Dunn sighed and said:
"I did want to get you out of there because what I was doing involved a secret of the church and the Nighthawks, but Kenley's death had me in a mess, and all I could think of for a moment was a lame excuse to give you a chance to come back and see me."
"What secret?" Klein asked, quite relaxed.
He almost forgot that there were other beings outside who might be offspring of an evil god or Mythical Creature.
Dunn carefully chose his words, saying, "In the realm of mystery, there may exist a law. Ah, although I haven't read many books, I still know what a law means."
This law is called the Law of Beyonder Characteristic Indestructibility.
" Beyonder Characteristic are not destroyed or diminished; they are simply transferred from one carrier to another."
Klein's eyes widened suddenly, then he seemed to realize something and asked thoughtfully:
"For example, would an out-of-control Beyonder leave behind Sealed Artifact, magical items, or main ingredients for Potion?"
"Yes," Dunn nodded solemnly, "Not just out-of-control Beyonder... but also after a normal Beyonder dies."
"Same here..." Klein pondered Dunn's description, vaguely understanding what the captain had been doing back then.
As his thoughts raced, he suddenly remembered something: after the Clown in the tuxedo died, a thumb-sized, slightly blue blood sphere appeared floating in mid-air next to his body. Frye's explanation at the time was that Beyonder always undergo some strange changes after death.
Dunn continued, his grey eyes deep and unfathomable:
"But unlike those Beyonder have gone out of control, those Beyonder die naturally leave behind no materials or items. It is roughly equivalent to Potion, Potion of the corresponding Sequence, only lacking certain auxiliary materials."
Slightly equivalent to Potion... slightly equivalent to Potion! Klein's eyes narrowed, as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind, illuminating the endless darkness.
He suddenly understood many things, and he understood why the Beyonder Pathway wouldn't be cut off even when materials were cut off.
Besides using substitutes, you can also simply rely on the remains of the corresponding Beyonder!
This is probably one of the reasons why High-Sequence are only given Potion products! Another reason is to prevent the formula from being leaked through extraordinary means such as Divination and Spirit Channeling... One guess after another surfaced in Klein's mind.
Dunn glanced at the door of the Nighthawks's recreation room and explained in a low voice:
"Several years ago, um... I don't quite remember exactly how many years. Back then, I wasn't the captain of the Nighthawks squad yet. I stumbled upon this problem and, after talking with Daly, who had recently become Beyonder, I immediately reported it to the Holy Cathedral. The Holy Cathedral told me to keep it a secret and gave me two choices. Heh, that's why I'm the one explaining, not Daly. Whoever exposes it is responsible."
"The first option is to pretend I don't know, like most Nighthawks captains and deacons, and let the Holy Cathedral handle the disposal of the Beyonder's belongings after a normal death. The second is to give me a special, simple ritual and corresponding techniques, allowing me to directly consume the items generated by the aggregation of characteristics within a certain time limit. Hmm, this only applies to the original pathway, only to Sequence equal to myself, and only to lower Sequence."
"This will enhance my Beyonder Characteristic and make me even stronger. In terms of dream-related abilities, I'm now not much weaker than Sequence 6, which is why I dared to confront Madam Shermane."
"I see... There's such a thing..." Klein exhaled slowly.
He finally understood why he couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation no matter how hard he racked his brains; it was simply because he lacked prior knowledge, which couldn't be compensated for by mere imagination.
Hmm, this fits the so-called " Law of Characteristic Indestructibility "... If we keep accumulating characteristics like this, will it lead to a qualitative change from a quantitative change? Klein's thoughts wandered.
After glancing at him, Dunn gave a wry smile and said:
"I chose the second path, not to become stronger. If I truly want to become strong, the best and most direct way is to quickly digest the Potion and advance in rank."
"Yes," Klein wholeheartedly agreed, "Gathering the characteristics of equal or Low-Sequence Sequence the same path, while increasing strength, might also increase the risk of going out of control, right?"
Dunn shook his head solemnly and said, "No, this is something left behind by a normal Beyonder, not an out-of-control Beyonder. Hmm, after learning about the ' Acting Method,' I re-examined it and found that it would increase the difficulty of digestion."
"Then why are you continuing?" Klein asked in astonishment.
Dunn reached into his pocket with his right hand, trying to find his pipe, but realized he had left it in the office.
He shook his head self-deprecatingly and said:
"As I just said, I didn't consume their relics to become stronger."
He paused, his gaze unfocused as he looked at the bluish glow of the gas lamp across the street, and said in a low voice:
"They are all my companions... We've been through so much together, fighting Monster in the darkness and fanatical cultists. Some have saved me, and I've saved many of them. We walk in the quiet night, we fight where the public can't see us, we confront danger, and we protect each other's backs."
