Once克莱恩's eyes had regained their normal hue, Crystalline Sessima smiled and said, "You can move around a bit now, adjust to your body's changes, and discover the core ability brought by the 'Clown' potion."克莱恩 nodded, thinking he might need guidance from a senior steward, so he didn't hesitate with others present. He followed the routines he'd practiced over the past few days, stepping forward, twisting his torso, raising and swinging his arms, and then launching a straight punch. Crack! He heard the crisp sound of his fist breaking through the air, and felt the forward momentum far exceeding his expectations. In that instant, he felt as though he were on a train suddenly applying emergency brakes—his entire body lost balance and tipped forward. Oh no! He'd surely end up with the same black mark as Lennard. As the thought flashed through his mind, he prepared himself for a fall. Yet at that very moment, he realized that even in this state, he could effectively control his muscles, his body, and his center of gravity! With the spine, tendons, and ligaments working in unison, he instantly adjusted his center of gravity and stabilized himself in a twisted posture. Hmm... Having gained a clearer understanding, Klein performed several more sequences, confirming that his most significant improvement was a remarkable enhancement in bodily coordination—now he rarely lost balance under ordinary circumstances. "It feels like a standing figure that never falls—someone who could actually perform acrobatics. Walking on a pipe wouldn't be difficult at all. Truly, the 'clown' potion lives up to its name." One after another, thoughts flashed through his mind as he tested the extent of his gains in strength, agility, and speed. "Hmm. I'm not behind Highwood Teacher's current condition. Once fully adapted and with targeted practice, I'm sure I'll continue to improve. Moreover, with my current level of bodily control, mastering combat techniques will become much easier." Klein paused, nodded thoughtfully. In his original conception, it would probably take half a year to become a competent fighter—by ordinary human standards. But after consuming the "Clown" potion, he now believed he might achieve mastery in combat, becoming a true police-level fighter, within just one month, or even as little as two or three weeks. This is the distinction between the extraordinary and the ordinary. The unique talents of different extraordinary beings have, in certain ways, already surpassed the human level! Kreshta quietly observed the newly appointed "Clown" attempting various movements, only nodding gently once the other had completely ceased. "Indeed, a potion of combat mastery," he remarked. Before allowing Kline to speak, he asked, "What sounds did you hear?" "I heard someone whispering 'Hornachis,'" Kline said, temporarily withholding the word 'Fregrala'. He intended to first observe Cecima's Senior Steward's reaction. Should she be willing to share information about the Honaichis Mountains and the Kingdom of Night, he would then supplement the missing details by citing that he had heard something different. Kreshta gave a barely perceptible nod, briefly passing over the topic, and reminded: "You must remember that within the same sequence pathway, higher-tier strong individuals can, to some extent, influence corresponding mid- and lower-tier extraordinary beings. In certain cases, these beings—effectively semi-gods within the domain of that pathway—may intentionally convey their murmurs or cries, which might be malicious in nature." "If this sequence is still under the domain of a malevolent deity, vigilance becomes even more critical. I just spoke with Dune about this—your team's recent night watcher who has been experiencing lapses is precisely an instance of this." "Old Neil... the hidden sage... Caine's expression darkened, and he nodded firmly: "Your Grace, I will remember. I will not be swayed by those murmurs and cries; I will not be tainted by them." At the same time, another thought came to him: Could this be the reason the Church only offers the paths of the 'Never-Sleeping' and the 'Burial-Keepers,' while concealing the circumstances of most other sequences?" After all, the former belongs to the "Goddess of Night," a fellow from within the same circle, while the latter, associated with the "Death God," has already fallen... The reason we can still choose the "Mystery Seeker" and the "Seer" lies in their auxiliary roles, which effectively compensate for the shortcomings of the "Night-Watcher" and "Body-Collector" paths at Sequence 9 and Sequence 8, and since these are starting roles, they accumulate relatively little influence over time. Yet this still fails to explain the near-total absence of details—such as the names of the potions, their specific characteristics, and the precautions to take when encountering them. At this moment, as Crystalline Cecilia lifts her box and prepares to leave, Caine quickly gathers his thoughts and approaches her with a tone of inquiry: "Cecilia, I'd like to know how to embody the role of the 'Clown.' Should I go to the circus?" Crystalline adjusts the high stand of her collar and chuckles lightly: "According to current philosophical discourse, you're committing a formalism error." "You must understand that a potion's name represents not only a profession, but a type of person—people who share common characteristics. For instance, take 'Seer': we might rephrase that as 'those who gaze upon fate yet remain humble before it.' Of course, as I mentioned earlier, each