Out of control? Klein's heart tightened, and he almost blurted out a question.
Although Dunn and Old Neil often emphasized to him the dangers and probabilities of out-of-control situations, this was still the first time he had encountered something like this. For a moment, he felt panicked, confused, scared, and sad, and it all felt very complicated.
"Among the incidents handled each year, one quarter involve the out-of-control of the extraordinary individuals... and within this quarter, a large part of them are our teammates..." Dunn's words flashed through his mind, making his reaction seem sluggish.
However, Old Neil, who had experienced too many similar events, immediately asked:
"Where are the out-of-control individuals? What do we need to do?"
Klein was stunned for a moment. He had thought that this slick and lazy "semi-retired person" would find an excuse to reject Swain's request or demand a large sum of money as a bribe before attempting to help, never expecting that the other party didn't hesitate at all and directly entered the participation state, completely disregarding the difference between the night watchman and the punisher.
Looking at the serious Old Neil, Klein suddenly understood something. That is, whether it was the night watchman, the punisher, or the members of the Mechanical Heart, the goal was to prevent the extraordinary power from harming innocent people and maintain the peace and stability of Tinggen City. If there was a dangerous and urgent situation, it was a duty and there was no way to refuse!
At this moment, Swain replied in an unusually brief manner:
"Be my assistant!"
He didn't explain why it was out-of-control or where the out-of-control individuals were. He quickly walked towards the exit.
This former "Punisher" captain was actually just an old man addicted to alcohol. But Klein found that he couldn't keep up with the other person's pace. He had to run to keep from falling behind.
He turned his head and looked at Old Neil. He saw that this "Secret Explorer" with signs of aging also started running.
The three of them didn't pay attention to the guards' gazes along the way. One was wearing an old naval officer's uniform, one was wearing a dark classical robe, and one was wearing a knee-length black thin windbreaker. They rushed out of the billiard room and out of the Dragon Beast Bar.
Those customers who were drinking, placing bets, and adding oil instinctively moved their eyes away from the rat-catching dog and looked at Klein and his companions for a few seconds.
"Is it Boss Swain?"
"Why is he so eager to go out?"
"Someone is in default and evading debts?" ...
In the low murmurs, some of the drinkers redirected their attention back to the cage, cheering again to vent the pent-up tension from the day. Others were more alert, showing a hint of unease.
Clunk, clunk, clunk!
Klein, Old Neil, and Swain ran across the road and into the actual dock area.
"That ship," Swain slowed down and pointed to an inland cargo ship docked not far away, "Two penalty crew members are up there fighting with that out-of-control individual to prevent him from entering the Tasok River. You help me influence and control him, and I'll handle the rest."
Old Neil took a few breaths like a bellows and said:
"Okay, but, but you need to give me one minute. Huh, one minute to recover my state."
Swain nodded and said nothing more, rushing onto the cargo ship and joining the battle.
Listening to the thumping sounds above, Old Neil glanced at the slightly nervous Klein and took out a silver disc the size of a baby's palm from his waist pouch, handing it over and saying:
"Sleeping charm, the opening incantation is the word 'night' in ancient Hermes language. After reciting the incantation, infuse your spirituality into it and throw it at the target within three seconds."
"Um!" Klein caught it and was moved.
The front and back of this charm were engraved with incantations written in Hermes language, as well as symbolic symbols, corresponding spirit numbers, and magical identifiers. Without activating his clairvoyance, he could sense the subtle, serene, and profound mysterious power.
Old Neil straightened up, took out the same silver charm from his pouch and held it in his palm as he walked towards the cargo ship, joking:
"Don't be nervous, relax, think about something else, like, this charm was borrowed from you. If you use it up, remember to make a new one and return it to me. Of course, you can wait until next month, when the material quota is restored, and do this again."
...This... surely is an experienced Old Neil... Klein placed the charm in his left pocket and took out the revolver from the gun pouch under his armpit, adjusting the trigger and cocking position.
"I think I'm no longer nervous... " He held the gun in one hand and the staff in the other, and the two of them, along with Old Neil, climbed steadily up the gangway onto the cargo ship.
This cargo ship had obvious traces of its era. Although it was powered by steam and had an additional chimney, it still retained its past configurations such as masts and sails. And only the surface had a metal shell, some parts were made of steel, and many parts were still made of wood.
The thumping sounds grew more intense. Klein and Old Neil were about to look for an entrance to enter the cabin when suddenly they heard a clattering and snapping sound.
The side of the wooden cabin instantly cracked, splinters flying everywhere, and a figure fell out, hitting the ship's side.
Klein didn't bother to look at the condition of that figure. His gaze was entirely focused on the monster running towards the crack.
This monster was over 1.8 meters tall, wearing a tattered shirt and pants that were no longer recognizable, with dark green scales covering exposed areas, and skin membranes growing in the gaps of its hands and feet, as if some aquatic animals' toes.
