"Please come in."
Dunn Smith's deep, warm voice rang out.
Klein turned the handle, pushed open the door, and saw the captain enjoying breakfast. To his right was a cup of coffee emitting a rich aroma, and in front of him were plates of white bread, toast, and bacon.
Dunn put the remaining toast with butter into his mouth and silently gestured to the chair opposite his desk.
Klein didn't disturb the captain's meal. With a smile, he sat down and waited patiently.
Seeing that he wasn't in a hurry, Dunn relaxed his straight back, picked up his coffee, took a sip, and swallowed all the food in his mouth.
He pulled out a soft tissue and wiped his mouth.
Is there something you need?
Klein nodded seriously and said:
"I've met Duster Guderian, the asylum Doctor, a member of the Psychology Alchemists."
As he spoke, he glanced around and noticed an open magazine in front of the captain.
"What intelligence did he provide?" Dunn asked, clasping his hands together as if suddenly realizing something.
Klein briefly described the situation. "He told me that before Hood Eugen went mad, someone frequently visited him; that person's name was Lanarvus."
" Lanarvus..." Dunn raised a hand to rub his temple, "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before..."
"That's the conman who absconded with at least 10,000 pounds," Klein reminded him.
Dunn thought for a moment with a serious expression, then shook his head to indicate that he had no recollection of it.
"Captain, you're completely oblivious to money!" Klein thought to himself, then summarized the key points about Lanarvus:
"This fraudster falsely claimed to have discovered and purchased a high-quality iron ore deposit. He secretly raised funds in Tingen City for development and absconded with over 10,000 pounds sterling. A friend of mine at the Divination Club suffered a loss, and another girl was deceived into getting engaged to him and became pregnant with his child."
"He visited Hood Eugen several times before he went mad..." Dunn said thoughtfully, " The Sequence 8 Beyonder ' The Cryptologist '? The ' Marauder ' pathway..."
Captain, you have a really good memory for things like this... Klein chuckled and nodded slightly.
"That's just my guess."
"Because the steel company established by Lanarvus was located in the South Borough, and the victims came from all walks of life, this matter was ultimately not transferred to us. Even though the police department discovered some supernatural traces, it was handed over to the ' Mandated Punishers ' team."
Dunn finally understood what had happened, and looked at Klein with his deep gray eyes, saying:
"What you up to?"
"Ahem, Captain, don't be so perceptive..." Klein replied seriously.
"I want to use Spirit Channeling ritual to communicate with Hood Eugen, to find out what Lanarvus wants from him, and to find out if this is the direct cause of his madness."
Dunn nodded slightly and said:
"Even if you don't apply, I'll still try something similar once it's confirmed that Hood Eugen."
"However, Daly told me that this kind of thing is quite risky. Are you sure you're confident? Or, I could apply for assistance from the Backlund Parish; a few days' delay shouldn't be a problem."
Klein's primary motivation for becoming Beyonder was to study mysticism, find a way home, and have the opportunity to put his knowledge into practice. Given his strong confidence, he naturally didn't want to give it up.
"Captain, I have mastered this knowledge and am quite confident in my abilities."
"Of course, I need the aid of ' Amanda ' hydrosol, ' Eye of Spirit ' potion, and ' Tranquility Potion '."
" Tranquility Potion..." Dunn pondered the name, confirming Klein's professionalism.
He remembered Daly saying that this was a relatively obscure but very useful potion in the field of Spirit Channeling.
After considering for about ten seconds, Dunn Smith leaned back in his chair and said:
"Then write an application, go to the Chanis Gate to collect the corresponding potion. Um... I don't know if there are any potions left. If not, collect the corresponding materials and concoct it yourself."
"Okay," Klein replied happily.
But he didn't get up; he remained firmly seated in the chair.
Seeing this, Dunn raised his hand to rub his temples and pondered carefully before saying:
"It starts this afternoon, which is my turn to monitor the asylum... We can't go directly to Hood Eugen. Nobody knows if there are members of the Psychology Alchemists hiding among the Doctor, nurses, janitors, and patients in the asylum, or if the Psychology Alchemists is also secretly monitoring Hood Eugen. Our operation must be Concealment enough to avoid revealing that Duster Guderian has become our informant."
"... We'll go at dawn and sneak in secretly."
"Yes, I'll stay nearby in case of any unexpected events."
That's for the best! If Hood Eugen was just faking his madness, and I were to use Spirit Channeling ritual on him, wouldn't that be like walking into a zoo and dancing in front of tigers...? Klein felt relieved and said sincerely:
"Yes, Captain!"
He stood up, turned, and walked towards the door.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the title of the magazine open in front of the captain:
" The Doningsman Tree in the Southern Continent has a significant effect on promoting hair growth."
... Klein withdrew his gaze with pity, opened the door, and walked out of the captain's office.
Suddenly, a funny idea flashed through his mind:
In truth, Beyonder don't need to go through all that trouble. If Old Neil were still alive, he would most likely suggest designing a hair-growth Ritualistic Magic to pray to the goddess for help. As for whether it would end up with body hair covering the body, turning into a curly-haired baboon, that's another matter... And what would the goddess's reaction be? If it were me, I would definitely say, "Mmp..."
This thought immediately tinged Klein's joy with sadness, a sadness tinged with amusement.
He went into the staff office, sat down at the Axon Model 1346 mechanical typewriter, and typed out the application with a few quick clicks.