person who consumes the same potion develops slightly different behavioral rules over time. You can't simply follow someone else's experience verbatim, do you?" Klein nodded thoughtfully. "I have a sense of it now. As long as I grasp the essence, I can still play the role of a 'clown' in daily life." "Theoretically, yes," Cressa replied cautiously. "...I see." Klein drew a crimson moon on his chest. "Thank you, Lady Cesium. May the goddess watch over you." Hmm, what then is the essence of the 'clown'? Without considering the various symbolic meanings of the clown in earthly life, viewed solely through the lens of the current world, the clown is a profession that entertains others through absurdity—through comical makeup, exaggerated gestures, and acrobatic performances. Yet, is the essence of this role rooted in absurdity or in entertaining others? It still feels off. Could it be that one should also consider the court clowns of the past? Klein thought quietly, growing increasingly puzzled. Crystalline glanced at him and gently touched the crimson moon upon his chest. With a slight smile, lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, he said, "May the goddess also protect you." At that moment, Klein suddenly had a strong intuition—almost a premonition—that Cecima's senior steward would next take his left foot forward. And then, he saw Crystalline lift the silver-white box and take his left foot toward the entrance of the alchemy room. Step by step, Klein watched as the steward stepped out through the dark doorway and vanished into the underground passage. This... He first stood motionless, then felt a surge of profound joy. The extraordinary capabilities of the "Jester" potion are stronger than he imagined! It can now intuitively anticipate his opponent's next move! Combined with exceptional coordination, outstanding agility, and speed, this truly qualifies as a technique-based combat style—something that strikes Klein as rather surprising. Indeed, this reflects a modest aspect of the "Seer" ability at Sequence 8, but still falls short. This path should be one where a unique ability is gained with each promotion before reaching higher sequences. Still, the intuitive foresight is fleeting and not always fully grasped. Of course, even capturing it once offers a strong chance of turning the tide. Ah—once the negative effects of the "Jester" potion stabilize to a manageable level, I'll need to attempt my own "summoning" ritual again. I almost forgot about that! Definitely, it must be the captain who's infected me! Amid all the ideas swirling around, Caine once again examined himself, probing whether the "Clown" potion conferred any additional abilities. According to internal records of the Watchers, if the potion granted a certain spellcasting ability, the Sequence Member would, upon promotion, be able to vaguely perceive the specific spells—much like having knowledge instilled in them. "Yet I don't have that. That means the 'Clown' Sequence truly, as described in the Watchers' internal records, lacks the ability for swift spellcasting—rather, the cleverness lies in my current ability to effectively manage facial expressions and body language, making my lies more convincing?" Caine moved his neck thoughtfully, carefully assessing his own condition. At that moment, he couldn't help recalling the little clown he had once encountered, whose unusual and diverse spells had left a deep impression on him: "Hmm, this member of the Conclave appears to be an extraordinary one of Sequence 7. He chose to dress as a clown purely to conceal his face, so as not to be pursued later... That explains how he managed to hold his own against two Sequence 7 and one Sequence 8 for so long. Had he not failed to recognize that I remained unaffected and instead been controlled by the sealing object '2–049,' I'd have had no chance at all—ten of us wouldn't have even managed to overcome him." "Of course, the 'clown' isn't entirely devoid of magical abilities; he does possess some spell-like powers." Kaine stepped aside and approached the long table, picking up the sheet bearing the 'clown' recipe. His eyes darkened, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the paper into the air. *Thwip!* The soft sheet seemed to fly like a dagger, piercing the wall of the alchemy room. "From now on, you might as well always carry a set of tarot cards—both for divination and as Klein refocused his attention, gathering up the items left behind from the potion preparation. Once these were attended to—he secured the remaining materials and burned the potion recipe—he exhaled, took a step toward the exit of the alchemy room, and casually closed the inner door. Due to the matter of Old Neil, he didn't yet feel up to attempting any whimsical entertainments for the group; he intended to wait until the subtle overflow of the "clown" potion had been reduced through meditation before doing so. He sighed, anticipating a fresh experience once again. After all, I'm no longer just a support staff member... Well, with Old Neil's passing, among the Night Watch team in Tinggen, only I remain capable of providing auxiliary support. The Church will surely send at least one "Seer" or "Diviner" from elsewhere to join us. Klein walked steadily along the deep, elegant corridors illuminated by the gas lamps, moving quietly, floor by floor, back toward the Black Thorns Security Company. Then, he noticed the sunlight streaming into the Night Watch's lounge. The sunlight streaming in through the convex window is pure and warm.