Klein's answer elicited a soft chuckle from Daly, whose translucent face, featuring only a mouth, spoke:
"Even if you drew Spirit Intuition from the maxims of the Mystery Pryer, and solidified your ideas from my experiences and performance, the fact that you clearly understood ' Acting ' and summarized your own ' Seer Code ' in just over a month is enough to prove that you possess outstanding Wisdom and a broad mind."
Klein didn't dwell on this topic that made him feel guilty, but instead asked:
"Madam, are the church leadership aware of this, this so-called ' Acting Method '?"
"Without a doubt, they knew very well that I had reviewed the church's historical records, looking for those who rose rapidly in ignoring the rules, and found that there were quite a few such Nighthawks and bishops. I was not the most special one either, and their fate..." At this point, Daly paused deliberately, her tone seemingly heavy.
"What happened to them?" Klein's heart tightened, and he blurted out the question.
Does the Church of the Evernight Goddess view " Acting Method " as a temptation from evil gods Devil?
The translucent face, devoid of eyes, nose, and ears, suddenly chuckled, "Their outcomes were all quite good. Aside from those who went out of control or perished in extraordinary events, the rest at least became archbishops or high-ranking deacons. Among them were many powerful individuals who successfully advanced to High-Sequence. Um, in the Goddess's Church, Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 are collectively referred to as Saint, while Sequence 2 and Sequence 1 are Angel on Earth. Of course, every Angel was once Saint."
"Ms. Daly, were you trying to scare me just now?" Klein's lips twitched slightly, and he asked without hiding his doubt:
"Since the church has already mastered the Acting Method, why not tell it to every Nighthawks?"
"While this cannot completely prevent things from getting out of control, it can certainly significantly reduce the probability of such situations and minimize unnecessary losses."
A slight look of confusion appeared on the semi-transparent face with only a mouth visible. "I don't know why either. They told me that once I become an archbishop or a high deacon, I will be able to understand the secrets of this. I came to see you today hoping that you could explain the Acting Method to Dunn more clearly before submitting the special application."
Klein didn't foolishly ask why the other person didn't do it himself, but thoughtfully replied:
"Once you've gained the church's attention, you must make a promise and a vow not to tell anyone about the Acting Method?"
"Yes, swearing an oath in the name of the goddess before her sacred relic has sufficient binding force. Believe me, you definitely don't want to know the consequences of breaking it. I can only talk to someone like you who also possesses the Acting Method. Your own state already told me the answer before you even gave it, which is why I dared to utter that term." Daly made that strange face sigh.
She paused for a moment and then said:
"I only vaguely grasped the essence of Acting at first, which allowed me to quickly digest the Potion. Yes, in the church's upper echelons, 'digestion' is used to describe mastery of the Potion, which I think is very apt. In short, before I took the oath and was told about the ' Acting Method,' I didn't have a very clear understanding of this matter, so I couldn't accurately remind Dunn and the others."
"I had already given up, but I never expected to meet you, a peculiar, no, a genius, who clearly understood the ' Acting Method ' even before submitting a special application."
So that's how you see me, ma'am... Klein's lips twitched, and he solemnly promised:
"I originally intended to use the special application to remind the captain of the existence of the ' Acting Method,' but with your explanation, madam, I have nothing to worry about."
"Very good, you're a kind young man." Daly's tone was noticeably relaxed.
"Madam, you seem to be only two or three years older than me..." Klein pointed out the woman's problem in his mind.
Before he could speak, the semi-transparent, eerie face continued:
"If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to write to me. Wait for me, haha, until I become an archbishop or a high deacon and understand why the Church hides the secret of ' Acting Method,' then I'll Psychological Suggestion the pros and cons of this matter."
Klein's spirits lifted upon hearing this, and he asked without hesitation:
"Ma'am, what is your address?"
For him, every helper he could have was a good one, especially a relatively powerful " Spirit Medium "!
Faced with Klein's unwavering refusal, Daly remained silent for a few seconds, then chuckled softly:
"Our communication should not be through the post office, nor should it be done using normal letters; it's extremely unsafe."
"I'll teach you a relatively simple Ritualistic Magic that can summon a unique spirit, my own spirit. You give it the letter you've written, and it will deliver it to me accurately. It's not as fast as a telegram, but faster than Steam train. If you finish it by noon, I, located in Backlund, will receive it that very evening."
Klein listened attentively, nodding slightly, and said, "Very practical Ritualistic Magic."
Daly chuckled softly:
"The characteristic of this kind of Ritualistic Magic is that it involves praying to oneself, drawing power from one's own Spirituality. It doesn't require the intervention of deities, making it quite covert, although its power is often not great."
