The sound of quick, approaching footsteps reached Klein’s ears, steadying him as he stood at the door of the watchroom. “What’s going on?” Leonard, the first to arrive, held his revolver tightly and asked in a steady voice. Noticing Leonard’s growing urgency, Klein immediately recalled something Roshan had mentioned—three years ago, when Leonard had first become a “night-watcher,” he had attempted to run up the stairs at full sprint without adapting to the magic potion’s effects, only to end up transformed into a wheel. Clearing his throat, Klein pointed toward the corridor leading to Charnis. “There was a sharp knocking coming from inside just now, then it turned into a series of thumps, and finally, the door was pushed open slightly.” “Charnis’ door was pushed open?” the short-coated Coen Li asked, visibly surprised. “Yes, just a small crack,” Klein said, preparing to elaborate further, when he noticed that Leonard, Coen Li, and Luo Yao had not moved closer to the watchroom. Instead, they had stopped a few steps away and spread out in an arc, as if guarding him. He paused and said, "Are you questioning me?" "No, not questioning—this is part of the standard procedure," Cohen Li shook his head to clarify. Under such tense atmosphere, Leonard still smiled casually, adding, "In other parishes, there have been cases where the extraordinary guardian on watch at the Charnes Gate lost control, rang the bell, and then, while the arriving teammates were distracted, killed two people." "Alright," Kline no longer felt targeted or angry, and instead asked, "Then how do I prove that I haven't lost control?" Leonard settled his smile, tapped his chest four times, and recited in a low, steady tone: "They were naked, with neither clothes nor food, exposed to the cold without any covering." "They were drenched in rain, clinging tightly to the stone because there was nowhere to take shelter." "They were mothers who had lost their children, orphans who had lost all hope, the poor who had been driven off the path." "Night did not abandon them; it granted them favor." ... Sacred and compassionate prayers resonated beneath the earth, bringing a serene stillness to each person's body, mind, and spirit. Seeing no unusual reaction from Caine, Leonard ceased reciting, and smiled gently. "There's no issue now. You remain our trusted companion." The usually reserved and composed lady, Lory, glanced toward the Charnes Gate and asked proactively, "What did you observe once the gate had been slightly opened?" "Immediately, I saw the Fated Puppet in the black classical court gown—3-0625," Caine replied, still carrying a trace of lingering apprehension. "But no more than three seconds later, it was pulled back by an unseen force, and the Charnes Gate closed once again. What on earth is going on?" Leonard and Cohen Li, and Luo Yao exchanged glances and said, "Heh, just like you, we have no clear understanding of the reasons behind all this. Since the Charnes Gate has been resealed and the anomalies have ceased, we shouldn't be entering now—instead, we must wait until morning, until the队长 arrives." At that moment, Luo Yao added calmly, "I'll stay here and watch with you." "Alright," Leonard spread his hands, giving a playful smile. "As the strongest among us here, I'll also remain. Cohen Li, go back to the second floor—don't let the police department find themselves unable to gain access due to urgent cases." Cohen Li said nothing, simply nodded and turned to leave. Then, Leonard glanced at both Klein and Luo Yao and said, "Perhaps we can continue playing cards? With things as they are, some entertainment will help us stay relaxed." "Certainly." Klein adjusted the revolver and placed it back in his armpit holster. Lo Yao said neither yes nor no, simply draped her smooth, flowing black hair and entered the watchroom. In the game of Mahjong, no—rather, in the battle against evil, Klein said casually, "The Unlucky Puppet, I mean 3-0625. According to the records, it shouldn't possess living characteristics..." "Ha ha, three aces," Leonard pressed his hand, chatting casually. "For the past forty years, 3-0625 has never shown any signs of life. We can first assume the records are accurate and build our reasoning and deductions upon that premise." "Passed. Do you have something to add?" Lo Yao asked succinctly. As Kline hesitated whether to simply drop the three "2"s, Leonard sipped his freshly brewed coffee and said, "Yes. Since the 3–0625 itself lacks the qualities of life, its performance today must be influenced by external factors—factors that have only recently emerged. Otherwise, it would have already revealed this trait to us long ago." "What has been different about the area behind the Charnes Gate over the past month?" Lore watched Kline toss the three "2"s aside, then paused for a few seconds before responding, "There's only one thing that differs from the past: