The Lord Of Mysteries
Chapter 19: Sealed Artifacts
"We are guards, but also a bunch of pathetic bastards who are constantly battling danger and madness."
The corridor outside the window was tightly shut, the walls were ice-cold. The room was illuminated with bright yellow lights. Dunn Smith's delivery resounded, sending punch after punch into Klein's heart. It left him at a loss for words for a while.
Dunn shook her head and smiled when she saw Klein silent.
"Are you very disappointed? Outsiders are not what you imagine. We always walk beside danger."
"There is always a price for every profit." Klein recovered from his shock as he replied with a quivering voice.
It was true that he had never imagined that the halo, extraordinary, and extraordinary aspect of the Beyonder would have such a hidden threat. Perhaps it was only because he heard the description without witnessing it directly and that he had been sucked into the vortex with the strange incident that had already befallen him. Klein immediately controlled his fears, anxieties, worries, and fears.
Of course, the thought of retreating was inevitable; it lingered around and refused to leave.
"Not bad. Very mature and rational ..." Dunn spent the last mouthful of coffee and added, "Also, Beyonders isn't as strong as you might imagine, especially the Low Order Beyonder. Heh, why do we use 1 to represent the highest value and 9 the lowest? Is this not contrary to intuition and logic? The low order we often mention refers to the low value or the high number. They are the starting point of the chain of Sequences.
"All right, where am I? Yes, Beyonders is not as strong as you might imagine. The power of the Beyonder Low order was no match for weapons, let alone cannons. They are simply more attractive and untenable than firearms. If you have a chance to do so to become a Beyonder in the future, you should consider what I am saying today carefully. Don't make rash decisions."
Klein gave a self-deprecating smile.
"i don't even know when I'll have a chance."
He felt that he would not miss the opportunity if it presented itself. Consuming the wrong herbs or potions ranked higher in the Sequence is largely avoidable. The main potential danger was the subtle influence of the herb and what he experienced from the improved auditory and visual perception.
For the first, he could utilize the experience of the previous generation. As long as he was in no hurry to advance himself and patiently held control over his strength, the chances of losing control were relatively low. Furthermore, he still had to solve the potential problems he was currently facing. He must understand the essence of mysticism and find a way to transmigrate back. This is the underlying reason for taking the first step. He's not after a higher order. If it was easy to lose control, he could just forget about progress, stay in his original Order, and rely on knowledge to plan the 'back' path'.
There is no need to describe the potential risks. Back when Klein held a fortune-raising ritual, he was on the verge of going crazy. The mutter that almost blew his head was still fresh in his mind. They were not inescapable by not being Beyonder; therefore, it was better to gain the strength that allowed him to defend himself.
With this in mind, Klein felt that the pros clearly outweighed the cons. It made his thoughts about withdrawal almost disappear.
Dunn picked up her pipe again as her gray eyes carried a trace of a smile towards them.
"i can't give you an accurate answer about this. To become a Beyonder, first of all, you have to make enough contributions. Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, you will be able to interpret important ancient documents. Maybe you'll be able to give us a valuable.idea for one of our cases? Second, it depends on the arrangements of the higher-ups. No one can be sure.
"Alright, I'm sure you should know a little bit about Beyonders by now. In the future, do not make hasty decisions. Now, I'll introduce you to the civil work of our Nighthawk team."
He stood up and walked to the door. He pointed in the opposite direction of the Chanis Gate and said, "We have an accountant and another person in charge of procuring needs and collecting supplies provided by the Church and the police department while standing as a train driver. They are professionals and do not need to take turns, so they can rest on the weekends. The other three civilian staff are Rozanne, Bredt, and Old Neil. Their jobs include: serving visitors, cleaning rooms, and writing case files and inventory lists. They also maintain armories, warehouses, and archives, strictly enforcing registration if one wishes to enter, retrieve or return items. Each of them has one day off a week, in addition to Sunday. They negotiated among themselves about his arrangements.night shift and day break."
"So, is the scope of my work the same as that of Rozanne and the others?" Klein swept his thoughts about Beyonders and tried to clarify his job responsibilities.
"No, there's no need. You're a professional" Dunn said with a smile. "You have two tasks now. First, every morning or evening, take a walk outside. Focus on the various paths that lead from where Welch is to where you are."
"What?" Klein.
What kind of job is this?
Is it very professional?
Dunn put her hand in her black jacket pocket and said, "After you confirm that you have lost your memory, we will close the case of Welch and Naya. Similarly, the diary of the Antigonus family had disappeared completely. We suspect that you took her. You may have hidden her on the way home which may be the reason we didn't find any clues in your place. It's also likely the reason why you weren't there and chose to kill yourself at home.
"Although you are mysteriously affected and have forgotten this part of memory, the human soul and brain are dazzling, so there may be traces left. Daly may not be able to obtain it through his suggestion as a medium, but that does not mean that they do not exist Maybe you will feel deja vu in a familiar and critical place.
"That's what we want to get."
"understand." Klein.
The Nighthawks' reduction of the diary's location did make sense.
He was the only one who lived among the people involved. Only he had the time and motive to take the diary and hide it on the way home!
"i hope." Klein nodded.
