The wind blowing from the underground was terrifyingly cold. Klein felt a sense of relief in his tense state.
It was finally here …
As long as I get through this, I won't have to worry about such things for at least half a year …
Once I advance to Sequence 8 and become a so-called Clown, I'll have true combat strength. With the aid of divination and the Flaring Sun Charm as my trump card, I'll have a high chance of surviving even if I encounter a greater danger …
In order to wait for the Holy Cathedral's investigation, I didn't even withdraw the 300 pounds that Miss Justice had deposited into an anonymous account. I didn't want to be audited and found to have financial problems, and be convicted of having a huge amount of wealth of unknown origin …
…
Just as all sorts of thoughts flashed through Klein's mind, Dunn Smith adjusted his shirt collar and said in a deep voice, "That's right.
"The person in charge of this examination is one of the nine high-ranking deacons of the Nighthawks, Crestet Cesimir. The Holy Cathedral thinks very highly of you."
"Senior Deacon?" Klein blurted out in surprise.
The thirteen archbishops and nine high-ranking deacons were the upper echelons of the Church in the usual sense. It was said that there was no lack of High-Sequence Beyonders among them!
These twenty-two gentlemen and ladies were completely equal in status. They only followed the Evernight Goddess's oracle and were only responsible to the Pope.
Dunn took a deep breath of the cool underground air and nodded slightly.
"Yes, a high-ranking deacon. However, you don't have to be nervous. Crestet is only a Sequence 5 and hasn't stepped into the realm of a demigod. There's no need to be too afraid."
"Yes, his title in the Beyonder World is the Goddess's Sword. As he has obtained the recognition of a holy artifact, his combat strength isn't inferior to a newly advanced Sequence 4."
"I've talked to him just now. He's very kind."
What the captain is implying is that he only said what should be said and didn't say anything that shouldn't be said. He's telling me not to be nervous and to follow the plan … Klein nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Where should I meet this senior deacon?"
"The alchemy room for mixing potions," Dunn answered simply and directly, a trace of sadness flashing across his face.
An alchemy room for mixing potions? The laboratory where Old Neil concocted the Seer potion? Klein slowly exhaled and returned to the Nighthawks' recreation room. He took his coat from the coat rack.
He put on the thin black trench coat, put his hands in his pockets, walked down the winding staircase, and turned left at the crossroads.
Soon, Klein saw a hidden door illuminated by an elegant gas lamp. He saw that the long tables inside had been moved away, leaving the center empty.
Two classical high-back chairs were placed there. They stood facing each other, less than a meter apart.
A man in his thirties, wearing a black windbreaker and a white shirt, was sitting at the table facing the door.
His golden-brown hair was shaved very short, and his dark green eyes were like a moonless lake in the middle of the night. The collar of his shirt and trench coat were raised high, hiding his entire chin in the shadows.
"Hello, Your Excellency Cesimir." Klein bowed.
Crestet Cesimir crossed his right leg over his left. He leaned back in his chair leisurely and smiled.
He smiled and said, "Hello, Klein. You may sit over there."
He pointed at the high-back chair opposite him.
Beside his feet was a suitcase made of silver-white metal. Its length and width were similar to the case of a violin.
It can hold a sword that isn't too long … Klein took a few steps forward and sat in the seat that belonged to him.
Crestet bent his right index finger and pressed it against his nostrils. He muttered to himself for a few seconds.
He pondered for a few seconds and said, "I plan on testing your mastery of the potion. Are you alright with that?"
"No." Klein shook his head confidently.
"Very confident." Crestet chuckled and maintained his previous posture as he stared at the man in front of him quietly.
Klein suddenly felt the light from the gas lamp disappear as it was swallowed by the thick darkness.
He suddenly became extremely exhausted, as though he had reached the time of sleep marked by his biological clock.
However, he was also highly tense and couldn't relax, just like how he had been in the past when he couldn't sleep peacefully due to exhaustion.
The quiet "night" permeated the surroundings. Klein could hear the dripping sound of the tap that wasn't tightened. He could hear the voices in the Blackthorn Security Company as well as the sound of the wind blowing past the stairwell.
Other than that, he didn't see anything he wasn't supposed to see or hear anything he wasn't supposed to hear.
"Very good." Crestet's magnetic voice dispelled the darkness, and the light from the gas lamp inside and outside the alchemy lab appeared before Klein's eyes once again.
Klein was suddenly freed from his deep exhaustion and regained his previous high spirits.
Unknowingly, it affected me … Is this the standard of a Sequence 5? Is this the terror of a high-ranking deacon? He recalled what had just happened with some lingering fear.
