Dunn sighed and said: "I really did want to send you away at the time, because what I had to do involved a secret of the Church and the Nighthawks, but Kenley's death left my head in a mess, and at that moment, I could only think of a lame excuse to let you come back and see.
"What secret?" Klein asked, feeling quite relaxed.
He had almost forgotten that there might be an existence resembling a child of an evil god or a mythical creature outside.
Dunn carefully chose his words. "In the mystical domain, there might be a law, hah, although I haven't read many books, I still know what a law means."
"This law is called the Law of Beyond Characteristic Indestructibility."
"Beyond characteristics cannot be destroyed or reduced; they only transfer from one carrier to another."
Klein's eyes immediately widened, then a look of sudden realization dawned on him. He thoughtfully asked back: "For example, a Beyonder who loses control leaves behind a
"Yes." Dunn nodded solemnly. "It's not just Beyonders who lose control... it's the same for normal Beyonders after death."
"The same..." Klein savored Dunn's description, vaguely understanding what the Captain had been doing at that time.
As his thoughts turned, he suddenly remembered one thing: after the death of the Tuxedo Clown, a thumb-sized, slightly blue blood ball appeared floating in midair beside his corpse. At that time,
Dunn's gray eyes grew profound as he continued: "But unlike a Beyonder who loses control, what a normally deceased Beyonder leaves behind are no longer materials or items. It... it is roughly equivalent to a potion, the potion of the corresponding Sequence, only lacking certain supplementary ingredients."
Roughly equivalent to a potion... roughly equivalent to a potion! Klein's pupils constricted, as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind, illuminating the endless darkness within.
He suddenly understood many things. He understood why, even when ingredients were cut off, the Beyonder pathways wouldn't break off.
Besides using substitutes, he could simply rely on the remains of the corresponding Beyonder!
This should also be one of the reasons why only finished potions are provided at high Sequences! Another reason is to prevent the Formula from leaking through Divination, Spirit Communication, and other Beyonder means... A series of guesses emerged in Klein's mind.
Dunn glanced at the door of the Nighthawks' recreation room and explained in a low voice: "Several years ago... well, I don't exactly remember how many years. I wasn't the Captain of the Nighthawks then. I stumbled upon this issue and, after discussing it with Daly, who had just become a Beyonder, I immediately reported it to the Cathedral. The Cathedral asked me to keep it a secret and gave me two choices. Heh, this is also why I'm explaining it, and not Daly. Whoever exposes it has to take responsibility."
"The first choice is to pretend not to know, just like most Nighthawk Captains and Deacons, and continue to let the Cathedral arrange the belongings of a normally deceased Beyonder. The second is to give me a special, simple ritual and the corresponding skills, so that I can directly consume the items produced by the gathering of characteristics within a limited time. Mm, this only applies to one's own pathway, and only to Sequences equal to or lower than one's own."
"This will enhance my Beyond Characteristics, making me stronger. In terms of abilities related to dreams, I'm not much weaker than a corresponding Sequence 6 now. That's why I dared to deal with Mrs.
"I see... so that's how it is..." Klein slowly exhaled.
He finally understood why he couldn't think of a reasonable explanation no matter how hard he tried before; it was simply because of the lack of prerequisite knowledge, something that couldn't be made up for even with imagination.
Mm, this fits the so-called "Law of Characteristic Indestructibility" very well... If characteristics keep gathering like this, will there be a transition from quantity to quality? Klein's thoughts wandered.
Looking at him, Dunn gave a bitter smile and said: "I chose the second path, but not to become stronger. If truly seeking power, the best and most direct method is to digest the potion as quickly as possible and get promoted."
"Yes," Klein agreed sincerely. "Gathering characteristics of the same Sequence or lower Sequences in the same pathway like this, while enhancing strength, probably also increases the risk of losing control, right?"
Dunn shook his head solemnly. "No, it doesn't. These are the remnants of normal Beyonders, not those who lost control. Mm, after learning the 'Acting Method', I reviewed it again and found that this actually makes digestion harder."
"Then why do you continue?" Klein asked in surprise.
Dunn put his right hand into his pocket, trying to find his pipe, but realized he had left it in the office.
He shook his head self-deprecatingly and said: "I already said, I wasn't consuming their remains to become stronger."
At this point, he paused, his eyes losing focus as he stared at the blue-tinged gaslight across from him, and said in a low voice: "They were all my companions... We experienced many things together. We fought monsters in the darkness and mad cultists together. Some saved me, and I saved many of them. We walk through the quiet night, we fight in places unseen by the masses, we confront danger, and we guard each other's backs."
"I really miss them. I remember Little It breaking down and crying in fear after his first dangerous mission. I remember Adelaide, heh, he is
"I hoped to continue fighting side by side with them, against the monsters in the darkness, to execute those mad cultists together, to guard
Dunn's gray eyes seemed to glisten. His composure and deep solemnity crumbled somewhat in that moment.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he continued: "In my dreams, they are still with me. Adelaide loves to read; he always stays in the sunroom reading books. He always asks me to discipline Rozanne, to make her mature quickly, so much so that Rozanne always complains about how I am becoming more and more like her father, and she is always very scared of me. Little It is someone who can't sit still. He goes hunting in the forest every day.