"We are the guardians, yet also just a group of ordinary people constantly battling danger and madness." The corridor outside was sealed off, the stone walls cold, and the indoor lights warm and golden. Dunning Smith's recounting echoed softly in this setting, each word striking gently against Caine's heart, momentarily silencing him. Seeing Caine remain silent, Dunning shook his head and smiled. "Are you disappointed? The extraordinary aren't what you imagined—they've always been on the path of danger." "There is always a cost when there is gain," Caine replied, recovering from his earlier astonishment and carefully modulating his tone. He hadn't really anticipated that, beyond the extraordinary brilliance, the exceptional nature, and the qualities that set the extraordinary ones apart from the ordinary, there would also be such vulnerabilities. Perhaps it was because he had only heard descriptions and not yet experienced it firsthand, or perhaps because he himself had become deeply entangled in this whirlpool, with the constant possibility that some strange incident might suddenly befall him—his fears, anxieties, concerns, and apprehensions soon settled into a manageable level. Of course, the impulse to retreat remained inevitable, persistent, and hard to shake off. "Indeed, very mature, very rational," Duan finished off the last sip of his coffee and added, "Also, the extraordinary ones aren't as powerful as you might think. Take the lower-tier extraordinary individuals—ah, why use 1 to represent the highest rank and 9 for the lowest? That seems counterintuitive and illogical. In our usual terms, 'lower-tier' refers to lower rank, higher numbers, the beginning of the sequence chain." "Alright, where did I leave off earlier?" Yes, extraordinary beings aren't as powerful as you might think. The strength of lower-tier extraordinary beings falls short even of firearms, let alone artillery. They are merely more wondrous and harder to anticipate in certain aspects. If you ever have the chance to become an extraordinary being, make sure you carefully consider what I've just said—don't act impulsively. "I'm not sure when that opportunity will arise,"克莱恩 chuckled. "If it does come, I believe I won't miss it. Mistaking a remedy or taking a remedy that's one level above your current capacity can be largely avoided. The primary risks lie in the subtle effects inherent in the remedies themselves and in the unforeseen 'dangers' that become apparent only when your inspiration is heightened and you begin to perceive them more keenly." The earlier ones benefit from the accumulated experience of their predecessors. As long as they don't rush or become overly anxious in their efforts to advance, steadily building and mastering their strength should keep the risk of losing control relatively low. Their primary motivation is currently to address the immediate potential threats—understanding the essence of esoteric studies and finding a way to return home—so they have taken this step, without specifically aiming for a high-tier position. If they truly find themselves unstable, they can simply remain at their current level, using their knowledge to plan their return journey. As for the later concerns, there's no need to mention them at all—Klein still vividly remembers the whispering murmurs that nearly drove him to madness and caused his mind to explode during the use of the "transit ritual." That kind of experience isn't something that can simply be avoided by merely becoming a remarkable individual. Therefore, it makes sense to instead develop some counterbalancing strengths. With these considerations, Klein finds the advantages and disadvantages so clearly defined that his hesitations and retreat instincts have largely vanished. Dunne picked up his pipe again, his gray eyes smiling slightly. "As for this matter, I can't be precise. To become an extraordinary one, one must first accumulate sufficient merit—perhaps you'll be able to decipher key ancient documents by tomorrow or the day after, or offer us very useful insights in our case. Second, there's always the possibility of new ideas from above, though no one can truly predict that." "Well, I believe you now have a good understanding of extraordinary individuals. You'll no longer make impulsive decisions. Now, allow me to introduce you to the administrative duties of our Night Watch team." He stood up, walked to the door, and pointed in the direction opposite to "Charnis Gate": "We have an accountant who handles purchasing essential supplies, collects materials issued by the church and police, and also serves as a part-time driver—these are professionals, and they don't rotate; they rest every Sunday. The remaining three administrative staff members are Rosan, Bright, and Old Neil. Their responsibilities include welcoming visitors, cleaning rooms, preparing case documents and inventory lists, and guarding the weapons, materials, and library archives, strictly maintaining entry and return records. Each of them rotates their weekly day off—one day per week, except Sunday—and there's also a rotating shift system for night duty and rest periods, all arranged among themselves." "So I do the same things as Rosan and the others?" Kline set aside his thoughts about the extraordinary individuals, confirming his own role and responsibilities. "No, you don't need to. You're a professional, after all." "Ennis smiled and said, "Right now, you have two tasks. First, every morning or afternoon, go out and walk—specifically, pay attention to the roads between Welch's house and your home." "Remember our network." "Oh?" Caine looked utterly puzzled. What kind of 'job' was this? Was it really professional? Ennis inserted both hands into the pockets of his black windbreaker and continued: "After we confirmed that you truly had forgotten your memories, the cases of Welch and Naya are officially closed. Likewise, the family diary of the Antigonous family has completely vanished. We suspect you carried it with you when you left, and concealed it somewhere along your way home—thus, we found no traces of it at your residence. This is likely the very reason you weren't at the scene when the incident occurred, but instead were found at home, seemingly having committed suicide." "Although you have been influenced by the mysterious force and have completely forgotten this memory, the human spirit and brain are remarkably subtle—perhaps some traces remain. A medium like Daili may not be able to detect them, which doesn't mean they absolutely don't exist. Perhaps, in familiar places or at crucial moments, you'll feel as though you've seen something before or done something previously." "This is exactly what we hope to achieve." "I understand," said Kline, suddenly enlightened. The night watchmen's inference regarding the