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"Come in!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Ruo and Klein immediately entered the office.
Inside, Dunn looked up, his gray eyes first landing on Lin Ruo. He nodded slightly, "Good morning, Your Excellency."
"Good morning, Captain Dunn!" Lin Ruo responded with a smile, then asked, "By the way, Captain Dunn, do you know if the Punishers have had any actions in Tingen these past two days?"
Although they belong to different churches, if the Punishers have any significant actions, the Night Watchers usually receive the news. In fact, for major actions, it's common for the official Beyonders of the three churches to act together.
"The Punishers..." Dunn paused, seemingly recalling something. After a few seconds, he said, "They seem to be frantically searching for members of the Aurora Order these past two days, and a deacon from the Punishers has arrived... But I don't know the specifics. Your Excellency, do you need me to find out more details?"
"Yes, please look into it, but don't make it too obvious. Also, keep an eye on their movements. If they approach you for joint actions or have any major moves, let me know," Lin Ruo nodded.
He indeed needed to understand this aspect, to know the movements of the Storm's old pigeons, which would help him judge some information and better formulate and adjust his plans.
"Alright, I'll find out as soon as possible and give you an answer tomorrow." Dunn didn't ask why Lin Ruo needed this information, just nodded.
He then looked at Klein and asked, "Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes, I've made up my mind!" Klein nodded solemnly.
"Tell me your answer."
"Seer!"
Standing quietly on the side, watching this scene, Lin Ruo couldn't help but smile.
He knew that the future Lord of Mysteries was finally taking his first step.
I must say, witnessing history feels pretty good!
Lin Ruo then watched the conversation between Klein and Dunn and followed them to the basement of the Blackthorn Security Company.
During this process, Dunn taught Klein some mysticism knowledge, talked about his salary and benefits, and finally mentioned something about the Secret Order: "We've made some progress in our actions against the Secret Order, thanks to Your Excellency's abilities. They haven't discovered that the little mouse following Klein has defected. We've obtained some information confirming that the Secret Order is indeed related to the fallen nobles of the Solomon Empire."
"Moreover, I just received news that the Secret Order seems to have a lead on the Antigonus family's notebook. I've already arranged for the little mouse to investigate, and we might have results soon."
"Hopefully!" Lin Ruo smiled, his mind quickly considering all possibilities, which made his smile deepen. Then he heard footsteps.
Lin Ruo looked over and saw an old man carrying a silver box with intricate patterns. Although he hadn't met him before, Lin Ruo knew this must be Old Neil, whom Dunn had called to bring the materials for Klein's Diviner potion.
A character who had a significant influence on Klein in the original work, almost like half a teacher, but tragically lost control and became a monster because he was targeted by the Hidden Sage.
In the original work, it was Old Neil's death that first made Klein truly feel the cruelty of the Beyonder world.
"Captain!" Old Neil first nodded to Dunn, then looked at Klein and said, "Good morning, young man!" Then he suddenly raised his empty hand and tapped his forehead twice, his gaze falling on Lin Ruo, "Hello, you must be the Excellency following young Klein that the captain mentioned! I never thought I'd see a day when I could meet the Goddess's Excellency!"
"Hello, Mr. Neil!" Lin Ruo also greeted with a smile, but his next words made everyone's faces change slightly, "I don't know if you're pursuing it intentionally or being influenced, but frankly, Mr. Neil, you've been targeted by the Hidden Sage. If you continue listening to that knowledge, you'll lose control!"
Lin Ruo didn't intend to let Old Neil die. After all, he wasn't interested in using Old Neil's death to make Klein understand the cruelty of the Beyonder world.
It's necessary to prevent Klein from becoming a sheltered flower, but it's unnecessary to use the death of a friend to stimulate Klein's growth.
This world is already cruel enough; there's no need to emphasize this cruelty with the inexplicable deaths of innocent people.
Of course, Lin Ruo couldn't guarantee he could save Old Neil, as Old Neil seemed to have already been targeted by the Hidden Sage, and Lin Ruo couldn't currently contend with the Hidden Sage.
But pointing out the problem and giving Old Neil a chance to survive was something he could do.
"What's going on?" Dunn's gaze instantly became sharp and serious.
Klein also looked at Old Neil in shock, knowing Lin Ruo wouldn't speak carelessly about such matters.
Completely unprepared for his secret to be revealed, Old Neil faced the three people's gazes, opened his mouth, and finally said somewhat dejectedly, "I just wanted to revive her... And, and I only pursued a little bit of knowledge, there's no problem!" The last sentence sounded like both a defense and self-persuasion.
"But in my view, you're already close to losing control!" Lin Ruo looked at Old Neil, his expression equally serious, "Believe it or not, if you continue, your teammates will be visiting your grave in less than two months!"
This was a fact; in the original work, Old Neil didn't live for more than two months.
Old Neil's expression froze. Although it was his first meeting with Lin Ruo, as a devout believer of the Goddess, he naturally wouldn't doubt the words of the Goddess's Excellency.
Lin Ruo then looked at Dunn, whose expression was both serious and worried, and said, "You'd better report his issue to the higher-ups. They should provide a solution. Although I can't guarantee it will save him, if left unchecked, his fate will definitely be losing control."
"I understand, I will! Thank you very much for your reminder, Your Excellency." Unlike the previous respect purely based on status, this time Dunn's words carried genuine respect and gratitude for Lin Ruo himself.
As someone who valued his comrades greatly, Dunn didn't want to see Old Neil lose control.
"You're welcome, I just did what I should." Lin Ruo smiled indifferently.
Dunn's gaze then fell on Old Neil again, "Old Neil, for the time being, don't touch anything related to the Beyonder field, and don't actively listen to anything until the cathedral provides a solution... Meanwhile, I'll arrange for Leonard and the others to take turns staying by your side. Please understand."
"I understand... I know what to do." Old Neil lowered his head, looking very dejected but didn't oppose Dunn's decision.
He then remembered something and raised the box in his hand, "Captain, do you mind if I prepare the potion for young Klein one last time?"
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