Crestet Cesimir clasped his hands on his knees and shrunk down a little, causing his lips to be blocked by his high collar.
"You've passed the test. Your mastery of potions has reached an excellent level."
"Next, I want to observe if there are any hidden dangers in your body and soul, and if the remnant spirit of the potion has unknowingly changed your personality, leaving behind problems."
"You have three minutes to adjust your condition."
Klein immediately nodded and said,
"Alright."
He secretly took a deep breath and slowly entered a meditative state, eliminating all kinds of bad thoughts.
Crestet didn't say anything else. He took out a silver pocket watch from the inside of his black windbreaker and opened it.
Then, he focused on the ticking of the second hand.
Three minutes later, Crestet closed his pocket watch with a click and said with a smile, "Don't worry.
"I'll start chanting."
Chant? Klein revealed a puzzled expression.
Without waiting for him to speak, Crestet hummed a melodious tune.
The melody reverberated in the alchemy room and gradually lost its harmony, no longer matching the tone.
Creak! Ah! Stab! Klein seemed to hear the sound of fingernails scratching against a blackboard, the sound of plastic foam rubbing against each other, the sound of an electric drill, and all kinds of noises that drove him crazy.
The noises grew louder and more chaotic, giving rise to a violent desire to destroy.
However, Klein, who was often tested by crazy ravings and terrifying screams, quickly suppressed all kinds of impulses.
He also appropriately showed some anxiety, tension, annoyance, and uneasiness.
Being too perfect was actually a problem!
At some point, Crestet Cesimir stopped chanting, and the noises in the alchemy room disappeared. The peace and silence of the underground surged in again.
It's good to be quiet! Klein sighed from the bottom of his heart.
"Very good, very good. There are no hidden dangers in your body and soul. Of course, wanting to beat me up or stuff my mouth is a normal reaction." Crestet's lips were blocked by his high collar, so one could only judge his emotions from his tone.
"No, I wouldn't dare," Klein admitted honestly.
Crestet laughed.
"Congratulations, you have passed all the tests. Next is the question-and-answer session."
His dark green eyes suddenly became even deeper. His gaze was so deep that it seemed as if he could see through flesh and see into the soul.
"Please go ahead." Klein straightened his back.
Crestet maintained his previous posture and asked casually, "What's the matter?
"You're saying that the experience at the Divination Club helped you master the potion quickly?"
"Yes," Klein answered very frankly, but he didn't give any further description.
Crestet nodded slightly.
"You said that it was inspired by the Mystery Pryer's maxim and Daly's example?"
"Yes." Klein first confirmed, then changed the topic and explained in detail, "I learned from a Mystery Pryer teammate that any Mystery Pryer who abides by the maxim has a lower chance of losing control. Later, I heard Madam Daly say that she wanted to be a true Spirit Medium, and that she was a genius who advanced to Sequence 7 in two years."
"Combining these two situations, I felt that I could try to be a true Seer and summarize the Seer's principles. Yes, the results were much better than I expected. I quickly mastered the potion. Your Excellency, I'm not sure if you've had a similar experience, but when you truly master the potion, there will be a special and wonderful feeling …" Klein described his experience, vaguely describing the "acting method."
If it were his previous life, he would definitely be nervous and blush if he were to say such half-truths in front of such a powerful Nighthawk. However, ever since he transmigrated to this World, he had told too many lies and was long used to such things. He performed flawlessly.
The deepness in Crestet's dark green eyes disappeared, and his gaze returned to its original state. He chuckled and said,
He chuckled and said, "Don't worry, it's not an illusion."
From his answer, Klein didn't sense any suspicion or scrutiny. He secretly relaxed a little.
"Dunn has verified your experience. I think you are indeed a genius with clear logic and keen intuition," Crestet praised. Crestet complimented and asked, "Have you shared this experience with your teammates?"
"Of course." Klein admitted frankly. "I hope to help them reduce the chances of losing control. We are teammates, comrades who face danger together. I can't think of any reason to hide it, and it's also because of this reason that I didn't tell the clerks."
Crestet lowered his right leg and sat up straight, revealing his thin lips from the shadow of his collar.
The corners of his mouth curled up.
"Although it hasn't been two months since you joined the Nighthawks, I believe you know your teammates better than most people."
"Yes, I plan to share some of my experience with you, but according to the rules of the Holy Cathedral, you have to swear to the Goddess that you won't tell anyone who doesn't know about our conversation."
"Is that alright?"
I passed the test? Klein was delighted and nodded without hesitation.
"No problem!"
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