Breath out, finally passed the stage of the psychic...
Klein let out a puff of stale air, slowly turned around, enjoying the tranquility of the night and the refreshing cool breeze, and strolled towards the apartment door.
He took out the key, inserted it, and gently turned it, allowing the black with a hint of red to expand with the creaking sound.
Walking on the empty staircase, breathing in the cold air, Klein inexplicably had a wonderful feeling that he had more hours of life than others, so his steps became lighter.
Click, maintaining a similar state of mind, he opened the door of his own apartment, but before stepping in, he saw a figure sitting quietly in the darkness in front of the desk. Black hair, red eyes, a delicate face, it was clearly Melissa Moretti!
"Klein, where have you been?" Melissa's eyebrows relaxed, asking doubtfully.
Before Klein could answer, she added something, as if wanting to explain the cause and effect, the logical relationship of the matter clearly and clearly: "I got up to go to the bathroom and found you weren't at home."
Klein had rich experience in deceiving parents, and his mind turned, calmly and with a wry smile replied:
"I woke up once and couldn't sleep anymore. Thinking that wasting time like this was not as good as exercising, I went out for a few laps. Look, I'm all sweaty."
He took off his coat, half-turned his body, and pointed at his back.
Melissa stood up, glanced at it indifferently, pondered for a few seconds and said:
"Klein, actually you don't need to, don't be too stressed. You will definitely pass the interview at Tingen University, even if not, well, I mean if, you can also find something better."
I haven't even considered the interview... Klein nodded:
"I understand."
He didn't say that he had already received an "offer", because he hadn't decided yet whether to go or not.
Melissa looked at him deeply, suddenly turned around, and ran into the inner room, taking out a turtle-shaped object made of gears, rusty iron, springs and springs.
Quickly tightening the spring, Melissa placed the object on the desk.
Creak, click, click, the "turtle" moved and walked rhythmically, making people involuntarily shift their attention to it.
"When you feel troubled, looking at it moving like this will make you feel much better. I often do this recently, it's very effective! Klein, give it a try." Melissa's eyes shone brightly and invited.
Klein didn't refuse his sister's kindness, moved closer to look at the "turtle", and laughed when it stopped:
"Simple and regular really can bring relaxation."
Before Melissa could say anything more, he pointed at the "turtle" and casually asked:
"Made by yourself? When did you make it? I didn't know about this."
"I made it with materials from school that weren't needed and things I picked up on the way. I finished it two days ago." Melissa's expression remained normal, her mouth curled a little.
"It's very impressive." Klein sincerely praised.
As a boy with poor mechanical skills, when he was little, even building a four-wheel vehicle took a lot of effort.
Melissa raised her chin slightly, her eyes slightly curved, and replied calmly:
"It's okay, it's okay."
"Excessive modesty is a bad character trait." Klein chuckled lightly, "Is this a turtle?"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Melissa's voice sounded faintly like a red veil:
"It's a doll."
Doll... ... Klein gave a sheepish smile and forced an explanation:
"The problem with the materials is that they are still too simple."
Then, he changed the topic:
"How did you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? There's a toilet in there! And you're not the kind who sleeps through the night, are you?"
Melissa froze for a moment, then opened her mouth to explain.
Just then, a loud rumbling sound of intense digestion came from between her chest and abdomen.
"I... I'll go back to sleep for a while!"
Bang! She grabbed the turtle-shaped "doll" and ran back into the inner room, closing the door. ... Yesterday's dinner was so delicious that I ate too much and my stomach couldn't handle it... Klein shook his head and laughed, then walked slowly to the desk, sat silently on the chair, and quietly thought about Dunn Smith's invitation, watching the crimson moon emerging from behind the clouds.
The disadvantage of being a civilian in the night watch team is very obvious:
As a time traveler, the initiator of the mysterious gathering, "the Fool", has many secrets on himself. Living constantly under the watchful eyes of the Night Goddess Church's team that specializes in handling extraordinary events, the risks are considerable;
As long as one joins Dunn Smith and his team, their goal will definitely be to become an extraordinary person, thereby covering up the benefits gained from the "gathering", and becoming a full member, freedom will be restricted. Just like civilian personnel who leave Tinggen have to report, they cannot go wherever they want, do whatever they want, and will miss many opportunities;
The night watch team is a tightly organized organization. Once there is a mission, one can only wait for the arrangement and accept the order, unable to refuse;
Extraordinary people have the risk of losing control; ...
