Dunn sighed and said:

“I did want to get you out of here because what I was going to do involved a secret of the church and the Nighthawks, but my mind was confused by the death of Cornelius, and I could only think of a lame excuse to give you a chance to come back and see.

"What secret?" Klein asked with a relaxed tone.

He almost forgot that there were suspected offspring of evil gods or mythical creatures out there.

Dunn carefully considered his words and said, "In the mysterious field, there may be a law. Although I haven't read many books, I still know what the law means."

"This law is called the Law of the Immortality of Beyonder Characteristics."

"Extraordinary characteristics will not be destroyed or reduced, but will simply be transferred from one carrier to another."

Klein's eyes widened, and then he suddenly realized something. He asked thoughtfully:

"For example, would an out-of-control Beyonder leave behind a seal, a magical item, or the main ingredient for a potion?"

“Yes.” Dunn nodded seriously, “It’s not just the out-of-control Beyonders… It’s the same after the normal Beyonders die.”

“Same here…” Klein chewed on Dunn’s description and vaguely understood what the captain was doing at the time.

As his thoughts turned, he suddenly remembered one thing. After Tuxedo Clown died, a thumb-sized blood ball with a hint of blue appeared next to his body, floating in the air. At that time, Frye explained that there would always be some strange changes after the death of Extraordinary People.

Dunn continued with deep grey eyes:

"But unlike the out-of-control Beyonders, the Beyonders who died normally no longer leave behind materials and items. It is roughly equivalent to a potion of the corresponding sequence, but it lacks certain auxiliary materials."

Roughly equal to a magic potion… Roughly equal to a magic potion! Klein's eyes narrowed, and it was as if a bolt of lightning struck through his mind, illuminating the endless darkness.

He suddenly understood a lot of things, and understood why the extraordinary path would not be cut off when the materials were cut off.

In addition to using substitutes, one can simply rely on the remains of the corresponding Beyonder!

This should be one of the reasons why only finished potions are given to high-sequence masters! Another reason is to prevent the formula from being leaked through extraordinary means such as divination and spiritualism... Klein's mind was filled with speculations one after another.

Dunn glanced at the door of the Nighthawks' entertainment room and explained in a low voice:

"Several years ago, um... I don't remember exactly how many years it was. At that time, I was not yet the captain of the Nighthawks. I discovered this problem by accident. After communicating with Daly, who had just become a Beyonder, I immediately reported it to the Holy Temple. The Holy Temple asked me to keep it a secret and gave me two choices. Haha, this is why I am the one explaining it instead of Daly. Whoever exposes it will be held responsible."

"The first option is to pretend I don't know, like most of the Nighthawks' captains and deacons, and let the Holy Temple arrange the relics after the normal death of the Beyonder. The second option is to give me a special, simple ritual and corresponding skills, so that I can directly consume the items produced by the aggregation of characteristics within a certain time limit. Well, this only applies to the own path, and only applies to the sequence equal to itself, and lower sequences."

"This will enhance my Beyonder characteristics and make me even stronger. In terms of dream-related abilities, I am not much worse than a Sequence 6. This is why I dare to deal with Madam Sharon."

“I see… there is such a thing…” Klein exhaled slowly.

He finally understood why he hadn't been able to come up with a reasonable explanation no matter how hard he racked his brains. It was simply because of a lack of prior knowledge, which could not be compensated by imagination.

Well, this is in line with the so-called "Law of the Immortality of Characteristics"... If we continue to gather characteristics like this, will the quantitative change lead to qualitative change? Klein thought divergently.

Glancing at him, Dunn smiled wryly and said:

"I chose the second development, but not to become stronger. If I really want to become stronger, the best and most direct way is to digest the potion as quickly as possible and get promoted."

"Yes." Klein agreed wholeheartedly. "Gathering the characteristics of the same or lower sequence in the same pathway like this will increase strength, but it will also increase the risk of losing control, right?"

Dunn shook his head solemnly and said, "No, this is something left behind by a normal Beyonder, not an out-of-control Beyonder. Well, after learning about the 'acting method', I reviewed it again and found that this would make it more difficult to digest."

"Then why do you continue?" Klein asked in astonishment.

Dunn reached into his pocket with his right hand, trying to feel for his pipe, but realized he had left it in his office.

He shook his head and said self-deprecatingly:

"I just said that I didn't take their relics just to become stronger."

Having said this, he paused, looking at the blue light of the gas lamp opposite with a somewhat unfocused gaze, and said in a low voice:

"They are all my companions... We have been through a lot together. We have dealt with monsters in the dark and crazy cultists together. Some people have saved me, and I have saved many of them. We walked in the quiet night, we fought in places that the public could not see, we fought against danger, and we protected each other's backs."

