Behind the Door

"Clockwork Clown? That suits you perfectly."

After hearing Luther's choice, Dunn thought for a moment and nodded.

Luther's biggest problem right now is that his Beyonder Ability are more support-oriented, while his close combat and fighting abilities are lacking. With this Sealed Artifact, this deficiency can be made up for to some extent. Moreover, the side effects of this Sealed Artifact are relatively easy to control and will not be life-threatening; at most, it will only put the user in an awkward situation.

Society dying is better than a person dying, I suppose.

"Brush."

Dunn took out a pre-prepared document from the drawer, quickly wrote some words on it, then signed and stamped it before handing it to Luther.

"Take this document and go behind the Chanis Gate to retrieve the Sealed Artifact... Also, Luther, although the Cathedral has approved this, you shouldn't spread it around too much. It's not good for too many people to know."

Dunn instructed him.

"I understand that, Captain."

Luther took the document, which was an application to retrieve the Sealed Artifact and distribute it for personal safekeeping. It also included the original of the Cathedral telegram. On the line of the Sealed Artifact, Dunn clearly wrote the number 3-169.

Leaving the captain's office, Luze descended the stairs into the underground. Illuminated by the gaslights, Luther arrived at Chanis Gate.

What's the matter?

In the guardhouse of Chanis Gate, Royale was reading a women's magazine. When he saw him come in, he asked...

"Retrieve one Sealed Artifact."

Luther handed her the document.

Royale looked somewhat puzzled after reading the document, but didn't ask any further questions. She completed the registration as required, signed her name, and returned it to Luther, allowing him to pass.

Luther walked toward the Chanis Gate behind her. It was a pair of large, black iron gates, so high that one had to look up to see them. Seven Sacred Emblem were painted on the gate, appearing deep and distant in the gaslight.

Come to think of it, I've never been on duty at the Chanis Gate before.

Luther thought to himself.

According to internal regulations, team members would take turns guarding the Chanis Gate at night. However, since joining the team, he had always been delayed by other matters and had never been able to guard the gate.

Luther stepped forward and knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time. After about ten seconds, just as Luther was hesitating whether to knock again, the door opened with difficulty and heavy force.

"Crunch-"

The gate opened to a width of one person and stopped, from which emerged an elderly man in a black robe carrying a lantern. He looked old and cold; even the warm light of the gas lamp couldn't bring him any comfort.

"Document."

The old man, who was struggling with his manuscript, said succinctly.

Luther handed him the document, which he read expressionlessly. After carefully examining the Cathedral's approval, he finally fixed his gaze on Luther. His eyes were cold and ruthless, making one's heart pound with unease.

"Wait here."

Finally, the old man spoke in a hoarse voice, then turned and walked inside, closing the door behind him.

The moment he turned around, Luther's eyes narrowed sharply.

He saw something dark flash past behind the old man... Not just the old man, but the entire space behind the door was filled with thin black lines. They floated quietly, sometimes clustering together, sometimes scattering, appearing both peaceful and terrifying.

Luther felt a sharp pain in his eyes, but fortunately he only saw it for a moment before the door closed, preventing further harm from looking directly at it.

This must be the sealing power within the gate; it's quite terrifying... no wonder it can suppress other Sealed Artifact.

He waited outside for a while and finally got 3-169 from the old man.

This is a simple clown Clown; judging from its appearance alone, it looks like a cheaply made, poorly crafted toy. The Clown is made entirely of wood.

The hair is made of tangled yarn, the face is painted with facial features, and there is a brass spring behind it.

Luther reached out and touched the spring, trying to turn it by hand, but it didn't budge. So he infused it with his Spirituality, and the spring immediately became elastic, gradually tightening as he turned it.

I poured all my Spirituality into it; I wonder how many times it will spin...

Luther pondered, winding the spring as he walked upwards. One of the better things about this thing is that you can wind it up before using it.

Activate it only when needed.

Where should we try it?

Upon reaching the ground, Luther found an office that was conveniently empty, so he went in and closed the door. He looked at the simple doll, hesitated for a moment, then gently tapped its forehead with his finger.

"Click!"

Like any wind-up toy, the Clown Doll started to move.

"Hahaha! Hahaha!"

Its arms swung up and down, its head moved from side to side, and it emitted a comical yet piercing laugh. The laughter echoed in the office and resonated within Luther's body, making him suddenly feel incredibly Feather Fall. He took a step and instantly traversed the entire length of the room, rushing straight to the window.

Seeing that he was about to crash into the windowsill, Luther remained calm. At that moment, he was holding the doll in his right hand, so he reached out his left hand to place it on the windowsill, put his feet on the ground, and Feather Fall jumped up, flipped once in mid-air, and landed steadily on the back of the office chair, which was about two fingers wide.

Wow, that's amazing...

It was only then that Luther Consciousness what he had done, he thought in surprise. His reflection was in the Mirror opposite him, dressed in a formal suit, but squatting on top of the chair in an unseemly posture.

He looks just like a monkey.

For some reason, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he couldn't help but want to laugh.

"Squeak--"

He had just grinned when the office door opened. Ms. Siga, who had initially just glanced casually into the room, suddenly noticed Luther's condition and her eyes widened, losing her usual composure.

"Luther... what are you doing?"

"Um, I, I'm exercising."

Luther explained awkwardly, quickly jumping off the sofa.

The Clockwork Clown had exhausted his Spirituality and stopped laughing. He was having trouble adjusting to his suddenly sluggish body and almost fell when he jumped down.

Let's just say that's how it is.

Siga seemed too lazy to investigate his true intentions. "Klein has submitted a special application for promotion. Everyone wants to hear about his success story. They're all in the Lounge now. You should go over and listen; it will do you good."

After saying that, he turned and left, shaking his head as he went.

Was that a side effect? I don't think I laughed hysterically; it was probably just a coincidence.

Luther awkwardly touched his face, stuffed the Clown into his inner shirt pocket, and hurriedly walked outside to listen to Klein's speech.

Actually, this was a plan the three of them came up with after discussing it. Under the pretext of a special application, they shared the Acting Method with all the Nighthawks in Tingen. These teammates were all good people, and they hoped that they wouldn't leave because things got out of control.