Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 19 Sealed Artifact (Second Update, Please Vote)

"We are guardians, but also a group of pitiful creatures constantly fighting against danger and madness."

The corridor outside the window was closed off, the stone walls were cold, and the room was brightly lit with a yellowish glow. Dunn Smith's retelling echoed in this environment, striking Klein's heart again and again, leaving him speechless for a brief moment.

Seeing Klein remain silent, Dunn shook his head and smiled:

"Are you disappointed? Extraordinary people are not what you imagine; we are always walking with danger."

"Every gain comes with a price," Klein replied, carefully choosing his words as he recovered from the shock.

He truly hadn't expected that, besides the extraordinary, exceptional, and different aspects of the extraordinary, there would be such hidden dangers. However, perhaps because he had only heard the description and hadn't actually encountered it, or perhaps because he was already caught up in this vortex and there was no telling when a strange event might happen to him, his fear, unease, worry, and dread quickly subsided to a manageable level.

Of course, the thought of giving up is inevitable, and it lingers, unwilling to leave.

"Not bad, very mature, very rational..." Dunn finished the rest of his coffee and added, "Also, Extraordinary Ones aren't as powerful as you think. Low-sequence Extraordinary Ones, huh, why use 1 to represent the highest rank and 9 to represent the lowest? That goes against intuition and logic. What we usually call low-sequence refers to low rank, and high numbers are the beginning of the sequence chain."

"Alright, where was I? Right, Beyonders aren't as powerful as you think. The 'power' of low-sequence Beyonders is no match for firearms, let alone artillery. It's just that in some aspects, they are more mysterious and harder to defend against than firearms and artillery. If you have the opportunity to become an Beyonder in the future, you must think carefully about what I'm saying today and not make a rash choice."

Klein chuckled self-deprecatingly:

"I don't know when the opportunity will come."

If given the opportunity, he felt he wouldn't miss it. He could avoid taking the wrong potion or a potion of a higher level to the greatest extent possible. The main hidden dangers lay in the subtle effects of the potion itself and the unknown "dangers" he heard and saw after his inspiration was enhanced.

The former has the experience of generations of predecessors to refer to. As long as they are not anxious and hasty in their improvement, and steadily grasp their power, the probability of losing control should be relatively low. Moreover, their main purpose is to solve the current potential danger, understand the essence of mysticism, and find a way to travel back. They took this step without aiming for a higher sequence "position". If it is really easy to lose control, they can simply not advance, stay in the original sequence, and use their knowledge to plan their "return home".

Needless to say, there are also hidden dangers. Klein still vividly remembers the whispered murmurs that drove him to the brink of madness and made his head feel like it was about to explode when he used the "Transfer Ritual". This is not something that can be avoided by not becoming an extraordinary person. Since that's the case, it's better to master some power that can be used to fight against it.

Thinking about all this, Klein felt that the pros and cons were so clear that most of his thoughts of retreat disappeared.

Dunn picked up his pipe again, a slight smile playing on his grey eyes, and said:

"I can't give a precise answer to this matter. To become an extraordinary person, one must first gain enough merit. Perhaps you can decipher a key ancient document tomorrow or the day after, or provide very useful advice for our case? Secondly, it depends on whether there are any new ideas from above. Nobody can say for sure."

"Alright, I think you should understand the Extraordinary better now and won't make impulsive choices in the future. Now, let me introduce you to the clerical work of our Night Watch team."

He stood up, walked to the door, and pointed in the opposite direction of "Charness Gate":

"We have an accountant, a person responsible for purchasing necessities, collecting supplies from the church and police department, and a part-time driver. They are all professionals and do not need to be rotated. They have Sundays off every week. The remaining three clerical staff are Rosanne, Bright, and Old Neil. Their jobs include: receiving visitors, cleaning rooms, writing case documents and item declaration lists, and guarding the weapons, materials, and document archives. They strictly record the entry, exit, receipt, and return of items. Each person takes one day off per week. In addition to Sundays, there are also night shifts and rest rotations, which are all negotiated by themselves."

"Am I doing the same thing as Rosanne and the others?" Klein put aside his thoughts about the extraordinary individuals and focused on confirming his own "job responsibilities."

"No, you don't need to. You're a professional," Dunn said with a smile. "You have two things to do right now. First, go for a walk every morning or afternoon, focusing on the roads from Welch's place to your house."

"Huh?" Klein looked completely bewildered.

What kind of "job" is this?

Is it very professional?

Dunn put his hands in the pockets of his black trench coat and said:

"Once we confirm that you have truly lost your memory, the cases of Welch and Naya are considered closed. Similarly, the Antigonus family diary has also completely disappeared. We suspect that you took it with you when you left and hid it on your way home, which is why we didn't find any clues in your house. This is probably why you didn't commit suicide at the scene but at home."

"Although you have been mysteriously affected and have completely forgotten this memory, the human spirit and brain are wondrous. Perhaps some traces remain. Just because Daly cannot obtain them using her 'psychic' methods does not mean they absolutely do not exist. Perhaps in a familiar place, in a key place, you will have a feeling that you have seen it before, or that you have done something before."

"This is the result we wanted."

"I understand," Klein said, suddenly realizing.

The night watchmen's deductions about the whereabouts of the diary were indeed reasonable.

