Bang!
Eric, the highly vigilant captain of the " Red Gloves," suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the wandering Magician who called himself Merlin Hermes explode behind the astronomical telescope.
However, no blood or flesh splattered; the shattered limbs vanished into thin air like soap bubbles.
Eric and the other team members who looked over at the sound were all stunned, not understanding how such a sudden change could have happened.
A second later, Eric said in a deep voice:
"Evacuate!"
He wanted to lead his team out of the apartment before the danger had completely dissipated.
Just then, another figure walked through the open door of room 403—it was Merlin Hermes had just exploded out of thin air.
The wandering Magician, wearing a tall top hat and a long black robe, spoke to Eric and his team as if nothing had happened:
"The root of the problem is indeed that astronomical telescope."
As he spoke, Klein walked to the balcony area and lightly tapped the astronomical telescope with his right hand.
With another bang, the astronomical telescope shattered into countless metallic specks, releasing a wisp of foul-smelling, bluish-black gas.
After the grayish-white mist appeared and disappeared, the stench vanished, the bluish-black dissipated, and the interior of the room returned to normal.
"... What exactly happened?" Eric forced himself to forget about the other person's death and reappearance, and carefully asked.
As a fairly experienced " Red Gloves " captain, he had some guesses about the truth of the matter, and the purpose of asking questions was mainly to seek confirmation.
Klein smiled and said:
"Simply put, this astronomical telescope malfunctioned for some unknown reason, causing the room's occupant to see things he shouldn't have seen."
"If you want more detailed information, you'll have to gather the clues yourself; I'm not entirely sure either."
Eric nodded slightly and turned his gaze to his teammates, signaling them to continue their investigation.
After a flurry of activity, Eric said to Merlin Hermes:
There weren't many clues left in the room, so we could only confirm a few things:
"First, John is a local resident who served in the war, and his mental state seems to have suffered as a result; second, he has long been an astronomy enthusiast and joined an academic organization called the ' Astronomy Research Society ' after the war, but we haven't collected any information about this organization before; third, John seems to be seeking a way to see the real Starry Sky."
When Eric mentioned the word " Starry Sky," he paused slightly, as if he had received a warning from the upper echelons of the Church of Evernight.
After the war, he joined an organization called the " Astronomy Research Society "... searching for a way to see the real Starry Sky... Based on his recent "experience," Klein had a certain grasp of the situation and nodded slightly.
"You should all know that the ' Starry Sky ' signifies danger, and that you shouldn't even try to understand it."
"We will report this case to the Archbishop as soon as possible and designate the ' Astronomy Research Society ' as a dangerous organization," Eric said, as if he were communicating with a superior who was not directly in charge of the " Nighthawks."
Klein didn't respond, and sighed as he walked towards the door:
"War has indeed had irreversible effects on all aspects..."
After the fall of the " God of Combat," the already crumbling Primordial barrier lost some of its support, and the Evernight Goddess " had not yet fully grasped the corresponding " Uniqueness." As for becoming one of the " Great Old One," it was unknown how long it would take. Under these circumstances, the Outer Deity ' encroachment on this world naturally intensified, which combined with the war trauma experienced by a large number of ordinary people.
Klein suspected that during the post-war reconstruction period, many cult organizations pointing to the " Starry Sky " and different Outer Deity had quietly emerged in various parts of Loen. If they were allowed to develop followers and make various high-risk attempts, the Apocalypse would definitely come sooner.
With a sigh, he walked out of room 403 step by step, his figure blurring rapidly, becoming transparent, until he disappeared.
In a hotel near Prya Street, Klein had already checked in, picked up the coffee in front of him and took a small sip.
Taking advantage of the early hour, he went out again and took a carriage to the outskirts of the Riverside District of City of Constant.
Here is a cemetery, with towering stone monuments resembling a low forest.
Klein wandered through the cemetery, guided by his Spirituality senses, and found a tombstone.
The name of the person whose tombstone is on this tombstone is:
" Welch McGovern ".
This was Klein's original self's college classmate, who died mysteriously in Tingen after buying the Antigonus Family Notebook, which indirectly led to Zhou Mingrui's "time travel".
Welch McGovern's father, a banker in City of Constant, paid to have his son's body taken back to his hometown and buried in this cemetery.
Klein stared at the photo on the tombstone for a few seconds, then bent down and placed the bouquet of white flowers he was holding in front of Welch's grave.
He was about to turn and leave when he suddenly stopped. Twenty or thirty seconds later, an elderly man with a black cane walked over from another direction.
Klein recognized him; he knew that this was Welch's father, the Awwa County banker who had once treated him and his classmates to a lavish meal.
However, compared to a few years ago, this gentleman Aging a lot. He used to be a very energetic middle-aged gentleman, but now his hair is half white, and he has many more wrinkles around his eyes, mouth, and forehead.
"Who are you?" Welch's father asked, looking at the stranger in front of the grave with a mixture of doubt and wariness.