It had a wrinkled head, vaguely resembling a human form, and its scales were flowing with mucus, constantly dripping down.
Sssss!
The dark green mucus slightly corroded the deck, leaving distinct marks.
Bang! The monster attempting to break through the crack was punched sideways by Swain from the side, moving two steps sideways.
Bang, bang, bang! Muscles like those of Muscles were obviously not as strong as that monster, and although his punches and kicks hit the other, they couldn't shatter the scales and couldn't cause any substantial damage. For a moment, he was very flustered and wobbly.
If it weren't for his astonishing balance ability and the fact that there were penalty crew members following and moving to provide cover, Klein suspected that this blue-eyed old man would be killed by the monster alive.
Kick! Kick! Kick! Sviin kept retreating and advancing, just like a moth that knows it's facing flames but still rushes towards them.
However, Klein could sense that he was gathering something and waiting for something.
Bang!
Sviin was pushed back a few steps and blocked the view of another punisher.
The monster seized the opportunity and immediately rushed towards the breach.
It wanted to escape the cabin and jump into the Tasok River!
Looking at that wrinkled, slimy head, Klein raised his right hand and pulled the trigger.
Pong!
The silver demon bullet hit the monster's body as he expected, but only shattered the scales and penetrated halfway.
The monster immediately let out a shrill scream, exerted its feet, and rushed out like a wind, heading towards Klein.
The strong fishy smell pierced his nose, and Klein suddenly lowered his body, rolling to the side.
Clang! He felt the ship shake and saw fragments hitting him.
At the same time, he heard a gruff and deep voice, a spell recited in the ancient Hymix language:
"Night!"
Klein rolled again, not caring to pick up the walking stick, hurriedly raised the gun and looked up. Old Neil calmly threw out the talisman from his hand when separated from the monster by a short distance.
The silver sheet was quickly enveloped by dark red flames, making a slight explosion sound.
The deep, calm power instantly dissipated, and the monster that almost shattered the ship's hull suddenly began to shake and its movements became sluggish.
At this moment, Sviin rushed out of the cabin, approaching the monster, twisting and swinging his arms, shooting several machine gun-like punches, all hitting the other's head.
But he could only cause the monster to retreat, unable to inflict fatal damage. However, Klein could feel that the old man's accumulation was reaching its peak.
Bang! The monster seemed to recover and swung its small arm, making Sviin retreat five steps backward, each step making a crack on the deck.
Seeing that the monster was about to turn around and jump off the cargo ship, Klein quickly pulled out the "Sleeping Spell" from his pocket.
Immediately, he skillfully recited a word in the ancient Hymix language:
"Night!"
In an instant, Klein felt the silver spell in his hand become cold, like a pile of snow accumulating.
He didn't think much and infused his own spirituality into the spell, pulling his shoulders back and throwing his arm out, sending it towards the monster.
At this moment, the fish-like monster had jumped into the air.
The dark red flames immediately illuminated the surrounding darkness, and the slight explosion sound was like an hypnotic prelude, spreading rapidly.
Bang!
The monster fell straight onto the dock, curling up, briefly entering a semi-sleep state.
Klein was about to reach the side of the ship and shoot at the monster's head when he suddenly saw Sviin, who had been lost somewhere, rush out and jump down.
He adjusted his position in mid-air, his muscle blocks bulging.
In Klein's inspiration, some thing suppressed to the extreme erupted. Sviin descended from the sky, landed on the monster, then straightened his back and heavily punched it, hitting the other's head.
Crack!
The monster's head was shattered, dark red blood and grayish-white brain tissue were scattered all over the place, accompanied by dark green mucus.
"Is this one of the abilities of the 'Furious People'?" Klein stood beside the broken ship's side, silently muttered to himself.
Old Neil covered his left hand and moved closer, also looking down.
At this moment, Sviin stood upright, standing there, deeply staring at the lifeless monster beneath his feet.
He somehow managed to pull out a deflated metal wine bottle from somewhere, tore open the lid, gulped down a little, then tilted the bottle mouth and aimed at the monster, pouring the remaining strong alcohol all over the other's body.
After doing all this, Sviin seemed to become old at once, his back hunched a little. Old Neil sighed, looking down at the scene below and whispering to Klein:
"I know this out-of-control punisher. He has been following Sviin for over two decades. He has cleared out the water spirits that attacked people on the shore, and has captured evil exceptionalists who tried to escape by diving from the Tasok River..."
He didn't continue, but Klein could sense the hidden meaning in his words:
Such a "guard" who has accomplished many feats and killed many monsters has eventually turned into a monster.
And this is not an isolated case. It is the likely outcome for many night watchmen, punishers, and members of the Mechanical Heart.