Old Neil employed someone to clean the rooms regularly, so the rooms weren't as messy as one would expect of a bachelor. Everything was in order, as if there was a female presence in the house.
Half an hour later, Klein found a few handwritten notes on a bookshelf in Old Neil's room. The notes recorded a weird, mysterious ritual:
"Alchemical Life.
"The materials required include: 100ml of spring water from the Spring of Elves (Golden Spring on Sonia Island), 50 grams of Star Crystal, half a pound of pure gold, 5 grams of phlogiston, 30 grams of red iron… And a large quantity of fresh blood from living people."
Old Neil annotated beneath the part about fresh blood from the living.
"I can consider drawing my own blood, accumulating it little by little and preserve it using ritualistic magic."
I can consider drawing my own… Klein closed his eyes and crushed the notes.
…
On Thursday morning at nine, the time of the moon. Raphael Cemetery.
Klein was wearing his black formal suit and holding onto his cane. He stood silently in a corner of the cemetery.
He had stuffed a neat white handkerchief in his breast pocket and was holding onto a Slumber flower.
Dunn, Frye, Leonard, and Kenley were carrying a black coffin that stored Old Neil's corpse. They slowly walked to the front of the tombstone and silently lowered it into the grave.
As she saw the brown soil being tossed into the grave, Rozanne, who was wearing a black dress and a white flower in her hair, wept.
"Can someone tell me if this is all happening for real?
"Why did he lose control, why did he consume the potion, why did he become a Beyonder, why must there be wraiths and monsters, why is there no safer way? Why, why, why…"
Klein silently listened on until Old Neil's coffin was completely buried in the soil, until all signs that he existed were buried deep within the earth.
"May the Goddess bless you." He drew a crimson moon in front of his chest, then took a few steps forward and placed the Slumber flower in front of the tomb.
"May the Goddess bless you." Dunn, Frye, and the others tapped at their chests in a clockwise fashion.
Klein looked up, straightened his back, and saw the black and white photograph on the tombstone.
Old Neil was wearing his classic black hat; his white hair was peeking out around the edges. The wrinkles beside his eyes and mouth were deep, his dark red eyes a little turbid.
He was so peaceful, no longer feeling grief, pain, or fear.
There was an epitaph carved underneath the photograph. It came from the contents of the last entry in Old Neil's diary: "If I cannot save her, then I shall accompany her."
The morning breeze blew gently. The silence and emptiness of the Raphael Cemetery hung over everyone.
…
In the afternoon, Klein took a form signed by the Captain to the armory.
He opened the half-closed door and saw Bredt with a thick, black beard behind the table.
Klein froze visibly before handing the form over.
"Fifty rounds of ordinary bullets."
During his request, he glanced at the tin can on the table. He felt as though he could smell the fragrance of the hand-ground coffee and hear the cheeky words in his ears, "But why must you wait till you have spare cash? You can apply to Dunn and get him to approve of the expenses!"
…
Bredt noticed Klein's expression and sighed.
"I can understand what you're feeling right now. I, myself, cannot believe that Old Neil would leave us like that. Sometimes, I even feel as though this is a dream conjured by the Captain."
"Perhaps this is the destiny of many Nighthawks," Klein replied with a bitter smile.
After this incident, he felt much more disappointment and hatred toward the upper echelons of the Church for keeping the "acting method" a secret.
"Let's hope that there will be fewer such tragedies, may the Goddess bless us." Bredt drew a crimson moon in front of his chest. He took the application form and walked into the armory.
…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Klein vented his frustrations onto the target he was shooting at, until he finished shooting the bullets that he had requested. He then collected himself and took a public carriage to Gawain's house.
He completed sets upon sets of exercises, as if he was torturing himself, until Gawain told him to stop.
"Combat practice isn't there for you to harm yourself." Gawain looked at Klein with his turbid green eyes.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I'm a little down today." Klein exhaled and attempted to explain.
"What happened?" Gawain asked without a ripple of emotion.
Klein thought for a moment, then gave a simple reply, "A friend of mine passed away suddenly."
