Klein unfolded the letter paper, his heart full of anticipation and trepidation, and began to read Azik's reply: «…The scene you described reminds me of some possibilities, specifically Vampires and Aberrations.»
«Natural-born vampires were nearly extinct before the dragons and giants left the stage of history. Afterwards, they could only be discovered occasionally. The vampires we usually talk about, the ones in folklore, are closer to Beyonders. I recall the name of a potion at a certain Sequence in a certain pathway is precisely 'Vampire'.»
«If your superior is already in a half-crazed state, it's very likely he mistakenly consumed this potion. Mixing potions from two different pathways will inevitably result in half-crazedness. Mm, I faintly recall that the 'Evernight' pathway, which is the 'Sleepless' pathway you mentioned, can be swapped with the 'Death' pathway and the '
«Of course, it is also possible that your superior accepted this consciously. After all, a 'Vampire' can enjoy a very long life, excellent physique, and outstanding appearance. Compared to these benefits, a state of half-crazedness is not unacceptable.»
Klein was stunned. He hadn't expected Mr. Azik to provide such valuable information.
The "Death" pathway refers to the "Corpse Collector" pathway. It can be swapped with the "Sleepless" pathway at high Sequences. This was a secret I had already learned from Emperor Roselle's diary, but I never imagined they could also be swapped with the "Giant" pathway at Sequence 4 and beyond… The "Giant" pathway is the one mastered by the Silver City, which is now the "
Hmm, Emperor Roselle's diary describes the
Reasoning based on this assumption, the hostility between the three oldest churches—the
Hmm, in the "Era of the Pale" at the end of the last epoch, the main driving forces behind the fall of the God of Death were probably the
The captain's usual state is very normal. Apart from his poor memory, there isn't a single sign of half-crazedness. So, the possibility of him having consumed a 'Vampire' potion can be ruled out!
Mr. Azik seems to have recalled quite a lot recently… Could "
Klein nodded lightly and continued reading: «‘Aberration’ is not the name of a race, but a description of many similar creatures. In their normal state, they are indistinguishable from humans, but in their hearts, they harbor instinctual, twisted, suppressed desires. As soon as they encounter a specific scene or are stimulated by a specific thing, they will erupt, turning into monsters and indulging their bloodlust, killing, and other desires without restraint.»
«When everything calms down, they return to normal. But with every eruption, they become a little more heartless, eventually twisting their minds completely.»
«The most common example I can recall is the werewolf. They are akin to ordinary humans normally and cannot be identified by most Beyonder abilities. However, during a full moon, the twisted desires in their hearts intensify, and their bodies will correspondingly undergo certain changes.»
«Your superior might just be a latent 'Aberration.' The death of his teammates triggered his nature.»
«The above are just my own personal guesses. Because my memory is incomplete, I cannot guarantee there aren't other possibilities. Perhaps the precursor to losing control that you guessed could also explain it.»
«Regardless of whether he consumed the 'Vampire' potion or is inherently an 'Aberration,' there is no saving him. Of course, some people have speculated that 'Aberrations' were originally normal humans who were contaminated by a strange curse or an evil god or demon, which is why they turn into different monsters under specific conditions.»
«Additionally, I am not sure if the loss of control that only has precursors can be treated. I suggest you report directly to your superior's superior. I hope it's not too late.»
Laying down the letter paper, Klein looked solemnly at his desk, thinking for a long time.
He had to admit that the existence of "Aberrations" was a possibility, but the factor of the precursor to losing control also couldn't be ruled out.
«I just have to wait for Ms. Daly's feedback… I sent the letter the night before last. She should have received it yesterday morning. If she replied promptly, I would have seen it last night or this morning… It's almost noon now… Did that little messenger dare not approach the
In the hazy world, he suddenly became clear-headed, knowing that he was dreaming.
Then, he saw
Responding as one does in a dream, Klein slowly greeted him: «Good morning… Captain…»
Dunn nodded gently and said, «Leonard discovered a clue while investigating the Lanarlus case. He needs your help.»
«The Mystery Pryer sent by the Holy Cathedral won't be able to arrive until tomorrow morning because of a malfunction on the steam train.»
«Alright…» Klein replied in an ethereal tone.
Dunn thought for a moment and added, «You don't need to go back to Zouteland Street. Go straight to 62 Howles Street. Leonard will be waiting for you there.»
«Thank you for your hard work.»
As soon as he finished speaking, Klein's dream shattered inch by inch, and his eyes instinctively snapped open.