Not long after Klein and the others had lunch, the detective who had asked for leave returned to Green Park Street, which meant that the commission he had accepted had come to an end.
Because Atlus' condition had improved significantly, Logo Carloman was quite generous in settling his remuneration, adding a full 50% premium on the original 10 pounds.
"As expected of a jeweler, he is very generous. However, compared to other people in the West End and Queens, he is not that rich. Green Park Street is close to the suburbs and not far from the cemetery. I can get there in ten minutes if I run at full speed... Um, Miss Bodyguard, no, Miss Sharon, is most likely a Sequence 5 expert. The fee is one thousand pounds for three days, and as a Sequence 7 Beyonder, I only get fifteen pounds a day. The gap is quite big..."
"Of course, if I could have such a mission every day, my annual income would exceed 5,400 pounds, which would put me at the top of the middle class. The top manager of Backlund Bank only makes 5,000 pounds a year... Hehe, this is just pure fantasy. For most detectives, it's really like they can only make a living if they close their business for a week... And the extraordinary materials I need to advance to Sequence 6 will definitely cost more than 3,000 pounds. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. For ordinary people, this is a huge fortune, a huge fortune that can sustain a good life for a lifetime!"
"The good news is that even if I master the role-playing method, it will take six months to three years to digest a sequence 7 potion. Even if I can quickly summarize the rules of the 'magician', it will only be one or two months ahead of the minimum. I still have enough time to save money and collect clues for materials..."
"Wait, Miss Justice seems to still owe me, um, my follower 5,000 pounds..."
"But her financial situation isn't very good recently. It will be difficult for her to come up with such a large sum of money in a few months..."
Klein took the three 5-pound notes and left the West End with a distracted mind.
After returning to Minsk Street, he quickly burned the used paper figures and bought two more.
In the evening, he took the steam subway to the Backlund Bridge area and knocked on the door of the party house according to the number provided in the newspaper.
As in the previous times, he put on an iron mask that only covered the upper half of his face, put on a black robe with a hood, and, led by the waiter, entered the living room where only a candle was burning quietly.
At a glance, Klein discovered that the number of Beyonders at this gathering was nearly half less than in the past.
I always come on time, so why are the others late? This time, Klein did not change his walking posture or habitual movements. He chose a seat in the corner and slowly sat down.
After a few minutes, the old man "Eye of Wisdom" cleared his throat and said:
"Let's start the party. Others probably won't come."
At this point, he briefly explained:
"Because the serial murder case has never found the murderer, the Nighthawks, the Punishers, the Mechanical Heart, and most of the Beyonders in MI9 have been dispatched to conduct a large-scale investigation and search."
"Under this situation, it is normal and understandable that friends are unwilling to go out and participate in gatherings."
“To be honest, there are more people coming today than I expected.”
As expected, the Beyonder circle is not isolated and is also affected by current events... Klein looked around and saw that the chubby pharmacist was not absent, and he immediately felt a lot more relaxed.
The pharmacist pushed the iron mask on his face and shouted without any hope:
"Looking to buy the medullary crystal of the Elf Spring. The price is negotiable."
“I have,” Klein said without hesitation.
He was worried that others would also find this extraordinary material, causing his stock to be overstocked.
——Although extraordinary materials are scarce and duplication rarely occurs in a single circle, in this kind of thing, one should be prepared for the worst.
"Looking to buy the medullary crystals of the Elf Spring..." The pharmacist seemed not to hear anyone responding.
Halfway through his speech, he suddenly froze, turned his head sharply to look at Klein, and asked with fiery eyes:
"You have?"
“Yes.” Klein couldn’t bear the other person’s fiery gaze.
He answered in the affirmative, rolled up his black robe and took out an iron cigarette case.
Pah! Klein opened the cigarette box, revealing the faded egg-like crystals of the Elf Spring's medulla.
"If you're worried, you can ask Mr. Wisdom's Eye to do an appraisal." Klein added in a deep voice.
This is actually not necessary, because it is obvious at a glance whether it is an extraordinary material, and after obtaining it, it can be quickly discovered whether it is contaminated.
However, if the knowledge of occult science is not rich enough, it is easy for the extraordinary person to mix similar materials together. In this case, identification is necessary.
The pharmacist looked at the extraordinary material in Klein's hand with fascination, as if he was looking at a beautiful girl he had been drooling over for a long time. After several seconds, he shook his head and said:
"No, no need!"
“That’s it!”
“That’s it!”
Klein curled his lips slightly and offered a price:
"300 pounds, and clues to the pharmacist's formula."
"The clue to the pharmacist's formula... is you!" The pharmacist was stunned for a moment, and finally understood who the person opposite him was.
It was the guy who made him run for nothing with the sedative!
Immediately, he was extremely sad and regretful and sighed:
"You are indeed a lucky man!"
"Why didn't I choose that lucky path..."
