The moment Klein's fingers touched the completely black eye, he began to hallucinate, and his head throbbed with pain.
But at the same time, some strange things appeared in his world.
Countless black, illusory lines emanated from the bodyguard and himself, spreading from every part of their bodies, piercing through the void, and reaching into the infinite distance.
This is a terrifying image that could make someone with trypophobia faint.
Klein suddenly bared his teeth, unable to bear the feeling of being Corrosion and contaminated any longer, and put the completely black eye into the iron cigarette case.
Everything returned to normal, and his negative state was alleviated.
Only at this point did Klein have the energy to make guesses:
Is that the essence of the Marionettist's extraordinary abilities?
Can one see and control certain threads in each person's body and spirit?
It's a pity it's contaminated; the side effects are too severe to be considered a miracle product...
We're not considering attempting Purification above the Gray Fog for now; that would be the second time we've provoked the " True Creator " there, and He, who's prepared, might come after us... If that happens, resurrection might be impossible... We should learn and master the relevant knowledge before making any decisions...
He exhaled a breath of stale air, and after the bodyguard had selected the simple paper figure and the corresponding materials, he bent down again to pick up the 13 pounds, 5 Soli, and 8 pence in cash.
Then, looking at Rosago's headless corpse and the bloodstains on the ground, he said with a headache:
Let's clean up the scene.
A pale-faced bodyguard with light blonde hair Levitation beside them and said in a calm tone:
"I'll do it."
"You're here?" Klein stopped what he was doing, half surprised and half puzzled, and turned his head to look.
The bodyguard half-drifted, half-walked to Rosago's side, squatted down, and lay down on the corpse.
She slowly sank in, becoming one with the corpse!
Rosago's corpse flicked its fingers twice, and the surrounding blood, brain matter, and fragments flowed back, gathering back into a head at the neck.
However, this head was covered with countless crisscrossing cracks, like a disgusting toy pieced together from tiny fragments.
It was like glass that had been shattered but didn't break immediately; inside, one could vaguely see blood and brain matter flowing, and the faint reflection of a pistol bullet tip.
Klein couldn't help but take a step back, thinking this could be one of the most terrifying images in all ghost stories.
Rosago's body got up, picked up the police cap, and half-covered his face. The murder scene was now spotless, without a trace.
Unparalleled professionalism! Klein exclaimed inwardly.
He watched as the female bodyguard, her face veiled by a soft hat, steadily walked towards the door, and instinctively gave her a word of advice:
"Don't ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and don't walk in places with bright streetlights."
That would terrify the driver and the pedestrians!
The bodyguard didn't pause, completely ignoring his words.
Suddenly, Klein remembered something, a point he had previously overlooked, and quickly added:
"When you come back, go to the Ries Police Station, Faxin's house, or look for Rosago's original clothes around Minsk Street."
Rosago arrived in a police uniform, but the Faceless's abilities clearly only affect himself. So, where are his clothes from before? He couldn't possibly have been wearing a police uniform all night! If Military Intelligence Section 9 and the police find Rosago's clothes nearby, and I'm unharmed, things will get complicated... The bodyguard isn't a powerful member of a legitimate Beyonder team; it's suspicious enough for an ordinary Detective to pay 1000 pounds for a bodyguard... Klein kept thinking, trying to plug all the loopholes in the situation beforehand.
Just as he was about to use his Divination abilities to help the bodyguard find Rosago's original clothes and return the lost police uniform, Rosago's body paused and answered in a voice as rough as rust:
"I know."
Hmm, she seems quite confident... Right, the bodyguard's state is somewhere between a physical body and a spirit, and the principle of Divination is that Astral Body roam the Spirit World... So, she can Divination purely on instinct... Klein suddenly understood, and without saying anything more, he gave her the spent cartridge from his revolver, then watched Rosago's corpse Door Opening and leave on its own, before closing the door very gently and politely.
The loot I chose was Beyonder Characteristic tainted by the " True Creator." I believe no one could Divination, and even if they could, they would sense the danger beforehand and dare not Divination... Klein walked back to the sofa area as he reviewed the situation, sat down, and felt quite frightened.
The battle just now lasted no more than a minute and wasn't intense enough to destroy anything, but the hidden undercurrents and dangers were second only to his experience facing Megose and the baby in her womb.
Even with a very capable female bodyguard and even with " Words of Filth," he was almost subdued by Rosago and killed without any power to resist.
The " Marionettist " possesses truly bizarre and powerful abilities! According to the Law of Beyonder Characteristic Conservation, the Beyonder Characteristic left behind by Rosago should contain all the main ingredients for Sequence 5, Sequence 6, Sequence 7, Sequence 8, and Sequence 9 potions. If it weren't for the corruption by the evil Potion, combined with auxiliary materials, it could allow an ordinary person to directly become Sequence 5 Beyonder. Of course, this method of advancement based on luck has long been abandoned by history; it's the most primitive and dangerous method...
