Part 1 The Joker Chapter 68 “The Monster”
It was late afternoon, and the shadows of the carriages and horses were trailed by the setting sun.
Klein, who had already confided in Benson and Melissa, had had dinner at Blackthorn Security and was traveling to the Docklands in a public carriage along with Old Neil.
He was wearing his original cheap formal attire for fear that similar occasions were prone to conflict – it would be more than just heartache if he ruined the tuxedo he usually served with care.
When the sunlight tinted with a burning feeling, the carriage stopped, and the old Neil, still wearing the classic black robes and the same color round-brimmed felt hat, walked towards the “Dragon Bar” diagonally across the street without caring about other people’s gazes.
Even if the bar is a bit far away, even if the door is closed heavily, Klein can still hear a wave of shouts inside, which seems to be cheering for a “hero”.
Just near, he suddenly sensed, turned his head to look at the goods warehouse across the bar, and saw the roof of the building stood in a hidden place, a man with a large body, dressed in the standard.
This man was carrying a large grayish-white mechanical case on his back, and in his hand was a long and thick rifle with complex construction.
And there were obvious pipes connecting the off-white metal case to the rifle of the same color.
”A high-pressure steam rifle?” Klein whispered in shock, turning his head to look at Old Neil, “This bar can still get this kind of weapon?”
This was a military controlled item!
Despite the use of extracted combustibles, the size and weight of the high-pressure steam backpack was still astonishing, and one would have to be a true iron-blooded warrior to be able to afford it, while the bullets pushed out by its power possessed an extremely high speed and had a rather astonishing destructive power.
Combined with proper aiming, it could almost equal an inferior sniper rifle.
”What?” Old Neil narrowed his eyes and looked over with the same puzzled expression, “Something happened here?”
Something happened? Klein looked around, and sure enough, he found several other men with repeating rifles in their hands searching for something.
”What’s going on?” Neil Sr. approached the bar and asked the pugilist guarding the door.
The pugilist obviously recognized Old Neil and smiled bitterly as the muscles on his face trembled:
”The bar was almost demolished just now.”
”It is said that there is a wanted guy who came to buy materials and was recognized, so he became like this …… My Lord, what exactly did he do, how dangerous is it that he needs to be treated like this? Seeing those guns made my legs go soft, softer than fooling around with redheaded Sunny all night!”
He wasn’t sure what the status of the wanted guy was, let alone the fact that the guys who came here to buy materials were mixed with extraordinary people.
”The wanted guy? Do you know what his name is?” Old Neil asked with considerable interest.
”Called, called Tris?” The pugilist replied with less certainty.
”Instigator’ Tris?” Klein nodded indistinctly, realizing what was going on.
Tris didn’t know that he had been suspected by Joyce Meyer, so he swaggered to the underground market to buy materials, only to be recognized by the informants of the “Mechanical Heart” or “Substitute Punisher” or “Night Watchman” teams. The result was recognized by the informants of “Mechanical Heart” or “The Punisher” or “The Night Watchman” team, which triggered a fierce conflict.
”Did he get caught?” Klein nodded his silver-encrusted black cane.
Looking around the frame it seemed like it hadn’t been ……
The pugilist gave a small shake of his head and pointed with his chin to the top of the cargo warehouse across the street:
”He rushed out before those horrible guys arrived, ooh, I’ve never seen a better runner!”
You haven’t seen the Assassin in action yet, or you’ll be taken to an unspeakable place for re-education …… Klein said.
”Is the market still open?” Old Neil turned to the point.
”Just resumed.” The pugilist replied affirmatively.
”That’s good.” Old Neil took two quick steps, extended his right hand, and pushed open the heavy door.
Klein followed close behind and stepped inside, almost getting smothered by the stifling heat and smell of alcohol that hit his face.
”In the center of the Dragon Bar stood a boxing ring, where two shirtless men were fighting fiercely, surrounded by dozens of drinkers who were shouting for their respective supporters, with a lot of vulgarity.
Old Neil ignored them and led Klein around the ring to a pool room in the back.
Inside the pool room were two men with cues, laughing and joking, and when they saw Neil pushing through the door, they were quiet for a few seconds.
Acknowledging the comers, they quietly moved out of the way, allowing Old Neil and Klein to pass through the secret door behind them.
After traveling through several rooms in a row, Klein’s eyes opened up and saw a place the size of a step classroom in a previous life.
There were people setting up stalls with bottles and jars piled on top of each other, and others walking among the former, either scrutinizing, exchanging, or comparing prices.
”All proceeds go to Svein for one-twentieth, ah, he’s the proprietor of the Evil Dragon Bar, former captain of the ‘Substitute Punisher’ squad, older than I am, an old man who wishes to die of alcoholism.” Old Neil introduced himself with a broken mouth.
Klein thought about it and commented honestly:
”A pretty lucrative business.”
Because the cost would be just to provide a venue and shelter.
