As Klein's fingers just touched that entirely black eye, he heard a phantom sound in his ears and felt sharp, recurring headaches. Yet at the same time, strange things appeared in his vision—countless shimmering, ethereal threads of black, spreading out from the bodyguard and from every part of his own body, piercing through the void and extending toward infinity. It was a scene so startling that it would surely overwhelm a patient with dense-objects phobia. Suddenly, Klein gritted his teeth, unable any longer to endure the sensation of being corroded and contaminated, and carefully placed the black eye into the iron cigarette box. Everything returned to normal, and his negative states eased. Only now, with renewed strength, could he begin to wonder: Was this the very essence of the Master of Secret Figures' extraordinary ability—to see and control certain threads that run through each person's body and spirit? Alas, it's been contaminated—side effects are too severe to treat it as a magical item... We'll postpone attempts to purify it atop the gray mist for now. This will be the second time we've disturbed the "True Maker" there. He's likely already prepared to come after us. By then, even resurrection might prove impossible... We'll make our decision once we've acquired and mastered the relevant knowledge. Exhaling a heavy, labored breath, he once again bent down to pick up the cash—thirteen pounds, five shillings, and eight pence—after the young attendant had chosen the simple paper figure and the corresponding materials. Then, turning to Rosagó’s lifeless body and the bloodstains scattered across the floor, he said with a troubled expression, "We'll clean up the scene." The young attendant, with her pale, golden hair floating gently beside her, spoke calmly, "I'll do it." You? Kline paused mid-motion, half-surprised, half-confused, and turned to look. The attendant moved with a blend of floating and walking, reaching Rosagó’s side, and then knelt down, settling beside the body. She slowly sank into the depths, merging completely with the body! The fingers of Rosagho's corpse twitched twice, and the blood, brain matter, and fragments around them flowed backward, gathering once more at her neck to form a head. Yet this head was covered in countless intersecting cracks, resembling a grotesque toy assembled from countless small pieces. It looked like broken glass that had not yet fully shattered—blood and brain matter still flowed within, and faint reflections of gun bullet heads shimmered through. Krain stepped back involuntarily, finding this image more startling than any he had encountered in the most renowned ghost stories. Rosagho's corpse rose, picked up the police cap, and half-covered her face, while the entire murder scene had been perfectly restored—clean and untouched. Unparalleled professionalism! Krain thought to himself. He watched the bodyguard lady guide the corpse, her soft hat shielding her face, her steps steady as she walked toward the door, and instinctively added, "Don't take the carriage—don't walk near the well-lit areas." That would startle the coachman and the pedestrians! The bodyguard lady didn't pause at all; she completely ignored his words. Suddenly, Caine remembered something he'd overlooked earlier, and quickly added, "When you return, go to the Les Police Station, to Chief Fashin's home, or check around the area near Minsk Street for Rosagho's original clothes." Rosagho had come in police uniform, but the 'Faceless One's' ability clearly only affects the person themselves—so where were Rosagho's original clothes? He couldn't have been wearing the police uniform all night! If both the MI9 and the police find Rosaugo's clothing nearby, and I've sustained no injuries, things will become rather troublesome... The bodyguard isn't one of the top-tier members of the legitimate extraordinary beings' unit; a regular detective would already be suspicious to pay her a thousand pounds... Kline kept thinking, striving to seal every potential flaw in advance. Just as he was about to use his divination ability to help the bodyguard locate Rosaugo's original garments and return the lost police uniform, Rosaugo's body paused, responding in a voice like rustling iron: "I know." "Oh, she seems so confident... By the way, the bodyguard's state lies between physical and spiritual existence, and the principle of divination involves star spirits traveling through the spiritual realm. Therefore, she divines purely by instinct. Klein suddenly understood and didn't say any more. He handed over the spent cartridges from his revolver to her and then watched as Rosago's body opened the door on its own, stepping away, and gently closed the door behind him. Even with a highly skilled bodyguard lady, even with the use of crude, impolite language, he was nearly controlled by Rosago and killed without any ability to resist. The abilities of the "Master of Secret Figures" are truly strange and powerful! According to the Law of Conservation of Extraordinary Properties, the extraordinary properties left by Rosago should encompass all primary ingredients of the potions for Sequences 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Unless contaminated by a divine entity, when combined with auxiliary materials, these properties could allow an