Klein sighed and said:
"Uncle, I'm a friend of Welch's, and I just happened to be passing through City of Constant recently."
Welch's father nodded slightly and said in a low voice:
He's a sociable person, but I only know a portion of his friends.
His words were actually an explanation for why he hadn't invited the guest to the funeral, for which he felt very apologetic.
Klein didn't say much, but looked around and said:
"Is there anything I can help you with, or is there a Wishes you want to fulfill? I hope I can offer my assistance."
Welch's father looked around and smiled bitterly:
"Can you bring all the dead here back to life?"
It's not impossible, it's just not quite the same as what you want to do to get back on your feet... Klein sighed inwardly and shook his head.
"Can you restore Constant to its original state?" Welch's father asked again with a wry smile.
Before Klein could respond, he sighed and continued:
"There's no need to offer help. What I can do myself, I can do myself; what I can't do, I can only pray to the gods."
As he spoke, the banker walked past Klein to his son's tombstone, bent down, and placed the bouquet of white flowers in his hand.
Klein watched his retreating figure and muttered to himself:
"I will do my best."
After saying that, he turned around and left the cemetery.
Inside a bar in Constant with a decor reminiscent of the last century.
A man wrapped in a thick jacket, carrying a beer, walked to the wooden board next to the bar, trying to find part-time jobs from the papers posted on it.
Suddenly, he saw a strange quest:
"I am a journalist and I want to collect various stories about the war from different people, preferably those they have personally experienced. The reward I can offer is to fulfill your Wishes repair and rebuild your houses free of charge. I have sufficient resources in this regard."
Merlin Hermes.
The man frowned instinctively, finding the request too bizarre, like the product of a prank.
"Can you read the writing on it?" A thin man sitting next to the wooden board seized the opportunity to ask.
Of the customers coming and going in this bar, only a very small minority are literate. Even if they want to find work or take on certain jobs, most of them can't understand what's written on the papers pasted on the wooden boards. The bartender can only remember the few with the highest pay.
Given this situation, the thin man, having attended a free school and mastered common Loen language words, offered interpretations to others for a quarter of a penny each time.
This is how he survives.
The man shook his head, indicating that he could understand Loen language, and pointed to Merlin Hermes's request:
Is this true?
"Really, that reporter is sitting in that corner, wearing a very tall top hat," the thin man enthusiastically pointed out the direction.
The reporter had promised him a quarter of a penny for every person he referred.
The man holding the beer fell silent, hesitated for a good ten seconds, and then walked to the corner and found the reporter named Merlin Hermes.
"Will you really help me rebuild my house?" he asked, a little nervous and worried.
Klein pointed to the documents placed on the small round table and said:
"We can sign a contract."
"... No need, even if you just provide some materials, I'll be satisfied." The man sat down opposite Klein and said rather reservedly, "I don't have any particularly vivid stories."
"As long as it's realistic enough, that's fine." Klein nodded slightly, offering encouragement.
The man lowered his gaze and stared at the table, saying:
"I'm Constant native. I used to have a decent job and bought a townhouse on Light Tide Street. Then the war broke out, and my house was reduced to ruins in a bombing. My eldest son, the boy who had just started elementary school, was buried in it..."
"We had to rent another two-bedroom room until the Feysac took over Constant. They... they took my wife away, and she never came back..."
"Some time ago, someone notified me to identify a body. I couldn't recognize her; she was so decomposed she was unrecognizable. However, in the pockets of her remaining clothing, there was still our water bill..."
"When she was in the rented house, she always missed our home, and so did my youngest daughter. I don't have much money now and can only barely make ends meet, but I hope to rebuild that house little by little."
"To be honest, I really dislike telling others about my misfortunes; I'd rather remain silent. But if it can truly help with rebuilding, then I can..."
Klein, holding a pen and paper and pretending to take Record, nodded slightly upon hearing this:
"Your Wishes will come true. Wait for me tomorrow in front of the ruins of that house on Light Tide Street."
At the same time, he pushed a 1- Soli banknote over:
"This is for your drinks."
The man's eyes flickered, as if he wanted to refuse, but in the end he picked up the banknote.
The next day, after sending his youngest daughter to church school, he walked back along the familiar road to the familiar Light Tide Street, and then saw that familiar house.
Its chimney, its windows, its door, the weeds on its walls—nothing has changed. It feels so familiar, as if a beautiful woman might open the door at any moment and lead her two children out to greet their father.
The man stood there, stunned, unable to believe it was real.
Even if it's an illusion, he's willing to wallow in it.
Several days passed, and having fulfilled one similar Wishes after another, Klein opened the hotel window and snapped his fingers in the Dawn mist.
In a high-lying area of Constant, Welch's father, having dreamt of his deceased son and relatives, habitually woke up early, went to the balcony, and prepared to breathe in the morning air.
As dawn broke, he suddenly saw a forest of chimneys and blast furnaces, and one tall building after another.
The City of Constant, once so vibrant, was now fully restored before his eyes, bathed in the orange glow of the Dawn.