Gawain was silent for a few seconds. He stroked his blond mustache and said with a fleeting voice, "I once lost 325 friends in the span of five minutes, amongst them were 10 that I could trust with my life."
Klein sighed in realization. "That is the cruelty of war."
Gawain shot a glance at him and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"The cruelest thing of all is the fact that I can never exact revenge for them. I can never fulfill their dreams, and the answer eludes me forever.
"As for you, you still have such a chance. Even though I don't exactly know what happened, I know that you're still young. You still have many opportunities."
Klein was silent for a moment. He took in a breath and collected himself.
"Thank you, Teacher."
Gawain nodded and said without any expression, "Take a ten-minute break, then do ten more sets of the exercises you were doing just now."
"…" Klein was momentarily unsure what expression he should show.
…
Friday morning, in the recreation room of the Nighthawks.
Klein, Seeka Tron, and Frye were seated around the round table, but they weren't playing cards. One of them was flipping through newspapers, the other was looking out the oriel windows in a daze, and the last was holding onto a pen, wanting to write something but failing to do so.
The room was quiet. No one spoke, and no one joked around. The atmosphere was heavy.
Phew… Klein exhaled. He lowered his newspaper and planned to focus on reading the materials he had found.
At that moment, Dunn Smith knocked and entered the room. He looked around before saying, "Klein, come out for a moment."
What happened? Klein, who had a premonition of what was happening, stood up and made his way out of the recreation room.
Dunn stood at the entrance of the stairway leading to the basement. He turned and looked at Klein.
"The person that the Holy Cathedral sent is here."
The person examining me is here? Klein's nerves tensed.
Chapter 166: Examination
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
There was a cold breeze blowing from the basement, providing a hint of relief for Klein's tense emotions.
It's finally here.
Once I pass this stage, I won't have to worry about being examined like this for at least half a year…
Once I advance to Sequence 8 and become a so-called "Clown," I'll possess actual combat strength. With the aid of divination and my Flaring Sun Charms for backup, I'll have a chance of surviving even more relatively dangerous situations…
Since I was waiting for the Holy Cathedral's examination, I haven't even dared to withdraw the three hundred pounds that Miss Justice transferred to the anonymous account. Just in case they audit my financial situation and find out that I'm in possession of a large sum of money from an unknown source…
…
Just as Klein's thoughts flashed through his mind uncontrollably, Dunn Smith smoothed his sleeve and said in a low voice, "The person in charge of the examination is one of the nine high-ranking deacons of the Nighthawks, Crestet Cesimir. The Holy Cathedral attaches great importance to you."
"A high-ranking deacon?" Klein blurted in surprise.
In general terms, the thirteen archbishops and nine high-ranking deacons made up the upper echelons of the church. It was said that there was no lack of High-Sequence Beyonders among them!
The twenty-two ladies and gentlemen were all equal in terms of their rankings. They only followed the orders of the Evernight Goddess, and they were only answerable to the Pope.
Dunn took a whiff of the cold wind from the basement before nodding faintly.
"Yes, he's a high-ranking deacon. But you don't have to be nervous. Crestet is only a Sequence 5, and has yet to enter a demigod state. So, you don't have to be too afraid or reverent.
"Oh, his title in the Beyonder world is the 'Goddess's Sword.' As he possesses a holy item, his combat strength is similar to a newly advanced Sequence 4 Beyonder.
"I just chatted with him. He was very friendly."
If I read between the lines, Captain is telling me that he only said what was necessary. He doesn't want me to be nervous and go according to the plan… Klein nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Where should I met the high-ranking deacon?"
"The alchemy room where we concoct potions," Dunn replied simply, as a hint of gloominess flashed across his face.
The alchemy room where we concoct potions? The laboratory where Old Neil made my Seer potion? Klein slowly let out a breath and returned to the Nighthawks recreation room and took his outerwear from the clothes rack.
He put on the black windbreaker, placed his hands into his pockets, and walked down the winding stairs that connected to the basement. Then, he took a left turn at the cross junction.
