Chapter 5 Nighthawks
Siris's detached house had many rooms. The grey-eyed officer led Lu Ze into one of the guest rooms, found two armchairs, and chose one to sit on. He pulled a pipe from his pocket, sniffed it, and then put it back.
"Let me introduce myself, Dunn Smith."
He introduced himself.
"Good evening, Officer Dunn."
Lu Ze sat opposite him, speaking with a slight guard.
He didn't know what the dark-haired, brown-eyed, scholarly-looking young officer had told Dunn, nor did he know if he would fall into a terrible situation because of it. Naturally, he was wary when alone with the other party in the room.
"No need to be so nervous. You just need to tell the truth."
Dunn smiled politely. He looked into Lu Ze's eyes and asked seriously, "Mr. Lu Ze, you mentioned earlier that you often experience hallucinations. What exactly are they like?"
As he asked this, Dunn leaned forward slightly towards Lu Ze, his body slightly hunched, and clasped his hands together, elbows resting on his knees. Perhaps it was Lu Ze's imagination, but in that instant, a ripple-like fluctuation seemed to flash around Dunn's body.
Lu Ze thought for a moment and then honestly told the other party that he had seen an upside-down giant and heard terrifying ravings.
"So, what are your thoughts on these hallucinations? Do you feel particularly happy, like you've finally found your true home?" Dunn didn't seem surprised by the visions he saw and continued to coax him.
"Ah? How is that possible!"
Lu Ze didn't expect Dunn to ask that. He gave the other party a strange look and flatly denied it, "Of course I hate them. I'm almost driven mad by those things. If I still liked them, I'd be possessed."
"So your current belief is still in the Goddess."
"Yes."
Lu Ze searched his memory for a moment, recalling the Seven Gods faith of this world, and also recalled that the Longdaoer family were all light believers of the Evernight Goddess. "Luze Longdaoer believes in the Goddess."
I didn't lie, the original Luze Longdaoer did indeed believe in the Evernight Goddess, but it has nothing to do with me.
He added in his mind.
Hearing his answer, Dunn nodded slightly and leaned back against the chair, seemingly relaxing a little.
"Is there anything you'd like to add about your previous experience?"
"No."
"Alright. How did you defeat Siris? Please describe the detailed process."
He added.
So Lu Ze recounted the detailed process again. He omitted the part where Siris lost control after touching his skin, only saying that the other party suddenly went mad, allowing him to find an opportunity.
"You are truly very lucky, Mr. Lu Ze."
After hearing Lu Ze's encounter, Dunn Smith said profoundly.
This is called luck?
Lu Ze thought in his heart, but did not say it out loud.
"You must have noticed that Siris's body underwent peculiar changes," he continued. "It's truly rare for you to survive in such a situation, let alone kill the other party. Also, have you ever wondered why he became like this?"
"Because he believes in an evil god?"
"Hmm, exactly. An evil god transformed his flesh, making him mad and powerful."
Dunn replied without hesitation.
"So, there really are mysterious powers in this world?"
"You could say that."
Dunn calmly admitted, "And we Nighthawks are an organization specifically responsible for handling Beyonder events, affiliated with the Goddess Church. Other churches also have similar organizations, and because your family are believers of the Goddess, the police found us."
"Nighthawks. Do you all possess special abilities?"
Lu Ze recalled the scene where the dark-haired, brown-eyed officer solemnly performed a ritual with a citrine. Could he obtain some information in this way?
"Yes, we are indeed Beyonders, just like you."
Dunn said to Lu Ze calmly, but he uttered a shocking statement.
"Like me?"
Lu Ze's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes."
Dunn looked at him and continued, "Because you ate what Siris extracted, you can already be considered a Beyonder."
"Ah?"
Lu Ze was dumbfounded, feeling an unspeakable terror.
The crimson moonlight streamed into the room. Dunn Smith, who sat opposite him, had half his body bathed in moonlight and half immersed in Darkness, his eyes deep, as if seeing through everything about Lu Ze from inside out.
"You—"
"You probably want to ask why I know, right?"
Dunn asked in a calm tone, but this tranquil demeanor made Lu Ze feel terrified, "It's simple, he told me."
He raised a finger and pointed behind Lu Ze.
Lu Ze, following Dunn's pointing direction, turned his head with difficulty.
