Dunn Smith's grey eyes stared straight into Klein's, not speaking for a full minute.
Under such silence and the pressure of that gaze, Klein did not flinch, did not look away, steadfastly meeting Dunn's eyes.
"You should understand, once you take the potion, there is no chance for regret," Dunn finally spoke again, his voice low and devoid of emotion.
Klein smiled and said: "I know, but I respect the voice inside me."
First, the "Sleepless" did not suit his needs; from the description, the "Spectator" from the "Tarot Gathering" also didn't, and there's no telling when he could come into contact with other Beyonder pathways—it wouldn't be timely enough, so there was no need to wait. By the same logic, the "Corpse Collector" was also ruled out, leaving only "Seer" and "Fortune Teller" as options.
Given the premise that all Sequence potions are equally dangerous, and given that he couldn't obtain more information on his own, and faced with the fact that both "Seer" and "Fortune Teller" were quite suitable, then regardless of whether Emperor Roselle just wrote it casually, or whether he truly regretted not choosing one of "Apprentice," "Thief," or "Fortune Teller," it was enough to tip the scales in his heart.
Moreover, from his notes, it could be seen that as long as one could figure out the true essence of "digestion" and "acting," the negative effects of the potion could be avoided to the greatest extent. As for the maddening, corrupting whispers and illusory temptations, even if he didn't become a Beyonder, he had already come into contact with them!
"Alright." Dunn Smith stood up, picked up his half-high black top hat, and said as he put it on, "Come with me to the basement."
Klein nodded and gratefully performed a gentleman's bow.
Thud, thud, thud. The two descended, their footsteps echoing in the silent, empty staircase and corridors.
Klein suddenly felt a bit nervous and made small talk: "Captain, you said that after taking the potion, one doesn't directly gain the corresponding mystical knowledge, only the qualification to learn and master it. So where does the initial mystical knowledge come from? Did the sages explore it bit by bit at the risk of their lives, or does it come from elsewhere?"
Every time he came to the basement, he could feel that the air here was quite fresh, clearly well-ventilated. However, in such an environment, an occasional gust of wind was truly spine-chilling.
Dunn glanced at him sideways, his grey eyes exceptionally deep in the dimness. He replied calmly:
"First, there's the exploration, summarization, and improvement you mentioned. Second, there are the blessings of the deities. Third, well, those dangerous 'whispers' that others can't hear are not always just insanity and meaningless ravings; occasionally, occasionally, they do tell of mysterious things. But as far as I know, those who truly listen to them and listen for a long time have all, without exception, either gone mad or degenerated into monsters. Of course, we have to thank them; the notes they left are valuable treasures in the field of mysticism."
Human guinea pigs… The cold of the basement seeped in, and Klein suddenly shuddered: "My 'luck transfer ritual' that turned into 'friend-making magic'—will it always come with those crazy and terrifying whispers in the future? Will it bring the same effects?"
At the crossroads, Dunn neither continued toward the "Chanis Gate" nor turned toward the "Weapons, Materials, and Literature Repository." Instead, he led Klein toward the Saint Selena Church on the left.
Halfway there, he paused. He seemed to trigger something and opened a hidden door.
"This is our Nighthawks team's 'alchemy room.' I'll have old Neil go to the Chanis Gate to get the recipe and corresponding materials for the 'Fortune Teller' potion. Heh, you're lucky. The Goddess is blessing you. There should be two portions of 'Fortune Teller' related materials left; otherwise, you'd have to wait a long time." Dunn pointed to the room through the door. "Wait here, then observe the entire process of Neil preparing the potion. This is the most basic part of mysticism. Oh, don't move any of the items inside—they are either very dangerous or very expensive, or both."
After saying this, Dunn added as before:
"Oh right, I forgot something again. Your becoming a Beyonder is based on the need to deal with danger and find the notes. Your contributions only play a part in it. So, for now, you still can't become a full member of the team. You're still a civilian employee, still on that salary, still doing the tasks I arranged before. You just have to additionally follow old Neil to learn a lot of mystical knowledge. Arrange the time yourselves."
"Alright." Klein had some complaints about not getting a raise, but other than that, he was all for it.
According to Dunn's words, after taking the potion, there is still a process of learning and mastering. Directly becoming a formal member and participating in missions concerning supernatural events—that would be not knowing how to spell the word 'death.'
Dunn turned around and walked two steps toward the crossroads, then suddenly turned back and said:
"One more thing."
I knew it… Klein was already used to the captain's similar "style."
"We gained certain results from our previous operation against the Secret Order." Dunn said with a normal expression. "In the short term, they probably won't dare to provoke us again. But don't let your guard down, because for now, we can't confirm how important that Antigonus family notebook is to them. From what we've discovered, they do retain some ancient customs, which can be confirmed to be related to the Solomon Empire and the fallen nobles of that time."
"I understand. Thank you, Captain." Klein let out a breath.
This was also one of the reasons he was unwilling to wait and couldn't wait to seize the opportunity to become a Beyonder!
Watching Dunn go far away and confirming that he wouldn't turn back to add anything, Klein slowly walked into the alchemy room.
The room was filled with long tables, on which were test tubes, dropping pipettes, balances, and beakers, looking quite like the chemistry lab from his previous life, only more crude and ancient.
In addition, there were items like a large iron pot, a black wooden spoon, a clear crystal ball, and strange symbols like the Dark Sacred Emblem everywhere, adding a hint of mystery to the atmosphere.
Klein looked around with great interest but didn't touch anything recklessly.
After a while, footsteps came, and old Neil walked in carrying a silver box with intricate patterns. He was still wearing his classic black robe, which was out of step with the times, and a round-brimmed felt hat of the same color.
"Little guy, I didn't expect you to choose 'Fortune Teller,'" old Neil said, casting a slightly cloudy, dark red gaze at Klein as he put down the silver box. "You have personality, just like I did back then. Not following the crowd. Not bad. Light these gas lamps and close the hidden door."
"Alright." Klein suppressed a shiver and lit the gas lamps in the alchemy room one by one, letting the dim light reassert its dominance.
Creak, creak, creak. The hidden door closed. He turned back to old Neil, whose hair was white and wrinkles were deep at the corners of his eyes and mouth, and saw that he was brushing the large black iron pot with a few tied-up strange branches.