Very quickly, Klein saw a secret door under the light of the elegant gas lamps that lined the walls. He saw that the long tables in the room had been moved aside to open up a large space in the center of the room.
There were two classic high back chairs facing each other with less than a meter in-between them.
There was a man in his thirties wearing a black windbreaker and a white shirt seated on the chair that was facing the door.
His golden-brown hair was cut very short, and his blackish-green eyes were as dark as a forest on a moonless night. The collars of his shirt and windbreaker were put up, and his entire chin was hidden within the shadows.
"Hello, Your Grace." Klein bowed.
Crestet Cesimir had his right leg crossed over his left as he leisurely leaned back into his chair. He smiled and replied, "Hello, Klein. You may sit over there."
He pointed at the high back chair opposite him.
By the side of his leg was a suitcase made of silver. It was about the size of a violin case.
It can carry a sword with an appropriate length… Klein walked forward and sat at his appointed seat.
Crestet rested his right index finger on his upper lip as he thought for a few seconds.
"I plan to first examine how well you've mastered your potion. That's not a problem, right?"
"Not at all." Klein shook his head with utmost confidence.
"Very confident." Crestet smiled, but maintained his previous posture. All he did was intently watch Klein.
Klein suddenly felt the light from the surrounding gas lamps vanish, as though they were swallowed by the rich darkness.
He suddenly became exhausted, as though his biological clock had struck the time for sleep.
But, his mind was extremely tense, making it impossible to relax. It was just like when he was unable to sleep peacefully due to over-exhaustion.
The silent "night" filled his surroundings as Klein heard the noise of dripping water from a tap that wasn't closed properly. Then, he heard the conversations in the Blackthorn Security Company and the movement of the wind blowing through the stairway.
Besides that, he didn't see anything that he shouldn't see, nor did he hear any noises that he shouldn't be able to hear.
"Excellent." Crestet's hypnotic voice dispersed the darkness, and the light from the gas lamps inside and outside the alchemy room came into Klein's sight again.
Klein suddenly shook off his exhaustion and returned to his previous energetic self.
He affected me without me realizing it… Is that what a Sequence 5 Beyonder is capable of? This is the horror of a high-ranking deacon? He recalled what had happened and felt a little frightened.
Crestet Cesimir clasped his hands and put them on his knees. He bent down slightly, and his lips were blocked by his collar.
"You passed the test. You achieved a level beyond outstanding in your mastery of your potion.
"I'll need to observe to see if there are any hidden dangers in your mind, to make sure that the potion's remaining spirit hasn't changed your character subconsciously or left some problems behind.
"You have three minutes to prepare."
Klein immediately nodded and said, "Alright."
He secretly took a breath and allowed himself to enter Cogitation to remove various negative thoughts.
Crestet didn't speak again. He took out a silver pocket watch from the inner pocket of his black windbreaker and flipped it open.
Then, he attentively watched the second hand move.
Three minutes later, Crestet closed his pocket watch and said with a smile, "I'll begin singing."
Singing? Klein wore a look of confusion.
Before Klein could reply, Crestet started humming a lovely melody.
The melody reverberated in the alchemy room and gradually lost its harmony and went out of tune.
Squeak! Scratch! Zing! Klein heard the noise akin to the scratching of blackboards with nails, the sound of bubble wrap rubbing against each other, electric drills drilling, and various other annoying noises.
The noises intensified and turned more and more chaotic. They made him want to vent his frustrations and cause destruction.
But Klein, who frequently experienced the mad ravings and terrifying screams, restrained his urges very quickly.
He displayed annoyance, tension, frustration, and insecurity at appropriate times.
Being in too perfect of a state would end up being a problem!
It was unknown when Crestet Cesimir had stopped singing. The noises in the alchemy room disappeared and room the was awash with tranquility and silence.
Silence sure is great! Klein exclaimed in his head.
"Very good, excellent. There are no latent problems in your soul. Of course, if you wanted to beat me up or stuff my mouth with something, that's only normal." Crestet's mouth was blocked by his collar so Klein could only determine his emotions through his tone.
