Sharon, dressed in a black court gown, gently pressed her pale lips together and glanced at Mariichi before nodding lightly. Mariichi clasped his hands tightly, his demeanor slightly frenzied, and said, "Shouldn't you be familiar with the 'Prisoner' path?" "Yes, I've heard of it within the extraordinary circles," said Caine calmly. Of course, by 'the extraordinary circles' he meant the Night Watch and the Tarot Circle—though he silently added that to himself. Mariichi seemed to recall something, and remained silent for a full fifteen seconds, the rhythmic sound of the carriage wheels rolling over the concrete pavement filtering in from the window. He rubbed at his messy brown hair, his face slightly contorted as he spoke: "A prisoner refers both to someone confined within a prison and to someone whose spirit and desires are restrained by reason, the body, and the world. The exceptional figures in this sequence are physically strong and highly perceptive, often possessing a quiet exterior while harboring a wildly passionate inner life. They master various criminal techniques and are adept at using any object at hand to carry out murder." "The corresponding sequence eight is known as 'The Madman.' I suspect you're not fully aware of this, as even the orthodox exceptionalist institutions of the seven major churches lack sufficient understanding. The secret organization holds its members in such deep grasp that it surpasses your imagination—these individuals, whose bodies and souls seem almost distorted, feel as though bound and constrained, making it difficult to extract useful information through simple spiritual communication or divination." "We, too, endured for a long time, patiently waiting, until we finally discovered the means to break free from this sense of constraint and successfully escaped." "Since the extraordinary individuals along this path all possess the cursed, prone-to-manic tendencies, we don't wish to align ourselves with the Seven Churches—doing so would mean completely losing our freedom, leaving nothing behind." Ah, so it is... That explains why the internal records of the Watchers contain so little information, not even the entries for the 'Prisoners' corresponding to Sequence 8 and Sequence 7—these were precisely the levels I was capable of knowing at that time. Caine responded with a moment of clarity: "I indeed have no clear understanding of what happens after the 'Prisoners'." Marich did not nod, but instead gazed steadily at Caine with his brown eyes, continuing: "Compared to the 'Prisoners,' the defining trait of the 'Mad' is their ability to voluntarily and actively sacrifice their rationality, to erupt in desire, thereby gaining strength and achieving overall enhancement. While their minds may become somewhat foggy during this period, this poses no significant issue—indeed, they often develop a powerful resistance to certain disturbances that affect their thoughts and mental well-being." In short, I first have to eliminate myself, and then you'll never be able to kill me again… Kline couldn't help muttering that. "Starting from this sequence, the curse begins to manifest, and 'the madman' is prone to losing control." Marič's facial muscles twitched slightly. Isn't that obvious? If someone's mental state has been consistently low or frequently unstable, shouldn't their likelihood of losing control be no different from that of other extraordinary beings? Kline had his own understanding; he glanced at Miss Sharon and found it hard to imagine her appearance during the 'prisoner' and 'madman' phases, yet Sharon still maintained her ethereal, quiet, ghostly presence. Seeing that Kline remained silent, Marič exhaled slowly: "The next sequence, number seven, is the 'werewolf.' " Are we beginning to undergo transformation? Yet, in the eyes of ordinary people, the "prisoner" who is internally frantic and the "madman" prone to losing his composure are no different from outsiders... Hmm, the "werewolf" is only at rank 7—slightly lower than I expected... Klein's thoughts suddenly drifted off. Mariqi didn't notice his moment of lapse and continued speaking: "The 'werewolf' is a fully cursed being. Each time the red moon wanes and returns to fullness, he loses most of his rationality, grows thick black fur, and his innate desire for blood and violence reaches its peak..." His voice gradually grew somewhat hazy, as if recalling the long period of endurance and suppression he had endured. "The 'werewolf' possesses strong self-recovery abilities, as well as formidable strength, agility, and speed. His hands and claws are no less effective than extraordinary weapons of the same tier, and he has inherent toxicity. He also knows several dark magic spells—such as controlling a target who has been exposed to his venom for a period of time, transforming them into subordinate creatures resembling werewolves, creatures whose lives are often brief." After Mariči finished, Caine offered a balanced assessment: "At the Sequence 7 level, in terms of practical combat ability, the 'werewolf' is solidly mid-to-upper tier." Mariči added, with a tone that subtly conveyed pride, "A 'werewolf' who cannot suppress his instinct for killing and bloodlust during the full moon nights will grow increasingly cold and distorted, gradually losing the emotions that a normal human should possess." Matching Mr. Azk's description of the other beings... Cain unconsciously glanced at Miss Sharon once more, instinctively imagining the state she would be