The next morning,克莱恩, fully recovered, walked steadily into Black Thorns Security. "Good morning, Klein. The weather is quite cool today—I'm looking forward to the dinner in the evening." Rosan, dressed in a light green dress, stood behind the reception desk and greeted him with a warm smile. Klein deliberately patted his stomach and said: "Miss Rosan, you shouldn't be discussing such topics now. I'm already growing weary of the tasks that haven't even arrived today—I only hope the evening can come sooner." "I am too," Rosan chuckled. She glanced around, waved him closer, and then lowered her voice: "I just saw Miss Daili." "Miss Daili, the medium?" Klein asked, slightly surprised. Daili, the most renowned medium in Ahovah, had always resided in Emater Port, which is not particularly close to Tinggen. "Yes." "Rosan nodded firmly. "But she has already left—ah, she is exactly the ideal extraordinary one I've always dreamed of. If I could become an empath, I would leave Tinggen and travel alone throughout the world: to Intis, to Fasak, to Feneport, to the Southern Continent, to the Great Grasslands, to the Primeval Forests, to the snowy plains!" Madam, could you please go over the night watch regulations with me...? Klein chuckled and shook his head. "Even Miss Dail wishes to leave Enmater Port, she would still need to apply and receive formal approval." "I know that, but you can't remind me now—right at this moment—when I'm trying to hold onto my fantasy!" Rosan said, her voice rising. "In fact, I simply cannot become an extraordinary one. It's too dangerous. One never knows when a sudden, unexpected death might strike. To me, an extraordinary one is someone who, in order to fight monsters, transforms themselves into monsters themselves." "The Archbishop of Charnes said we are the guardians, yet also a group of pitiful creatures constantly battling against dangers and madness." Caine sighed, responding to that memorable phrase. To counter the Abyss, we must endure its corrosion. Both remained silent for a moment, and Rosan regained her composure first, nudging the gap with her mouth. "The captain instructed you to find him right away." "Understood," Caine said, taking his hat and cane, crossing the partition, and knocking on the door to Dune's office. A middle-aged gentleman with deep gray eyes and a high hairline set down his coffee cup and smiled. "Daly came by." (Please remember????????????.??????website to watch the fastest chapter updates.) "It's no surprise, since Rosan already informed me of this." Caine smiled in reply. Dunne didn't pay much attention to his humor, and sighed, "Dai Li has been assigned to the Beckettland parish—the most bustling, crowded city in the world, with the largest number of extraordinary individuals and the most opportunities available. She's far more likely than I to become a metropolitan bishop or a senior steward." "Why?" asked Caine, sitting up straight, expressing his curiosity. Dunne paused for over a dozen seconds before responding, "She possesses a unique talent in mastering and uncovering sequence-based potions. As I mentioned before, the internal regulations of the Watchers require that one must wait three years after attaining a given sequence before being eligible to consume the next, undergoing rigorous evaluations to prevent instability. However, three years are often insufficient. From 'The Watcher' to 'The Midnight Poet,' I waited three years; from 'The Midnight Poet' to 'The Nightmare,' it took nine—nine full years. And from 'The Nightmare' to Sequence 6, I've already spent three years. I'm not sure how much longer I'll need to wait." "When our bodies grow old and our spirits begin to wane, even if we manage to eliminate all hidden risks, we should no longer strive for promotion—because the risk of losing control is so high that no one would dare to take the plunge." "Yet Daili and I are different from most extraordinary beings. After becoming 'the one who collects the dead,' she submitted a special request just one year later, asking to immediately begin taking the next batch of elixirs—surprisingly, she passed a more rigorous evaluation and was granted the 'Digging-into-the-Dead' elixir." "From 'Digging-into-the-Dead' to 'Spirit-Communicator,' she achieved it in just one year. Hm, this is only her fifth year as an extraordinary being—she's just twenty-four, still quite young, with ample time ahead of her." Publicly known as the most renowned Spirit-Communicator in Ahova County—yet in truth, a genuine Spirit-Communicator. Isn't that simply 'playing a role'? Old Neil once mentioned that Ms. Daili has a similar inclination... Now, Klein feels he has finally grasped the core elements behind Daili's rapid advancement as a Spirit "Captain, you're still quite young—only in your thirties." Kline offered Dune a word of reassurance, silently adding to himself that his memory was a bit shaky. Dune sipped his coffee, shook his head with a wry smile. "Why didn't you ask Ms. Dail for guidance on mastering and uncovering the Sequence Potions?" Kline deliberately asked. Dune set down his coffee cup, rubbed his temples. "She's made me into a true nightmare... I'm not sure what that means." To be a nightmare... Ah, nightmares are so inherently sinister. Kline's brow furrowed slightly, and he paused thoughtfully. At that moment, Dune pulled out his pipe, inhaled deeply. "I discussed with Ms. Dail the matter of the Sequence Potion evolving into the 'Jester' potion. Assuming