After Dunn Smith signed and stamped the application, he took it and went deep underground, walking step by step along the gas-lit corridor toward Chanis Gate.
It was only at this moment that Klein thought of a question:
This will be his first time entering that mysterious door!
"I wonder what's behind that door..." He quickened his pace with anticipation, arriving at the imposing double iron gate that inspired awe.
Klein first submitted the application to Siga Tron Klein retrieved the document with an extra signature and knocked on Chanis Gate, only to hear a hollow and distant echo from inside.
After waiting for several seconds, without hearing any footsteps, he saw the heavy double doors engraved with seven Sacred Emblem of Darkness open with a creaking sound.
The Chanis Gate was opened wide enough for only one person to pass through before stopping, and Klein was able to see the scene nearby by the light of the gas lamps on both sides of the corridor.
Behind the door stood an elderly man with deep wrinkles and thinning hair, dressed in a black classical robe and carrying a lantern.
The dim candlelight shone through the glass, casting a play of light and shadow on the old man's expressionless face, making his pale blue eyes appear as if they were frozen solid for a thousand years.
"Piece," he uttered hoarsely.
Klein had seen the old man before, because every evening at the end of the Twilight, he and his companion would emerge from the Chanis Gate, pass through the guardhouse, and turn toward the Saint Selena Cathedral.
They are aging Nighthawks, volunteer internal guardians.
According to Klein, there are five such guards.
"This is my application." He handed the document to the old man in front of him.
The internal guard, with light blue eyes, raised his lantern, carefully examined the body, and only after confirming everything was correct did he step aside to let Klein pass.
Klein slowly entered the Chanis Gate, and before he could even look around, he felt an indescribable chill.
This wasn't the bitter cold of winter, but a chill that made even one's Spirituality tremble.
Looking up, Klein saw candelabra on the wall, and silver candles carved with patterns, their flames a deep blue color, burning without the slightest flicker.
Squeak!
The guard closed the Chanis Gate, and the surroundings became extremely quiet.
Before Klein lay a wide passageway paved with old stone slabs.
There are stone doors on both sides of the passageway, each labeled with words such as "Materials and Potions Information".
At the end of the corridor, there is a staircase leading downwards into the darkness, as if it were leading to Abyss.
There should be different sealing points connecting to different Sealed Artifact there, supposedly divided into several layers... I wonder which layer Saint Selena's ashes are on... Klein had just adjusted to the brightness behind the door when he suddenly felt something invisible scraping against his skin in the air, line by line, icy cold to the bone.
He shivered and couldn't help but activate his Spirit Vision.
Then he saw his surroundings, and behind the entire Chanis Gate, filled with thin black lines that swayed gently, sometimes clustering together, sometimes extending outwards, densely packed, leaving no gaps.
"This... this is the sealing power behind the Chanis Gate?" Klein nodded almost imperceptibly, collected his thoughts, and followed the guard into the "potion room" behind a heavy stone door.
He quickly found the " Amanda " hydrosol, the " Eye of Spirit " potion, and the " Tranquility Potion " based on their initials.
He had seen the first two before, but this was his first time seeing the latter. Inside the translucent glass bottle, a pale blue liquid was gently rippling. Just seeing it made him feel as if he had returned to his mother's embrace.
The bottle also has a label indicating the production date and a six-month validity period.
Thankfully, it still works... Klein put away the three small vials of potion and, accompanied by the guards, left Chanis Gate, escaping the chilling feeling that penetrated to the depths of his soul, and the eerie experience of being swept away by black lines.
After the Chanis Gate closed, he couldn't help but look back in that direction, muttering to himself:
"Staying inside for a long time will affect both the body and the soul?"
"No wonder the guards have to be volunteers..."
In the early hours of the morning, Klein locked the bedroom door from the inside using a peculiar method, opened the bay window, and jumped down.
The height of the second floor posed no danger to him at all; he stood firmly without swaying.
The carriages of the Nighthawks watchmen were already waiting for him on the opposite side.
Without further ado, Klein quickly arrived at the Tingen City Asylum in the North Borough. Following instructions, he went around to a corner of the wall where there were no streetlights and saw Dunn Smith waiting there.
"Let's go in," Dunn nodded slightly. "I've checked, there's no one around."
"Okay." Klein quickly approached.
Going in... as the " Clown," entering an asylum... it always reminds me of a famous quote. "It's like going home..." he joked to himself.
Following closely behind Dunn, he used certain protrusions on the wall to nimbly and quickly vault into the asylum, his movements agile and his balance superb.
Dunn glanced back, nodded slightly, and indicated his approval.
The two men crouched low, traversing the shadows and secluded areas through lawns and activity squares, until they entered the three-story building of the asylum and arrived at Hood Eugen's room on the top floor.
Because Hood Eugen became somewhat aggressive after going insane, he was placed in a single room, and the Nighthawks's surveillance efforts during this period were not in vain; they had already copied a key.
Snap!
With a soft Door Opening, Dunn entered first, and Klein's gaze passed over him to see a person sitting on the bed.
Hood Eugen had a long, thin face, deep-set eyes, and his light blond hair was disheveled.
He was gazing with his grey-blue eyes at the window with iron bars, looking at the Crimson Moon outside.
Klein closed the door, chuckled, and casually asked:
Why aren't you asleep yet?
Dunn paused for a moment, then realized that the other person was now the " Clown " of Sequence 8, so he remained silent and retreated to the corner.
Hood Eugen turned his head, looked at Klein, and grinned foolishly:
"I'm waiting for my cake."