After all, I am the Yellow and Black King who controls good luck... Klein said to himself.
The pharmacist sighed for a while, changed his sitting position and said:
"This is too expensive, 200 pounds plus clues to the formula."
"The clue to the formula is just a byproduct. I can't confirm its authenticity, so I'll give you 300 pounds, not a penny less. I think there should be someone else who needs it." Klein smiled and said, "This price is actually very fair. If it were someone else, they might offer 400 or even 500 pounds, and you might accept it."
"I'm not that stupid. I can still wait..." The pharmacist muttered, "We can ask the old man, er, Mr. Wisdom Eye, to identify the clues."
"I can only identify something that exists objectively and has complete details. Mere clues are not part of this category." The old man "Eyes of Wisdom" reminded him.
Divination can roughly determine whether a clue is valid, without involving powers two or three levels higher than itself... Klein muttered to himself silently.
However, he would not reveal his expertise in divination at a gathering of extraordinary people.
"Okay... 300 pounds plus the clue, you make a profit!" The pharmacist took a breath, took out a thick stack of cash, counted out the corresponding amount, then asked the waiter to bring paper and pen, and started writing.
Quickly, he gathered the clues, crumpled the paper into a ball, and handed it to the waiter along with the cash and several other items.
When the waiter came over, Klein took a look and was suddenly a little stunned.
Because in addition to the cash and clues, there were also four additional glass tubes filled with seemingly pure drugs.
"What is this?" Klein asked in confusion.
"Have you forgotten? The sedative you requested is my special sedative. Each tube costs 10 soli. Four tubes cost two pounds, so the cash is 298 pounds." The pharmacist replied, "If you are not sure about my sedative, you can apply for an appraisal."
I really forgot... I did that to gain Miss Sharon's trust, and now she's not here. Well, that's good. Maybe keeping sedatives on hand can help with some unexpected situations... Klein stopped talking and shook out the medullary crystal of the Elf Spring. He took the things, counted the cash in front of everyone, and identified the authenticity under the dim candlelight.
A total of 298 pounds... That's right... Seeing that his wallet could no longer hold any more cash, Klein had no choice but to roll up the bills and stuff them into his pockets.
After putting away the sedative, he unfolded the note and glanced at the clue:
"Go to the Harvest Church, Rose Street, South of the Bridge. Find Bishop Utravsky. As long as you can help him complete a task, you may get the pharmacist's formula."
The Harvest Church is one of the few churches of the Church of Mother Earth in the kingdom. This church controls two extraordinary paths, the "tiller" and the "pharmacist"... The clues are very consistent... Klein folded the note again thoughtfully.
As the party progressed, the female Beyonder with the "craftsman" behind her either did not attend or did not get the new Beyonder weapon, and she never spoke, leaving Klein's expectations in vain - he now had 509 pounds in cash, so he could think about equipment.
After many deals fell through, a man sitting on a high stool spoke in a low voice:
"I have a friend who was unfortunately discovered during this large-scale investigation. He was imprisoned by the Mandated Punisher in the basement of a certain Storm Church. I would like to ask for a few helpers to rescue him together."
The old gentleman "Eye of Wisdom" immediately responded:
"Wild Dog, give up this plan! The Punisher and Seal of the Storm Church are enough to destroy all of us here."
"Your friend's fate is already determined. Don't let yourself fall into the same desperate situation."
The Wild Dog looked around and found that no one responded to him. He couldn't help but hit his thigh hard and growled:
"But what did he do wrong?"
"He is an excellent physician. He has saved many patients. He has never hurt anyone! Just because he took a potion and became a Beyonder, he will be imprisoned in a place where he will never see the sun, and even used as a test subject for the Punisher?"
"Why?"
"Why……"
"Wild Dog" asked in pain and despair all over the room. Even the pharmacist who always couldn't control his mouth remained silent.
Alas... Klein, the former official Beyonder, could only sigh deeply in his heart.
Without announcing the “playing method”, all wild Beyonders are time bombs…
But if the "acting method" is popularized, the situation may become even more chaotic and bloody... After all, Beyonder characteristics are indestructible and conserved...
In this depressing atmosphere, the party came to an end. Klein, who had gained nothing else, spoke again:
"Who has pistol bullets with different supernatural effects?"
"For example, purification effect, demon hunting effect, etc., etc."
He did not specify the caliber of the bullet because he did not have a gun at the moment and could prepare one after buying the bullets.
In the silence, a female Beyonder who was also sitting in the corner responded in a low voice:
"I can ask for you and give you the answer at the next party."
It seems to be the lady with the "craftsman" behind her... Klein exhaled and said:
"OK."
When the party was over, he did not return directly to Minsk Street, but went to the East District, changed his clothes, and headed to the border between the North District and Hillston District.
That was the place rented by Kopsti Reid, a man suspected to be a member of the Spiritual Cult.