Klein, hiding in the shadows of a house a few dozen meters away, kept his eyes fixed on the target building in the darkness. He faintly heard a fierce wind and clearly distinguished the popping sounds of gunfire.
"If an enemy flees in my direction, should I draw my gun as a bluff, or pretend I didn't see them?" he wondered, his body trembling slightly, his palms sweating.
A Beyonder who could use various means to shorten the life of a dying man was absolutely not just Sequence 9 or Sequence 8. He was a Seer, not someone who could directly confront such a being. Even if he sacrificed himself, it might not delay the opponent enough to create an opportunity for Dunn and Leonard to catch up.
Fortunately, the Evernight Goddess, the Mistress of Misfortune, seemed to have heard the prayers of Her "faithful" guard. No one ever fled towards Klein's hiding spot.
After several minutes, he heard a drifting song coming from the target building.
Tilting his ear to listen carefully, Klein confirmed it was a folk tune that Leonard Mitchell often hummed, filled with vulgar lyrics.
"Phew..." He breathed a sigh of relief. Holding a gun in one hand and a cane in the other, he stepped out of the shadows and approached the target building.
This folk tune was exactly the rendezvous signal agreed upon between him, Dunn, and the others.
Just as he took two steps, Klein suddenly stopped. He leaned his cane against the nearby iron fence and switched his revolver to his other hand.
Then, he untied the silver chain from inside his cuff and let the citrine pendulum fall naturally.
After exchanging the positions of the revolver and the pendulum, Klein waited for the citrine's swinging to stabilize. He half-closed his eyes, entered a meditative state, and silently recited his divination statement:
"That singing just now was an illusion." "That singing just now was an illusion."
...
After reciting it seven times, he opened his eyes and saw the pendulum swinging counterclockwise.
"Not an illusion..." Klein felt his heart settle back into place. He tucked the pendulum away, picked up his cane, and quickly approached the arched iron gate of the target building. He transferred the silver-inlaid black cane to his right hand, holding it together with the revolver.
The moment he reached out to touch the iron bars, intending to push the gate open, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold, as if someone had shoved a handful of ice down his collar without any warning.
"Hisss!" Klein instantly snatched his hand back, grimacing in pain.
"It's like winter here..." He looked through the iron gate into the garden behind it, illuminated by the faint starlight and distant streetlamps. He saw withered branches, dead flowers, and many leaves covered with white frost scattered on the dark brown soil.
Impressive! Klein inwardly exclaimed. He tapped his forehead twice with his finger, activating his Spirit Vision.
He used his left hand to retrieve the silver-inlaid black wooden cane, propped it against the gate, and pushed open the unlatched door.
As it creaked, he sidestepped through it and stepped onto the stone path leading directly to the grayish-blue building. Plants, vaguely resembling specters in the darkness, lined both sides of the path.
Such a scene involuntarily made Klein think of all kinds of ghost stories and horror movies.
He subconsciously slowed his breathing and quickened his steps. But after walking just a few meters, someone suddenly tapped his left shoulder.
Thump! Thump! Klein's heart first skipped a beat, then began to pound violently.
He raised his right hand, aiming his revolver in that direction. Then, he slowly turned around and looked.
In the dim light, he saw a tree branch swaying, on the verge of falling.
"Am I scaring myself?" A corner of Klein's mouth twitched. He swung his cane, knocking the branch down.
He continued forward. Faint weeping and wailing began to sound in his ears. His eyes caught sight of transparent, blurry, almost formless "Wraiths".
These Wraiths, sensing the breath of a living person and the warmth of flesh and blood, surged toward him.
Klein was startled, immediately broke into a run, and dashed straight into the front door of the grayish-blue house.
Is this what the Captain meant by "feeling the atmosphere"? It really is much scarier than the time I helped Sir Deville... The resentment is obviously more rigid than the Wraiths, and they don't actively attack... He walked as he thought toward the altar in the center of the living room. It was a round table covered with crudely made wooden dolls, along with three extinguished candles.
Dunn Smith stood before the altar, his back to Klein, picking up and examining the dolls one by one.
"Corpse Collector" Fry silently watched the drifting "Wraiths". He tried to reach out and soothe them, but his hand simply passed through them powerlessly. The "Wraiths" did not attack him either, as if they regarded him as one of their own.
Seeing Klein arrive, Leonard Mitchell's tone changed, becoming deep and magnetic:
"'Tis a quiet morning," "Fitting for a quieter grief." "Only the sound of chestnuts landing softly" "Is heard through the withered autumn leaves." (Note 1)
Amid the recitation of this slow, soothing poem, Klein felt as if he saw a lake surface reflecting the sparkling moonlight, and the crimson moon hanging silently in the high sky.
The "Wraiths" calmed down, no longer chasing after the breath of the living or the warmth of flesh and blood.
Dunn put down the wooden doll in his hand and turned around, saying to Klein:
"This was a terrifying curse ritual. Fortunately, we have destroyed it." "First, set up a ritual to soothe the residual spirituality. Then, try a séance and see if you can obtain any clues from them."
Finding himself no longer a burden, Klein immediately straightened his back and raised his head:
"Yes, Captain."
In just a few strides, he reached the altar, reached out, and swept the wooden dolls off the round table.
At this moment, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of each wooden doll bearing a different name and corresponding information.
"Captain, have you found anyone you recognize?" Klein asked casually.