After several minutes, the door creaked open, and Klein walked out of the alchemy room.
Selina looked at the newly advanced Nighthawk with curiosity and felt something was different. She tilted her head slightly waiting for a reaction.
Klein tipped his top hat, and smiled at the lady with silver braided-bun hair next to the door.
Then, out of nowhere, he took the hat off and threw it. Selina fell into a daze, she saw it rotated in the air and landed back into Klein's hand.
"I am now a Clown!" Klein exclaimed. The rush of joy made him do multiple agonizing bents but without any pain.
He used his top hat and cane to perform feats a professional acrobat and a clown at the circus could do—rolling the brim of hip top hat from his right arm, to his shoulder, and then to his right arm.
The cane spun across the back of his shoulders before sliding into his waiting palm. Without looking, Klein flicked the hat skyward, ducked beneath it in a theatrical bow, and caught it behind his back.
Selina was chuckling, pressing a finger on her lips. "Very impressive. Should I throw some coins next King Sun?"
Klein stopped. He smiled awkwardly, "Hehe... so? What do you think?"
"I think it suits you already." Selina couldn't stop suppressing her laugh. Right away, Klein felt a miniscule of potion was stirring inside him.
Klein paused at the pose he was in, completely unaware that the door was opened and Cesimir was watching from within, preparing to leave.
"But you know... you should've closed the door before doing that." Only when Selina glanced behind him did Klein froze.
"I feels nice to impress huh?" Cesimir, even if his mouth is hidden, looks as if he was toying with Klein.
At that instant. Klein felt all his muscles contract and subsequently became a statue out of shock.
...
Later, in the midst of his thoughts, Klein observed himself once again. He wanted to see if the Clown potion had brought along any other abilities.
According to the confidential records of the Nighthawks, if the potion would allow the person who consumed it to gain mastery over a certain spell, the person would be able to faintly detect what kinds of spells he obtained after advancing as if he was being instilled with knowledge.
But I don't sense any of that. In other words, Clown doesn't come with the ability to quickly cast spells, as reported in the confidential records of the Nighthawks... Could the meaning of "crafty" be that I can now effectively use my expressions and body language to more easily fool people with my lies? Klein stretched his neck while seriously analyzing his current condition.
At this moment, he couldn't help but think back to the suited clown he had encountered previously. The clown's peculiar and varied spells had left a deep impression.
Hmm, that member of the Secret Order is probably a Sequence 7 Beyonder. His clown getup was purely to mask his facial features to avoid being placed on a wanted list... It's no wonder that he could hold his own against two Sequence 7s and a Sequence 8... If he had deciphered the fact that I wasn't under the influence of Sealed Artifact 2-049 and avoided falling under its control, ten of me might not have been enough to deal with him.
Of course, Clown is not completely devoid of spells. There are still spells like these...
"Klein?" Selina's voice resounded next to him, abruptly snapping Klein into his sense.
Right away, he smiled, and he excitedly told her about the capabilities of the Clown potion and how the advancement go.
"Is that so? I didn't heard anything when I came into this place. Before, I woke up and was already a beyonder of the Apothecary pathway." Selina thought while walking.
Already an Apothecary? At that moment, Klein grew hesitant. But in amid of it, Selina said excitedly.
"Even though I didn't get to become Sequence 8 before Old Neil... sigh, I still want to advance. Seeing you healthy puts me at ease.
"Mhm, I'll write a special application now!"
"Wait." Klein stopped her on their way at the partition. He heard Selina asked but his chaotic thoughts screamed of something he fears.
Seeing her paused and look at him curiously, it took him quite a long time to settle.
"Let me help you."
...
After minutes in the clerk office. Selina had succeeded writing an application letter. She calmed her nerves and sighed a relief.
"I wonder what will Captain say if right after a member's advancing, another is going to follow."
Klein chuckled and replied mellowly, "Maybe glitched when in the middle of his coffee? When are you going to submit it?"
"...Now, yes, the sooner I advance, the better." Selina smiled cheerily at Klein.
Upon seeing that reaction, Klein couldn't find himself from denying her that mood. He nodded and even joked, "Now it would truly shock Captain."
They returned to the Captain's office, and saw the door was wide open, enough to glimpse at the refined furnishings inside. Dunn Smith was leaning back in his chair, sniffing at his pipe.
When Dunn swept his gray eyes at them and noticed a paper clipped on Selina's hands, he changed his seating posture.
It's undeniable that in his voice, it was tinged with surprise, "I didn't think you would request so soon. Are you waiting for Klein to advance first?"
Actually, it was Klein who discouraged advancing before him. Not that I don't mind... Selina gave a faint smile and answered, "Yes."
"That's good. Klein's treating you well." Dunn then shifted to Klein. "As for you. You seem to be in good shape, nothing like someone who had just consumed a potion."