"... First, you select herbs and essential oils from the corresponding domain, which is no different from normal Ritualistic Magic, but you only need the candle that symbolizes yourself... Next is the incantation, which has three parts. The first part is 'I,' which you whisper 'I' in Ancient Hermes, Jotun, Dragonese, or Elvish. The second part is 'I summon in my name,' which you can use in Hermes. The third part is the specific description of the summoned creature, such as the one you will use later: a spirit wandering in illusion, an Upper World creature driven by humans, a messenger unique to Daly Simone."
The Upper World? In the realm of mysticism, this often refers to the Spirit World... Klein carefully memorized the details while analyzing the ritual's process.
In this respect, he could be considered a mediocre expert.
... The advantage of this Ritualistic Magic is that it bypasses the gods and uses only one's own power, thus avoiding the limitations of the gods' domains and obtaining diverse magical effects. The problem is that it depends on one's own strength; the weak remain weak, and the strong remain strong... Klein felt that he had gained new knowledge, which was Sequence of mysticism that he could not currently unravel.
Daly described it repeatedly, emphasizing it solemnly:
"Remember, don't change the specific description of your summoned creatures arbitrarily, as that can easily attract terrifying Monster."
"Okay," Klein nodded honestly.
At the same time, he suddenly thought of something:
If the description of the summoned creature is changed to " The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era, Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog, King of Yellow and Black who holds good fortune," what will be summoned?
Was it completely ineffective, or did the Gray Fog suddenly descend, or do I need to go to that mysterious space to respond?
Will this help me leverage the power above the Gray Fog even more?
Could this trigger a terrible chain reaction?
Klein, still shaken by his near-death experience with the " Mutated Holy Emblem of the Sun," ultimately decided to follow his heart and consult the oracle above the Gray Fog before deciding whether to continue.
He thought for a moment, then asked with considerable interest:
"Madam, if we strictly use the ' Acting Method,' how long does it take to go from Sequence 8 to Sequence 7, and how long does it take to go from Sequence 7 to Sequence 6?"
"Based on the information I've read, it takes anywhere from three months to two years to go from Sequence 8 to Sequence 7, depending on whether you can quickly grasp the core spirit and corresponding rules during the Acting process. It takes six months to three years to go from Sequence 7 to Sequence 6 6, and about the same for Sequence 6 to Sequence 5. Sequence 5 to Sequence 4 takes three to twenty years..." Daly described in general terms.
Klein suddenly smiled:
"So, ma'am, you've reached Sequence 6?"
He had heard Dunn that it took Daly a year to go from Sequence 9 " Corpse Collector " to Sequence 8 " Gravedigger ", and another year to go from " Gravedigger " to Sequence 7 " Spirit Medium ". She had only been Beyonder for five years, which meant that Daly had been at the " Spirit Medium " rank for about three years.
"Yes, that's why I was transferred to the Backlund Parish," the eerie, semi-transparent face answered frankly. "My current profession is ' Spirit Guide,' but I prefer the title ' Spirit Medium.' Well, this little fellow is tired, I have to leave. In that case, I won't say 'May the goddess protect you.'"
"Sweet dreams." Klein placed his hand on his chest, smiled, and bowed.
"No, I won't have any good dreams tonight. I need to get back to Backlund. This isn't a pleasant experience; it's like having sex with someone I don't like..." Daly's voice trailed off, and her semi-transparent, eyeless, noseless face slowly shrank back into the wall, leaving no trace.
The gas lamp suddenly blazed brightly, and all the shadowy greenery vanished without a trace.
Klein, who had been using his Spirit Vision, stared blankly at the changes for a long time before he came to his senses.
" The Spirit Medium, no, the Spirit Guide is really amazing, he can actually create a 'messenger' from the mysterious realm... I wonder what special my Sequence 7 and Sequence 6 will be..." He muttered to himself for a moment, then quickly dispelled the Wall of Spirituality and turned off the gas light in the bedroom, quietly lying down on the bed in the darkness.
He didn't plan to go above the Gray Fog tonight; he had to be careful that Daly didn't suddenly return and utter Dunn Smith's classic line, "Oh, right, I forgot something."
At that point, even if they wanted to kill someone to cover it up, they wouldn't be able to!
The next day, Klein entered Blackthorn Security Company three minutes early.
"Good morning, Klein, a new civilian employee has arrived!" Rozanne greeted him with a bright smile.
Klein was genuinely happy for the other person.
"Congratulations, Rozanne, the goddess has heard your prayer."
"My skin is getting back to normal!" Rozanne nodded, her eyes shining.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Klein walked to the partition and knocked on the captain's office door.
"Please come in," came Dunn's deep voice.
Klein pushed open the door and saw the captain instinctively sit up straight, his gray eyes becoming deep and unfathomable, as if he were preparing for something to happen.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, picked up his hat and cane, and sat down. "Captain, I have something to report."
"What is it?" Dunn asked in a deep voice, his hands clasped together.