The following morning, Klein, fully recovered, strode confidently into Blackthorn Security Company.
"Good morning, Klein. The weather is so pleasant today. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight." Rozanne, wearing a light green dress, stood behind the reception desk and greeted him with a smile.
Klein deliberately touched his stomach and said:
"Miss Rozanne, you shouldn't be discussing this kind of topic at a time like this. I'm already getting tired of the tasks that haven't even started yet, and I just wish night would come soon."
"Me too," Rozanne chuckled.
She looked around, beckoned Klein to come closer, and then lowered her voice:
"I just saw Ms. Daly."
"' The Spirit Medium, ' Ms. Daly?" Klein asked, slightly surprised.
This most famous Spirit Medium in Awwa County has always lived in Enmat Port, not very close to Tingen.
"Yes," Rozanne nodded vigorously. "But she's gone. Ah, she was the most ideal Beyonder in my heart. If I could become Spirit Channeling, I would leave Tingen and travel the world alone, to Intis, to Fursac, to Feysac, to the Southern Continent Feynapotter, to the Great Plains, to the primeval forests, to the icy plains!"
Miss, would you like to learn about the rules and regulations for Nighthawks...? Klein chuckled and shook his head, saying:
Even Ms. Daly needs to apply and obtain approval to leave Enmat Port.
"I know, but you can't remind me now and shatter my illusions!" Rozanne said angrily. "In fact, I can't become Beyonder. That's too dangerous. I never know when I'll suddenly die. In my opinion, an Beyonder who turns themselves into Monster in order to fight Monster."
" Archbishop Chanis once said that we are Guardian, but also a group of pitiful creatures constantly fighting against danger and madness," Klein sighed in response to the words that had left a deep impression on him.
In order to fight against the Abyss, we must endure Abyss Corrosion.
The two were silent for a moment, then Rozanne was the first to recover, gesturing towards the partition with her mouth and saying:
The captain told you to go find him as soon as you arrive.
"Okay." Klein, holding his hat and cane, knocked on the door of Dunn's office through the partition and entered.
A middle-aged gentleman with deep gray eyes and a high hairline put down his coffee cup and smiled, saying:
" Daly was here."
"This isn't surprising, because Rozanne had told me beforehand," Klein replied with a smile.
Dunn ignored his humor and sighed, saying:
" Daly has been transferred to the Diocese of Backlund, the most bustling and crowded city in the world, with the most Beyonder and the most opportunities... She has a better chance than I do of becoming an archbishop or a senior deacon."
"Why?" Klein straightened his posture and asked in confusion.
Dunn pondered for about ten seconds and then said:
"She has a unique talent for mastering and exploring Sequence Potion... I told you before, the Nighthawks ' internal rule is that before taking Potion of the next Sequence, one must wait three years and undergo rigorous testing to avoid losing control. But normally, three years is often not enough. It took me three years to go from ' The Sleepless ' to ' Midnight Poet,' nine years to go from ' Midnight Poet ' to ' Nightmare,' a full nine years. And from ' Nightmare ' to Sequence 6, I've already spent three years. I don't know how many more years it will take."
"When our bodies age and our spirits begin to decline, even if we overcome the hidden dangers, we shouldn't try to get promoted anymore, because the risk of things getting out of control is so high that no one is willing to take the risk."
" Daly and I, unlike most Beyonder, submitted a special application just one year after becoming ' Corpse Collector,' hoping to immediately take the follow-up Potion. To everyone's surprise, she actually passed the even more rigorous test and obtained the ' Gravedigger ' Potion."
"From ' Gravedigger ' to ' Spirit Medium,' it only took her a year. Ha, this is only her fifth year as Beyonder. She's only 24 years old, still young enough, and has plenty of opportunities."
Her public identity is the most famous Spirit Medium in Awwa County, but in reality, she is the real Spirit Medium... Isn't that just " Acting "? Old Neil seems to have mentioned that Ms. Daly has a similar tendency... Klein feels that he has grasped the core element of Daly's rapid rise as a " Spirit Medium ".
"Captain, you're still young enough, you're only in your thirties," Klein reassured Dunn, silently adding in his mind, "It's just that my memory isn't very good..."
Dunn took a sip of coffee, shook his head, and smiled wryly.
"Why don't you ask Ms. Daly for advice on how to master and mine Sequence Potion?" Klein asked deliberately.
Dunn put down his coffee cup, rubbed his brow bones, and said:
"She made me a real Nightmare... I don't know what that means."
Acting the Nightmare... Hmm, Nightmare sound really evil... Klein frowned slightly and fell silent for a moment.
At this moment, Dunn took out his pipe, sniffed it, and said:
" Daly and I discussed the ' Seer ' Potion's sequel being ' The Clown, ' and without considering the possibility that the Secret Order members deliberately deceived you, she came up with an interesting guess."
"What guess?" Klein's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly.
He once used Divination to verify whether the " Clown " was a follow-up Potion to the " Seer," and received a vague but more certain answer.
Dunn's deep gray eyes swept over him, and he said thoughtfully:
"The normal Sequence Pathway is a progressive one, following a common thread, advancing layer by layer within a field. For example, ' the Sleepless,' ' the Midnight Poet,' and ' the Nightmare ' are clearly all related to the Evernight and the sleep and tranquility that the Evernight brings. It's conceivable that what follows will be similar, only more intense and broader, potentially incorporating elements of Concealment, Calamity, fear, and the Crimson Moon..."
