Chapter 207: Guardian
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Dunn sighed.
“I did want to send you away back then since I was going to do sothing that involves the secrets of the Church and the Nighthawks. But Kenley’s death left my mind in chaos. At that mont, all I could think of was a clumsy excuse, thus, giving you the opportunity to witness what I was doing.”
“What secret is that?” Klein pressed, now being more at ease.
He had almost forgotten about the threat of the evil god’s son, or the existence of a legendary creature outside.
Dunn weighed his words and said, “There might be a law in mysticism. Heh, even though I haven’t read many books, I’m still aware of what a law ans.
“This law is called ‘Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility.’
“The characteristics of a Beyonder is never destroyed or reduced. It’s only passed from one carrier to the next.”
Klein’s eyes opened wide. He suddenly ca to a realization and asked thoughtfully, “For example, the Sealed Artifacts, mysterious objects, or a potion’s main ingredients that are left behind by Beyonders who have lost control?”
“Correct.” Dunn nodded solemnly. “This isn’t only the case for Beyonders who lose control; it’s also the sa for normal Beyonders after they die.”
“The sa...” Klein mulled over Dunn’s description, now having a faint idea of what the Captain was doing.
He suddenly recalled when the suited clown died. He recalled the blue, thumb-sized blood sphere that was suspended beside the corpse of the suited clown. Frye’s explanation had been that there would always be strange transformations after a Beyonder died.
Dunn continued with his deep gray eyes, “But what’s different about Beyonders who lose control is that a Beyonder who dies normally won’t leave behind ingredients or objects. Th-they’re equivalent to a potion, a potion that corresponds to their Sequences, except that they’re lacking a certain amount of supplentary ingredients.”
Equivalent to potions... Equivalent to potions! Klein squinted as a flash of inspiration went through his mind. The endless darkness in his mind was illuminated in that instant.
He suddenly understood many things, figuring out why the Beyonder pathways wouldn’t be broken, even if the creatures used as main ingredients were going extinct.
Apart from using substitutes, one could also simply use the remains of Beyonders!
That should also be the reason why they only handed out complete potions at the higher Sequences! Another reason is to prevent the formula from being revealed to people adept at divination or diumship rituals... Many guesses went through Klein’s mind.
Dunn looked at the recreation room and explained in a deep voice, “A few years ago... Well... I can’t exactly rember just exactly how many years it was, but I wasn’t the Captain of the Nighthawks back then. I unexpectedly realized this problem, and after interacting with Daly, who had just beco a Beyonder, I imdiately sent a report to the Holy Cathedral. The Holy Cathedral told to keep it a secret and gave two choices. Heh heh, that’s also the reason why it’s , and not Daly, who’s explaining this to you. Whoever exposes this is responsible for it.
“The first choice was to pretend to know nothing, just like a large number of Nighthawk Captains and Deacons, and allow the Holy Cathedral to continue dealing with the remains of Beyonders who died through normal ans. The second was for them to give a unique, simple ritual and the corresponding techniques. It would allow to temporarily consu the items produced by the unique characteristics within a limited period of ti. Well, this is only suitable for Sequences of the sa pathway at my level or lower.
“This would augnt my Beyonder characteristics, and I would also beco more powerful. In terms of abilities regarding dreams, my powers now are not too different from a Sequence 6’s. That’s also the reason why I dared to deal with Madam Sharon.”
“So that’s why... To think that sothing like this exists...” Klein slowly exhaled.
He finally understood why he couldn’t co up with a logical explanation despite his best efforts. That was because he didn’t have all the relevant information and was unable to fill in the blanks.
Yes, this does match the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility... Would consuming these characteristics cause a qualitative change in the Captain by constantly accumulating them? Klein allowed his mind to wander.
After glancing at him, Dunn let out a bitter smile.
“I chose the second option, but not because I wanted to beco more powerful. If I wanted to beco more powerful, quickly digesting a potion and receiving an advancent is the best and most direct way.”
“Yes,” Klein agreed sincerely. “Consolidating the characteristics of the potions of the sa Sequence will increase the risk of losing control at the sa ti as it improves your abilities, right?”
Dunn shook his head solemnly. “No, these are the remains of normal Beyonders and not Beyonders who have lost control. Well, after I ca to know of the acting thod, I realized that it would increase the difficulty of digesting the potion.”
“Then why do you still continue?” Klein asked in shock.
Dunn placed his hand into his pocket, intending to take out his pipe, only to find that he had left it in his office.
He shook his head and let out a self-deprecating smile.
“I just said that becoming more powerful isn’t the reason why I consu their remains.”
Having said that, he paused, his eyes wandering to the blue flicker of the gas lamp opposite where he was standing.
“They were all my partners... We’ve gone through many things together. We’ve dealt with monsters in the darkness and insane heretics together. So of them have saved , and I’ve saved quite a number of them. We walked together in the silent night. We fought together in battles that aren’t visible to the general public. We faced danger together. We had each other’s backs.
