Eric became the captain of the " Red Gloves " later in the previous war and was promoted to Sequence 5 " Spirit Warlock ".
He had witnessed the deaths of his predecessors and those before them, and knew that a higher Sequence was not the primary guarantee of safety; caution and prudence were.
For the elite " Red Gloves " among the " Nighthawks," this is a belief that almost everyone believes in. Ordinary " Nighthawks " may only encounter ordinary problems that seem like supernatural events, and even if they make a mistake, they have a high probability of turning the situation around with their own extraordinary abilities. However, the " Red Gloves," who are chasing various important cases, are definitely targeting something quite dangerous.
At this moment, Eric stood on the fourth floor of the apartment building at 14 Prya Street, facing the tightly closed dark brown wooden door, and looked around before saying:
"Two ' Nighthawks ' have already gone missing here; we absolutely cannot let our guard down."
Initially, several residents of the apartment building called the police, reporting a foul odor emanating from room 403, and that the tenant of room 303 frequently heard heavy footsteps overhead.
The police from the corresponding area took two days to come and investigate, and then never left room 403.
After confirming this, the police immediately transferred the case to the Church of Evernight. However, the two " Nighthawks " who came to handle the case also disappeared, and the door to room 403 remained tightly closed.
Based on this premise, the Archbishop of the Church of Evernight in the Awwa County entrusted the matter to Eric's team and allowed them to apply for a "Level 1" Sealed Artifact for assistance.
"Yes, Captain." The members of the " Red Gloves " team responded one after another, some nodding and some speaking.
Eric didn't say anything more. Standing in front of the tightly closed dark brown door of room 403, he raised his left hand, which was covered by a red glove, and tapped one of his teeth with his finger.
A blurry figure suddenly appeared in front of him, seeping into room 403 through the crack in the door as if it had no thickness.
Eric's expression was unusually focused, as if he were observing the situation inside the room through the blurry figure.
That was a natural spirit he controlled, not particularly powerful but with special abilities, which usually lived on his left front tooth.
Under the current circumstances, Eric believed that they should not rush in directly, but rather conduct some reconnaissance first—even with his squad having a reasonable combination of abilities and powerful Sealed Artifact, they still had to be cautious.
If he could get a basic understanding of the situation and make more targeted preparations, he believed things would be much easier.
At that moment, tiny blood vessels bulged in Eric's eyes, some of them even bursting.
As his vision suddenly turned bright red, Eric heard a heavy creaking sound.
The tightly closed, dark brown door suddenly swung open!
Inside the room, there were six figures. Three were wearing black and white checkered police uniforms and were sitting on an armchair, a bar stool, and a sofa, respectively. Two were wearing top hats and black trench coats. One was standing by the door, and the other was standing on the platform behind the bay window, with his face pressed against the glass, seemingly watching the street below.
Another figure sat on a high stool on the edge of the balcony, with an exquisite astronomical telescope in front of him.
The skin of these six figures was swollen, as if a lot of gas had been poured into their bodies. Some parts had even cracked and were highly swollen, but they did not dry out. Instead, they were stretched to a bluish-black sheen and oozing a pale yellowish-black liquid.
Noticing the door open, the six figures turned their heads one after another to look at Eric and the others.
First was the former " Nighthawks " standing by the door, and last was the man in the cotton shirt sitting behind the astronomical telescope. One of his clear black and white eyes was still stuck to the lens, so he could only use the remaining eye and its dark hole to scan the " Red Gloves " team outside the door.
A faint stench wafted into Eric and the others' nostrils, and an indescribable chill filled the surroundings.
Eric instinctively raised his hand to tap his teeth, releasing more spirit, and then used the extraordinary power of " Nightmare " to forcibly Dream Divination.
However, no matter how much he tapped his teeth, no spirit was released; his extraordinary abilities associated with " Spirit Warlock " seemed to vanish instantly.
Meanwhile, one of the " Nightmare " members of the " Red Gloves " team was surprised to find that he could no longer drag people into his Dream Divination!
At this moment, apart from the physical enhancement brought by the Potion, their extraordinary abilities disappeared, mysteriously vanished.
"Get out of here!" Eric ordered in a low voice without hesitation.
This bizarre situation was unlike anything he had ever encountered before, so he could only order the team to evacuate first, and then selectively deal with the Sealed Artifact later.
However, his and his teammates' feet did not move, as if they were no longer obeying their own will.
Eric instinctively looked down at his lower body and saw that his legs were swollen, stretching his trousers so much they were about to tear.
In addition, he could clearly feel his skin decaying, rotting, and oozing pus.
Before he and his " Red Gloves " team had even made real contact with their target, they were caught in a lucid "nightmare" of watching themselves die, swell, and rot away, from which they could not escape.