"This might be the advantage of fully digesting a potion before leveling up." Klein closed the door behind him after Selina entered.
Because there's only one high-back chair, he simply stood right next to her.
Since everyone in the room knew about the "acting method," their oath didn't keep them from talking about the "acting method" with each other. They could exchange their thoughts about it, but no one didn't bring it up with a tacit understanding. They fell silent at the same time after the exchange.
Klein thought and asked, "Has His Grace left?"
Right... well, I can wait for some time... only now did Selina thought of that. However, she's more focused on submitting than advancing the same day.
"Yes, as a high-ranking deacon, he has other matters to take care of." Dunn smiled, happy to add, "But he said he'll return three days later."
Return? Selina and Klein exchanged looks before the latter asked curiously, "Is there a reason why He would return after a short time?"
"I don't know either. Perhaps during the examination of Selina he figured it won't be long before her turn comes." Dunn said thoughtfully.
Is this how powerful Sequence 5s are? Able to glimpse at the future? Selina's eyes lit up in a daze until Klein nudged her to hand the application.
"I'll be sending to him at a later date." Dunn informed. Suddenly, he paused and said, "Oh, and the Archbishop also took the pair of red eyeballs that remained after Old Neil died."
Selina was shocked and confused.
"Why?"
Klein seemed to also wish to know the answer.
Dunn picked up his coffee and took a sip. He answered after a long silence, "We shouldn't lie to ourselves. A Rampager is in fact already a monster, and as I told you before, monsters leave behind things that are rich with Beyonder powers after they die. When these relics can't be controlled, they have to be sealed. Yes, that is one of the most common origins of Sealed Artifacts. According to the Nighthawks' internal rules, the items left behind by Rampagers need to be stored elsewhere, so that they won't trigger their partners."
"A logical rule." Selina heard Klein and saw him nod heavily.
Items left behind by Rampagers... most common originas of Sealed Artifacts... In the documents Yesir gave, it is said that beyonder characteristics formed from a beyonder's corpse...
Rampagers are beyonders that lost control, they leave behind things that contain their powers. Also, in the Church of Mother's documents, it is said that the higher the sequence, the rarer the main ingredients will be... Selina widened the scope of her speculations while plunging into deep thought.
By the seconds, she grew to realize that those are beyonder characteristics.
Suddenly, Klein sharply noticed that the Captain had missed out something. So, he asked curiously, "What if the item left behind is controllable?"
Dunn looked at him, his gray eyes were deep like a quiet night.
He sighed and said, "You wouldn't want to know the answer."
Wouldn't want to know? After hearing that, countless things resurfaced within Selina.
Normal monsters left behind Beyonder ingredients which could be used to make potions. Those are beyonder characteristics...
For Rampagers, it's the same...
If they left behind controllable items, those things can be use as Beyonder ingredients?
Realizing that, Selina turned away in disgust. Finding it hard not to retch.
This is such a terrifying theory... But it's likely closer to truth! In that instant, she had a deeper understanding of sayings like "To fight against the abyss, we have to endure the corruption of the abyss," and "We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."
At the same time, Klein also mirrored the same reaction. Seeing their response, Dunn suddenly laughed. There was a twinkling light in his gray eyes.
"Think about it on the brighter side of things, you can think of it as our teammates watching over us in a different form. They will be with us forever."
After saying that, Dunn lowered his head, picked up his coffee, and brought it to his mouth.
After nearly twenty seconds of silence, he lifted his head and said, "And you don't have to worry. As long as we can find sources of Beyonder ingredients, we wouldn't do what you were thinking about.
"Alright, Klein, according to the rules, you'll receive a day off since you just advanced. You can decide whether or not you want to go to your combat training this afternoon, but you have to inform Gawain either way."
Selina opened her mouth, but closed it afterwards. She wanted to say "I can inform him" but she figured Klein wouldn't allow her to go out alone.
After all, witnessing Old Neil and the revelation of her Spirit Vision, the beyonder they tested this on likely isn't alone.
Thus, when Klein included his wishes to use his morning routine for learning techniques in monitoring and tracking, that meant she's going to follow.
For anyone else in her shoe, they might thought she's being oppressed. But for Selina, she didn't mind any of that.
Because the least thing Klein want, is for someone he's trying to protect, oppose him.
Dunn gave Klein a piercing look and sighed.
"You're tougher than I imagined. As you wish."
"Thank you Captain." Klein waited until Selina got up.
"We'll be leaving." she waved goodbye before being offered by Klein to head out first, a sign of etiquette.
...
The Tussock River ran through Backlund and harbors that dotted around the area.
Alger Wilson wore the long priest robes of the Church of the Lord of Storms as he walked down from the passenger ship slowly.
He saw people walking to and fro around the harbor with countless port workers sweating under the sun. It was a bustling yet noisy scene.
"It's been a while, Backlund," Alger muttered to himself.