He saw Siris, with his head shattered and flesh mangled, standing with eyes wide open in death, staring intently at him, his torn mouth opening and closing as if to say something.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
"Ah!"
A sudden knock on the Door sounded, and Lu Ze suddenly woke up, jumping directly from the chair!
His heart pounded, and he looked around blankly. Dunn sat opposite him, his posture different from the dream, but his eyes were just as deep and calm.
"Clack."
Lu Ze couldn't help but take a step back, his calf hitting the chair leg, making a sound.
Was I dreaming just now?
Or am I still dreaming now?
His heart was beating so fast, his mind was hazy, and for a moment he couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion.
Just then, another knock on the Door sounded, and the guest room door was pushed open from outside. The green-eyed young officer poked his head in, "Captain, Klein divined Siris and found out… uh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt you?"
"It's alright, the important questions have been asked," Dunn said. "You may continue."
"Klein divined Siris and discovered that he had an accomplice named Haynes Vanster. This Haynes was actually his colleague at the divination club, and he's said to be quite skilled in divination, with a good reputation in the city."
The green-eyed young officer reported the situation.
"I understand."
Dunn nodded, watched the latter close the Door and leave, then shifted his gaze back to Lu Ze. "Have you calmed down? If you have, please sit down first."
Lu Ze's breathing gradually calmed, and he finally sobered up.
"I think I was dreaming just now."
He sat back in the chair and asked tentatively.
His memory from entering the room until now had been continuous; he had no impression of falling asleep. The only suspicious part was when Dunn suddenly leaned in, emitting a peculiar fluctuation.
"That's right, I dragged you into a dream. This is a unique ability of a Beyonder of my Sequence, the 'Sleepless' Pathway," Dunn said. "Let me reintroduce myself, Nighthawk, Dunn Smith. I truly apologize for forcing you into a nightmare, but this was all for the investigation. I hope you can understand."
"Sleepless"? Sequence? Being able to hypnotize people and create dreams sounds very powerful.
Lu Ze secretly noted down these unfamiliar terms.
Wait a minute, so that means the Siris who appeared at the end was also created by his ability? He really scared me!
"In reality, people can control their words and actions, they can lie and deceive. But in dreams, they cannot hide their truest thoughts and memories. So, rather than engaging in mind games in an interrogation room, I prefer to delve into dreams to communicate with their true selves and hear answers untainted by lies."
Dunn's lips curved slightly, as if he were smiling.
He must have been thinking of my pathetic state when I was scared awake.
Lu Ze was half embarrassed, half speechless.
But upon closer thought, he heard something unsettling from Dunn's words.
Me in the dream, I wouldn't lie?
That's not right!
In the dream just now, Lu Ze's consciousness was very clear. He knew exactly what he should and shouldn't say, and after waking up, he remembered everything that had happened in the dream—it was just like a so-called "lucid dream." But judging by Dunn's demeanor, he seemed very certain.
Is it because I am a transmigrated soul and not affected by dreams, or is it because the original me was a Lunatic?
But no matter why, this was another one of his special traits.
Lu Ze thought to himself, then deliberately put on an expression of trying hard to remember, frowning, "Hmm, I think I told you something in the dream."
"No need to force yourself to remember; it's not good for you."
Dunn, as expected, didn't notice his abnormality. "In your dream, I confirmed that you are not a believer of an evil god, but merely caught in the crossfire."
"So, my suspicion has been cleared?"
Hearing him say that, Lu Ze's heart settled down a lot.
But Dunn's next sentence made him nervous again.
"Yes, but for safety reasons, and given the 'current state' of your body, we must take you and place you under protection."
"Siris Aripis belongs to a secret organization that worships an evil god—the Aurora Order. They spread chaos and try to summon an evil god to descend. As you just heard, he also has accomplices who might be a threat to you. Furthermore, you are already a Beyonder, and we must ensure you are in a controllable situation."
Dunn explained.
Right, he already knows I ate that little ball. That's a product of cultists, will they think I've been corrupted and just purify me?
Lu Ze opened his mouth, his voice a little dry, and asked, "How do you plan to deal with me?"
"Don't worry,"
Dunn couldn't help but smile at his reaction, "We will temporarily protect you until the incident is over, then we'll make arrangements. It won't be what you're imagining."
Stopped