Kleinâs reply made Daly chuckle. The translucent face with only a mouth said, âEven though you found inspiration through the maxim of the Mystery Pryers and confirmed your theories through my experience and performance, it only took you a month to understand the âacting methodâ and come up with your own Seer principle. That shows that you possess outstanding wisdom and an open mind.â
Klein didnât engage in the topic which made him guilty, but instead asked in response, âMadam, do the higher-ups in the church know about this so-called âacting method?'â
âNo doubt, they understand it very clearly. I once read through the historical information in the church and searched through stories of people ignoring the norms and advancing quickly. I realized that there were more than a few Nighthawks and bishops who have done so, Iâm not the most unique one either. But their endingâŚâ Daly intentionally paused, and she suddenly sounded heavy-hearted.
âWhat kind of ending did they have?â Klein asked, feeling a tug at his heartstrings.
Could it be that the Church of the Evernight Goddess views the âacting methodâ as the seduction of some devil or evil god?
The translucent face suddenly laughed. âTheir endings were rather great. Besides the few who lost control or were sacrificed in Beyonder incidents, the rest of them have at least become archbishops or high-ranking deacons. Among them, there are also experts that have successfully become High-Sequence Beyonders. In the Church of the Goddess, Sequence 4âs and Sequence 3âs are called Saints, while Sequence 2âs and Sequence 1âs are called Grounded Angels. Of course, every angel was once a Saint.â
⌠Madam Daly, you deliberately tried to scare me earlier⌠the corner of Kleinâs lips twitched before he asked, without hiding his suspicions, âSince the Church has mastered the âacting method,â why didnât they just tell every Nighthawk? Although it wouldnât prevent every Nighthawk from losing control, it would definitely lower the probability and reduce unnecessary losses.â
A sense of loss appeared on the translucent face. âI have no idea why either. They told me that when I become an archbishop or high-ranking deacon, Iâll be able to know the secret. I came here today because I hope that you can tell Dunn about the âacting methodâ more clearly before you hand in your special request.â
Klein wasnât stupid enough to ask why she couldnât do that herself; instead, he said thoughtfully, âOnce noticed by the Church, one has to swear not to tell anyone about the âacting method?'â
âYes, you must do it before the Goddessâs holy items and swear upon Her name. That holds enough binding force. Trust me, you definitely donât want to know the outcome of a violation. I can only talk about it with people who have mastered the âacting method,â like you. Your body language already gave me the answer before you replied; thatâs why I dared to say the term.â Daly made the creepy face sigh.
She paused for a moment before saying, âI only faintly grasped the essence of âactingâ back then and digested the potion very quickly. Yes, among the higher-ups in the Church, using the term âdigestingâ to describe the control of the potion is very aptly worded. Anyway, before I made the pledge and found out about the âacting method,â I had no clear understanding of it, so I couldnât accurately explain it to Dunn and the others.
âI gave up at first. I never thought that I would meet you, an eccentric wonder that could clearly understand the âacting methodâ before handing in a special applicationâno, a genius.â
So thatâs how you see me, Madam⌠the corner of Kleinâs mouth twitched before he solemnly promised, âI originally intended to remind Captain about the existence of the âacting methodâ through my special application. With your explanation, I donât have to worry further.â
âVery well, youâre such a kind lad.â Daly sounded relaxed.
Madam, youâre only about two to three years older than me⌠Klein inwardly pointed out the error in her words.
Without him speaking any further, the translucent creepy face continued, âIf you have any problems or anything that you require assistance with, you can write a letter to me. Wait for me, heh heh. When I become an Archbishop or a high-ranking deacon which allows me to understand why the Church hides the âacting method,â Iâll give you a hint whether if itâs a good or bad thing.
Klein was suddenly energized, and he asked without hesitation, âMadam, whatâs your address?â
To him, the more help he got, the merrier. Plus, she was a pretty strong Spirit Medium!
Seeing that Klein didnât oppose the idea at all, Daly remained silent for a while before she laughed.
âOur communication shouldnât go through the post office, as we would be using normal letters. Thatâs very dangerous.
âIâll teach you a relatively easy ritualistic magic. You can use it to summon a special spirit, one that belongs to me. Pass the letter to it, and itâll send it precisely to me. It wouldnât be faster than a telegram, but itâs faster than a steam locomotive. If you were to send a message at noon, I would receive the message in Backlund that same night.â
Klein listened to her with his full attention. He nodded faintly. âA very pragmatic ritualistic magic.â
Daly chuckled.
âThe uniqueness of the ritualistic magic is to pray to yourself. Obtaining power from your own spirituality, without going through a god. Hence, itâs quite secretive, but it isnât very powerful.
