Just then, Old Neil spoke with a raspy voice from within the house, "Dunn, why are you here?"
Dunn replied, "I heard that you're sick, so we came to visit."
Old Neil roared in anger, "No! You're lying!"
His tone then became weak. "Yes, I know my condition isn't quite right."
Dunn asked, "What do you plan on doing? What have you been trying to do all this while?"
"Me?" Old Neil said, "I'm trying to resurrect Celeste. Dunn, I found a way; I'm on the right track! You should have heard about it. Back then, I made a mistake during the ritualistic magic to treat her illness, so I failed. But now, I now have enough knowledge to complete everything."
Captain asked, "How do you plan on resurrecting Celeste?"
Old Neil spoke with fervor. "I'll use the 'Alchemical Life' method to create an immortal body for her. Sequence 4 Beyonders from the Church of Mother Earth are good at this. The corresponding Sequence in the Savant pathway can barely do it as well. I will complete it with the aid of God's favor. Then, I'll summon her spirit from the spirit world and pray for God's help to combine her spirit and body together.
Isn't it a great idea?"
Dunn said, "Yes, it's a great idea. Old Neil, let us in. Perhaps we can help you."
"Dunn, are you still not willing to let me off the hook?" Old Neil said.
"Old Neil, you're misunderstanding. We're here to visit you. You are our teammate. Open the door. Let us see you so that we can be certain. If you're really okay, we'll return immediately."
"There's really nothing serious about my condition, really. I'll recover by tomorrow. Dunn, Royale, and Klein go back. Wait till tomorrow—by tomorrow, I'll be back to normal. I swear—I swear to the Goddess, I wouldn't harm anyone. Really!"
The bloody water that flowed out through the gap under the door went down the stairs, towards the stone path, and onto the garden's soil.
"Old Neil, we've known each other for about fifteen years now, right? We've worked on countless missions together. I'm really concerned and worried for you. I have to see you with my own eyes before I'll be at ease," Dunn said.
"... Alright," Old Neil pouted. "There's really nothing wrong with me."
With a creak, the door opened slowly.
Klein saw that the carpet in the lobby was red and sticky, covered in blood and hair.
He looked forward and up, only to realize that the living room was all covered in the same disgusting, sticky, and hairy liquid.
Old Neil's head hung in the air, connected to the ceiling by a thick liquid. His forehead and cheeks each had a pair of eyes. They were cold and ruthless eyes with no eyelashes.
The piano's keys were dancing on their own, playing a melodious tune.
"Dunn, look. I'm really okay," Old Neil said with a radiant smile. "Royale, Klein, you think so too, right?"
The moment he opened his mouth, Klein saw the same thick, hairy, and bloody liquid flowing inside it.
Dunn's gray eyes shimmered as he chatted casually. "Old Neil, where did you learn the Alchemical Life and resurrection ritual from?"
Old Neil replied, "I heard it. I tried the first part and confirmed its authenticity! It's a gift from God! He kept describing it in my ears. He kept describing, He is—He is..."
Old Neil's voice came to a halt. He continued in fear and in apparent loss, "He is the Hidden Sage..."
Upon mentioning the Hidden Sage, Old Neil looked around vacantly and observed everything.
In the indescribable silence, his six eyes looked towards Dunn, and he said with a bitter smile, "So it turns out I've already become a monster..."
Just then, Klein felt something illusory shatter before his eyes.
Old Neil's four cold-looking lashless eyes flashed with a dark glow and locked onto Dunn. His expression suddenly turned cold.
"You're pulling me into a dream!
No, it's useless! My eyes can see through all of that!"
The sticky blood that covered the ceiling, floor, and walls started squirming.
Old Neil's head grew blurry like overlapping afterimages.
Klein extended his hand into his pocket and planned to use his Slumber Charm.
Suddenly, everything calmed down before him. The sticky, bloody liquid suddenly turned placid like a still lake.
Old Neil lost his coldness, hatred, desire, and all other expressions, becoming quiet and peaceful.
Dunn had thrown Sealed Artifact 3-0611 into the blood.
Any living creature that came into contact with the Peaceful Hair Strands would turn peaceful and lose all motivation until the end of their life.
Dunn, Klein, and Royale drew their guns at the same time and aimed at Old Neil's head.
Then, Old Neil revealed a look of extreme fear. He was struggling; his strong desire to live fought against the effects of Sealed Artifact 3-0611.
The four extra eyes disappeared. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth were still deep; his hair was still white; his crimson eyes were still turbid.
"Dunn, do you remember the time I saved you...
Royale, do you remember when I helped you redeem your family's lives...
Klein, do you remember how I taught you mysticism every day...?
The illusory pleading echoed in Klein's ears.
Bang! Bang!
The two silver demon-hunting bullets flew out and penetrated Old Neil's head one after another.
Klein watched as the familiar, abnormal face revealed a hopeless expression. He saw the man's skull tear open, the red and white within spurting in all directions.
The sticky blood that coated their surroundings started shrinking as it flowed back into Old Neil's broken head that had fallen to the ground.
Klein looked at everything before him—Old Neil's "corpse" was becoming a ball of rotten flesh. There was a pair of eyes, crimson and crystal clear, yet incredibly pained amidst the blood and flesh.
Dunn muttered heavily, "We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."