016 Dog takes mouse

Finally passed the test of the psychic... Klein exhaled a breath, leisurely turned around, enjoying the tranquility of the night and the refreshing cool breeze as he approached the entrance of the apartment.

With his key in hand, he inserted it into the lock, slowly turning it, causing the crimson-black door to widen with a creaking sound.

Walking up the deserted stairs, breathing in the brisk air, Klein felt a strange sensation of having lived a few extra hours of life than others. His steps became light and brisk.

Click. Maintaining a similar mindset, he opened his own door, but before stepping inside, he saw a figure sitting quietly in the darkness in front of the desk, black hair bathed in red, bright brown eyes, and a delicate face. It was Melissa Moretti!

"Klein, where have you been?" Melissa furrowed her brows, asking in confusion.

Before Klein could answer, she added, seemingly wanting to explain the cause and effect of the situation clearly: "I woke up and went to the washroom, only to find you weren't at home."

Klein, with ample experience deceiving parents, quickly thought and calmly replied with a wry smile, "I woke up once and couldn't fall back asleep, so I thought it was a waste of time and decided to exercise a bit. Look, I'm all sweaty." He took off his coat, half-turned his body, pointing to his back.

Melissa stood up, glanced indifferently, and deliberated for a few seconds before saying, "Klein, you don't have to, you don't have to feel too much pressure. You'll definitely pass the interview at Tinggen University, and even if you don't, um, I mean if you don't, you'll find something better."

Klein nodded, "I understand."

He didn't mention that he already had an offer, as he hadn't decided whether to accept it or not.

Melissa gave him a deep look, suddenly turned around, and hurried into the inner room, taking out an item shaped like a turtle made up of gears, rusted iron, springs, and winding keys.

Quickly winding it up, Melissa placed the item on the desk.

Clack, clack, clack, the "turtle" hopped and walked rhythmically, irresistibly drawing attention to it.

"When you feel troubled, watching it move like this can be quite comforting. I've been doing this a lot lately, and it's very effective! Klein, why don't you give it a try?" Melissa invited brightly.

Klein didn't refuse his sister's kindness, he leaned in to look at the "turtle", and when it stopped, he smiled, "Simple and regular routines do bring relaxation."

Before Melissa could say anything else, he pointed to the "turtle" and casually asked, "Did you make this yourself? When did you make it? Why didn't I know?"

"I made it from materials the school didn't need and things I found on the street, and I just finished it a couple of days ago." Melissa replied nonchalantly, with a hint of pride.

"Very impressive." Klein sincerely praised.

As a boy with poor mechanical skills, he used to struggle even to assemble a toy car when he was young.

Melissa raised her chin slightly, her eyes curved, and she replied in a flat tone, "It's nothing special."

"Excessive modesty is a bad quality," Klein chuckled lightly, "Is this just a turtle?"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy, Melissa's voice sounded softly, like a crimson veil: "It's a doll."

A doll...

Klein smiled awkwardly and hastily explained, "It's because of the materials, they're too crude."

Then he changed the subject, "Why did you go to the washroom in the middle of the night? There's a toilet inside, isn't there? And aren't you good at sleeping until morning?"

Melissa was taken aback for a moment, then opened her mouth to explain after a few seconds.

Just then, a violent rumbling sound came from her chest and abdomen.

"I-I'll go back to sleep for a while!" She grabbed the turtle-shaped "doll" and hurried back into the inner room, closing the door with a bang.

...Yesterday's dinner was too good, I ate too much, and my stomach couldn't handle it... Klein shook his head and smiled bitterly, walking slowly to the desk, silently sitting in the chair, contemplating the invitation from Dunn Smith under the crimson moon that emerged from behind the clouds.

Being a civilian staff member in the Nightwatch team had its obvious drawbacks:

As a transmigrant, the initiator of mysterious gatherings, "Fool," he had many secrets on him, wandering for long periods under the eyes of the special team of the Church of the Night Goddess dedicated to handling supernatural events, which posed significant risks;

Once he joined Dunn Smith and his team, his goal would definitely be to become an extraordinary, hiding the benefits he obtained from the "gatherings," but becoming an official member would undoubtedly restrict his freedom. Like civilian staff members leaving Tinggen, he couldn't go wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted, missing out on many opportunities;

The Nightwatchers were a tightly knit organization, and once a mission came up, he could only wait for assignments and accept orders, unable to refuse;

Extraordinaries had the risk of losing control;

...

Listing out the drawbacks in his mind one by one, Klein then considered the necessity and the benefits:

From encounters like the "Transference Ceremony," he wouldn't be one of the eighty percent of lucky ones mentioned by Dunn, but strange events would inevitably fall upon him afterward, full of dangers. Only by becoming an extraordinary or joining the Nightwatchers could he have the ability to resist;

Wanting to become extraordinary couldn't be achieved just through the "gatherings." While there wasn't much of an issue with the alchemy formula, he had serious obstacles in finding the corresponding materials, how to obtain them, how to brew them, and the common sense of an extraordinary's daily practice. He couldn't keep asking "Justice" and "Hanged Man" for everything, trading with them for everything, as it would not only damage the "Fool's" image and raise suspicion but also there wasn't enough time to communicate on such trivial matters. Similarly, he couldn't offer anything they were interested in;

Moreover, more material exchanges would leave traces of his real identity, and then "online disputes" could turn into "offline conflicts," which would be troublesome;

Joining the Nightwatchers would inevitably expose him to common

 knowledge about extraordinary matters. As a transmigrant, he needed to build a vast and comprehensive knowledge base, not only in the history of mysticism but also in alchemy, mysticism, and other aspects, laying the foundation for his advancement and further deepening the relationship with Justice, Hanged Man, and others.

He would also have more opportunities to explore the gray fog in the abandoned castle, which was equivalent to entering a laboratory with countless mysteries and treasures;

...

There were still many reasons, which didn't need to be considered one by one.

Klein quickly got up, took out a pen, and wrote a reply to Dunn Smith:

"Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you very much for your invitation. I've already decided to join your Nightwatch team and become an official member.

Best regards,

Klein Moretti"

Folding the letter, sealing it in an envelope, Klein picked up his coat and prepared to leave his apartment.

But at that moment, his heart trembled as he remembered the possible consequences of leaving suddenly like this and immediately changed his mind.

He quickly sat back down, picked up the pen, and wrote another letter:

"Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you very much for your invitation. I am very interested, but I have to think about it carefully. I will give you a definite answer within three days.

Best regards,

Klein Moretti"

Sealing it in an envelope, Klein put on his coat and walked out of the apartment, heading towards the nearest post office.