â⌠First, you select a herb and essential oil in the corresponding domain. This is no different than normal ritualistic magic. However, you only need the candle that represents yourself. Then, regarding the spell, there are three parts. The first part is âI.â Shout âIâ in either ancient Hermes, Jotun, Dragonish, or Elvish. The second part is âI summon in my name.â That part can be said in Hermes. The third part is the exact description of the summoning object. For instance, you would use this in the future: âthe spirit that wanders about the unfounded, the higher-dimensional creature that a human orders, the messenger that belongs to Daly Simone.â
Higher-dimensional? In mysticism, this is normally referred to as the spirit world⌠Klein memorized as he analyzed the ritual procedure.
In that aspect, he could barely be considered an expert.
The benefit of this kind of ritualistic magic is that it avoids calling upon a god but relies purely on a personâs power. It achieves various magical effects without the constraints imposed by a godâs specialized domain. The problem lies in the strength of a person. A weak result for the weak, and a strong result for the strong⌠Klein felt that he had once again obtained new mysticism knowledge that he wouldâve never come into contact with at his current Sequence.
Daly repeated the description a few times and emphasized solemnly, âRemember, donât change the actual description of the summoning object, or the ritual could easily attract a terrifying monster.â
âOkay.â Klein nodded honestly.
At the same time, he suddenly thought of something.
If I were to change the description of the summoning object to âThe Fool that doesnât belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck,â what would be summoned?
Would it be utterly useless, or would the gray fog suddenly descend, or would I need to respond in that mysterious space?
Would this help me in stirring more power from the world above the gray fog?
Would it cause a terrifying chain effect?
Klein still felt traces of the fear after his experimentation with the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem. In the end, he followed his intent and planned to divine above the gray fog before deciding whether he should make the attempt or not.
He contemplated and asked out of interest, âMadam, if one were to strictly practice the âacting method,â how long does it take to go from Sequence 8 to Sequence 7, and how long from Sequence 7 to Sequence 6?â
âAccording to the information that Iâve read, it varies from three months to two years for Sequence 8 to Sequence 7. It depends on whether you can grasp the core spirit and corresponding principle during the âactingâ process. From Sequence 7 to Sequence 6, it varies from half a year to three years; likewise for Sequence 6 to Sequence 5. As for Sequence 5 to Sequence 4, three to twenty yearsâŚâ Daly described roughly.
Klein suddenly smiled.
âSo Madam, are you already at Sequence 6?â
He heard from Dunn that Daly used a yearâs time from Sequence 9 Corpse Collector to Sequence 8 Gravedigger. Then, from Gravedigger to Sequence 7 Spirit Medium, she used another year. She had been a Beyonder for five years. In other words, Daly was at the Spirit Medium stage for about three years.
âYes, thatâs the reason why I was transferred to Backlund diocese,â the creepy translucent face answered frankly. âMy current occupation is a Spirit Guide. However, I prefer the name Spirit Medium. Alright, this little guy is getting tired. I have to go. Under such circumstances, I wonât be saying âmay the Goddess bless you.'â
âSweet dreams.â Klein pressed his chest, smiled, and bowed.
âNo, there wonât be any sweet dreams tonight. I have to rush back to Backlund. This isnât a happy experience, itâs like having a relationship with someone you donât likeâŚâ Dalyâs voice grew softer, and the translucent face with no eyes or nose slowly shrank back into the wall without leaving behind any traces.
The gas lamp light suddenly became bright and the gloominess vanished into thin air.
Klein, who had his Spirit Vision activated the entire time, watched the changes in a daze. It took him a while to snap back to reality.
âSpirit Mediumâno, Spirit Guide is very impressive. It can actually conjure a âmessenger.â I wonder whatâs the specialty of my Sequence 7 and Sequence 6?â he muttered to himself. Then, he quickly dispelled the spiritual wall, switched off the gas lamp in his bedroom, and silently lay down in the darkness.
He didnât plan to head to the world above the gray fog that night, just in case Daly suddenly returned and said Dunn Smithâs classic words, âOh yeah, I forgot one thing.â
When that happens, I wouldnât even be able to silence her with death!
âŚ
On the second day, Klein arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company three minutes early.
âGood morning, Klein. The new clerk is here!â Rozanne greeted with a splendid smile.
Klein felt sincerely happy for her.
âCongratulations, Rozanne. The Goddess heard your prayers.â
âMy skin shall be back to perfect condition!â Rozanne nodded, her eyes beaming with joy.
After they chatted for a while, Klein walked through the partition and knocked on the door to the Captainâs office.
âPlease come in.â Dunnâs mellow voice sounded.
Klein pushed open the door to enter. He saw his Captain sit up instinctively as his gray eyes turned dark. It was as though he was prepared for trouble.
Ahem. Klein cleared his throat, set aside his hat and cane, then sat down. âCaptain, I have something that Iâd like to report.â
âWhat is it?â Dunn asked in a deep voice, his arms crossed.