"Joy" is Sequence 6 of the Witch pathway. When Klein communed with Mrs. Sharon, he obtained the complete formula for it. Although it is usually difficult to recall the specific contents and he must rely on dream divination to help reproduce it, if he hears the main ingredients mentioned, he still feels familiar and can make associations.
He couldn't help but turn his head to examine the buyer, confirming from skin color, body shape, voice, and the uncovered contours of the face that the other party was male.
The prerequisite for "Joyful Witch" is "Witch". No matter what gender one originally was, once they pass that stage, they will be unified as female. This person clearly wasn't... He hasn't become a "Witch" yet, so why is he seeking the main ingredient for "Joyful Witch"? Hmm... Is he buying on someone else's behalf? Is he a partner or a loyal subordinate of a certain "Witch"?
But, as a fairly ancient and well-preserved secret organization, the Witch Sect should not be too short of corresponding materials. Given their nature, it is normal practice to use the Beyonder characteristics left by previous members to concoct potions... Has the "Witch" behind the buyer lost contact with the organization?
Amidst these thoughts, Klein felt an impulse to follow the other party.
But after careful consideration, he rationally abandoned this plan. Not to mention whether he could bypass the "Eye of Wisdom"'s defense measures and track the other's trail, the factors of not knowing the situation on the other side and having no time for divination were enough to make him choose to follow his heart's desire.
What if there was not just one "Witch" but also other relatively powerful Beyonders?
Moreover, it is a good thing for a "Witch" to advance to "Joyful Witch". The former spreads calamity and harms many innocent people, but once they become the latter, their goal becomes "joy". Simply put, their threat to society diminishes... Klein muttered.
The silk gland of an adult widow giant spider is already a relatively expensive and relatively rare Beyonder material, just like the pituitary gland of the Thousand-Faced Hunter and the Human-skinned Shadow characteristic that Klein needs to advance to Sequence 6. It is roughly equivalent to half a house in a good part of the capital. Therefore, that buyer did not receive a satisfactory answer.
To be precise, no one answered him.
The atmosphere at the gathering then became silent until the chubby pharmacist began selling the potions he brought.
After previous attempts, he had many repeat customers. Within three minutes, he sold all his sellable items and took in more than £50 in cash.
As the "Eye of Wisdom" announced the end of the gathering, the participants departed in different orders, at different intervals, and through different passages.
Klein was in the middle batch. After detouring to a secluded street to cancel his disguise, he immediately hurried to the East Borough. In the night mixed with cold and various smells, he arrived at Black Palm Street and entered the one-bedroom house he had rented. On the way, he bought an underarm holster.
Without resting, he took out his revolver, opened the iron box containing Beyonder bullets, removed two "Purification Bullets", two "Hunting Bullets", and one "Exorcism Bullet", and loaded them one by one into the chambers, leaving the hammer on an empty chamber.
After adjusting his posture and testing the feel and whether it could fire normally, Klein placed the revolver into the underarm holster and busied himself with other preparations:
For example, checking whether the "All-Black Eye" in the iron cigarette case was abnormal; for example, putting Azik's copper whistle into the bullet box, and with the help of Holy Night powder, creating a sealed spiritual wall tightly against the surface to shield the ancient, exquisite copper whistle.
After confirming the respective shapes and positions of the three charms, Klein went to the Grey Fog to do a divination. Then, putting on his peaked cap, he went out again.
His target was 32 Wildy Street, South Bridge District—the place where the thief had found the "Universal Key"!
There might be clues to the Apprentice's subsequent formula or related items. Klein had long wanted to explore, but he suspected that the poor fellow who died horribly might have turned into a wraith-like creature, so he only dared to act after buying the "Purification Bullets".
A magician does not perform an unprepared show!
Rushing before the steam subway shut down, Klein used this most cost-effective way to reach South Bridge District and then transferred to a public carriage to get near Wildy Street.
By now, the night was deep, and Backlund was drizzling with bone-chilling cold. There were almost no pedestrians on the streets, and the light of the gas lamps was blurred by the liquid on the glass, making everything seem like a dream.
Klein made a circle, observed the situation of the house at number 32, came to its side, climbed up to the second floor, and easily entered the target through the balcony door that the thief had opened but apparently could no longer close.
—He did not bring the "Universal Key", afraid that the item might cause abnormal chain reactions here.
The layout of this house was the same as normal: a corridor connecting the balconies on both sides ran through the entire second floor, with rooms such as a bedroom, bathroom, sunroom, and living room on each side.
By the crimson moonlight coming in from the balcony, Klein saw that all the doors here were open, and various items were strewn all over the floor, messy and chaotic.
It should be from the thief earlier; he couldn't take everything, only rummaged for the most valuable ones... However, he had taken the "Universal Key", so he shouldn't need to open doors... Klein checked room by room, searching for things that might involve the mystical domain.
After an unknown amount of time, he, wearing black gloves, reached the staircase without any findings.
He had just taken two steps down when a figure suddenly appeared in his eyes!
The figure pressed against the wall at the stair corner, back facing Klein, thick black hair at the back of the head almost covering the neck.
Before Klein, who had already activated his spiritual vision, could observe, the figure suddenly moved!
With a creaking sound from its neck, its head turned around, while its body still faced away from the second floor!
In the dim, faint, illusory crimson light, the figure's eyes bulged out completely, filled with terror.
Pop, pop!
The two eyeballs fell to the ground.
Thud!
The figure's head detached from its neck and crashed onto the wooden stairs.