List out all the disadvantages in one's mind, and then Klein turns to consider the necessity and the benefits within:
From experiences like "transformation rituals", one realizes that they are not the eighty percent lucky ones as Dunn described. Subsequently, strange events will inevitably fall upon them, filled with danger. Only by becoming an extraordinary person or joining the Night Watchmen can one have the ability to resist;
To become an extraordinary person, relying solely on "gatherings" is not possible. The problem with the potion recipe is not significant, but where to find the corresponding materials, how to obtain them, how to mix them, and the common sense of the extraordinary person's daily cultivation, all of these have serious obstacles for oneself. It is impossible to ask "Justice" and "The Hangman" for everything, exchange everything for them, which not only would damage the image of "The Fool", but also make the other party suspicious. Moreover, there is not enough time to communicate about such trivial issues. Similarly, oneself cannot offer anything they are interested in;
Furthermore, more material exchanges will leave traces of one's real identity. At that time, "online disputes" turning into "offline conflicts" will be extremely troublesome;
Joining the "Night Watchmen" will inevitably allow one to access the common sense of the mysterious world and related channels, accumulate sufficient corresponding connections, and use this as a fulcrum to pry open "gatherings", obtain the maximum benefits from "Justice" and "The Hangman". This in turn will enhance the current reality, obtain more resources, and form a virtuous cycle;
Of course, one can also seek to join the "Psychic Alchemy Society" as mentioned by Dunn, which is a suppressed and persecuted organization by various churches. Becoming a member of this organization would also mean losing freedom and even constantly being in fear. A more important issue is that one simply doesn't know where to find them. Even if the corresponding intelligence is extracted from "The Hangman", a rash contact would also pose a life-threatening risk;
As a civil servant, there is still a buffer and exit opportunity;
The small one hides in the wild, the middle one hides in the city, the big one hides in the court. The identity of the Night Watchmen might be a better protective color;
In the future, when becoming a senior member of the arbitration tribunal, who could have imagined that one was an heretic, the mastermind behind the secret organization? ...
The dawn light shone, the crimson hue faded away, and looking at the golden yellow at the horizon, Klein made up his mind.
Today, he would go to find Dunn Smith and become a civilian employee of the night watch!
"Are you not sleeping?" At this moment, Melissa got up again, pushed the door open, and was surprised to see her brother stretching without any form of posture.
"Think about something." Klein smiled and looked relaxed.
Melissa pondered for a moment and said:
"When encountering troubles, I will list the bad and good aspects one by one. After listing them, I will compare them and get the 'tip' on what to do."
"A good habit. I do the same thing," Klein replied with a smile.
Melissa's expression relaxed. She didn't say anything more and took the yellowed large sheet of paper and toiletries to the public washroom.
After having breakfast, her sister left, and Klein didn't rush out. He slept for a while in a good mood because according to his understanding, almost all taverns were closed in the morning.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, he used a small brush and handkerchief to smooth out the wrinkles of the hat, remove the dirt, and make it neat again. Then, in a formal suit, he went out, just like going for an interview.
Besic Street was a bit far, and Klein was afraid of missing the "working hours" of the night watchman, so he didn't walk there. Instead, he waited for the arrival of the public carriage at the intersection of Iron Cross Street.
In the Kingdom of Ruen, public carriages are divided into two types, non-rail and rail. The former is pulled by two horses and can accommodate about twenty people, with the top of the carriage included. Only the general route is set, no specific stops, and it operates flexibly, stopping as needed, unless fully occupied.
The latter is operated by the rail carriage company. It first lays down a device similar to a railway track on the main streets, with the horses walking on the inner side and the wheels rotating on the top, which is easy and energy-saving, so it can pull larger double-decker carriages, with about fifty passengers. The only problem is that the route is fixed and the stops are fixed, and many places can't be reached, which is rather rigid.
After about ten minutes, the sound of the wheels hitting the track came closer and closer. A double-decker carriage stopped at the station of Iron Cross Street.
"Go to Besic Street." Klein said to the driver.
"You have to go to Champagne Street, but once you get there, it will only take about ten minutes to go to Besic Street." The driver explained the route issue.
"Then go to Champagne Street." Klein nodded in agreement.
"It's over 4 kilometers, 4 pence." A young man with a fair complexion beside the driver held out his hand and said.
He was the person in charge of collecting money.
"OK." Klein took out four copper pence from his pocket and handed them to him.
He got on the carriage and found that there weren't many passengers. Even on the first floor, there were still several empty seats.
"I only have 3 pence left. I'll have to walk back..." Klein pushed his hat down and sat steadily.