“I really can’t bear to part with them. I rember the lad, Hitte. He broke into tears the first ti we went on a dangerous mission. I rember Adelaide, heh—he was Rozanne’s father. He once blocked an evil curse for with his arm. I rember the lady, Dwayne, and her warm temperant which was like the dawn. She would always silently record the things we encountered. I rember Kenley being soone who knew how to do many things like play the seven-string guitar, sing, tell stories, even though he wasn’t tall. He was more like a poet than Leonard... I miss them very much.
“I hoped to continue fighting with them, to continue dealing with the monsters in the darkness, to deal with the crazy heretics, to protect Tingen City with them. Thus, I chose to consu their remains.”
Dunn’s gray eyes seed to flicker. His reliable and dependable persona broke down considerably at that mont.
His lips arched upward slightly as he continued, “They’re still with in my dreams. Adelaide loves to read, and he often reads at the solarium. He often tells to discipline Rozanne and get her to mature faster, to the point that Rozanne complains about becoming more and more like her father and has beco scared of . Hitte is a person who cannot sit still and has to hunt in the forest every day. Dwayne always stands by the window of her bedroom and watches us chat. Kenley, who recently joined, created his own seven-string guitar and sings while strumming it... I really miss them.”
“Captain...” Klein subconsciously muttered. His eyes beca blurred and watery. He couldn’t help but rub his eyes and curse in his heart. Fuck. Captain, you’re making cry...
But I finally understand the reason for the Captain’s slow progress despite using the “acting thod”... Klein let out a silent sigh.
“Unfortunately, Old Neil died after losing control. Otherwise, he would’ve brought along much joy to us.” Dunn retracted his gaze. He lowered his head and massaged the bridge of his nose.
A few seconds later, he lifted his head and let out a bitter smile.
“This is a selfish decision.
“I don’t know what the true wishes of Adelaide, Kenley, and the rest were, and, thus, selfishly made a decision for them.
“I truly am a selfish person.”
“No...” Klein shook his head.
...
On the sofa in the receptionist area, Leonard watched gose pull out clumps of her hair as his expression beca more and more rigid.
gose seed increasingly restless as she constantly picked up the glass for a mouthful of water. She looked at Leonard with a contorted expression.
“I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel a little unwell.”
Leonard Mitchell was about to reply when he suddenly saw gose reach for her face. She clawed out a piece of flesh—a long piece of flesh—a piece of flesh stained with blood.
“My face is a little itchy.” gose smiled, a little embarrassed. The edge of her lips spread to where her cheekbones were, revealing a row of white teeth and bright red gums.
FUCK! Leonard cursed out silently. He felt that the situation was worsening way too quickly.
His lips quivering, Leonard turned to listen as his expression imdiately turned steely green.
He forced a smile and apologized to gose, who was clawing out pieces of her flesh.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
“Al... right...” gose’s tone beca ethereal.
She rubbed her belly and said, “My... child... is a little restless...”
Leonard didn’t reply. He hastened his footsteps and approached the partition.
After entering the corridor, Leonard stared deeply at the box of ash in Dunn Smith’s hands and exhaled in exasperation.
Following that, his expression turned firm.
“Captain, I’m afraid that it’s too late. We have to deal with gose and her baby imdiately. Otherwise, the whole of Tingen will suffer terrible losses. This isn’t sothing that can be avoided just by evacuating the citizens around us. I know that you’ve already sent such a telegram.”
Dunn knitted his eyebrows and asked, unusually stern, “Are you sure that the situation has worsened to such an extent?”
“Yes. In no more than three minutes, gose will undergo a mutation, and her child will descend upon us,” Leonard said with a certain tone.
At the sa ti, he glanced at the thick, large blood vessel wrapped around Klein’s hand and said, “Sealed Artifact 2-105? Let use it. I can better utilize its abilities.”
“Alright.” Klein didn’t hesitate to hand the Blood Vessel Thief over to Leonard.
That was sothing he intended to do so from the beginning.
At that mont, Dunn tugged at his collar and patted down his windbreaker. He spoke with a determined tone, “I’ll head out with Saint Selena’s ashes first. Co out after ten seconds; rember, co out only after you finish counting to ten. Then, regardless of my condition, direct your strongest attacks at gose and her baby without wasting any ti.”
With that said, he turned around and walked towards the partition with the urn of ashes.
“Captain...” Klein let out a shout, his lips dry.
“Captain!” Leonard also shouted.
Dunn stopped and looked back. He had a gentle expression as he said with his llow voice, “Don’t worry about . I’m not alone. Adelaide, Dwayne, Hitte, and Kenley are all fighting alongside , no matter what kind of danger I face.”
He paused for a mont before speaking, his gray eyes gentle.
“There’s no need to be too nervous as well. We’re guarding Tingen City.”
His lips arched upwards, forming his usual smile.
After saying those words, he didn’t stay any longer. He stepped through the partition, his black windbreaker following behind him.
“Captain!” Klein and Leonard shouted at the sa ti, their tears falling uncontrollably, but Dunn didn’t slow down.
We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.
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