"No, I wouldn't dare," Klein admitted honestly.
Crestet smiled and said, "Congratulations, you have passed all the tests. Now it's time for the question and answer session."
His green eyes suddenly darkened. His gaze was deep, as though he could see through flesh, and looked directly at the spirit.
"Go ahead," Klein replied, sitting straight.
Crestet maintained his earlier posture and casually asked, "You said that your experience in the Divination Club allowed you to quickly master the potion?"
"Yes," Klein answered frankly but didn't describe further.
Crestet nodded slightly and said, "And you said that your inspiration came from the maxim of the Mystery Pryers and also Daly's example?"
"Yes." Klein confirmed this first before explaining in detail, "I found out from one of my teammates who was a Mystery Pryer that those who abide by the maxim of the Mystery Pryers have a lower probability of losing control than normal. After that, I heard that Madam Daly once said that she wanted to be a real Spirit Medium, and that she is a genius that leveled up to Sequence 7 within two years.
"After noticing both situations, I thought I could give it a try, I attempted to be a real Seer and outlined some principles for a Seer. The outcome was better than I expected. I mastered the potion very quickly. Your Grace, I'm not sure if you have had a similar experience. When I fully mastered the potion, there was a very special, very magical feeling…" Klein described his experience as if he only vaguely understood the "acting method."
The man he had been when he was on earth would've been nervous and embarrassed to speak so many half-lies before such a powerful Nighthawk. But ever since he transmigrated to the current world, he had lied so much that he was used to it. He could do it flawlessly.
The darkness in Crestet's eyes disappeared, and his gaze returned to normal. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's not an illusion."
From his answer, Klein couldn't see any doubt or scrutiny, so he felt at ease.
"Dunn endorsed your experience. I believe that you really are a genius, with a logical mind and sharp senses," Crestet complimented. He then asked, "Did you share your experience with your teammates?"
"Of course," Klein admitted frankly. "I hope that I can help them lower the risk of losing control. We're teammates, comrades that face danger together. I don't have any reason to hide the truth. But for the same reason, I didn't tell the clerks."
Crestet uncrossed his right leg and sat up straight. His thin lips were exposed from the shadow of his collar.
He lifted the corner of his lips and said, "Although you haven't even been with the Nighthawks for two months, I believe your understanding towards partners is much better than many others.
"Hmm, I plan to share more information with you, but according to the Holy Cathedral's rules, you have to swear to the Goddess that you won't reveal the contents of our conversation to anyone that doesn't know about this.
"That should be fine, right?"
I passed the test? Klein was delighted. He nodded without hesitation.
"No problem!"
Although I won't be able to teach others the "acting method," I can let Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man do so indirectly!
Chapter 167: Holy Artifact
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
"Alright." Crestet Cesimir nodded. He leaned forward. "Then swear upon the Holy Artifact."
As he was saying this, he bent down to lift the silver suitcase by his foot.
Holy Artifact? The Holy Artifact that earned you the title of the Goddess's Sword?Klein looked at the actions of the deacon curiously.
Crestet placed the suitcase on his knees, his dark green eyes instantly turning black.
He lifted his hand then pressed down. The cover of the silver suitcase which resembled a violin case suddenly dissolved and receded like the tide.
At the same time, Klein felt that the light around him was being drawn forward as if it was being absorbed by the suitcase.
Apart from the lights from the classic lamps that lined the walls, as well as the silver splendor that spiraled within the suitcase, the alchemy room turned pitch dark. The scene looked extremely strange.
Pa!
WIth a crisp snapping sound, Crestet Cesimir opened the suitcase, revealing the pure white bone sword that lay within.
Yes, a bone sword. The moment Klein saw the sword, he knew instinctively that it was mainly made out of bone!
The short sword silently released a pure white glow in the pitch dark alchemy room, as if it were a moon hanging high in the night sky, or a lighthouse in the middle of a storm.
It looked as though the sword had no defects on its surface, but a closer examination would reveal that the surface of the sword was laced with layers of symbols and icons. These mysterious patterns intertwined to form the body of the sword.
Klein observed the holy sword, suddenly realizing that he couldn't look away!
His vision was being drawn towards the sword as his brown eyes slowly lost their luster.
Crestet lifted the suitcase, moving the sword away from its original position.
Klein instantly snapped out of his trance and finally freed himself from the nightmare he couldn't escape before.
He cast his gaze to the side and asked gravely, "Your Grace, do you need me to put my hand on the holy sword?"
"Yes, come over." Crestet's voice was melodious as if he was singing a lullaby.
Klein stood up, still looking to the side as he took small steps forward. As it was dark, he couldn't see where the legs of the deacon were, nor his old leather boots.
"Stop," Crestet spoke calmly.
Klein immediately halted and stood on the spot. He took a quick glance at the pure white bone sword through the corner of his eyes before retracting his gaze again, in fear.
With that mere glance, he bent down and extended his right hand, accurately placing it atop the holy sword.
A cold feeling swept through his skin and into his mind. The distracting thoughts and feelings of worry instantly eased, as if he was sitting on a roof in a noisy village, smelling the scent of the harvest and admiring the starry night sky.
"Recite after me," Crestet said solemnly.
"Alright." Klein nodded.
He then heard the deacon speak in Hermes.
"Oh Evernight Goddess, nobler than the stars and more eternal than eternity.
"I swear to you in my real name and my spirituality.
"I, Klein, will never reveal the details of the 'acting method' to those who do not know of it from this moment forth.
"If I go against this, I shall accept any punishment you deem fit.
"Please witness my oath."
Klein collected himself and made the oath in Hermes, following Deacon Cesimir's lead.
He had the faint feeling that a connection has been established between him and a faraway being through the pure white bone sword.
After retracting his right hand, he drew a crimson moon on his chest.
"Praise the Lady!"
"Praise the Lady!" Crestet smiled and bowed in response.
Immediately, he closed the cover of the suitcase and pressed down heavily with his right hand.
The darkness was instantly lit up as the light from the lamp once again filled the entire room.
Klein noticed that the black eyes of Deacon Cesimir had regained their usual blackish-green.
He made his way back to his chair and frowned. He asked in puzzlement, "Acting method?"
Crestet cleared his throat. Without answering the question directly, he instead smiled and said, "You might feel a little confused and not understand what I'm about to tell you, but I cannot explain why that is so, for that involves the secrets of the Church."
You will only have the right to know after you become an archbishop or a high-ranking deacon… Klein looked at Cesimir and added inwardly before Cesimir could say it.
"You will only be permitted to know after you become a core member of the Church, such as an archbishop or a high-ranking deacon," Crestet emphasized.
Klein nodded sternly.
Crestet placed the silver suitcase back beside his foot and crossed his legs.
"In the long history of time, the Church has had generations upon generations of genius Beyonders slowly figuring out a way to avoid losing control.
"And the core to this method is the name of the potion. It's not only critical; it's also the key."
After looking at Klein's thoughtful expression, Crestet continued, "We have realized that the names of the potions all point to a certain group, and this group has their own approach and operates in unique ways. In simpler terms, there are a set of rules that come with the name of the potion, different rules for different potions. When we follow these rules strictly, the risk of losing control is reduced to a minimum."
"Similar to my set of Seer principles?" Klein took the opportunity to ask.
This explanation isn't as simple or understandable as the one I gave to Justice and Hanged Man… Klein silently criticized.
"Yes." Crestet gave an affirmative answer. "When we follow the rules of the potion, we become more and more like the group described by the name of the potion. In other words, we are acting as the job that the name of the potion points us toward. That is the 'acting method.' You must remember, the spirituality of every individual is special, unique. Even though the core rules must be followed by the people who consume the same potion, there are always certain variations to the rules that are unique to the individual. Thus, the experiences of others can only serve as a guide."
That is a point that I didn't realize… Klein said sincerely, "Thank you for informing me. I will remember that."
Crestet laughed.
"These are the experiences accumulated over the generations.