Just then, Eric's bloodshot eyes reflected an ordinary hand, which grasped the handle and gently pulled it outward.
Clang!
The dark brown door to Room 403 closed once again, separating Eric and his " Red Gloves " squad from the creatures inside.
They instantly regained control of their bodies, but their legs seemed to be seriously injured, making it difficult to lift their feet or bend their knees.
Eric didn't have time to check his injuries; he quickly turned his attention to the hand that had closed the door and its owner.
He was a young man wearing an ancient ceremonial hat and a black robe. His features were ordinary, making him unremarkable and easily forgotten.
"I sincerely suggest that you go back now and leave the matter to the archbishop or the high deacons. Of course, you have another option, which is to make a wish to me. I am a wandering Magician named Merlin Hermes, and I am most skilled at granting other people's Wishes." Klein spared no effort in persuading others to make wishes to him.
Just now, when he saw the rotting face on the convex window, he suddenly had a bad feeling, so he came here specifically to find out what had happened.
Fulfilling his Wishes... Eric suddenly recalled the education he received during his training at the Holy Cathedral:
Some High-Sequence Beyonder may be imprisoned or sealed away. They might impersonate magical items that grant Wishes to lure you into helping them escape. Examples include: genie lamps that can grant three Wishes and wishing wells...
Is this a High-Sequence Beyonder? But he doesn't seem to be Imprisonment or sealed away... Eric glanced around, hesitated for a few seconds, and tentatively asked:
"If we don't make a wish to you, will you still not resolve the anomaly in the room?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw the wandering Magician who called himself Merlin Hermes fall into deep thought, looking somewhat troubled.
A few seconds later, Klein raised his hand to adjust the top hat on his head, half-smiling and half-sighing:
"Even if you don't make a wish, I will try to resolve it."
"... Do I need to say your honorific name or real name to make a wish?" Eric asked after exchanging glances with his teammates.
Klein shook his head:
"No need, just tell me your Wishes."
"This doesn't have any mystical connection..." Eric probed, speaking in a joking tone:
"Then I hope the anomaly in this room will be resolved so that it no longer affects the surrounding area."
Klein smiled and clapped his hands lightly, saying:
Your Wishes will be fulfilled.
Before Eric could respond, he said with a smile:
"The anomalies within can suppress Beyonder Characteristic, rendering the corresponding abilities ineffective, but this is not absolute."
"In general, my advice in this situation is..."
As he spoke, Klein grabbed a glass ball shaped like an eyeball with his left hand, and then turned the handle with his right hand, opening the door a little.
Then, he threw the glass ball into room 403 through the gap.
As the glass sphere flew, it continuously absorbed the surrounding light, radiating brilliant, pure, and extreme sunlight, just like a miniature the Sun.
The next second, Klein slammed the door shut with his right hand to prevent Eric and the others from being blinded.
"My suggestion is to use a Level 1 Sealed Artifact from the ' The Sun ' domain for a comprehensive Purification." As he finished speaking, Klein thought of the " Mutated Holy Emblem of the Sun " behind the Chanis Gate in Tingen City. Although it was only a Level 3 Sealed Artifact, given enough time, it could still deal with the rotting creatures inside.
Eric was about to say that they had brought a similar Sealed Artifact but hadn't had a chance to use it when he saw Mr. Merlin Hermes reopen the door to Room 403.
The six figures inside had vanished into thin air, their different Beyonder Characteristic slowly coalescing, while the original cold and foul stench was completely melted away by a warm and gentle feeling.
"Resolved?" Eric asked hesitantly.
Klein smiled and shook his head, saying:
No, the root of the problem remains.
Have you conducted an identity check on the owner of this place?
Eric immediately replied:
He called himself John, an astronomy enthusiast who enjoyed studying the night Starry Sky with a special telescope.
Studying the Starry Sky... Klein walked into the room without making a sound and casually gave the order:
"Search this place for any possible clues."
For some reason, Eric suddenly felt that Mr. Merlin Hermes was like his captain when he first joined the Nighthawks —professional, calm, and trustworthy.
He nodded to his team members, signaling them to do as he was told.
He himself remained behind Klein, both to provide assistance and to maintain necessary vigilance.
Klein ignored him, glanced around, approached the exquisite astronomical telescope, then bent down and brought his eyes close to the port.
This could be dangerous... Eric intended to warn him, but considering the high status and level the other party displayed, he kept his mouth shut again.
At that moment, Klein saw a dazzling and dreamlike deep dark night sky through the astronomical telescope, where every star was twinkling slightly.
Suddenly, his vision was filled with a giant eye.
The eye seemed to be directly attached to the lens at the other end of the astronomical telescope. It had a grayish-white base and a pale yellow pupil. Inside, the blood vessels were swollen, oozing a disgusting, translucent pus.