ordinary person to directly become an Extraordinary being of Sequence 5. Of course, this method—relying heavily on luck—has long since been abandoned in history; it is the most primitive and dangerous approach. Step-by-step advancement, however, has been proven through the lives of countless predecessors to be the optimal path. Should the contamination from the "True Maker" ever be eliminated, I shall be compelled to use Rosago's extraordinary properties only when advancing from Sequence 6 to Sequence 5, and the surplus properties will empower me further, just as the队长 does. Reflecting on past events, Caine gently pressed his forehead with a hand, then shifted his focus to more pressing matters: Rosago's appearance indicates that the competition for the Helmuthus Manuscript has concluded. He has no runes on him—was that due to their use in the previous battles? He should have thought of shifting his focus at such a crucial moment... Hm, the MI9 people probably didn't expect him to take such a bold stand now, and hadn't even sent anyone to monitor him—forced to wait passively for a signal from Rosago... Rosago is Beckland's assistant; his actions should have been strictly under Beckland's command. Once Beckland is gone, as long as Beckland himself perishes too, the entire matter will be settled with no lingering concerns... I wonder whether the assassination has been carried out, whether it succeeded... Hmm... Tonight, due to the competition over the manuscript of Helmothuin, Beckland's protective forces will be at their weakest. If it were me, I'd certainly seize this opportunity—Beckland certainly never imagined someone would come to kill him! The coin of one penny rolled, leapt, and then settled back into Caine’s palm, head uppermost. That meant affirmation! Had Beckland died? Had the mission on that side succeeded? Caine felt a surge of joy, and the tension in his body instantly eased. Without Rosagho’s interference, he was certain this outcome was correct! At last, at last, it was over… Caine took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He leaned back against the sofa’s cushion, weary yet relaxed, gazing out the window at the faintly visible crimson moon. "The lungs suffered severe damage, suggesting a disease... the final blow was exceptionally powerful, stronger than any I've witnessed from a Sequence 5 extraordinary being..." One officer murmured. "Disease? There are clear traces of flesh-and-blood magic on the ground and the bed, but not on the walls, and the sounds and movements of the struggle didn't reach the walls either. Combined with the corrosive and annihilating nature of that final blow, there are at least four distinct, unrelated extraordinary abilities at play..." Another officer stood up, describing the scene to himself. He paused suddenly, exchanged a glance with the first officer, then spoke: "The Shepherd!" After a moment of silence, the kneeling officer frowned. "Perhaps it was a group—four or more extraordinary beings, at least..." "Then we'll simply await our trial! It's perfectly understandable that a single Rose Bishop managed to blend in with the ambassador through secret means, but how did the other three get in? That's utterly impossible!" "The standing officer dismissed this hypothesis, hesitating to say, 'But I heard of another sequence that could produce a similar effect—something called the 'Record Officer.' I'm not sure which path it belongs to, nor which organization it's part of.' The kneeling officer nodded in agreement: 'The 'Shepherds' are the most suspicious. The Aurora Circle are all madmen—what's strange is, they'd do anything unusual. We've been investigating the woman who lured the ambassador—by heaven, the Roon Kingdom won't allow us to conduct our own investigation!' 'The cursed members of the Aurora Circle—madmen worthy of being stuffed into a donkey's ass!' the standing officer sighed, shaking his head. The ambassador was assassinated—there would surely be consequences. ………… 15 Minsk Street, Klein seemed to be doing nothing at all, enduring fatigue and flipping through the newspaper. After more than twenty minutes, he suddenly noticed the figure of a female bodyguard in a black court gown with golden hair, appearing as if floating on the convex windowpane. 'All set?' " "Klein instinctively asked one more question. The lady attendant nodded gently, without speaking. Huff... Klein thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your protection. That concludes this matter." "The remaining 900 pounds, I'll pay you in two installments—do you know, there's a limit on withdrawals." "Should I still go through Mariachi?" The pale lady opened and closed her mouth, her voice seeming to emerge from the ethereal, wavering and echoing. "Directly to me." "I promised to protect you for three days, not just once." You truly have a sense of commitment, madam... But then, that would be quite inconvenient for me... Shall I follow you tomorrow to catch you in the act? Three days—today is Thursday—ending by the end of the week. Oh, that won't interfere with the Tarot gathering. Well, that's good. Klein rubbed his temple. "Very well. Then, how shall I address you?" "You needn't know." The lady attendant lifted her Gothic-style court gown slightly and curtsied gently, vanishing through the rounded window.