Klein suddenly froze.
At that moment, he finally had an epiphany about the true meaning of "Clown." It was the understanding that "even though one can slightly foresee destiny, they still feel helpless about it, and thus cover all their sorrow, pain, confusion, and frustration with a smiling face."
Simultaneously, Klein clearly felt the digestion of the "Clown" potion, which indicated that his understanding of the "Clown" was correct.
"So that's how it is..." Klein suddenly felt a mix of emotions. He had thought so much about the true meaning of the Clown potion's digestion but didn't expect to comprehend it in such a situation.
But in the end, Klein just showed a bright smile.
No matter what, comprehending the true meaning of "Clown" was beneficial for him. This meant he could digest the Clown potion faster, advance to a higher sequence, and gain more power to protect himself in this dangerous world.
It also brought him closer to the truth.
'What is the secret behind my transmigration? Is that fellow transmigrator lying to me, or does he truly know something...' Klein's mind was filled with Lynn's cryptic words. He looked up at the crimson moon in the sky and couldn't help but recall the silver moon of his homeland.
Klein suddenly felt a pang of homesickness.
He missed his parents, his best friends, the computers, cola, and chicken wings on Earth. He missed those things that he had taken for granted but could no longer see.
'Can I ever go back home?'
Klein silently asked himself, his expression filled with confusion and a bit of fear, but the next second, it became firm.
'I will definitely go back home.'
Even if he felt guilty towards Benson and Melissa, Klein couldn't lie to his heart, nor could he stop missing his family on Earth.
'Let me go to the fog and perform a divination, see if I can get any clues.' Klein sighed and then reversed his steps, arriving above the gray fog.
However, whether it was because it involved high-sequence Beyonders or due to a lack of information, this time the divination yielded no results.
Klein didn't feel too disappointed. Sensing the dual fatigue of his body and mind, he decided to have a good rest.
...
The next morning.
When the refreshed Klein arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company, he hadn't even had a chance to inquire about Azik's child's skull before he saw a special visitor.
It was a man wearing a black trench coat and a white shirt, appearing to be in his thirties. His hair was cut short, a common golden-brown color, and his eyes were dark green. The collar of his shirt and trench coat were turned up high, hiding his chin in shadows.
He was Crestet Cesimir, the Sword of the Goddess, one of the nine senior deacons of the Nighthawks.
In the Evernight Church, the thirteen archbishops and nine senior deacons were considered the usual top echelon of the church. Among them were not only high-sequence powerhouses but also individuals whose status was equal. They only followed the oracles of the Evernight Goddess and were accountable only to the pontiff.
Crestet Cesimir's presence here was because he brought an Divine message from the Evernight Goddess.
"Has the Goddess issued a divine message?"
While Klein could remain calm due to his lack of deep reverence and faith in the deity, Leonard beside him was obviously shocked. The poet looked as if he might jump up in surprise, completely abandoning his usual lazy demeanor.
"Yes, the Goddess has issued an divine message." Crestet Cesimir said solemnly, looking at Klein and Leonard with a serious expression, his voice low, "Klein, Leonard, according to the Goddess's will, you two will be transferred to Backlund, becoming members of the Nighthawks team there. You will also carry out a secret mission to find the angel 'Bat-Man.'"
The final "Bat-Man" was naturally pronounced in English by Crestet Cesimir. However, as someone who had never encountered the English language before, his accent was as expected.
Ahem... Klein, who had been tense, almost laughed out loud at the phrase "Bat-Man." But as Clown, he managed to control his expression and, along with Leonard, saluted and said respectfully:
"Praise the Goddess, Your will is my command."
"Praise the Goddess." Crestet Cesimir also drew a crimson moon on his chest and then said:
"You have three days to prepare before leaving. Since your transfer is mainly to carry out a secret mission, the church will cover your expenses after you arrive in Backlund..."
"The church means that this matter should not be made public. Although your actions will be supported in secret, you won't openly seek that individual..." Crestet Cesimir continued "My personal suggestion is that after you arrive in Backlund, it's best to operate under a false identity. Blending in with the wild Beyonder circles will help you gather information better. You know, those hidden wild Beyonders are always wary of official members."
"You can use the church's channels for this. We have a department that provides identity documents for colleagues on secret missions. These identities, though fake, are officially recognized."
"The church has informants planted in many underground gatherings in Backlund. After you arrive, you can seek information from colleagues in charge of that aspect."
Though phrased as a personal suggestion, hearing Cesimir's well-arranged plan, Klein and Leonard exchanged glances. Even the slower Leonard realized that using false identities to contact wild Beyonders and search for the angel was likely the higher-ups' intent, just not openly stated.
This was natural. Since it was a secret mission, it wouldn't make sense to operate openly under an official identity.
In fact, all major churches had members executing secret missions under various aliases.
For instance, Alger was such a person. Although the major forces were well aware of his identity as a member of the Church of the Storms, to ordinary Beyonders, he was just the captain of the Blue Avenger, an ordinary pirate.
Klein and Leonard naturally had no objections and nodded, "Understood, we will comply."
(End of Chapter)