Klein told Dunn about his earlier experiences in as much detail as possible, leaving out the fact that he was a transmigrator.
His chance encounter with Nimrod at the Seer Club, their conversation about the past at the Coffeehouse, Nimrod telling him about his identity as "Mr. L" and handing him a business card afterward... and the contents of that card.
As he listened to Klein, Dunn could not help frowning.
"An Oracle of the Aurora Order... It seems he was deliberately approaching you, but it's still hard to tell where he stands. Regardless, we must treat such a dangerous person as a hostile enemy."
Dunn offered his analysis. His gray eyes seemed to have returned to their usual state, and he pondered briefly.
"All right, I now know what happened to you. For the time being, keep following your usual routine outside, but I'll arrange for Nighthawks to follow you in secret."
Dunn paused.
"This is indeed surveillance, but it's also protection. We can't take anything involving the True Creator lightly. Today, I'll submit an urgent request to the Cathedral to transfer one or two Nighthawks from elsewhere to reinforce Tingen City. Also, you may have to undergo a test from the Cathedral afterward."
"A test?"
Although Klein had more or less guessed what Dunn meant, he still played along and asked-he wanted to know the details so he could prepare ahead of time.
Dunn said gravely,
"Klein, I don't want you to become another Old Neil. Do you understand?"
Hearing Dunn's words, Klein fell silent for a moment. "I understand, Captain."
Monday, July 9, noon.
After dealing with the Aurora Order's affairs, Nimrod sat in his room at the Order's base, patiently counting the Beyonder materials before him and placing them one by one into the pockets of the garment Sirius had commissioned for him.
This custom-made garment had far more pockets than ordinary clothes, somewhat resembling the outfits sewn with numerous pockets that Warlocks wore.
He had chosen it because the Marauder pathway's combat capabilities at low Sequences were painfully lacking. Compared with the Door pathway, which offered plenty of tricks, and the Fool pathway, whose escape capabilities were exceptional at Magician, none of the Marauder pathway's first three Sequences offered sufficient combat prowess.
A Sequence 9 Marauder's primary ability was theft, along with the physical improvements and proficiency with short weapons granted by consuming the potion. At this stage, theft was relatively weak; even the best ordinary thieves without Beyonder characteristics could achieve the same level.
Swindler mainly provided eloquence and verbal techniques, considerably enhanced thinking abilities, and mental interference akin to illusions.
Thanks to his unique nature, after Nimrod fully digested the Swindler potion, the qualitative improvement to Excellent Observation that Amon had originally removed from the potion had become imprinted upon him like an instinct. He could essentially be considered a miniature Spectator.
Likewise, the improvements brought by Mystery Pryer were largely focused on spiritual intuition, observation, and thinking abilities. They seemed rather unremarkable.
Looks like I need to try advancing to Fire Thief as soon as possible. Once I do, my Beyonder abilities will undergo a qualitative change... As he thought, Nimrod slowly raised the revolver in front of him and spun its cylinder with his index finger, producing a crisp metallic sound.
His capabilities in a head-on fight might have been weak, but times had changed, old man.
Since Amon had casually taken away all the Beyonder items and characteristics in this Aurora Order base, the revolver in Nimrod's hand was just an ordinary gun.
That was not much of a problem, however, because over the past two days, members of the Aurora Order had already produced quite a few Beyonder bullets in assembly-line fashion.
-Most Beyonders in the Aurora Order were Secrets Suppliants, and for them, praying to a deity for power to create Beyonder items was not particularly difficult. Although
the Secrets Suppliants had produced nothing but Whispering Bullets imbued with Beyonder abilities from the Hanged Man pathway, and the powers attached to them were only at Sequence 9, something was better than nothing.
A dozen or so Whispering Bullets would spell trouble even for a Beyonder one or two Sequences above him. In the Circle of Inevitability Timeline, they would be even more powerful:
I've got my own problems. Take it up with my True Creator and Grisha Adam.
As for the Beyonder materials, some were supplementary ingredients for the Hunter pathway potion that could be stored. Fortunately, everything except the wine was easy to carry. The rest were dangerous Beyonder materials used for rituals, or materials that took effect as soon as they were mixed together, much like a chemical reaction.
Beyonders of the Marauder pathway were extremely nimble. He could complete the process of taking out the materials, mixing them, and putting them to use in a very short time.
By the time Nimrod had packed the various Beyonder materials and weapons into his garment's pockets, it was nearly three in the afternoon. He stretched lightly.
Just then, however, he saw wisps of gray fog appear beside him. They seemed to be trying to pull at his spirit body, but several tugs accomplished nothing.
-Celestial Worthy, what are you stirring up now?
Nimrod's gaze shifted slightly. His first thought was that the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings was causing trouble again, but a moment later, realization struck. He slowly raised his head and looked toward the sky.
He looked at the gray fog that seemed to have appeared infinitely high in the air-though there was actually nothing there-and said softly,
"...Klein?"
The surrounding fog slowly dissipated as though it had been frightened. Nimrod considered for a moment, then relaxed his body and shifted his attention to the gray fog beside him.
The next moment, the overlapping voices chanting the name "Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings," which Nimrod had previously blocked out, echoed in his ears once more. The surrounding gray fog, which had been on the verge of dissipating, gathered around him again.
He slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a haze of gray fog filled his vision.
Inside the swaying Light Cocoon, the Celestial Worthy reclined in the Grand Tutor's Chair. He extended a black tentacle from behind him, took off his sunglasses, and casually greeted Nimrod.
"Yo, compatriot. Haven't seen you up here for days."
"It's only been a week." Nimrod pulled over a clump of gray fog from beside him, kneaded it into a somewhat rough sphere, and placed it beside the Celestial Worthy.
"I do need to get a taste of Klein's Tarot Club, after all."
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