"After using the 'acting method,' we not only gain mastery over the potion, we're also digesting it, just as we would our food. When you truly digest the potion, you will feel a unique, mysterious sensation, understood?"
"I understand. 'Digestion,' this term is very appropriate…" Klein pretended to be deep in thought.
After Crestet explained the method in more detail, Klein weighed his words as he asked, "Your Grace, since the name of the potion is not only the core, but also the key, then how did the first Beyonders obtain them? I heard that it was recorded on the Blasphemy Slate?"
"Yes, that is correct," Crestet replied frankly. "But the Blasphemy Slate was inscribed with the ancient names. The names of the potions which we use today were derived in part from divine revelations. Some were also consolidated by the experiences of the Beyonders themselves."
Klein nodded slowly. He pursed his lips and asked, "Your Grace, since the 'acting method' is so effective, why wouldn't the Church tell every Nighthawk about it?"
"I have said that it is a secret of the Church. You will understand the reason behind it once you become an archbishop or a high-ranking deacon," Crestet answered, unfazed. "Alright, return upstairs and tell the rest of the Nighthawks to come down one at a time. I have to carry out the final step of the examination."
That's to keep Frye and the others from divulging the 'acting method'? Klein thought as he stood up, he then bade farewell, following the Nighthawks' etiquette.
He made his way past the corridor and up the stairs, returning to the Blackthorn Security Company. He saw Dunn smoking his pipe near the entrance of the basement.
With a smile, Klein took the initiative to say, "There shouldn't be any more problems; His Grace wants me to inform Frye and the others to head down for a conversation with him."
"Yes, that is the last step. That means that there were no problems." Dunn put away his pipe and headed to the recreation room to tell the rest.
As he watched Frye and Seeka enter the basement, Klein suddenly recalled something. He said in a hurry, "Captain, are we going to have to get Royale who's guarding over Chanis Gate, and Leonard who's watching over the asylum? Oh, and Kenley, who's on break."
Dunn froze and pinched his forehead.
"I forgot…"
He paused for a moment, then chortled. "But the matter shouldn't be too complicated. One of the advantages of having a high-ranking deacon examine you is that there's no need to send a telegraph to the Holy Cathedral, or engage in a cumbersome exchange of letters. He can make the decision on the spot and hand the formula to the Clown potion as well as the main ingredients to you."
"That's not too bad." Klein couldn't contain his excitement.
…
An hour and a half passed. As Kenley walked out of the alchemy room, his expression full of puzzlement, Klein was once again called downstairs. He met the high-ranking deacon once again, the Goddess's Sword, Crestet Cesimir, a second time.
This time, the golden-brown-haired and blackish-green-eyed deacon wasn't seated. He stood there, allowing the breeze in the basement to blow at his black windbreaker.
Crestet's collars stood tall, hiding his chin in the shadows.
He looked at Klein and smiled.
"Nighthawk Klein Moretti, I announce in the name of the Goddess that you have passed the examination of the Holy Cathedral.
"Congratulations. With your contributions, you can immediately advance to become a Sequence 8 Beyonder!"
Chapter 168: Clown Potion
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Phew, I finally passed… I passed it just like that…
When Klein heard Crestet Cesimir's announcement, he let out a breath of relief despite being mentally prepared for it. It felt surreal, as though it was a dream.
He had assumed that the examination would be tougher and lengthier, but when he thought carefully about it, he realized that what had just happened was what should've happened. If he had taken the normal three years to digest the Seer potion instead of doing it in a month, the examination wouldn't have even been conducted by the Holy Cathedral. The Tingen Nighthawks' captain would've been responsible for it instead.
I thought they would investigate my family and friends… Hmm, perhaps Cesimir arrived in Tingen two days ago and completed that in secret… I also thought that the examination would require me to complete some task. Heh, I was really overthinking it. The goal of the examination is merely to determine the level of digestion for the potion, as well as detect any latent dangers, and see whether I'm aware of the "acting method" and if I shared my experience with others… These thoughts flew past Klein's mind. He flashed a sincere smile.