in as she transformed into a werewolf, only to be startled by her cold gaze and nearly shiver, quickly forcing his head back. Mariqi unconsciously licked his lips—not in the way that suggested female allure, but rather one that conveyed a sense of danger. His gaze seemed momentarily blurred, as if recalling something. After a few seconds, he resumed: "I am the corresponding Sequence 6, 'The Undead.'" The Undead... really does look the part. It makes sense why he's always playing cards with so many of his kind. Truly living corpses—so to speak. Cain thought a moment, then asked: "I heard Caspar mention that you're not afraid of bullets?" "Marich nodded. "My body can be as hard as steel. Even if you press a revolver against my head and fire, I'll only experience dizziness. It would take at least five shots hitting the same spot to break my defenses." "And even then, for a 'zombie,' as long as the head remains intact, all other injuries are merely non-fatal." "My strength has further enhanced beyond that of a 'werewolf,' and I've mastered certain necromantic spells—enough to easily awaken the dead, command spirits, and command them to act, while skillfully wielding extraordinary powers of cold and decay." "The pathways of different beings each possess unique characteristics—progressive evolution is quite rare." After a moment of reflection, Caine said, "Then, what of the curse of the 'zombie'?" "Marich gently bit her lower teeth and said, "I will long for the warm blood and fresh flesh of humans, especially during the full moon—this condition is particularly severe then. The only thing to be grateful for is that the curse of the 'wight' has replaced both the 'werewolf' and the 'madman' curses, which no longer coexist simultaneously, and this will remain the case." "Each time the red moon reaches its fullness, I suffer greatly. If I fail to maintain self-control, the pain will eventually overwhelm me and leave me unable to fight. Should I allow myself to succumb, I will gradually lose my humanity and face a high risk of losing control." "Even in ordinary times, I am constantly battling my inner desires and the fierce malice within me." He exhaled, thinking that, compared to the other extraordinary beings on this path, the rest were far better—except perhaps the 'Deep Ones' and the 'Witches'... This thought naturally arose in Caine. Marich paused, glancing at Sharon, who wore a small, soft black hat. Sharon opened her lips, her voice ethereal, saying, "Sequence 5, 'Wraith.' Wraith? Really? This is indeed the path of the unusual. Kline was initially surprised, but then realized this perfectly aligned with the ease of transition between physical and spiritual forms. Marij added, "Once transformed into a 'Wraith,' one can convert their state into true shadow and gain corresponding abilities—such as passing through solid obstacles, hiding within mirrors, directly attacking an opponent's soul, or leaping across most surfaces that reflect images." "Unlike ordinary Wraiths, however, even with spiritual sight, one cannot detect this shadow state unless they reach a higher sequence." "Yes, the 'Wraith' also possesses numerous death-related spells and has many unusual techniques—such as forcibly possessing and controlling enemies..." "Her curse is this: on the nights when the red moon turns circular, either she must consume a certain number of human souls or she becomes extremely weak. If she chooses the former, she is constantly on the brink of losing control." Before Kline could speak, Sharon, whose face was equally pale, drifted in and said: "Our objective is also the 'Wraith.'" "The extraordinary abilities of the 'Undead,' 'Wolf-Man,' 'Madman,' and 'Prisoner' will not be lost even upon their advancement." Marich emphasized this point. It sounds remarkably restrained—exactly the kind of situation where I fear a bullet from a handgun won't do much, and ordinary flames struggle to inflict significant damage... In short, I'm afraid of 'ghosts.' Kline felt a bit uneasy inside. After thinking for a few seconds, he asked: "What is the effect of that sealed object?" "Why does it specifically counteract you?" "It actually made you willing to reveal the very weakness of your own curse—perhaps Caine has some ideas. Mariichi replied with a slightly somber expression: "The curse object that needs to be sealed is called the 'Deep Crimson Diadem.' It can create a lunar full-moon effect within a certain range. For those who are already cold and distorted, this provides a boost of strength. Yet for us, it brings vulnerability—our combat abilities fade. If we must surrender ourselves, then I would rather die!" Mariichi growled, his voice hoarse. "Those who wear the 'Deep Crimson Coronet' are immune to the full moon's effects and gain remarkable speed, extraordinary recovery abilities, and several powerful dark magic spells. However, their blood gradually grows cold, slowly freezing—unless they can promptly halt or drink the blood of living people, they will ultimately die as their blood turns completely to ice." Marijich seemed quite fearful of the sealed object. After he finished speaking, Sharon's blue eyes calmly fixed upon Caine: "With Steve, there are also the 'undead' Jason and the 'werewolf' Tael." "But as long as Steve is dealt with, they will not be a problem," Marijich added. "Should we succeed, Steve's exceptional traits shall be mine; the 'Deep Crimson Coronet' belongs to Sharon. The remaining spoils and the 'Book of Secrets' shall be your reward."