"I really don't want to leave them. I remember that after little It experienced his first dangerous mission, he collapsed and cried out of fear. I remember Adelaide, he is Roxanne's father. He once used his arm to help me block an evil curse. I remember that Dawn was a girl with a warm temperament like the morning sun, who always silently recorded what everyone experienced. I remember that although Cornley was not tall, he could do many things. He could play the lyre, sing, and tell stories. He was more like a poet than Leonard... I really don't want to leave them."

"I hope to continue fighting alongside them, against the monsters in the darkness, to execute all those crazy cultists, and to protect Tingen City together. So, I chose to consume what they left behind."

There seemed to be a gleam in Dunn's grey eyes. His steadiness and depth were shattered at this moment.

The corners of his mouth slightly raised as he continued:

"In my dreams, they are still with me. Adelaide likes reading and always stays in the sun room to read. He always asks me to discipline Roshan and make her mature quickly. Roshan always complains about how I am becoming more and more like her father and is always afraid of me. Little It is a person who can't sit still and goes hunting in the forest every day. Dawn always stands at the window of her bedroom and watches us chatting. Coenley, who just joined, made a lyre by himself and played and sang there... I can't bear to leave them."

“Captain…” Klein whispered subconsciously. His vision almost blurred. He couldn’t help but raise his hand to wipe his eyes. He cursed in his heart, “Damn it, Captain, you are trying to trick me into crying…”

But I finally understand why your "acting method" is progressing so slowly, Captain... Klein sighed silently.

"It's a pity that Old Neil died out of control, otherwise he would have brought us a lot of joy." Dunn retracted his gaze, lowered his head and pinched the area between his eyes.

After a few seconds, he raised his head and smiled bitterly:

"It was a selfish decision."

"I didn't know what Adelaide and Cohen's true wishes were, so I selfishly made the decision for them."

"I am such a selfish person."

“No…” Klein shook his head violently.

…………

In the sofa area of ​​the reception hall, Leonard watched Megose grab handfuls of hair, and his expression froze again.

Megose kept picking up the cup to drink water in a slightly irritated manner, and looked at Leonard with a slightly distorted face and said:

"I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable."

Leonard Mitchell was about to answer when he suddenly saw Megose raise her hand and grab her own face. With a swish, she pulled off a long piece of flesh, covered in blood.

"My face is a little itchy." Megose smiled sheepishly, with the corners of her mouth cracked all the way to her cheekbones, revealing her white teeth and bright red gums.

XXXX! Leonard cursed silently, feeling that the situation was deteriorating too quickly.

His lips moved, he tilted his head to listen for a moment, and his expression suddenly changed color, turning ashen.

He forced a smile and said to Megose who kept scratching his face and tearing off his flesh:

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"Okay..." Megose's tone became a little vague.

She touched her belly and said:

"My...child...is a little uneasy..."

Leonard didn't respond, but quickened his pace and moved closer to the partition.

After entering the corridor, he took a deep look at the saint's urn held by Dunn Smith and let out a sigh of helplessness.

Then, his expression became firm and he said:

"Captain, I'm afraid it's too late. We must immediately deal with Megose and the baby in her belly. Otherwise, the entire city of Tingen will suffer huge losses. This cannot be avoided by asking the surrounding people to evacuate. I know you have already sent such a telegram."

Dunn frowned slightly and asked in an extremely serious tone:

"Are you sure the situation has deteriorated to this extent?"

"Yes, in less than three minutes, Megose will mutate and her child will be born prematurely." Leonard answered in a positive tone.

As he spoke, he glanced at the thick blood vessels wrapped around Klein's hand and said in a deep voice, "Sealed Artifact '2-105'? Let me use it. I can make better use of it."

"Okay." Klein handed the "Vascular Thief" to Leonard without any hesitation.

This was exactly what he was going to do.

At this moment, Dunn Smith pulled down his collar, patted his thin black windbreaker, and spoke with a firm attitude:

"I will take Saint Selina's ashes out first. You will have ten seconds left. Remember, count silently before coming out to fight. By then, no matter how good or bad my condition is, you must not waste time. Target Megose and the baby in her belly and launch your most powerful attack."

After saying that, he turned around, holding the urn, and walked towards the partition with an upright figure.

“Captain…” Klein shouted with dry lips.

"Captain." Leonard also shouted in a low voice.

Dunn stopped and turned around. He said with a gentle expression and a mellow voice:

"Don't worry about me. I'm not alone. Adelaide, Dawn, Little It, and Coenley are fighting alongside me, no matter what kind of danger we face."

He paused for a moment, looked at Klein and Leonard kindly with his gray eyes, and said:

"Don't be nervous, we are protecting Tingen City."

The corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a smile that was no different from usual.

After saying this, he did not stop, but looked outside, and walked through the partition with firm steps, leaving only his black knee-length windbreaker slightly lifted.

"Captain!" Klein and Leonard shouted at the same time, tears streaming down their cheeks, but Dunn did not slow down at all.

We are a group of poor people who are constantly fighting against danger and madness, but we are also guardians.