Tende never expected that Sigmund would use his poor income to attract him. How despicable.

"I rarely see someone who can handle the Image phenomenon at their first encounter to such an extent. I genuinely hope you will consider becoming The Vigilant," Sigmund looked deeply into Tende's eyes.

This was not a compliment from Sigmund, but the truth.

To kill the recipient on their first encounter, Tende was undeniably talented.

The recipient, that was the term Tende gave to the monsters he killed with his own hands in his nightmares.

The recipient couldn't be classified as a specific Image phenomenon; strictly speaking, it was a part of a particular Image phenomenon.

But regardless, it was still a monstrous creation born from absurdity.

"... "Tende remained silent.

"While The Vigilant may not be wealthy, the rewards are at least higher than when you were a law enforcement officer," Sigmund said.

However, Sigmund could only promise this much.

In reality, The Vigilant were not particularly wealthy and didn't have the support of any major corporations.

Although many Image phenomena could easily make someone rich, The Vigilant actually preferred to eliminate Image phenomena.

So, they had cut off many monetary paths for themselves.

"Just slightly higher than being a law enforcement officer," Tende muttered, realizing that the benefits were far from what he had imagined.

"I know it's hard to attract people, but The Vigilant is not an organization with infinite wealth," Sigmund's expression became grim.

Honestly, Sigmund's income was probably on par with that of a proper bookstore owner.

Not rich, but not poor either.

Indeed, when thinking about it, Tende didn't have many reasons to become a member of The Vigilant.

"If you truly do not wish to become a member of The Vigilant, I also hope you can keep the fantasies a secret..." Sigmund sighed, as if he believed Tende was no longer a possibility for The Vigilant.

"When exactly does The Vigilant begin the process?" Tende suddenly asked this question.

"After all, the impact of Image phenomena on normal people's lives is immense, far beyond what you can imagine..." Sigmund continued talking to himself, not immediately hearing what Tende said.

"What exactly is the process for becoming a member of The Vigilant?" Tende asked, frustrated.

He knew his voice was somewhat low, but it wasn't to the point where it couldn't be heard.

"... "Sigmund paused for a few seconds, then he finally heard what Tende said. "Are you planning to become a member of The Vigilant?"

"If it doesn't interfere with my work at the law firm, I can," Tende nodded, adjusting the brim of his hat slightly.

"Of course, it won't have any impact. The Vigilant will just be your second identity."

"You can even think of it as a part-time job," Sigmund said, "but it can also be a full-time commitment."

Sigmund himself was a full-time member of The Vigilant.

"As for the process, it's not complicated."

"As long as you help us eliminate an Image phenomenon, you can become a member of The Vigilant."

"We welcome anyone willing to protect the daylight and reside in the darkness."

Sigmund opened his drawer, his finger sliding across a stack of papers as he picked out a document.

"Actually, from the moment you agreed, you already belong to The Vigilant, it's just not official yet."Sigmund handed the file to Tende, "If you can work with a member of The Vigilant to deal with this Image phenomenon, I can help you apply to become an official member of The Vigilant."

Tende glanced through the file and felt a strong sense of familiarity. Various clues were piled up on these few thin pages. It seemed somewhat similar to what he used to do when he was a law enforcement officer. The only difference was that this time, the object of "investigation" was the absurd Image phenomenon.

One familiar thing was also the internship to full-time process, right? It must be, right?

"Any Image phenomenon can be deadly, so please be cautious," Sigmund emphasized.

Even harmless Image phenomena, like those in the collection room, might have some dangers. No one could guarantee that the paper armor would suddenly stand up and kill. No one could guarantee that those living patterns wouldn't have terrifying conspiracies. That's why The Vigilant kept them under their watchful eyes. It's not about being brave or ignorant of the dangers these things pose. It's about having the opportunity to solve any problems that may arise as soon as possible. As for Image phenomena that are clearly marked as "dangerous" on their faces, The Vigilant would not hesitate to eliminate them.

"The recipient? The monster I killed?" Tende glanced at the file, then at Sigmund. It seemed Sigmund intended for him to continue investigating that kind of monster.

Tende felt a sense of danger. First of all, these monsters couldn't be killed with ordinary bullets. Leaving aside whether he could successfully investigate the root of the Image phenomenon, he currently lacked the ability to kill a recipient. Last time, it was purely because he had a useful revolver and some strange silver bullets.

"You won't let me go into battle unarmed, will you?"

"Of course not," Sigmund dispelled all of Tende's concerns. "We will provide you with some weapons and send a member of The Vigilant to accompany you."

"Kerim will take you to get the equipment you should have and introduce you to the member of The Vigilant who will be working with you."

"The rest will be up to you and that member of The Vigilant to act freely."

Sigmund placed his hand on the table and his expression became serious.

"I hope you won't use The Vigilant's weapons against ordinary people, and I hope you can successfully return to the lighthouse once again."

"Lastly, I hope you will be protected by the blessings of Maraxia, the dusk sovereign."

After saying these words, he stood up and made a gesture as if making a request. This was not a request for Tende to "leave" but a request for Tende to "begin".

Tende accepted the file, and The Vigilant were not concerned at all that this information would leak out. Since they were able to confidently hand the entire file to Tende, it naturally meant they had countermeasures. However, Tende never intended to spread this information because he genuinely wanted to become a member of The Vigilant.

Cough cough, not for the sake of a slightly higher income than a law enforcement officer, but because Tende wanted to figure out this strange world that had become unfamiliar overnight - Eris.

"Mr. Tende, come over here with me." Kerim, who had been sitting in a chair reading for a long time, immediately patted her dress and stood up when she noticed Tende leaving the office.

Tende nodded without saying anything and silently followed behind Kerim.

It seems it's time to prepare for "work".