the Antigonos family's records and the sealing object '2–049' once stayed overnight behind the Charnes Gate." Leonard looked at the cards in his hands, chuckling softly as he lightly tapped the table. "If the misfortune spirit had shown any anomaly, the '2–049' would have already triggered similar events behind the Charnes Gate in Beckett by now. So I suspect the issue lies in that family notebook of the Antigonous lineage." After thinking it over carefully, Kline nodded repeatedly, unable to resist. "That's the most likely explanation—Leonard, I didn't realize you were such a skilled thinker." Generally, the romantic poet and the logical thinker aren't compatible... "It's just that he's recently been reading detective novels," Lo Yao said calmly, adding, "Two kings, a sequence from 8 to king—no one wants these? Three sixes, all gone." Seeing this, both Kline and Leonard fell silent. They had forgotten a crucial detail: in this hand, Lo Yao was the very 'evil' one. Watching Luyao cut the cards, Caine seized another opportunity to ask: "What force brought 3–0625 back?" Leonard glanced at him and chuckled. "Wouldn't you think the protective measures behind the Charnis Gate consisted solely of underground sealing chambers and a few elderly wardens?" "In fact, after the sun fully sets, the wardens have already left the Charnis Gate and returned to the Saint Serenella Church." "The power within reaches its peak at night, becoming unsuitable for living beings; only when the sun rises does it weaken. That's precisely why our captain instructed us never to enter the Charnis Gate, no matter what sounds we hear." In other words, the captain forgot to tell me this reason... Caine mused, asking, "Something like a magical array?" Like an enlarged version of talismans and amulets? "Hmm." "Lo Yao ran his fingers over the cards, nodding in agreement." "The reason the Charnis Gates are placed beneath the central cathedrals of every city is to rely on the daily stream of worshippers to sustain them—their sincere prayers infuse the spiritual energy into the ley lines, accumulating over time." "Ah, I see," said Kline, suddenly enlightened, realizing he held a weak hand. At that moment, Leonard smiled and added, "The protective measures behind the Charnis Gates go beyond what we've discussed. Saint Serenela's ashes are interred there. She was indeed a powerful figure of high rank during her lifetime." Serenela's ashes? Ashes of a high-ranking powerhouse? What use could ashes have? Kline found himself both puzzled and intrigued. Serenela was a saint of the Night Goddess Church, active during the ancient Third Age and documented in numerous holy texts. Thus, among the faithful of the Night Goddess, Serenela had become a common name. Leonard seemed to have picked up on Klein's unspoken thoughts, speaking to himself at ease: "There's a rumor that the remains or ashes left behind after a high-tier strength has passed away still possess incredible power—though, of course, this is merely a rumor." Klein nodded slightly, shifting his focus back to the cards in his hands. "That's the difference between the sequences..." Klein was about to walk through the partition and head home to catch some rest when he suddenly saw the captain enter. "Good morning, Captain," he greeted, involuntarily yawned. Dunn, dressed in a black coat, removed his hat and glanced at him with gray eyes. "Good morning. You should go back to rest now. Did anything unusual happen last night?" Klein briefly summarized the incident involving the ill-fated doll and Leonard's reasoning. "Hmm," Dunn said without comment, quietly making his way toward his office. "I'll send a telegram to the Hall." Klein didn't linger further, stepped steadily out of No. 36 Zothlan Street, and breathed in the cool morning air. A surge of energy swept through him, and he suddenly remembered something he had always overlooked: "I forgot to tell the Captain and the others about the paper in the doll's hands!" "How could I have forgotten that?" "There seems to be a subtle force influencing me, preventing me from telling other night-watchers about this matter..." "...The records of the Antigonid family have been stored behind the Charnel Gate in Tingen for quite some time now. The unfortunate puppet, 3–0625, should have been affected long ago. Why only now, yesterday evening, has it begun to show signs of anomaly?" "Because yesterday was the first time I've been on duty at the Charnel Gate?" "It drew upon all its strength just to make me see the patterns on that sheet of paper?" "Is that precisely what the Antigonid family records have always aimed to achieve?" "Because I came into contact with it—and survived—and became a seer?" ...One after another, questions flashed through Caine's mind, leaving him frozen in place, unsure whether to feign indifference, go back to bed, or climb the stairs to report to the captain.