On this floor, the men and women were mostly sitting in formal clothes, there were also those in work uniforms and casually reading newspapers, but almost no one was talking, it was quite quiet.
Klein closed his eyes to recharge his energy and didn't care about the coming and going of the passengers around him.
One stop after another, he finally heard the words "Champagne Street".
After getting off the carriage, he asked along the way, and soon he arrived at Besic Street, saw the tavern with the brown and yellow hunting dog logo.
Klein extended his right hand and pushed hard, the heavy door slowly opened, and the noisy sound and the restless heat rushed in.
Although it was still in the afternoon, there were already many customers in the tavern. Some were temporary workers, looking for opportunities here, waiting to be hired, while some were idle, using alcohol to numb themselves.
The tavern was rather dim, with two large iron cages standing in the center, the bottom one-third went deep into the ground, without leaving any gap. People held wooden wine glasses and gathered around, sometimes loudly discussing, sometimes cursing and laughing.
Klein looked curiously and found that there were two dogs inside, one black and white, similar to the husky on Earth, and one completely black, with shiny and smooth fur, strong and fierce.
"Would you like to bet?" "Doug has won eight consecutive matches these days!" A short man wearing a brown soft cap approached and pointed at the black dog, saying.
Betting? Klein was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood:
"Dog fighting?"
At Hoy University, those noble students and wealthy children would always ask themselves, and the rude workers and unemployed thugs, do they like to participate in boxing and gambling in taverns? Besides boxing and cards, did gambling also include cruel and bloody activities like cockfighting and dogfighting?
The short man sneered:
"Sir, we are civilized people and wouldn't do such disgraceful things."
At this point, he muttered softly: "And last year, there was even a law passed to ban these things..."
"So what are you betting on?" Klein was momentarily curious.
"Let's see who's the better 'hunter'." The short man had just finished speaking, and there was a commotion in the arena.
He turned his head and excitedly waved his hand, saying:
"This match has started. You can't bet anymore. Wait for the next one."
Klein heard this, stood on tiptoe, raised his head, and looked far away, seeing two strong men each dragging a sack to the iron cage, opening the "door", and pouring the contents inside.
Those were gray, disgusting animals!
Klein carefully examined and discovered that they were rats, dozens or even hundreds of rats!
Because the iron cage was deeply underground and had no gaps, the rats scurried around but couldn't escape.
At this moment, as the cage door was closed, the iron chains of the two dogs were untied.
"Woah!" The black dog rushed over and bit a rat to death.
The black and white dog was first completely confused, then excitedly playing with the rats.
The people around either held their wine glasses and stared intently, or shouted loudly:
"Bite it! Kill it!"
"Doug Doug!"
... The TM dog was catching mice... Klein woke up and his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
The gambling item here was actually betting which dog would catch more mice...
Perhaps one could bet on a specific number of mice...
No wonder there were always people buying live mice on Iron Cross Street...
It was really unique...
Klein shook his head, laughing and stepping back. He bypassed the crowded drinkers at the edge and walked to the bar counter.
"New face?" The bartender looked up and gave him a glance as he wiped the cups. "A pint of rye beer costs one penny, Enmat beer two pennies, Southwell beer four pennies, or would you like a pint of pure malt ale called Lanzie?"
"I'm looking for Mr. Wright." Klein spoke directly.
The bartender blew a whistle and shouted to the side:
"Old man, someone is looking for you."
"Hmm, who... " A muffled voice emerged, and an intoxicated old man stood up behind the bar.
He rubbed his eyes and looked at Klein:
"Young man, are you looking for me?"
"Mr. Wright, I want to hire a mercenary team for a mission." Klein replied as per Dunn's instructions.
"Mercenary team? You live in an adventure story? Such things no longer exist!" The bartender chimed in with a laugh.
Wright was silent for a few seconds before saying:
"Who told you to come here to look for me?"
"Dunn, Dunn Smith." Klein replied truthfully.
Wright immediately chuckled:
"I understand. Actually... Mercenary teams still exist. It's just in a different form and with a name that's closer to the current society. You can find one at 36 Zorteland Street, 2nd floor."
"Thank you." Klein said sincerely and turned to leave the bar.
Before he left, the drinkers gathered around suddenly fell silent, and there was a murmur:
"Doug actually lost..."
"Lost..."
Klein shook his head with a smile and hurried away, asking for directions to Zorteland Street.
"30, 32, 34... Here." He counted the house numbers and entered the stairs.
He passed the corner and climbed up step by step. He saw the vertical sign and saw the current name of the so-called mercenary team:
"Black Thorn Security Company."