Dunn changed the subject again.
"Secondly, you get a day off every week.You can decide what day it is for now. When you're not outside, go to our armory and read the canon literature and books. This is a job for professional historians. When you get things done, you have to start taking turns with Old Neil and the others."
"All right, no problem." Klein sighed in relief.
It's not something that's too hard…
At this moment, Dunn turned her body in half and pointed to the black gate that was swinging outward that was carved with seven holy emblems.
"This is Chanis Gate. Named after the creator of the modern Nighthawk system, Archbishop Chanis. There is one below the central cathedral in every major city.
"It was guarded by formal Nighthawk members in turn. Inside, there were at least two 'Guardians' sent by the Church, as well as countless traps. You must not approach him under any circumstances; otherwise, misfortune will befall you. "
"That sounds scary," Klein expressed his feelings.
"The "area inside is divided into several zones. Inside it stored the formula of certain herbs for certain Sequences and other magical ingredients. It was also used to temporarily restrain heretics, mutants, cults, and members of secret organizations. Heh heh, they will eventually be sent to the Holy Cathedral," Dunn said in passing.
Sacred Cathedral? The headquarters of the Church of the Goddess Overnight located in Winter County to the north of the kingdom, Serenity Cathedral? Klein slightly nodded as if he was thinking about this matter.
"In addition, there were all sorts of confidential documents and records inside. When you get a higher pass, you may have a chance to read it." Dunn hesitated for a moment before adding, "After Chanis Gate, there are also Closed Artifacts in the basement."
"Sealed Artifacts?" Klein pondered his terms.
That sounds like a special term.
"Some of the outstanding items we collect and take are too important and magic. If it falls into the wrong hands, it will cause great destruction. Therefore, we should keep it a secret and watch it carefully. We can only use it under special circumstances. Moreover.." With that said, Dunn paused for a moment before continuing, "In addition, there are some things inside that are very special. They have certain 'living' characteristics that can lure the Guardians into affecting the environment, trying to escape, and causing disastrous results. They must be tightly controlled."
"How enchanting," Klein remarked sadly.
"Nighthawk Headquarters has categorized these Closed Artifacts into four levels. Level 0 represents Extremely Dangerous. They have the highest interests and highest secrecy. They are not to be asked, disseminated, explained, or spied upon. They can only be sealed in the basement of the Holy Cathedral," Dunn explained in detail. "Class 1 is Dangerous. They can be used in a limited way. Their security clearance is limited to diocesan bishops or Nighthawk deacons and above. The central cathedral of diocesan headquarters such as Backlund can hold one to two artifacts. The rest will be handed over to the Holy Cathedral.
"Class 2 is Dangerous. They can be used with caution and not in excess. A security permit requires one to be the bishop or captain of a Nighthawk team and above. Central cathedrals in different cities can hold three to five artifacts. The rest will be kept turned into a Holy Cathedral or diocesan headquarters. Level 3 is Dangerous. They should be used with caution. This can only be applied to surgeries that require three or more people. Security clearance requires one to be an official member of the Nighthawks ."
"In the future, you will see the appropriate documents. Through the numbers, you can understand what they represent. For example, 2-125 means it is a Hazardous Grade Sealed Artifact No. 125."
As Dunn continued, she suddenly turned around and returned to her room. He pulled out a piece of paper from the bottom of the drawer.
"By the way, look at this. Three years ago, a newly appointed archbishop lost control. For some unknown reason, he stormed through various levels of protection and disappeared mysteriously with a Class 0 Closed Artifact. Memorize this photo. If you find him, don't be wary or bother him. Come back to report it immediately or the chance of you dying in the line of duty is a thousand percent."
"What?" Klein received a piece of paper. There is no title on it, just a black and white photo with a few lines of words.
"inspiring Zangwill. The male. Forty years. The former archbishop. A Gatekeeper who fails in his promotion and is persuaded by the devil and corrupted. He escaped with the Closed Artifact 0-08. The special features are…"
The picture depicts Ince Zangwill wearing an all-black priest robe with buttons on both sides and a soft hat. Her hair was dark blonde and her pupils were so blue that they were almost black. He had a sharp nose and his lips were tightly clenched. His facial features were like a classic sculpture without wrinkles. The most striking characteristic is that he is blind in one eye.
"The broken description is very detailed but the only thing about the Sealed Artifacts is the code name .." Klein honestly offered his first impression.
"Eat it in the highest security clearance. The Sealed Artifact Search No. 0-08 is only explained orally and never written in words. Even so, the description will be a little," Dunn said with a sigh. "0-08 seems to be an ordinary pen, but there is no need for ink to write. That's all."
Dunn didn't dive deeper into the topic. He pulled the gold chain on his black jacket and took out a beautiful pocket watch of the same color. He clicked on it and took a quick look before pointing outside.
"I've told you everything you need to know. Go to the armory to find Old Neil. Have him arrange the documents you need to read. He is no ordinary civilian. He was once an official member, but due to his advanced age, he failed to move up the ranks. His health is ill, so he is no longer suitable for handling cases. Furthermore, he did not wish to become an internal Guard or rest at home. All he wanted was to be accompanied by documents and notes.”