The gas lamps on the night streets illuminated the wet ground, and a horse-drawn carriage occasionally passed by, splashing droplets of water.
Klein stood in the room with an unlit fireplace, behind the bay window, gazing at the tranquil scene outside. He felt an extraordinary ease in his body, heart, and spirit.
As long as he gathered the materials and brewed the potion, he could immediately advance to Sequence 6 and become a "Faceless."
"'Magician' potion is completely digested... The 'Desire Cardinal' was personally terminated by me and couldn't escape... The '
The reason he risked intercepting the "Desire Cardinal" was because he was worried the enemy had other arrangements to successfully shake off the official Beyonders. If that happened, he himself, who had provided the key opinion, might be remembered and retaliated against later—as a "Cold-blooded One," a Demon was unlikely to risk revenge for a companion, but that didn't mean they wouldn't vent their anger for almost dying themselves.
"This operation was indeed necessary. Perhaps people from the '
After admiring the night scene for a while, he turned and walked back to the sofa, sitting down to contemplate his next arrangements: "With the bounty money from 'Machinery Hivemind', I can buy the Alterated Brain Gland and blood of the Thousand-faced Hunter. I also have enough money for the Hair of the Deep Sea Nāga. This material should be easier to gather at sea; I can ask Mr. 'Hanged Man' for help. The only problem is the characteristic of the
"And even if there are leads, I still don't have enough pounds..."
Thinking of this, Klein couldn't help but mock himself silently: "I'm not inherently a money-loving person, just a normal preference. Back in Tingen, I always encouraged Melissa to spend, and urged her and Benson to hire a maid, thinking I shouldn't shortchange myself no matter what. Every time I carry out covert operations, safety comes first, caution is paramount, and I won't let wealth affect my mind.
"But for revenge, I must advance in Sequence. To advance, I must buy expensive mystical materials. I have to save every penny and farthing, scrimping and saving..."
He suddenly hunched his shoulders, feeling the chill of the living room made the "Magician", who wasn't known for his physical prowess, shiver slightly.
He then decided to take a bath directly, burrow into the covers, and read a book in bed.
"I'll be going to bed in three or four hours anyway, no need to light the fireplace..." Klein sighed, stood up, and walked towards the second floor.
....
Underground area of the Steam Church.
Icansee finished organizing all the recorded testimonies, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.
After a few seconds of calm, he took out the ancient silver mirror called
Karlsen glanced at it and asked curiously, "Deacon, if we asked the esteemed Arrodes an unsolved problem in mathematics or a classic paradox, would it give the correct answer?"
"Most of the time, it will directly refuse. If it believes you harbor malicious intent, it might even strike you with lightning, or make you endure a curse you absolutely wouldn't want to face." Icansee sighed. "It is a living
Karlsen looked at the surrounding team members and kindly suggested, "Deacon, let me ask for you. I have nothing to hide."
He straightened his back, striking a frank and honest posture.
Icansee smiled bitterly, "There's no need. I already know what I need to know, and I am no longer afraid of such questions. Besides, the esteemed Arrodes occasionally asks quite profound questions. Given your physical condition, it might not be easy for you to withstand the subsequent punishment."
Having said that, he first clenched his fist, then spread his fingers and gently stroked the surface of the silver mirror three times.
In the subtle haze, Icansee spoke in a low voice, "Esteemed Arrodes, my question is, who, or which faction, instructed the 'Desire Cardinal' to assassinate Duke Nigen?"
The silver mirror showed no change for a brief moment, only after a while did rippling water light form an oil painting-like scene: It was a plain where the sun was about to set, the vast fields bathed in pale golden afterglow.
"What does this mean?" The "Machinery Hivemind" members, including Karlsen, looked at each other, completely unable to understand. Even though there were Beyonders among them who had advanced from "Secret Supplicant" and were not unfamiliar with interpreting revelations.
"A setting sun? A symbol of life coming to an end? A deity that believes in the God of Death, or a madman who believes in the apocalypse?" a "Secret Supplicant" deliberated.
Karlsen nodded in agreement, "I think it's the latter."
Icansee ignored their discussion, because Arrodes's question had already appeared: "What color underwear do you like best?"
Icansee's face suddenly flushed red, feeling as if smoke were rising from his head.
He uttered a single word with great difficulty: "Red."
The room suddenly became exceptionally quiet. Karlsen and the others pretended nothing was wrong and looked towards the corner.
Icansee sat down as if exhausted, grabbed his fluffy hair, and prepared to ask a second question.
Karlsen said sympathetically, "Deacon, let me give it a try."
"...Just try not to enter the punishment phase." Icansee finally nodded in agreement.
Karlsen confidently imitated the deacon's actions, gently stroking the surface of the silver mirror three times, while the other members gathered around again.
"Esteemed Arrodes, my question is, who are the collaborators of the 'Desire Cardinal'?"
Water light rippled, the image changed, and the surface of the silver mirror first presented the back view of a woman with an exceptionally good figure.
Next, a figure so blurry that one could only barely tell from their attire that it was a male.
"There really is another collaborator! This should be the person who sold out Duke Nigen's information! Unfortunately, they did some processing to conceal their identity..." Karlsen looked around.
He felt he had no dirty secrets to hide, so he didn't need to worry about the subsequent question.
This time, Arrodes gave the choice of a question, a task, or punishment.
Karlsen said without hesitation, "Question!"
The surface of the silver mirror quickly outlined words dripping with fresh blood: