Help? Kline murmured the word, momentarily at a loss. When Sharon first accepted the commission to protect him for three days, while she had primarily been motivated by the prestige of the pounds, it was already a rare occurrence—something that could happen by chance, but not something that could be forced. At the time, Kline was in a state of desperate self-preservation, holding on to every last resource, and thus, even if Sharon had done so merely for financial reasons, he would have felt genuine gratitude. Yet, that was as far as it went. He would not, without carefully assessing his own strength and circumstances, impulsively step in to assist in unfamiliar or potentially risky situations simply because Sharon had offered her support. Klein's original intention was that the esoteric knowledge from the smaller "Sun" essentially dated back to before the Great Cataclysm, and there appeared to be little overlap between the ancient deities who held authority then and the current seven gods or the evil deities. Thus, the entire esoteric system must have been fundamentally different from what exists today. Even if he understood the details thoroughly, he dared not proceed immediately—he had to gather corroborating evidence from indirect sources to determine which elements remained effective and which had lost their potency. This was much like the earlier sacrificial rituals: although Klein had clearly learned the specific procedures from the "Sun," he still had to wait for Mr. Azk to write back before conducting the experiment, in case unforeseen changes occurred. The "Hanged Man" represents a bishop or squad captain within the Storm Church, possessing a substantial body of esoteric knowledge—both accessible and obtainable—but the issue lies in its being overly orthodox, deeply rooted in the domain of the Storm Sovereign. This may not be ideally suited for Caine to utilize, as not all rituals can be fulfilled simply through self-prayer, and even self-prayer must take into account the spiritual burden Caine himself can endure. And this is exactly what Klein has longed for. He has never forgotten that his ultimate goal is to return to Earth—therefore, the more profound, comprehensive, and in-depth the esoteric knowledge, the better! Of course, this goal can only be pursued once he has successfully eliminated Ins. Zangwiel, avenging himself both for the captain and for himself. Klein looked at Sharon and Marič, a slight upward curve forming at the corner of his mouth as he said: "I must first know precisely what kind of assistance you require from me before I can even consider agreeing." "I will not, and cannot, take my own life lightly." Sharon, wearing a delicate black soft hat, gently nodded, affirming Klein's words. Marič, seated on the other side, leaned forward slightly, pressing his fist against his mouth. "We originally belonged to an older, more secretive organization." I had already guessed that... Klein maintained his serious and composed expression. "The organization took shape in the early Fifth Age, following the violent storms of the Sea that severed the northern and southern continents, and during the rise of the highland kingdoms of the south, such as the Kingdom of Pas. Yet this only describes its formation—the origins of this organization actually trace back even further, to before the Fourth Age, to before the Great Cataclysm." Mariči, with a pale complexion, continued describing. I know this too—the 'Rose School'—it probably originated as early as the Age of the Other Kings," Klein said, adopting a posture of attentive listening. Mariči ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair. "This organization worships an evil deity, believing that magic is a science and an art of altering events through one's own will—thus requiring a structured religious ritual system, including order and law. Before the northern kingdoms' invasions, they stood on par with the Church of Death as one of the established, orthodox traditions in the Pas Valley and the Star Highlands." "Meanwhile, they believed their will primarily stemmed from various desires, and when combined with extraordinary strength, this could accomplish astonishing feats." "Thanks to these beliefs, they preserved ancient, blood-soaked ritual traditions—such as skinning people alive, using human pillars, employing child skulls as ceremonial objects—encouraging their devotees to passionately express all their desires." "We could neither accept the cruelty nor believed their approach to desires was sound, so we found opportunities to leave that organization." "Their approach to desires was unsound?" Kline knew the "Rose School" was renowned for its bloody rituals, but he wasn't particularly curious about the former. The woman with golden hair and a black court gown responded with a voice that was ethereal and slightly