"Some Sequence Pathway may not appear to be like this on the surface, but careful analysis reveals commonalities. For example, ' Assassin ' and ' Instigator ' share the implicit commonality of bringing disaster, pain, sorrow, and despair. Subsequent Sequence should also conform to this pattern."
Klein listened intently and asked proactively:
"But the ' Seer ' and the ' Clown ' aren't in that kind of relationship?"
"Hmm." Dunn nodded slightly. " Daly believes there might be another Sequence Pathway of relationships, after all, we still don't know nearly enough."
He paused and then said:
" Daly said that in similar pathways, Low-Sequence Potion would each grant the Beyonder a completely new ability that seemed unrelated to their previous ones. At a certain point of qualitative change, these abilities would merge together, evolving into an exceptionally powerful 'profession' that incorporated them."
"In other words, it's not a progressive relationship, but rather a relationship of decomposition and combination."
Seeing that Klein seemed a little confused, Dunn raised his right hand and said:
"The normal Sequence Pathway is progressive, just like a person's physique. Starting from childhood, one grows taller step by step, interspersed with becoming stronger, heavier, and more mature."
"And the special Sequence Pathway is like this..."
At this point, Dunn gave a thumbs-up:
"This is Sequence 9."
Then, he bent his index finger:
"This is Sequence 8."
Then, he slowly bent up his remaining fingers one by one:
"Each finger is independent and seems unrelated, but in the end..."
When he uttered the word "last," Dunn had already clenched all five fingers into a firm fist!
"I understand." Klein suddenly realized, deeply agreeing with Ms. Daly's guess and the captain's analogy.
Perhaps that's true? He nodded thoughtfully.
Sequence 8 " The Clown " is completely different from Sequence 9 " The Seer," possessing entirely new abilities. Furthermore, according to the Nighthawks' internal documents, the corresponding Sequence 7 and Sequence 8 " The Clown " have no similarities...
Klein remained silent for a moment, then asked curiously:
At what stage will different abilities combine to cause a qualitative change?
Dunn took a sip of coffee and chuckled:
" Daly and I both guessed it was Sequence 4!"
"Why?" Klein blurted out.
"Because according to the Church's classification of the Sequence Pathway, Sequence 4 is the starting point of High-Sequence, and it is said to bring about a qualitative change in life and spirit. In ancient times, in the Fourth Age, strong individuals at Sequence 4 were qualified to be called Demigod. Unfortunately, in modern times, such strong individuals are extremely rare," Dunn lamented.
" Sequence 4 to Sequence 1 are High-Sequence powerhouses, so what are the Low-Sequence ones?" Klein asked with great interest.
" Sequence 9, Sequence 8, and Sequence 7 were all considered Low-Sequence a thousand years ago, but in recent centuries, the scarcity of Beyonder has led major churches to regard Sequence 7 as a middle Sequence as well." Dunn chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 are Low-Sequence, Sequence 7, Sequence 6, and Sequence 5 are Mid-Sequence, and Sequence 4 and above are High-Sequence... Klein repeated this to himself, feeling a sense of longing.
Emperor Roselle was High-Sequence powerhouse!
However, the higher the Sequence, the greater the risk of losing control... Klein thought with considerable fear.
He asked another question, seemingly casually:
What is the name of the Sequence 4 Potion from the Church of the Goddess?
"Actually, I'm not sure. My security clearance level doesn't allow access to the relevant documents yet. I'll only be able to look at them once I become a diocesan bishop or Nighthawks deacon," Dunn said with a shake of his head and a smile. "In fact, at least half of the thirteen archbishops and nine senior deacons at the top of the church are below Sequence 4. Well, that's a rather optimistic assessment. The archbishop Ince Zangwill, who was wanted before, lost control after failing to advance to Sequence 4."
The one who took away the Sealed Artifact "0-08"? His Potion seemed to be called " The Gatekeeper "... Klein thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is Sequence 5 of the Sleepless Pathway ' The Gatekeeper '?"
"No, that's the Spirit Medium Pathway. Once you reach Sequence 7 and become a bishop or the leader of Nighthawks squad, you'll be able to see the corresponding information."
" Gatekeeper " is Sequence 5 of the Spirit Medium Pathway? Does it mean guarding the gates of Hell? Or, guarding the gates of the Spirit World? Klein wondered.
"Alright, go find Old Neil and continue your studies," Dunn said with a smile. "Don't forget the big dinner tonight, at Old Weir Restaurant. A reservation has already been made. This time, I'll formally introduce you to the other Nighthawks."
"Okay, I've got the cash ready." Klein forced a smile.
"No, no need. Have you forgotten we have extra subsidies? For the portion you submit after completing the assigned task," Dunn said, waving his hand.
Klein paused for a moment, then smiled broadly and said:
"Yes, Captain!"
He turned around, walked towards the door, and began to count silently in his mind:
"Three, two, one... wait, the captain didn't call me..."
Klein stared for a long time, then was surprised to find that Captain Dunn Smith hadn't forgotten something that needed to be added.
A miracle... he silently commented in his mind.
Inside the armory, Old Neil glanced at a cheerful Klein and said:
"Don't think about the big dinner tonight. You still have a lot to learn, such as more Ritualistic Magic, Ancient Hermes, Dragonese, Elvish, and so on."
"By the way, you also have to practice combat with your teacher for at least two hours every afternoon, outside of your days off."
"Fighting? The captain didn't mention that..." Klein was startled.
Old Neil nodded and answered without hesitation:
"He forgot."