Tired Klein dispelled the sealed wall of spirituality, letting the cool night air carry the scent of grass and trees onto his face, sobering him up a little.
He rubbed the warm, classical Sealed Artifact "3-0782" in his palm and inwardly sighed with emotion:
"Who would have thought that a drop of divine blood was fused into this emblem... Maybe the stronger members of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun once searched for it but never found it..."
Craning his neck, Klein didn't dare try any other ideas and pinned the "Sun Brooch" to the inside of his thin trench coat.
Along the chain, he pulled out a silver pocket watch with vine patterns, snapped it open with a click, took a look, and found that there was still over an hour before "Corpse Collector" Frye came to relieve him.
"My eyelids need two matches to prop them open... This is the consequence of asking for trouble!" Klein had no choice but to take out a small metal bottle from one of the small hidden pockets, pull out the stopper, and bring it to his nose.
The pungent smell of mint and disinfectant quickly drilled into his nose, causing goosebumps to rise and his spirits to perk up, instantly forgetting his sleepiness.
This was a formula he had learned from "Corpse Collector" Frye, called "Klagg Oil," which helps one resist rotting and other foul smells while also having a refreshing effect.
For the next hour or so, Klein endured an extraordinary torment, standing up to pace around from time to time, and getting bitten several times by mosquitoes and insects in the woods.
Finally, he saw Frye, with his high nose bridge, thin lips, black hair, and blue eyes, walk out of the town wearing a thin trench coat and carrying a walking cane.
Although the other party still looked as cold and gloomy as a living corpse, Klein felt like he had seen a savior. Covering his mouth to yawn until tears filled his eyes, he went up to him and took off the Sealed Artifact "3-0782" from the inside of his clothes.
"Did something happen?" Frye took the initiative to ask, looking at his teammate's pale and ugly complexion.
Klein sighed and said:
"I was on duty at the Chanis Gate only last night, and I didn't sleep well this morning, so now I'm very sleepy."
He didn't elaborate on the matter and changed the subject: "Are we rotating in four hours?"
"Seven hours. The Captain doesn't need to sleep in the middle of the night." Frye took the "Sun Brooch."
"Cultivation makes people happy..." Klein silently slandered the Captain, said goodbye to Frye, and walked towards the town.
As he walked along the street near the hotel, he casually took out his pocket watch again and looked at the time:
"Eh, almost ten minutes earlier than the agreed time..."
"What a warm person..." Klein chuckled, quickened his pace, returned to the hotel, pushed open the half-closed door, and under the scrutinizing gaze of the owner, went up to the second floor and entered his room.
Locking the door, taking off his coat and shoes, he didn't wash himself and directly fell onto the bed.
In just over ten seconds, his breathing first became heavier, then long and steady.
In his dream, Klein returned to Earth, in front of him was a game he hadn't finished playing, on his left were iced cola and spicy chicken wings, and on his right was bitter bamboo shoot meat slice soup and rice.
He never liked eating bitter bamboo shoots, but he really loved using them as an ingredient to cook soup with meat slices. The soup was refreshing and appetizing, yet had a seductive aroma of grease, which made it perfect for soaking rice.
With a good dipping sauce, he could eat a whole extra bowl of rice compared to usual!
Just as Klein was about to enjoy his late-night snack and then wildly play some games, the scene in his dream suddenly changed, once again presenting the internal layout of 2 Daffodil Street.
Klein suddenly became alert, clearly aware that he was in a dream.
He saw himself sitting at the side of the dining table, holding a copy of the "Tingen Daily," with tomato oxtail soup, pan-fried lamb chops, mashed potatoes, oat bread, and other foods placed before him.
He subconsciously turned his head to look at the door, and suddenly saw a figure standing outside the bay window of the living room, silently staring at the figure inside the house!
Klein was startled, but immediately recognized that it was Dunn with his deep gray eyes. Half of his face was pressed against the window, silently watching the people inside.
"...Captain, could you please not scare people in a dream, okay? Is this how you play the role of a 'Nightmare'?" Klein thought, both angrily and amusedly. He took out his soup spoon, scooped up a piece of beef, and put it in his mouth.
"Hmm, it's my cooking!" He inwardly complimented himself, understanding why he suddenly woke up in his dream and why the Earth scene instantly disappeared.
When someone invades his dream, he will naturally become alert!
Just then, Dunn left the bay window position and directly pushed open the door of the Moretti residence, wearing a black trench coat, and quietly walked to the opposite side of Klein.
He took off his hat, nodded slightly, sat down, and without the slightest bit of courtesy, picked up a knife, fork, and spoon, and ate up the tomato oxtail soup, pan-fried lamb chops, mashed potatoes, oat bread, and other foods on the table at an extremely fast speed.
Klein stared blankly, unable to figure out what exactly the Captain wanted to do.