she hasn't been deliberately misleading you, she offered an intriguing hypothesis." "What hypothesis?" Kline brightened, eager to hear. He had previously used divination to verify whether the "Clown" was indeed the next stage in the sequence of the "Seer's" magical potion, receiving a somewhat indistinct yet more affirmative response. Duan's deep gray eyes glanced at him as he pondered and said: "The typical sequence follows a progressive relationship, advancing step by step within a shared domain—such as the 'Night Watchman,' the 'Midnight Poet,' and the 'Nightmare.' Clearly, all of these are connected to night, and to the states of sleep, calm, and tranquility that emerge from it. One can reasonably imagine that the subsequent stages will follow this pattern, becoming more powerful and encompassing broader elements—perhaps introducing hidden trials, calamities, fears, and the Crimson Moon, among others." "Some sequences may appear different at first glance, yet upon closer examination, commonalities emerge—such as the 'Assassin' and the 'Instigator,' whose underlying shared trait is the infliction of misfortune, suffering, sorrow, and despair. The later stages of such sequences should likewise adhere to this pattern." Klein listened intently and asked, "But aren't the 'Seer' and the 'Clown' part of this same kind of relationship?" "Indeed," Dune nodded gently. "Dale believes there might be another sequence pathway altogether, since what we know so far is still far from complete." He paused and added, "Dale says that in similar pathways, mid- and low-tier magical potions each grant a非凡者 a completely new ability—one that seems unrelated to any previous ones. At a certain turning point, these abilities then merge and evolve into a powerful, unified 'profession' that encompasses them all." "That is, not a progressive development, but rather a process of decomposition and recombination," Klein said, still somewhat puzzled. Noticing Klein's confusion, Dune raised his right hand. "The standard sequence pathway is progressive—much like how each person's height grows gradually from childhood, one stage at a time, with growth in stature, strength, weight, and maturity." "And the special sequence pathways work like this..." Duan bent his thumb. "This is Sequence 9." Then he bent his index finger. "This is Sequence 8." Following that, he slowly bent each of the remaining fingers one by one. "Each finger acts independently, seemingly unrelated—yet by the end..." As he pronounced the word "finally," Duan had bent all five fingers, clenching them into a firm fist! "I see it now," Caine exclaimed, deeply impressed by Lady Dail's speculation and the captain's analogy. Perhaps it truly was that way. He nodded thoughtfully. Sequence 8, "The Clown," and Sequence 9, "The Oracle," are entirely different, possessing entirely new abilities—according to internal Night Watch records, Sequence 7 and Sequence 8, "The Clown," also show no such similarities. "Sequence 9, Sequence 8, and Sequence 7 were all considered low sequences a thousand years ago, but over the last few centuries, due to the scarcity of extraordinary individuals, the major churches have now regarded Sequence 7 as a mid-tier sequence." Duan smiled with a touch of self-mockery. Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 are low-tier; Sequences 7, 6, and 5 are mid-tier; and Sequences 4 and above are high-tier... Klein repeated this in his mind, feeling a growing sense of admiration. The Great Emperor Roser is a high-tier powerhouse! Yet, the higher the sequence, the greater the risk of instability... Klein thought with a sense of apprehension. He casually added, "What is the name of the Sequence 4 magic potion of the Goddess Church?" "In fact, I'm not entirely sure. My current confidentiality level hasn't granted me access to the relevant materials. I'll only be able to consult them once I become a Bishop or a Night Watch Chaplain." Dean shook his head and smiled, "In fact, among the thirteen archbishops and nine senior deacons at the highest levels of the Church, at least half are ranked below Sequence 4—my estimate is rather optimistic. Bishop Inz. Zangweil, who was previously expelled, lost control precisely after failing to advance to Sequence 4." "Ennis smiled. "Don't forget the dinner tonight—it's at Old维尔 Restaurant, seats have been reserved. This time, I'll formally introduce you to the other night-watchers." "Got it—I've already got cash ready," Caine forced a smile to his lips. "No, thank you. Didn't you know we have an extra allowance? The portion you earn from completing assignments and submitting reports." Ennis waved his hand. Caine paused, then beamed. "Yes, Captain!" He turned and walked toward the door, silently counting in his mind: "Three, two, one… Hmm, Captain didn't call me back." Caine lingered on the "one," surprised to find that the things Captain Ennis Smith had not forgotten required further clarification. A miracle… he silently rated it in his heart. … Inside the armory, Old Neil glanced at Caine, who was clearly delighted. "Don't worry about the dinner tonight—you still have plenty to learn. Things like more ritual magic, the ancient Hermes tongue, dragon tongue, elven tongue, and so on." "Also, every afternoon outside your rest days, you'll need to practice combat with your teacher for at least two hours." "Combat? Didn't the captain mention that?" Caine was startled. Old Neil nodded, responding without hesitation. "He forgot."