Lord of Mysteries: Taiyi

Chapter 159 Strange Old Neil and Dunn's Forgotten Past

Klein spent a day searching for 10 houses where the tenants had recently changed, but to no avail.

He breathed a sigh of relief and returned home, where he had dinner with his sister and brother that evening.

Klein encountered a spirit delivered by Daly, who had secretly returned to Tingen.

Seeing Klein nervously raise his revolver, Daly Simone smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, young man. I'm Daly, Daly Simone, Dunn's former teammate."

Klein remained vigilant and asked, "The psychic, Daly?"

The seemingly frail spirit revealed a human-like smile and said, "I suggest you lock yourself in your room. You don't want your sister to think you've lost your mind, do you?"

Then Daly explained why she came here: to let Klein tell Dunn the method of acting more clearly—and then she also gave the method of summoning her messenger.

"Alright, this little guy can't hold on much longer. I have to leave now; I need to get back to Backlund tonight—"

Klein abandoned the idea of ​​telling Daly about Ince's news, as Daly might die on the way back to Backlund.

The messenger's method probably won't work either. Even gray fog can interfere with 0-08, so it's unlikely that the spirit world wouldn't be able to sense it.

As Klein watched Daly's departing figure, he once again felt that suffocating sensation, like a python coiling around him—

Captain, he's been acting strangely lately. He even saw the true creator in his dream and was hurt—and there's also the matter of Old Neil. The captain has even forgotten about Old Neil's abnormality. Klein is almost certain that the captain has also been affected.

However, upon closer examination, the problem becomes apparent, but few would consider the possibility of supernatural power, let alone a Class 0 sealed artifact that has always been classified. — However, it is also evident that Ince's level is not very high, but all indications suggest that he intends to accomplish this in the shadows.

I'll remind the captain tomorrow! While I'm at it, I'll explain the entire acting method to him, and then apply for a special promotion—to the Joker!

The next day, after watching his sister finally get used to taking the public carriage to school, Klein also went to Blackthorn Security Company.

In the deep, quiet underground passage, Klein pushed open the half-closed door of the guardhouse and met Old Neil.

To his astonishment, Old Neil was in very poor condition; he was much weaker, his face was pale, he was listless, and he kept yawning.

Seeing Klein's expression, Old Neil chuckled and said, "I've been a bit constipated lately. Last night I tried to use ritual magic to solve it. The ritual worked, but it made me spend the whole night in the bathroom. I almost fell asleep on the toilet, haha."

If Klein hadn't known about 0-08 and the Hidden Sage, he certainly wouldn't have suspected this humorous gentleman. But now, he couldn't help but think of another possibility: Old Neil had also been tricked by Ince.

Although his heart was in turmoil, Klein's skills honed in the gray fog came in handy. He smiled and asked, "Feeling better now?"

At the same time, Klein carefully tapped his left teeth together twice, using his spiritual vision to observe Old Neil's health aura.

The digestive system is yellowish, somewhat dull and mottled, but still within a reasonable range. The rest of the body is generally healthy, showing only some normal signs of aging.

Old Neil is still in good health, that's the conclusion Klein came to.

"It's alright now. I asked Fry for some antidiarrheal medicine, and I'm much better now. Fry has always been a good kid with a conscience in my eyes!" Old Neil then yawned again and said, "You can study on your own for today's lessons; there's only a small part left."

Klein was secretly considering what to do, but said aloud, "No problem, or I can stay here to guard the armory and study mysticism, while you go and rest?"

Old Neil instantly straightened up, his eyes shining as he replied, "Little Moretti, you truly are the second most conscientious Night Watchman after Little Frye! Thank you."

He grabbed the blanket covering his legs and dashed out of the guard cell like a whirlwind, leaving Klein standing there bewildered in the wind.

It took Klein a while to react, and he simply couldn't believe that an old man who might have been bewitched by the Hidden Sage would do such a "mischievous" thing.

Just before leaving, Klein approached Dunn and told him about the role-playing method. If he hadn't known about the existence of 0-08, he probably wouldn't have explicitly mentioned the term "role-playing method," as that would have attracted further attention from the church and made him stand out. However, given the current situation, he needed more attention.

In this way, the strong members of the church may discover the anomaly on their own—but their intentions cannot be too obvious.

Dunn took a deep drag on his pipe, his deep gray eyes lost in thought for a while before he said, "I think I understand some things too."

"As long as he doesn't appear in my dreams too often, everything will be fine"—Klein mentally muttered to himself, as was his habit. Then, he carefully asked, "Captain, does Old Neil have any special past?"

Dunn, who was deep in thought, paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by Klein's question, and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Sure enough, he forgot about that matter—a very abnormal forgetfulness! Klein's heart tightened, and he abandoned the idea of ​​making Dunn remember it. He had already broken free from 0-08's control, but Dunn had not. Klein decided to try investigating Old Neil himself first to see what he was up to!

He might be able to resolve this matter by harnessing the power of "Taiyin"!

If the captain and the other members weren't all believers in the goddess, and if Taiyin hadn't been so protective of them, he truly wished everyone could receive her protection.

Taking a deep breath, Klein said, "Old Neil seems to have a story to tell, and I'd like to know more about it, but if it involves secrets, then just pretend I didn't ask."

Klein thought to himself, "I'll ask Rosanne later—she might know something." Then he saw Dunn take another drag of his cigarette and slowly begin to tell Old Neil's story: "This might improve your relationship. Old Neil had a lover when he was young—"

Klein later learned that Old Neil had lost his lover early in life and had failed to heal her due to his lack of skill in ritual magic.

This incident has always been a scar in old Neil's heart.

After saying that, Dunn said, "Old Neil may seem a bit unreliable or cunning on some issues, but you should have already felt that he is a reliable and very wise elder. Don't take it to heart."

Klein nodded and, with a mixture of complex emotions and relief on Dunn's face, submitted the special application.

In a dimly lit room, an antique quill pen on a table suddenly trembled slightly.

For some inexplicable reason, Ince ignored the tremor; poor Ince was unaware that events were taking an unexpected turn.