"I'll miss them terribly. I remember how little It broke down in tears after Little Yit first dangerous mission. I remember Adelaide, oh, he's Rozanne's father, who once shielded me from an evil curse with his arm. I remember Dawn, a girl with a warm, Dawn -like demeanor, always quietly Record everyone's experiences. I remember Kenley, though not tall, was very talented—he could play the harpsichord, sing, and tell stories; he was more like a poet than Leonard... I'll miss them terribly."
"I wanted to continue fighting alongside them, battling the Monster in the darkness, Execution all those fanatical cultists, and protecting Tingen City together. So, I chose to consume what they left behind."
A glint seemed to flicker in Dunn's grey eyes; his composure and depth crumbled considerably at that moment.
He continued, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth:
"In my dreams, they're still with me. Adelaide loves reading and always stays in the sunroom reading. He always makes me discipline Rozanne to make her mature faster, so Rozanne always complains that I'm becoming more and more like her father and is always afraid of me. Little Yit is a restless person who goes hunting in the forest every day. Dawn always stands at her bedroom window, watching us chat. Kenley just joined, made his own seven-stringed lyre and plays and sings there... I miss them so much."
"Captain..." Klein murmured instinctively. His vision blurred, and he couldn't help but wipe his eyes, cursing inwardly, "Damn it, Captain, you're just trying to make me cry..."
But now I finally understand why your " Acting Method " is progressing so slowly, Captain... Klein then sighed silently.
"It's a pity that Old Neil died out of control, otherwise he would have brought us a lot of joy." Dunn looked away and pinched the spot between his eyes.
After a few seconds, he raised his head and smiled bitterly:
"That's a selfish decision."
"I didn't know what Adelaide and Kenley's true wishes were, yet I selfishly made the decision for them."
"I'm such a selfish person."
"No..." Klein shook his head violently.
In the sofa area of the reception hall, Leonard watched as Megose pulled out handfuls of hair, his expression freezing again.
Megose, slightly annoyed, kept picking up her glass to drink water, her face Distortion as she looked at Leonard and said:
I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a little unwell.
Leonard Mitchell was about to answer when he suddenly saw Megose raise her hand and grab her own face, tearing off a long strip of flesh, stained with blood.
"My face is a little itchy." Megose smiled sheepishly, her smile stretching all the way to her cheekbones, revealing her gleaming white teeth and bright red gums.
"XXXX! "Leonard silently cursed, feeling that the situation was deteriorating too quickly.
His lips moved, he tilted his head to listen for a moment, and his expression suddenly changed, turning ashen.
He forced a smile and said to Megose, who was constantly scratching her face, tearing off pieces of flesh:
I'm going to the restroom.
"Okay..." Megose's tone became somewhat unsteady.
She touched her belly and said:
My... child... is a little uneasy...
Leonard didn't respond further, quickened his pace, and approached the partition.
After entering the corridor, he glanced deeply at the urn containing the Saint's ashes held by Dunn Smith, and sighed helplessly.
Then, his expression hardened, and he said:
"Captain, I'm afraid it's too late. We must deal with Megose and the baby in her womb immediately, otherwise the entire Tingen City will suffer huge losses. This is something that cannot be avoided simply by evacuating the surrounding residents. I know you have already sent such a telegram."
Dunn frowned slightly and asked with unusual seriousness:
Are you sure the situation has deteriorated to this extent?
"Yes, in no more than three minutes, Megose will undergo a mutation, and her child will be born prematurely," Leonard replied with certainty.
As he spoke, he glanced at the thick veins wrapped around Klein's hand and said in a deep voice, " Sealed Artifact '2-105'? Let me use it; I can make better use of it."
"Okay." Klein handed the " Blood Vessel Thief " to Leonard without any hesitation.
This was exactly what he was going to do.
Just then, Dunn Smith tugged at his collar, patted his black trench coat, and spoke with a firm tone:
"I'll take Saint Selena's ashes out first. You all wait ten seconds. Remember, count to ten silently before you come out to fight. At that time, whether my condition is good or bad, you can't waste any time. Aim your most powerful attacks at Megose and the baby in her womb."
After saying that, he turned around, carrying the urn, and walked upright to the partition.
"Captain..." Klein called out, his lips dry.
"Captain," Leonard called out in a low voice.
Dunn stopped, turned around, and said in a gentle, mellow voice:
"Don't worry about me, I'm not alone. Adelaide, Dawn, Little Yit, Kenley are fighting alongside me, no matter what dangers we face."
He paused for a moment, then looked kindly at Klein and Leonard with his grey eyes and said:
"Don't be nervous, we're protecting Tingen City."
The corners of his mouth turned up, revealing a smile no different from his usual one.
After saying this, he didn't linger. He turned his gaze outside and walked firmly through the partition, only his black knee-length trench coat fluttering slightly behind him.
"Captain!" Klein and Leonard shouted at the same time, tears streaming down their faces, but Dunn did not hesitate for a moment.
We are a group of pitiful creatures constantly fighting against danger and madness, but we are also Guardian.