distant: "Their approach was one of indulgence and combustion." "Ours, on the other hand, was one of restraint and discipline." "Ah... Now it hits me. The description of the 'Prisoners' sequence—being the prison of the mind, the world being the prison of the body, madness confined, desires suppressed. If the Rose School indeed holds the 'Prisoners' path as a distinct route, then the principles of Miss Sharon and her companions clearly align better with the role-playing requirements. Why then haven't the other members perceived this? It shouldn't be so... He furrowed his brows slightly. In short, it's all about the difference between the restless and the restrained... There's a certain inconsistency between the impact of that malevolent deity and the very nature of the path it demands. Something feels off. Klein pondered, then asked, "So you fled to Bakersland, and now they're coming after you?" "Was the man found in the alley actually drawn into this?" "We didn't involve him—we only became entangled because of other matters," Marijic countered the latter assumption, affirming the first statement. Then, why haven't you simply left Bakersland outright? The coastal regions of the Ruin Kingdom, as well as the Desea Bay area, still harbor several major cities. Moreover, you could head to Indis, Vosak, Feneport, and even to the nations of Lumborg and Massis. So, is there a reason preventing you from leaving Bakersland? What might that reason be?" Klein thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I've got it now. Um, what exactly do you need from me?" "My sequence isn't high, and I don't know any particularly powerful extraordinary beings—so I can't directly challenge that secretive organization." After obtaining the Seer's path at sequence 7, along with the sequence 6 and 5 potion recipes, and defeating Lan'urus, Klein himself wasn't necessarily tied to Bekland anymore. He still had a significant gap in strength compared to his next target, Inz. Zangweil, and with the seal "0–08"—he simply didn't have any realistic chance of success in the near term, let alone the courage to even approach. Therefore, leaving Bekland wasn't impossible; it would just mean a bit of regret over the prepaid rent being wasted. Klein remained in this metropolis because it had the largest concentration of extraordinary beings and the most abundant materials and resources—making it the most convenient place for advancing his sequence, which aligned perfectly with the initial prophecy he received. It occurred to me that I should become a "faceless one," and after digesting that transformation, I would need to go out at sea to seek the mermaids... Claryn suddenly had this thought. Sharon, dressed in a black court gown, responded calmly: "Serve as our support." "Eliminate a Sequence 5 Exceptional." Claryn asked in mild surprise: "With your capabilities, how did that organization send only a Sequence 5 Exceptional to pursue them?" Were the sects' common trait a lack of brains? "He has a seal that particularly restrains me," Sharon said, her pale yet refined features expressionless. "The one actually in charge is indeed a high-Sequence exceptional." "But we deliberately guided him away to other locations through the traces we left behind." "Marich added, 'We don't have just one outpost in Beckland. If we eliminate the Sequence 5 Exceptional one overseeing the nearby region, seize the seal he's holding, and then immediately create the appearance of fleeing, we'll no longer be too afraid of regular pursuit.' Klein nodded once: 'But why do you think I can offer any assistance?' I look so weak... and the target is a Sequence 5 bearing either a powerful or an odd seal! 'You're not just a Sequence 9—you have something truly special,' Sharon said, gazing at him steadily with her blue eyes, her tone firmly confident. 'Ha-ha,' Klein could only manage a dry chuckle in response. Sharon's ethereal voice resonated again: 'And you also have that 'eye'.' Which 'eye'? Was it the 'Eye of All Black' left behind by the Master of Secret Figures, Rosago? Klein nodded slightly. "But I can only utilize a small portion of it—my impact won't be very significant, due to the 'True Maker's' spiritual contamination." "That's sufficient," Sharon's words were always so concise. Marijch added, "The Sequence 5 extraordinary we need to confront shares Sharon's characteristics—you can use your 'eye' to locate him." At that moment, Sharon spoke again. "Marijch is the first bait." "I am the second bait." "And you are the hunter tasked with solving the problem." "I can't guarantee absolute safety." "But you will certainly be safer than us." Quite generous, though one still needs to verify this through divination... Klein mused for a few seconds. "I need to understand the other's characteristics and the corresponding seals—only then can I make a decision."