"Thank you, Your Grace. Praise the Lady!"
Crestet nodded gently and said, "To advance is to serve the Goddess better, so that you can protect our fellow believers better. You must remember this—trust me—it'll help you fight the temptation of losing control."
"Temptation…" Klein ruminated over the word.
Crestet sized Klein up with his green eyes and said sternly, "The 'acting method' can help you digest the potion and lower the risk of losing control, but it's not the be-all and end-all. To a certain extent, you can even confuse playing the role and your own existence. You know, there are many actors in the theater that develop severe psychological issues. At a certain level, you might really go insane."
Remember that you're only acting… The only point of note concluded by the City of Silver is identical to what Deacon Cesimir said… Klein nodded thoughtfully in agreement.
"In addition," Crestet emphasized, "Not only is losing control related to the potion, it's also closely related to your emotions and mental health. The most important thing for a Beyonder is to control yourself. Only then will you be able to withstand the temptations of evil gods and devils, resisting emotions like greed and jealousy, and the erosion of desire. Of course, I don't mean that you should get rid of all your emotions and desires, because that is something that no human or even demigod can do. Yes, perhaps only some special Sequences are able to achieve that sort of state."
Klein suddenly thought about Old Neil. He couldn't help but ask in reply, "We must keep our emotions and desires at a reasonable level, and not allowing them to drive us to do something irrational and abnormal?"
Crestet nodded solemnly.
"Yes."
After he answered, there were wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.
"That's all I wanted to warn you about. Now, I'll pass you the Clown potion formula and the relevant ingredients."
He bent down and put his silver suitcase on the long table. He then turned around and moved a few steps, blocking Klein's view.
When the surrounding lights strangely vanished again, Klein suddenly understood that the formula and ingredients were in the suitcase that stored the holy artifact. It was simply because his gaze was attracted by the pure white bone sword which was why he didn't notice or perhaps, he couldn't notice, the other items in the suitcase.
After a few minutes, the light of the gas lamps lit up the alchemy room again. Crestet picked up his suitcase and moved away, presenting the items on the long table to Klein.
Among them, the most eye-catching item was the palm-sized gray goat horn. It looked like a miniature version of a normal goat horn and was crystal clear, swirling with colors. There were faint layers of unique patterns.
Next to the goat horn was a blue rose. There were red veins on the petals that connecting them together. It seemed to form a human face with a smile.
Hahaha, woowoowoo, hahaha, woowoowoo… Klein heard illusory laughter and crying diffused with each other, and he saw pieces of gray halos floating in midair.
A crystal of the single horn of a matured Hornacis gray mountain goat and a complete stalk of a human-faced rose. The main ingredients of the Clown potion! He nodded indiscernibly and took a few steps towards the long table.
"80 milliliters of pure water, 5 drops of tornapple juice, 7 grams of black-rimmed sunflower powder, 10 grams of golden cloak grass powder, 3 drops of poison hemlock…" Klein looked at the unfurled goatskin parchment and compared the written content with the formula that he had memorized.
After he confirmed that there was nothing wrong, he recalled the demonstration Old Neil did.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to collect his emotions. With the apparatus in the alchemy room, he distilled some pure water needed by the potion.
In the potion formula, pure water referred to water that was distilled over and over again.
Then, he washed a black metal pot and threw in the supplementary ingredients one after another. He was as skillful as back when he had done chemistry experiments in high school.
As the Beyonder ingredients hadn't catalyzed just yet, he didn't see any obvious changes in the liquid in the metal pot. At most, he only saw powder floating on the surface of the liquid.
When he was done with the preparations, Klein cast his gaze at the two main ingredients and gratefully thought, There's no description of the exact size or weight of the required gray mountain goat's single horn crystal or the human-faced rose. Perhaps a whole horn and a complete rose have no differences, regardless of their weight, allowing them to meet the requirements… Yes, in the world of mysterious Beyonders, this is definitely possible…
If so, I don't have to worry about putting in excessive amounts of the main ingredients!
After a few seconds, Klein picked up the human-faced rose and threw it into the metal pot.