Advancing step by step according to the Sequence is the best method, proven by countless predecessors with their lives... If the corruption of the " True Creator " can be eliminated in the future, I must and can only use the Beyonder Characteristic left behind by Rosago when advancing from Sequence 6 to Sequence 5. The extra traits will make me even stronger, just like the captain...
Klein recalled what had happened, raised his hand to pinch his forehead, and then turned to think about more important aspects:
Rosago's appearance indicates that the struggle for the Hermosuin Manuscript is over... He didn't have any talismans on him; was it because he used them in the previous battle? Coming at such a crucial moment, he must have been trying to divert attention... Ha, Military Intelligence Section 9 probably didn't expect him to be so bold as to retaliate under these circumstances; they didn't even send anyone to monitor him, and could only passively wait for Rosago to give them a "signal"...
Rosago was Bakerland's assistant; his actions should have been solely under Bakerland's command. Once Rosago died, and Bakerland also perished, the entire operation would be without any further risks... I wonder if the assassination attempt unfolded, or if it succeeded...
Hmm... Tonight, due to the struggle for Hermosuin's manuscript, Bakerland's protective forces will be at their weakest. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't let this opportunity pass. Bakerland certainly never imagined that someone would try to assassinate him!
With nothing else to do, Klein took out a coin and muttered to himself:
" Bakerland is dead."
Clang!
The one-penny coin tumbled and bounced, then fell back down into Klein's palm, head up.
This means yes!
Bakerland is dead? They succeeded over there? Klein was overjoyed, and his tense state suddenly relaxed.
Without Rosago's interference, he believed the result was correct!
This matter is finally, finally over... Klein took a breath and slowly exhaled.
He slowly leaned back on the sofa, gazing wearily yet relaxed at the faintly visible Crimson Moon outside the window.
Inside the embassy of the Republic of Intis, two military attachés knelt beside Bakerland's body, examining the cause of his death.
Their comrades and superiors had given chase, trying to capture the Assassin, but everyone knew it was too late; there was little hope.
"Severe lung damage, suspected disease... The Fatal Strike was extremely powerful, stronger than any Sequence 5 Beyonder attack I've ever seen..." one of the officers said in a low voice.
"Disease? There are obvious traces of Flesh and Blood Magic on the ground and bed, but not on the walls, and the sounds and movements of the fight could not be transmitted. In addition, there are the Corrosion and annihilating characteristics of that Fatal Strike. There are at least four unrelated extraordinary abilities..." Another military officer stood up and described the situation on the spot as if talking to himself.
He paused abruptly, exchanged a glance with the other military officer, and spoke at the same time:
" Shepherd!"
After a few seconds of silence, the squatting military officer frowned and said:
"Perhaps it's a group, at least four different Beyonder..."
"Then let's wait to be Judgement! It's normal that we didn't notice the Rose Bishop sneaking in to the ambassador's side using secret methods, but how did the other three get in? That's impossible!" The standing military officer dismissed this guess, then hesitated and said, "But I've heard that another Sequence can create a similar effect, something like, something called ' Scribe.' I don't know which method it uses, or which organization it belongs to."
The squatting military officer nodded and said:
"The ' Shepherd ' is the prime suspect, and the Aurora Order are all Lunatic; nothing they do would be surprising! We'll investigate the woman who seduced the ambassador—damn it, the Kingdom of Loen definitely won't let us investigate on our own!"
"Those damned, insane Lunatic from the Aurora Order deserve to have their asses pounded by donkeys!" The standing military officer shook his head in frustration.
The ambassador was assassinated, and they will inevitably face some form of punishment.
At 15 Minsk Street, Klein pretended nothing had happened, suppressing his exhaustion as he flipped through the newspaper.
About twenty minutes later, he suddenly saw a bodyguard in a black court dress with long, light blonde hair appear on the convex window.
"Is it done?" Klein asked instinctively.
The bodyguard nodded slightly, without saying a word.
Hmph... Klein thought for a moment and said:
"Thank you for your protection. This matter is now closed."
"I'll pay you the remaining 900 pounds in two installments. You know there are limits on how much you can withdraw."
"Should we leave it to Maric?"
The pale-faced woman opened and closed her mouth, her voice seemingly piercing through the void, echoing faintly:
"Just give it to me."
"My promise is to protect you for three days, not just once."
Madam, you really have a strong sense of contract... But this makes things very inconvenient for me... Are you going to come with me to catch them cheating tomorrow? Three days, today is Thursday, it ends Sunday afternoon, hmm, it won't affect the Tarot Gathering, thankfully... Klein rubbed his temples and said:
"Okay, what should I call you?"
"You don't need to know." The bodyguard adjusted her Gothic court dress, gave a slight bow, and disappeared through the bay window.