Captain, that's exactly the question I hoped you'd ask! Kline nodded seriously: "I feel much better now—I even believe I can pass the Hall's assessment right now. It's a sense of confidence and experience that can't be put into words." Thinking that his earlier answer might have been a bit vague, he added: "Perhaps the name of the potion is indeed key. When I strictly follow my own summarized 'Seer's Code' as a seer, everything becomes smooth and effortless. I've already learned to activate my clairvoyance in more subtle ways." Duan furrowed his brows, his gaze drawn inward, speaking to himself thoughtfully: "The name of the potion..." After a few seconds, he looked back at Kline. "Should you go back and let your family know? It's the day after your shift at Charnis Gate—on Sunday, you were supposed to have rest." "Considering that Elizabeth is my sister's friend and that I've already committed to resolving the issue within a week, I won't bother with any further delays," said Cline smoothly. "Just after we set off, have the carriage make a loop around the Narcissus Street, and that will be sufficient." "Alright," said Dunn, pointing to the lounge across the way. "You go find Fley, while I fill out the application and retrieve the seal '3–0782'." Fley, the 'Body Keeper,' is less energetic than the 'Night Watchers,' and often takes a nap when he has the chance. Filling out the form, signing it, and personally retrieving the seal—what a system we have! Cline muttered these thoughts to himself without speaking, took his hat, and stepped out of Dunn's office, then knocked on the door across the hall. After three firm knocks, Fley opened the door, his expression of curiosity still evident. "Is there something I can assist you with?" He had just been napping, so his hair was slightly disheveled and his shirt was a bit messy, and his usually cold, gloomy demeanor had softened considerably. Yet, yet, he still seemed as though he had just crawled out of a coffin—dead, barely alive. Kline suppressed a smile and answered seriously: "There's a case involving restless spirits that the captain would like your assistance with." "Very well," Fley instinctively raised a hand, smoothing out the disarray in his hair, and once again transformed into the cold, impassive figure who demanded to be left undisturbed. Once they were fully dressed, they only sat in the lounge area for a few minutes before sensing the warmth and clarity surrounding them, as if bathed in the sacred light of the sun. Shortly thereafter, they saw Den Smith emerge from the partition, holding a modest, ancient insignia about the size of a palm. The badge exhibits a deep golden hue, bearing the emblem of the sun, with a series of lines extending toward the edge—these are the seal marks from the Intis Republic, "3–0782," originally named "The Sun Saint Emblem of Mutation." Intis is the nation that Rosel transformed from an empire into a republic, only to later revert it back to an empire, now firmly established as a republic, located on the western coast of the Northern Continent, bordered by the Roon Kingdom by the Intersea and the Honaquis Mountains. Since the founding of Intis, the Church of the Eternal Radiant Sun has held dominance, gradually suppressing the Crafters' God Church until it was renamed the Church of the Steam and Mechanical Gods, thus earning the nation the title of the "Land of the Sun." "Let's go," Dene said steadily. "Fleay will drive. Cisler can't endure the prolonged purification of the holy emblem." Cecil Francis is an administrative staff member responsible for purchasing and requisitioning supplies, who also works part-time as a wagon driver. However, he is an ordinary person and cannot remain within the seal "3–0782" for more than one hour—nor can he stay within that duration, as, according to Klein's knowledge, the journey from Zothlan Street to Ramd Town takes at least two and a half hours, not including the time required to loop around the street of Narcissus. "Very well," Fley replied without hesitation, merely checking once again that nothing had been overlooked. ………… When the last golden rays of the setting sun painted the spires of the town's church in gold, the night watch team's wagon, having completed its loop around Narcissus Street, finally arrived at Ramd. This town lies to the northwest of Ting, with many of its buildings retaining characteristics from before the steam age and featuring few factories—serving as the primary commercial hub for the surrounding countryside. After parking the carriage at the designated spot of the town inn, Dunn glanced across at the barber shop and said, "I just spoke with some local residents. It takes only a quarter of an hour to reach the abandoned castle atop the mountain from here. They say it belonged to the lord who ruled here at the end of the Quaternary period, but something must have happened later that transformed it into its current state—though, of course, their accounts are all rooted in local legend." "Yes, let's head over now. We'll settle the restless spirit before dark, then take turns guarding '3—0782,' keeping it away from ordinary people?" Since Dunn received the "Mutated Solar Emblem," it has been exactly three hours now, and the threshold of the extraordinary beings is drawing ever closer. Soon, they'll have to part ways, allowing each other time to recover. "Agreed," Fley replied briefly. "I have no concerns," said Kline, quietly brushing his palms against the "Sleeper Charm" and the "Soul-Calming Charm" tucked in his pocket. Three night-watchmen, dressed in thin black coats and wearing matching hats—either formal or woolen—walked through the town's streets, taking a winding path toward a nearby hillside, where the grass grew wild and underbrush thick, though the road remained broad enough to accommodate two carriages side by side. Soon, they spotted an ancient castle with its outer walls partially collapsed, its remaining structures draped in green vegetation, with patches of weathered, sun-bleached stone exposed. Before they even reached it, Caine felt a piercing cold, and a sudden rash broke out on his arms. "There are indeed spirits lingering," said