LOM: Lord of Mysticism

The sound of running footsteps was heard as Klein stood at the entrance of the guard room.

Leonard arrived first and asked in alarm, "What happened?"

Klein pointed at Chanis Gate. "There was a loud slamming noise from inside, and then the door was pushed open a little."

"Chanis Gate was pushed open?" Kenley asked.

"Yes, a slit was opened." Klein continued describing.

Leonard, Kenley, and Royale had stopped approaching the guard room and formed an arc formation a few steps away, loosely surrounding Klein.

Klein paused. "Are you suspicious of me?"

"No, it's not a suspicion; this is a normal procedure." Kenley said.

Leonard maintained his flippant attitude and added, "In other churches, there have been cases where the Beyonder on duty at Chanis Gate lost control, rang the bell, and killed two people in a row while the teammates who came to help were not paying attention."

"Alright. Then how can I prove that I haven't lost control?" Klein asked.

Leonard tapped his chest four times and recited softly, "Lacking clothes and food, they have no shelter in the cold.

They are drenched by rains and huddle around the rocks for lack of shelter.

They are orphans snatched from the breast, hope lost on them; they are the poor that have been forced off the proper path.

The Evernight did not forsake them but bestowed them with love."

The holy prayer reverberated around the basement, making the bodies, hearts, and souls of everyone present feel tranquil.

Seeing Klein not display any abnormal reactions, Leonard stopped his recital. "There's no problem. You are still our trusted partner."

Madam Royale looked at Chanis Gate and asked, "What did you see when the gate was pushed open?"

Klein replied, "I saw the Misfortune Cloth Puppet, 3-0625, the one wearing the black classic regal gown. But within three seconds, a formless power pulled it back, and Chanis Gate closed once again. What's the reason behind this?"

Leonard, Kenley, and Royale exchanged looks.

"Heh heh, we also don't know the true cause. But since Chanis Gate is closed and there's nothing unusual, we shouldn't enter but wait till dawn for the Captain." Leonard said.

Royale added, "I will wait here and guard the gate with you."

"Alright, as the most powerful person here, I shall stay too. Kenley, return to the second floor lest the police department be unable to open the door for an urgent case." Leonard instructed.

After Kenley left, Leonard glanced at Klein and Royale. "Perhaps we can continue our card game? It's best to have some sort of entertainment in circumstances like this."

"No problem." Klein said. He and Royale entered the guard room.

While playing Fighting Evil, Klein said, "The Misfortune Cloth Puppet, I mean 3-0625, according to its description, isn't equipped with the capability to live."

"Haha, three aces." Leonard revealed his hand. "In the past forty years, 3-0625 hasn't displayed any life-like characteristics. We can assume that the information is correct and make our assumptions based on that."

"You already have an idea?" Royale asked.

Leonard took a sip of his brewed coffee and said, "Yes, since 3-0625 shouldn't have any life-like characteristics, then its actions today must have been influenced by some other factor that should be rather recent; otherwise, we would've observed this phenomenon before.

Has there been anything different about Chanis Gate over the last month?"

Royale pondered and said, "There is only one thing different: the Antigonus family's notebook and the Sealed Artifact 2-049 were stored behind Chanis Gate for a night."

Leonard looked at the cards in his hand as he tapped the table. "If 2-049 can make the Misfortune Cloth Puppet act abnormally, then something similar should have already happened behind Backlund's Chanis Gate. So the problem should be with the Antigonus family's notebook."

Klein thought. "That is the most likely explanation... Then what power pulled 3-0625 back?"

Leonard glanced at Klein and said, "Do you think that the defensive mechanisms behind Chanis Gate only consist of the buried sealed chamber and a few elderly keepers?

When the sun sets fully, the keepers would have already left Chanis Gate and returned to the Saint Selena Cathedral.

The power inside reaches its peak at night and is no longer safe for living creatures. It will only weaken when the sun rises. That is why the Captain instructed us not to enter Chanis Gate no matter what we hear."

Klein asked, "Defensive mechanisms such as nexus formations?"

Royale explained. "Well, the reason why a Chanis Gate is placed under the central cathedral in each city is to maintain it with the help of the believers who come every day. Their devout prayers will allow part of their spirituality to enter the nexus formations—with the accumulation of small contributions comes abundance."

"I see..." Klein nodded.

Leonard added, "There's more to the protective measures behind Chanis Gate. The ashes of St. Selena are buried inside. She was a High-Sequence Beyonder before her death."

Saint Selena was a devotee during the establishment of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. She was active during the Third Epoch, and her deeds were recorded in various scriptures. Therefore, among the people who believe in the Evernight Goddess, Selena is a common name.

Leonard continued, "There are rumors that the skeleton or ashes left behind after the death of a High-Sequence Beyonder contain incredible power. Of course, this is just a rumor."

There were no unusual incidents in Chanis Gate for the next few hours.

"The sun has just risen; it's my turn." Madam Seeka Tron entered the guard room at six.

Klein documented the incident he encountered in the logbook and returned with Leonard and Royale to the upper floor.

He felt unusually exhausted, but the Midnight Poet and Sleepless beside him remained energetic.

"Good morning, Captain." Klein yawned.

"Good morning, it's time for you to go back for some rest. Did anything happen last night?" Dunn asked.

Klein gave a brief summary of the incident regarding the Misfortune Cloth Puppet.

"Okay." Dunn made his way to his office. "I will send a telegraph to inform the Holy Cathedral."

Klein didn't stay any longer and slowly walked out, breathing in the cool morning air. He then remembered something.

I forgot to tell the captain and the rest about the piece of paper in the Misfortune Cloth Puppet's hands.

It's hard to believe that I've forgotten to mention this to the other Nighthawks.

Klein was unsure if he should pretend that he didn't remember or report it.