”If you fancy a certain item and don’t have enough money with you, then you can go and borrow it from Svein, of course, he’ll charge a very high interest rate ……” Saying this, Old Neil gritted his teeth a little for a moment.
Sure enough, just like the casino, it will provide usury services …… Klein took his cane and asked curiously while looking around:
”Mr. Svein is a ‘navigator’?”
The captain of the “vicarious punisher” squad should be in the position of Sequence 7.
”No, just a ‘Fury Folk’, Tingen is not part of the coast, where the Church of the Goddess is stronger than the Storm Lord’s.” Old Neil snorted, “Actually, Svein had his chance to become a ‘Mariner’, but he chose to give it up for fear of losing control.”
Klein was about to ask the barkeep if he had a near loss of control when he suddenly sensed a strange phenomenon on his left side.
It was as if something was lurking there, whispering and narrating.
Klein turned his head and saw a pale young man, dressed in a tattered linen shirt and the blue-gray pants characteristic of the laboring class, with very lax but frantic eyes, chanting something over and over.
”Is his inspiration so high …… or twisted?” Klein frowned and whispered.
Just now, what triggered his own “inspiration” was precisely the other party’s “inspiration”!
Normally, the perception brought about by “inspiration” would definitely generate a certain interaction, and it would be almost impossible to hide it from others, but this “others” referred to “psychics” who had utilized their abilities, as well as powerful people with similar specialties. However, this “others” refers to “psychics” with abilities, as well as powerful people with similar specialties, and it is actually very difficult for an extraordinary person like Klein to recognize this, and only when the other party’s “inspiration” reaches a certain level, or abnormal distortions occur, can he discover it.
When the line of sight came into contact, the young man with a pale face and disheveled black hair took a step and walked over, wearing an expression that was half sleepwalking and half frantic.
He stopped in front of Klein and stared at the other in bewilderment.
Suddenly, he laughed loudly:
”Haha, the flavor of death, the …… ah of death!”
Before his words fell, he suddenly screamed miserably, his two eyes closed tightly, and blood-colored liquid flowed out.
”Ah!” “Damn!” …… This young man covered his eyes and held his head, struggling and rolling on the ground for a while before calming down and lying there gasping for breath.
And during the whole process, the customers and vendors who came and went and set up stalls actually did not have a single sideways glance.
Klein pressed his half-height bowler hat and looked dazedly at the old Neil next to him, expressing his amazement and asking for advice with his actions.
”Don’t mind it, his name is Admiral, an orphan, nicknamed ‘Monster’, he was born with high inspiration and often sees things he shouldn’t and hears voices he shouldn’t, so he often babbles and often gets hurt.” Old Neil shook his head and explained.
He can tell that this body of mine died once? Klein frowned, lowered his voice, and asked suspiciously:
”Have the Nightwatchman, the Substitute Punisher, and the Mechanical Heart not thought about absorbing him into the team?”
”No, none of us have a Sequence Magic Potion suitable for him.” Old Neil sighed.
Right, this is the same as being born curing half of the sequence start …… Klein curiously asked again:
”Then which sequence pathway is he suitable for?”
”The Sequence 9 he fits into is called ‘Monster’, that’s where he got his nickname from, unfortunately, this Sequence Pathway is only mastered by the School of Life to begin with.” Old Neil replied in a low voice.
Both he and Klein had tried to avoid the people around them in their conversation, lest they leak information to the occult enthusiasts.
The School of Life? Klein recalled the information he had read earlier.
This cryptic organization appeared at the beginning of this Era, its exact origins were unknown, and it was mainly passed down from master to disciple.
Their specific theories and beliefs were likewise rarely publicized, and Klein only knew that they divided the world into three layers: the world of absolute reason, also known as the world of absolute truth; the world of spirit; and the world of matter.
It is said that this secretive organization has also produced a “Seer”…… Shouldn’t this correspond to the sequence path of “Diviner”?… …I don’t get it…I don’t get it……… Klein shook his head repeatedly and watched as Admiral struggled to get up and wandered off to another corner.
He gathered his thoughts and followed behind the old Neil, passing through one of the stalls, finding plants such as moonflower, golden handshake, and nightshade and minerals such as sterling silver, citrine, and ruby on them.
”It does seem more complete ……,” Klein muttered under his breath.
The occultists around him, old or young, male or female, stuttered, discerned, and exchanged ideas at times, making the place quite lively.
”Stroll around on your own, I’ll pay the bill.” Old Neil pointed to one of the two rooms at the end.
”Okay.” Klein nodded without much concern.
Carrying his black cane, he paced slowly to a booth selling homemade amulets and looked at them carefully for a while.
Just as Klein was about to make a vocal exchange, he suddenly heard someone at the stall behind him ask:
”Is this the powder ground from ox-toothed peony?”
Ox-toothed peony? Isn’t it a supplementary ingredient for “audience” magic potions? Klein turned around thoughtfully and looked at the questioner.
Because “Justice” had repeated this material several times at that time, he had a deep impression of it as he already had the intention to memorize it.