Fley, gazing at the castle, his tone steady and unremarkable. Dune glanced at one of the newer night-watchmen and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. With '3–0782' and Fley, the spirits won't pose much of a problem." Holding a specially crafted revolver in one hand and a transformed solar saint's emblem in the other, he stepped forward, leading the way toward the ruins of the castle. Klein followed closely behind, always ready to fire his weapon or hurl his staff, casting spells. Whoooosh! As Dunning drew near to the castle, barely five meters away, the fragmented stables and well suddenly came into Klein's view, a piercing, chilling wind burst forth—seeming to resist the unwelcome arrival. The three night-watchmen did not halt; they pressed forward, the warm, pure sensation gradually dispelling the chill and taking hold at the front of the castle. They stepped over stacked stones through the collapsed outer wall, moving steadily into the castle now without a main gate, their feet resting on broken tiles. The great hall of the castle, with its fallen columns and thick moss, was spacious, yet its narrow windows, set high above, made lighting difficult, leaving the space dim and shadowed. This was indeed a characteristic of architectural design in the late Fourth and early Fifth Ages... The pseudo-historian Klein instinctively made his judgment, and quietly activated his spiritual vision. At that moment, a loud, piercing roar erupted, and a thick black mist surged forth from nowhere, countering the warm and pure forces of erosion. Soon within the mist, a tall figure emerged, clad in a full black armor, wielding a broadsword so heavy that it was difficult for ordinary humans to swing. This spectral being was exactly as克莱恩 had seen him in Elizabeth's dream—two glowing red flames pierced through the gaps of his face mask, cold and fiercely angry, fixed upon the three night-watchmen. "You have disturbed my slumber! You must repay me with blood and flesh!" he suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance to Dunne, and heaved his broadsword down in a heavy, decisive cut. Dunne had already nimbly retreated, raising his rifle with a crisp *thunk*. *Clang!* The silver huntress bullets struck the ethereal black armor but failed to penetrate it, producing a clear yet somewhat hollow sound. Klein and Fley stepped back simultaneously. One single-handedly gripped his gun, aimed at the two glowing spots in the black-armored knight's eyes, and fired. The other's gaze shifted to a deep, serene gray-white, intently observing the specter. The black-armored knight roared again, took a steady step forward after Dunne, and swept his broadsword across. Thud! The broadsword missed Dunne, but sent him flying, crashing into the doorframe with a force that sent him spitting blood. With a sharp clatter, "3—0782" fell to the ground. The specter, eager with its iron-clad right foot, kicked the emblem—so dangerous in its constant purification—out of the castle's gate, beyond its own fifteen-meter radius. Klein, who had missed the shot earlier, now watched this scene with a mix of concern and tension, feeling strangely detached, as though he were observing the unfolding events from a calm, composed, and rational perspective. Clang! He fired again, and the silver hunter's bullet struck the wraith's facial armor with a sharp thud, sending sparks flying—but did not cause significant damage. "Right gauntlet!" At that moment, Fray, usually cold and solemn, shouted with evident urgency. Before he had finished speaking, he raised his revolver himself and aimed at the wraith's iron gauntlet on the right side. Pock! Pock! Acting almost instinctively as Fray had instructed, Caine pulled the trigger, firing his silver hunter's bullets simultaneously with the wraith. This time, the wraith did not rely on his armor to absorb the impact; instead, he had anticipated the attack and raised his broad sword, easily deflecting both bullets. Thwack! He stepped forward, charging at Caine with the momentum of a rush, and collided directly with him. Caine was thrown backward. He saw the indentation on his chest and noticed blood beginning to spill from his mouth, yet felt no discomfort at all. He suddenly realized what was happening, stumbled to the ground, and rolled over, crying out in pain. Suddenly, the castle, the spectral figures, the collapsed columns, and the moss-covered ground all seemed to shatter, returning to the state of black mist that had existed when the black-armored knight first emerged. The only difference was that Dunning clenched his fists, bent slightly forward, and his gray eyes deepened into an obsidian hue. Indeed, everything that had happened before had been a dream—Captain Dunning had drawn the spectral figures, me, and Fley into his dream—but I was special, able to remain awake and composed. Klein found himself still standing two meters to the right of Dunning, neither bleeding nor screaming. At that moment, Dunning straightened up, gazing calmly at the spectral figure about to strike, and said, "More than a minute." The spectral figure paused, then let out a piercing cry, its body beginning to emit black mist as if receiving a death decree. Undead corpses and ghosts of lesser strength could not survive beyond one minute within the fifteen-meter radius of the "mutated Solar Emblem." Man,队长, you're absolutely stunning! Kline watched this scene and almost blurted out "666." Dunn used his dream ability not to capitalize on home-court advantage to eliminate the specters, but simply to buy time! Within the warm, pure sensation, the black mist evaporated swiftly, and the cold gradually faded. Soon, the specter knight, clad in full armor and dragging a massive broadsword, became completely transparent and merged into the void. Thud! A black iron gauntlet landed on the ground, its surface dotted with a few traces of white frost. Kline was about to ask the captain whether they should retrieve the "loot," but as he glanced around, a sudden inspiration struck him. It seemed as though a strong, ethereal sense of pain and filth was calling to him from the steps separating the castle hall from the dining hall!