Sealed Artifact

After the class ended, Lynch stayed in the office to review his notes, attempting to comprehend the material.

He had been reading since the morning, and his head was aching.

He had expected the mission to eradicate the cult to begin immediately, but there had been no news until now.

He had no choice but to eat lunch and then return to the books Skuton had given him.

He read until two in the afternoon, and just as his mind was filled with nothing but various words, he finally heard the sound of fireworks outside.

Lynch leaped to his feet and rushed straight into Dunn's office.

"Let's go!"

Dunn didn't even need him to explain; he was already standing up.

However, just as he reached the office door, he suddenly stopped.

"Lynch, this is your first mission. I must remind you that missions are dangerous. You are not a combatant; you are a clerk. You only have a revolver. It is formidable against ordinary people, but to some Beyonders, it is merely a toy. So, do not be impulsive. Stay behind me and follow my instructions."

Dunn was clearly worried that Lynch would act recklessly.

Lynch felt that Dunn was overthinking it; how could he possibly not use his brain?

If he hadn't been dragged into this matter, he wouldn't even have participated.

"I know!"

Lynch promised solemnly, and only then did Dunn nod in satisfaction.

"Call Leonard, Old Neil, and Frye. Also, have Cohen Li take over Old Neil's watch. Oh, and apply for Sealed Artifact 2-0718."

Lynch's eyes lit up. Having been here for so long, this was his first time seeing a Sealed Artifact!

However, with the captain asking him to apply for it, was he really not afraid that he would drain the Sealed Artifact dry and leave behind a pile of items that had already claimed their owners?

Lynch actually did have that thought, but he soon realized it was nonsense.

Because it was Leonard who entered the Chanis Gate, and he couldn't get in at all.

As for when Leonard came out with the item, he didn't dare let the Stone of Myriad Phenomena absorb it; he didn't want his secret discovered.

Reason prevailed here!

"What is the use of this item?"

Lynch curiously examined the Sealed Artifact in Leonard's hand.

It was a cup filled with water that looked very clear, indistinguishable from ordinary water.

"Water of Concealment. If we drink the water inside, we will not reveal our figures for a period of time. However, the cup must be held in the hand of one of the people, and no one who has consumed the water can be more than ten meters away from it. If they exceed ten meters, they must return within five minutes, or something bad will happen."

Something bad?

What exactly?

Just as Lynch was about to ask, Leonard began to explain on his own.

"The 'bad thing' is not fixed; it is equivalent to bestowing a misfortune upon whatever you are currently doing. This misfortune can be large or small. Once, someone was walking and suddenly fell into the Spirit World, where they were devoured by the creatures inside."

That was a bit terrifying.

He wondered how much energy was in it; he really wanted to absorb it and see.

Lynch shifted his greedy gaze away and looked at Leonard again.

"Then, since this cup cannot be left too far away, how do we break the connection with this cup once we no longer need to be concealed?"

Lynch asked curiously.

Leonard immediately wore a bitter smile.

"We need to spit the water back in."

Spit it back?

"Once that water enters your stomach, you'll know what's going on. It's very easy to spit out; the only problem is the psychological barrier when drinking it."

Lynch: ...

So, someone drinks the water, spits it back out, and then they have to pick it up and drink it again?

Ugh!

He really wanted to switch to a different Sealed Artifact!

However, Dunn clearly believed this Sealed Artifact was more suitable for them. So, as the five of them sat in the Nighthawks' carriage, listening to the address provided by the informant, they began to take turns drinking the water while the carriage moved forward.

Lynch endured the discomfort and took a sip. It felt like it didn't have any taste, and there was no urge to vomit...

Ugh!

He still wanted to vomit; he truly couldn't accept it psychologically.

Moreover, that mouthful of water was stuck in his throat, as if it could be spat out at any second. He could only keep suppressing that feeling.

This was truly too unbearable.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one; aside from Dunn, the others were struggling to accept it, occasionally making retching motions.

Amidst this nausea, Lynch could see the figures of the others disappearing, save for the cup that Old Neil was holding in his hands.

"For now, we can only communicate through sound. Later, I will pull them directly into a dream. Once everyone is inside, we will spit out this water."

When Dunn reached this point, he finally couldn't help but let out a retching sound himself.

Lynch couldn't help but laugh.

So, Captain, you aren't completely unaffected after all!

"Alright, when we get close, we'll jump off. I've already told the coachman to drive the carriage away and not to worry about us."

Dunn continued.

Lynch nodded, though he quickly remembered that Dunn couldn't see him nodding.

So, he spoke up, "Understood."

The carriage continued for a while longer before Dunn's voice sounded again.

"Go, jump. Old Neil first, then Leonard, Frye, Lynch, and finally me. Remember to call out before you jump."

Soon, Lynch heard Old Neil's voice.

"Jumping!"

Then, Leonard's voice followed.

After Frye's voice faded, Lynch immediately moved to the edge of the carriage, signaled to Dunn, and quickly jumped off.

Their movements were swift, with no time wasted.

Lynch looked around and soon spotted the cup Frye was holding, so he hurried to catch up.

"Is everyone here?"

Dunn asked. Lynch quickly signaled his arrival; after all, he knew well that the others were Beyonders while he was just an ordinary person, and Dunn was likely asking out of concern that he hadn't kept up.

"Very well, Frye, let go. I have the cup now; I need to hold it."

After Dunn finished speaking, Lynch saw the cup change positions.

"It's that abandoned factory ahead. The informant said this is the place. Upton never came out after arriving here, and many people have been arriving here one after another."

Lynch hurriedly pointed toward the front.

Only after pointing did he remember that no one could see him, and he awkwardly lowered his hand.

Fortunately, his description was pointed enough.

There was only one abandoned factory in front of them.

"Ah, the threat of fear, the crimson hope.

At least one thing is true: this life flies away."

Lynch couldn't help but yawn.

A quiet atmosphere unfolded, and Lynch saw one of the men patrolling around the abandoned factory yawn and fall asleep against a nearby pillar.

"Begin the operation. We are in a dream now."

Dunn reminded him.

Lynch sighed.

Captain, please stop talking; the Stone of Myriad Phenomena has already used its energy to alert him.