journal's whereabouts was indeed logical. Among those present at the time, only he remained alive, and only he had both the time and the motivation to take the journal and conceal it along the way. "If we can find the journal in this way, you should be able to accumulate sufficient merit to qualify as a remarkable individual," encouraged Dene Smith, indirectly underscoring the journal's significance. "Hopefully," nodded Kline. Dunne redirected the conversation again: "Second, you'll take one day off each week, and for now you can choose which day suits you best. When you're not outside, go to the armory and read the documents and manuscripts we've preserved—this is the work of historical professionals. Once you've gone through all of them, you'll rotate with Neil and the others." "Good, no problem," said Caine, quietly exhaling a breath of relief. It wasn't anything too difficult, after all... At that moment, Dunne half-turned and pointed to the black iron double doors, intricately carved with seven holy emblems. "This is the 'Charnis' Gate, named after the Archbishop Charnis, the founder of the modern night-watch system. In every major city's central cathedral, there's such a gate beneath the ground." "It's guarded by official night-watch members, and there are at least two internal church 'wardens' stationed inside, along with countless traps. You mustn't approach it casually—otherwise, you'll bring bad luck upon yourself." "That sounds impressive," said Caine, offering his remarks. "It's divided into several areas, housing a sequence of magical recipes and various enchanted materials, and temporarily detaining heretics, oddities, sect members, and members of secret organizations—ah, they'll eventually be sent to the Sanctuary." Dunning offered this casually. "The Sanctuary? The headquarters of the Church of the Night Goddess, in the northern region of the Kingdom, the 'Cathedral of Tranquility'? I seem to be thinking about it," Caine nodded slightly. "Also, there are various high-security copies of archival documents and manuscripts—once your access level improves, you might just get the chance to read them." Dunning paused and added, "In the lower levels behind the 'Charnel Gate,' there are also some sealed artifacts." "Sealed artifacts?" Caine mused over the word. This sounds like a specialized term. Among the extraordinary items we have collected and secured, some are so vital and so magical that if seized by malevolent forces, they would cause widespread devastation. Therefore, they must be strictly confidential and carefully guarded—indeed, even within our own ranks, access is granted only under specific circumstances. Moreover... here, Dunning Smith paused before continuing, "Moreover, a portion of these items possesses a truly unique quality: they are inherently alive. They attract and influence the guardians, disrupt their surroundings, escape on their own, and can lead to catastrophic consequences. Such items must be rigorously controlled." "Remarkable," murmured Caine. The Night Watch Headquarters classifies these sealed items into four tiers. A "0" rating signifies the highest level of danger, receiving the utmost priority, strict confidentiality, and the most stringent restrictions—no inquiries, no external communication, no descriptions, no observation permitted. They may only be sealed deep within the "Sanctum" beneath the headquarters. Dunne explained in detail: "Level 1 is highly critical, with limited use permitted; confidentiality is required at the level of Bishop and Night Watch Deacons and above. In central cathedrals of major diocesan headquarters such as Becland, one to two items may be retained; all others must be delivered to the 'Sanctum.' Level 2 is critical, requiring cautious and restrained use; confidentiality is required at the level of Bishop and Night Watch Squad Leaders and above. Central cathedrals in major cities may retain three to five items; others should be delivered to the 'Sanctum' or regional diocesan headquarters. Level 3 poses moderate risk, requiring careful handling and applications only when conducted by teams of three or more persons; confidentiality is required at the level of formal Night Watch members." "When you encounter relevant documents, the number will clearly indicate the meaning—such as 2–125, which refers to the 125th item of the critical level." "Dun said, speaking, then suddenly turned and walked back to the room, pulling out a sheet of paper from the bottom drawer: "By the way, take a look at this. Three years ago, a newly appointed archbishop lost control and, somehow, managed to bypass all the security measures, vanishing mysteriously with a 'Level 0' sealed artifact. When you recognize his photo, if you find any trace of him, don't disturb him or alert anyone—just return to report. Otherwise, you'll be held responsible for one thousand percent of your own sacrifice." "What?" Klein took the paper, but found himself not lifting his head—only a black-and-white photograph and a few lines of text: "Inz. Zangweil, male, forty years old, former archbishop, a 'Gatekeeper' who failed in his promotion, seduced by the Devil and fallen into evil, carrying the seal object '0–08' and fleeing. Specific characteristics are..." Based on the photograph and the description, Inz. Zangweil wore a full black clerical robe with double rows of buttons, a soft hat on his head, dark gold hair, and eyes of a deep blue nearly black. His high nose bridge, tightly pressed lips, and refined facial features resembled classical sculpture, with no visible wrinkles. The most striking feature was that he was blind in one eye. "Such a detailed account of the fallen one, yet only a single designation for the seal object," Klein expressed his initial impression plainly. "So it's the highest level of confidentiality—the search and communication about the seal object '0–08' are all conveyed orally, never written down, and only a brief overview of its condition is shared." "Dunne sighed, 'The appearance of "0–08" is that of a common quill pen, yet it can write without ink—quite remarkable for just that.' Dunne didn't elaborate further, instead following the golden chain on his black coat to produce a splendid watch of the same hue. He clicked it open, glanced at the time, and then pointed toward the door. 'I've covered everything. Go to the weapons storage and find Neil, and have him arrange specific reading materials for you. He's no ordinary administrative staff—he was once a formal member, but due to age, lack of promotion, and declining health, he's no longer able to handle cases. Moreover, he's unwilling to transition into an internal "Guardian" role or retire to rest at home. He simply wishes to remain close to the archives and the written records.'" PS: Second update—please recommend this chapter.