Of all the people present at the time, only I was still alive, and only I had the time and "motive" to take the diary away and hide it along the way!

"If you can find that diary like this, you should be able to earn enough credit to become an Extraordinary," Dunn Smith encouraged, indirectly revealing that the diary was quite important.

"I hope so." Klein nodded.

Dunn brought the topic back:

"Second, you will have one day off per week. You can decide which day yourself for now. When you're not out, go to the armory and read the documents and books we have preserved. This is the work of history professionals. Once you've finished reading them all, you'll have to take turns with Old Neil and the others."

"Okay, no problem." Klein breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

It's not something that's too difficult...

At this moment, Dunn turned halfway around and pointed to the large black iron double doors engraved with seven holy symbols, saying:

"This is the 'Charnis' door, named after Archbishop Charnis, the founder of the modern Night Watch system. There is one in the basement of the central church in every major city."

"It is guarded by official members of the Night Watch in rotation, and there are at least two 'guardians' from within the church inside, as well as countless traps. You must not go near it casually, or you will be tainted by bad luck."

"That sounds impressive," Klein commented.

"It's divided into several areas, storing certain sequences of potion recipes and various magical materials. It temporarily holds heretics, heretics, cultists, and members of secret organizations. Heh, they will eventually be sent to the Sanctuary," Dunn casually explained.

The Sanctuary? The headquarters of the Church of the Goddess of Night, located in Wintershire in the north of the kingdom, the "Church of Tranquility"? Klein nodded slightly as if he were thinking.

"In addition, there are various high-secret documents and classics inside. Once your access level is upgraded, you might have the opportunity to read them." Dunn pondered for a moment and then said, "There are also some sealed artifacts in the lower level behind 'Charnis Gate'."

"Sealed artifact?" Klein chewed on the word.

This sounds like a proper noun.

"Among the extraordinary items we collect and acquire, some are too important and too magical. If they fall into the hands of evil, they will cause immense destruction. Therefore, they must be kept strictly secret and guarded. Even we ourselves can only use them under specific circumstances. Moreover..." Dunn Smith paused here before continuing, "Moreover, some of these beings are very special. They possess a certain 'living' characteristic, which can lure the guards, affect the surrounding area, escape on their own, and cause catastrophic consequences. They must be strictly controlled."

"It's amazing," Klein exclaimed.

"The Night Watch Headquarters divides these sealed items into four levels. Level 0 indicates extremely dangerous, the highest level of importance, and the highest level of secrecy. It cannot be inquired about, circulated, described, or spied on. It can only be sealed underground in the 'Sanctuary'," Dunn explained in detail. "Level 1 is highly dangerous and can be used to a limited extent. The level of secrecy is reserved for diocesan bishops and Night Watch deacons and above. The central churches of dioceses such as Backlund can keep one or two items, and the rest must be handed over to the 'Sanctuary'."

"Level 2 is dangerous and should be used with caution and restraint. The level of secrecy is for bishops and captains of night watch squads and above. Three to five items can be kept in the central churches of major cities, and the rest should be handed over to the nearest 'sanctuary' or diocesan headquarters. Level 3 is somewhat dangerous and should be used with caution. It can only be applied for by an operation of three or more people. The level of secrecy is up to the official members of the night watch squad."

"When you see relevant documents in the future, you should be able to understand what they represent just by looking at the numbers. For example, 2-125 means it is a dangerous level 125 sealed item."

As Dunn was speaking, he suddenly turned around, went back to his room, and pulled a piece of paper from the bottom of a drawer:

"By the way, take a look at this. Three years ago, a newly appointed archbishop lost control and somehow managed to break through all the security measures. He mysteriously disappeared with a '0' level sealed artifact. Take a look at his photo. If you find him, don't alarm him or disturb him. Report back to him. Otherwise, you will be 1000% killed in action."

"What?" Klein took the paper and noticed there was no heading; it contained only a black and white photograph and a few lines of text:

"Ince Zangwell, male, forty years old, former archbishop, a failed 'gatekeeper' who was tempted by the devil and fell into evil. He escaped with the sealed artifact '0-08'. His specific characteristics are..."

Based on the photos and descriptions, Ince Zangwell was wearing a double-breasted, pure black clerical robe, a soft cap, dark gold hair, and deep blue eyes. He had a high nose bridge, tightly pursed lips, and features that resembled a classical sculpture, without a single wrinkle. His most striking feature was that he was blind in one eye.

"The descriptions of the Fallen are detailed, but the sealed artifacts are only given a code name..." Klein truthfully expressed his first impression.

"So it's at the highest level of secrecy. The search for the '0-08' sealed artifact is communicated verbally, not in writing, and only a few details about it are given," Dunn sighed. "'0-08' looks like a common quill pen, but it can write without ink. That's all."

Dunn didn't elaborate on that. Following the gold chain on his black trench coat, he took out a matching ornate pocket watch, snapped it open, glanced at it, and pointed to the door, saying:

"I've said everything I need to say. Go to the armory and find Old Neil. Ask him to arrange specific documents for you to read. He's not an ordinary civilian employee. He used to be a full member, but he's too old, hasn't been promoted, and is in poor health. He's no longer suited to handling cases, and he doesn't want to become an internal 'guardian' or just stay home to recuperate. He just wants to be with documents and books."

PS: Second update, please vote!

(End of this chapter)