When the strange flower touched the liquid, it immediately produced a sizzling sound. The surrounding illusory laughter became shrill.
Hahaha, hahaha!
Klein didn't delay any further as he immediately grabbed the crystalline mountain goat horn and threw it into the metal pot.
Poof!
The terrifying laughter disappeared all of a sudden, and the surrounding gray halos slowly converged into the metal pot.
Klein lowered his head and saw the liquid in the pot was colored in a mix of gold, yellow, and red. However, the three colors remained extremely distinct at their boundaries.
There were bubbles churning and fizzing from the liquid, but they failed to escape from the pot and ended up bursting silently.
The scene reminded Klein of Sprite, the carbonated drink from his previous incarnation.
This actually looks like a delicious drink… A thought popped into his head that aligned with the characteristics of his culture.
Suppressing his nervousness, excitement, and anticipation, Klein poured the liquid from the black metal pot into a glass bottle.
What shocked him was that there wasn't a single bit of the potion left in the metal pot.
It really is a potion that turns people into Beyonders… Klein raised his right hand, and he looked at the beautiful-looking tri-colored liquid.
Crestet Cesimir, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry. At the very least, I didn't notice any problems with the concoction of your potion.
"I've been waiting here to ensure that no accidents happen after you consume the potion. Don't worry, as long as it isn't anything serious, I should be able to save you."
Okay. Klein nodded and placed the Clown potion back onto the long table.
Then, he took off the silver chain inside his sleeve and let the topaz pendant hang down naturally, a slight distance above the liquid.
To Beyonders of any other occupation, pendulum divinations could only divine a yes or no answer. Of course, when there wasn't enough information, the divination wouldn't yield any useful answers at all. When the pendulum didn't spin, it was called a failed divination.
As a Seer, Klein's pendulum could also vaguely determine the degree of the "yes" or "no" answer.
Klein's eyes grew dark as he recited, "This potion is harmful.
"This potion is harmful."
…
Seven times later, he opened his half-closed eyes and saw the topaz pendant spinning clockwise, but very slowly.
Clockwise means a positive response. In other words, it means that the potion is harmful… However, it spins slowly, which means that it's only slightly harmful… Yes, potions can bring about a loss of control, so there's the possibility of harm. A low level of harm means there is nothing wrong with the potion… Klein let out a breath of relief and wound the pendulum on his left wrist before covering it with his sleeve.
At that moment, Crestet couldn't help but sigh.
"… You really are a professional Seer."
"I must fully utilize my advantage, but I can't rely on it too much and think that it's all-powerful," Klein replied softly and took up the Clown potion bottle.
After drinking it, I'll become a Sequence 8 Beyonder…
The thought flashed in his mind and Klein didn't hesitate. He raised the bottle, tipped his head, and gulped down the potion.
Bitter! So bitter!
It sucks, totally!
He instantly realized what it meant to look good on the outside, but rotten on the inside. His face had contorted as a result of the potion. He wanted to puke, but he couldn't.
Then, Klein realized that his face was flushed red. As for the rest of his body, they were experiencing a similar reaction.
He was convinced that he looked like a steamed lobster. As for his spirit and mind, they felt like they had been extracted into a thin needle, fusing with the potion, drop by drop, as it stabbed into each and every one of cells.
It was a feeling that needed no microscope to observe his cells. Klein stood there and "saw" the intruder invade his body's most minute areas.
For a few seconds, he felt like a robot that was having its parts and electrical circuits swapped out.
After an unknown period of time had passed, his mind reflected his figure, as though he was listening to himself singing through his own ears.
Due to this strange projection, Klein discovered that he could precisely control his facial and bodily motions.
Meanwhile, his ears buzzed. He heard the murmurs and shouting echoing around him which had not happened in a while.
Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea…
Phew. Klein imagined the layered spherical light and slowly entered a Cogitation state. Bit by bit, he escaped from the state of having his spirituality seep out where he had a slight loss of control.
At that moment, he knew that he had advanced successfully. He knew that he was a Sequence 8 Clown.