"No, my dear poet, I am not the reason for his survival!" Klein shouted, his voice tinged with exasperation.
"Furthermore, remember this command: You shall cleanse your own conscience!" he added, giving a stern order.
"Is he truly deserving of becoming a future star of the Tarot Club, shining in the celestial tapestry of the Sun, Moon, and Stars?" Lin Ruo mumbled to himself as he watched Leonard and Klein conclude their discussion.
After the two finished talking and parted ways, Lin Ruo caught up with Klein, refraining from initiating conversation. Instead, he trailed behind as Klein led the way into the underground section of the Blackthorn Security Company. Upon entering the subterranean premises, Lin Ruo employed his badge to transform into a hidden state.
A member of the Secret Order was still tailing Klein, albeit from a distance. While the individual's sequence might not be particularly high, their expertise in divination could pose a threat. The path of Seer could grant the ability to directly perceive spiritual bodies when one's spiritual vision was engaged.
Scaring away the observer directly would not be ideal.
Lin Ruo assumed a concealed state as he followed Klein through the underground complex and back to the church. Exiting the church once more, Klein sensed prying eyes on him yet again. Promptly, he entered an act, assuming a leisurely demeanor as he strolled along.
At the same time, Lin Ruo also felt the gaze directed towards them, particularly focused on Klein from a distance.
Quickly, he shifted his focus to the source of the prying, identifying it without difficulty. The individual was close by—this was expected. With Klein's enhanced senses, the distance wouldn't be too great to detect such a presence.
Lin Ruo suppressed a chuckle, glanced at Klein, and noiselessly floated behind the Secret Order member.
"I am not Sequence 6 of the Sleepless's Pathway; that is a fallacy," Lin Ruo stated with authority. He exited his hidden state with a calculated air of triumph, not rushing to plunge the person before him into a dream. Instead, he whispered in the individual's ear, "You are a devout believer of the night. You shall willingly go to the church, confess your identity and conspiracy."
[Fallacy]—Spiritual Distortion!
This was an experiment. Lin Ruo intended to test whether mental distortion could affect the Beyonder in this world. If it worked, he aimed to gauge its effectiveness and the associated energy consumption.
As he finished speaking, Lin Ruo observed the Secret Order member who had been observing Klein. The individual displayed a momentary daze, lasting approximately one second. Soon enough, their gaze shifted towards the church, their expression turning fanatical and devout, tinged with shame.
With a determined stride, the Secret Order member hastened towards the church. Lin Ruo made no attempt to halt them. Instead, he dispelled the simulation of the Soul Assurer's ability and gauged the energy spent during the use of mental distortion.
The cost was moderate—not excessive nor negligible. Roughly equivalent to distorting the mind of an ordinary person five times. This could be attributed to the Seer's resistance, granted by their inspiration.
On the whole, the ability was practical, particularly when coupled with the secret badge's functions.
Lin Ruo couldn't help but tighten his grip on the secret badge, his lips curving into a smile.
However, the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Meanwhile, Klein, at a distance, remained unaware of the ongoing events. He only witnessed a slender figure suddenly emerge from around a corner. The figure raced past him and darted into the church, coinciding with the cessation of the prying sensation he had been experiencing.
Was this the person who had been tailing me earlier? Klein pondered. Almost simultaneously, a familiar voice resounded in his mind: "The little mouse has been dealt with. He's on his way to the church to confess."
"What did you do to him?" Klein inquired, his curiosity piqued by the brief interval and the disappearance of the probing presence.
"I simply applied a form of hypnotism, utilizing my Beyonder abilities," Lin Ruo answered, his tone light. He continued, "By the way, Klein, I apologize for not revealing this sooner. I happen to be favored by a goddess. Please don't be offended."
Klein's reaction was one of surprise, though he quickly suppressed it. He wasn't truly upset—after all, Lin Ruo bore no obligation to disclose his status as a chosen one. Yet a hint of unease lingered within him.
Their connection, albeit relatively brief, had led Klein to consider Lin Ruo a friend. The identity revelation, however, tested that camaraderie. Nevertheless, Klein recognized that he had no right to chastise Lin Ruo for this omission, considering he had withheld his own status as well.
"Why are you connected to me?" Klein queried, his voice tinged with resignation. His initial doubts about Lin Ruo's claim of not knowing it resurfaced, though he hadn't voiced them earlier.
Lin Ruo shook his head, his expression sincere. "On this matter, I genuinely don't possess any knowledge. And, truthfully, I am not a full-fledged official Beyonder eiher. I exist as an unofficial Beyonder at best."
A wry smile crossed Klein's lips. "But you are undeniably favored by a goddess."
"True, but being favored by a goddess doesn't necessarily equate to being an official Beyonder," Lin Ruo clarified, his confidence unwavering. "I am not even a true devotee of the Night. There are certain circumstances that led me to this position, much like how you, too, are favored by the goddess."
Lin Ruo struggled to complete the sentence, having almost mentioned Klein's identity as a favored one as well. He exerted great effort to refrain from doing so, fearing that Klein might interpret his presence as a form of divine surveillance from the start.
Klein, however, seemed to accept Lin Ruo's explanation. He understood that even a dedicated follower of the goddess would not utter such sentiments.
Still, he couldn't help but marvel inwardly: Favored ones of the gods who don't even believe in their gods... The irony was not lost on him.
"You might want to approach the church and check on the 'little mouse' that was following you. He belongs to you, it seems," Lin Ruo suggested abruptly.
Klein nodded, his curiosity piqued. He, too, was keen to learn more about the person who had been trailing him.
Together, they retraced their steps to the church, where Dunn had also arrived. The captain's presence indicated that he had accessed the church through the underground passage. As he caught sight of Klein and Lin Ruo, a flicker of recognition crossed his eyes.
"Captain!" Klein greeted.
Dunn acknowledged his greeting with a nod before shifting his gaze to Lin Ruo, inquiring wordlessly.
Lin Ruo gestured discreetly towards the member of the Secret Order, who was now waiting in line for confession. "He followed Klein. He is a Beyonder, and I employed my Beyonder power to hypnotize him, temporarily transforming him into a devoted believer of the goddess. He's here to confess. Since you're here, you should take him into custody for interrogation."
Lin Ruo spoke quietly, ensuring his words would reach only those intended to hear.