"Joy" is the Sequence 6 path of the witch. When Caine encountered Lady Xerene, he received the complete recipe. Though he rarely recalls the specifics and often relies on dream divination to rekindle the details, upon hearing the primary ingredients, he still feels a sense of familiarity and makes connections. He couldn't help but glance at the prospective buyer, assessing him by skin tone, build, voice, and the clear contours of his face to confirm he was male. "Joy" typically follows "Witch" as a prerequisite—regardless of the original gender, once that threshold is passed, the individual becomes female. Yet this person clearly isn't there yet. He hasn't achieved the status of a "Witch," yet he's seeking the primary materials for "Joy." Hmm... perhaps he's assisting others in their purchases? Is he a partner or a loyal subordinate of some "Witch"? Yet, as a relatively ancient and enduring secret organization, the Witchhood Order should not be lacking in the necessary materials. Given their nature, it would be entirely normal for them to draw upon the extraordinary traits of their predecessors to formulate potions. So, has the "witch" behind the request lost contact with the Order? As ideas flowed through his mind, Caine felt a strong urge to follow up on the lead. But after careful reflection, he rationally set aside this intention. Beyond the question of whether he could even bypass the Watchers' defenses and track the individual down, the uncertainty about the other party's situation and the lack of time for divination were sufficient reasons for him to follow his instincts. What if there were not just one "witch," but other more powerful extraordinary individuals involved? Moreover, the ascension of a "witch" to a "Joyful Witch" was a positive development—while the former tended to spread calamities and harm numerous innocents, the latter focused on bringing joy, thus significantly reducing societal impact. Caine muttered this to himself. The silk glands of the mature widow spider are already considered a rare and valuable exceptional material—much like the pit-hypothalamic anomaly and human skin shadow properties required for Kline’s rank 6 advancement, which is roughly equivalent to half a well-located house in the capital. Thus, the buyer received no satisfactory response. More precisely, no one gave him any response at all. The atmosphere of the gathering grew silent until the plump apothecary began selling his potions. Having established a loyal customer base through prior efforts, he sold out all available items within less than three minutes, securing over 50 pounds in cash. As the elder “Eye of Wisdom” declared the gathering concluded, participants departed one after another, in various sequences, at different intervals, through different exits. Klein was in the middle, and once he had maneuvered through quieter, less conspicuous streets to blend in, he immediately headed eastward, arriving at Black Palms Street under the cold, odor-laden night, entering the one-bedroom apartment he rented, and purchasing a gun holster along the way. Without pausing, he drew his revolver, opened the iron box containing the extraordinary cartridges, and removed two "purification cartridges," two "monster-hunting cartridges," and one "spirit-clearing cartridge," inserting each one into the corresponding chambers and leaving the firing mechanism empty in the magazine. He adjusted his stance, tested the feel and ensured smooth operation, then placed the revolver into the holster, while making further preparations: checking for any anomalies in the "Eye of the Entire Black" inside the metal cigarette box, placing the Azkai copper whistle into the cartridge box, and using the Saint's Night powder to create a sealed, spiritually protective layer directly on its surface, thus shielding the ancient, delicate whistle. After confirming the shapes and positions of the three incantations, Caine performed a divination atop the gray mist, then donned his baseball cap and stepped out once more. His destination was 32 Wilde Street in the southern district of the Bridge—where the thief had first discovered the "Universal Key." There, he believed he might find clues to the apprentice's subsequent recipes or related items. Caine had long intended to explore this location, yet he suspected that the deceased thief had transformed into a spectral entity, and only after securing the "purification bullets" did he finally decide to act. A magician never performs without preparation! Arriving in the southern district of the Bridge via this most cost-effective means, Caine transferred to a public horse carriage and made his way to the vicinity of Wilde Street. By now, the night had deepened, and Beckland was experiencing a fine, biting rain. The streets were nearly empty, and the glow of the gas streetlamps was diffused and hazy by the liquid coating the glass, making everything appear as though it were set within a dream. Klein circled the building, surveyed the 32nd house thoroughly, and climbed to the second floor, entering the interior through the balcony door that the thief had opened earlier but clearly could not close again—since it remained ajar. ——He had not brought his "universal key," fearing that the object might trigger an unusual chain of events here. After an indeterminate length of time, he arrived at the stairwell empty-handed, wearing his black gloves. Just as he took two steps downward, a figure suddenly appeared in his vision! The figure pressed against the wall at the stair corner, facing away from Caine, with thick black hair cascading over its shoulders, nearly concealing its neck. Before Caine, who had already activated his spiritual sight, could even begin to observe, the figure suddenly moved! As the figure's neck creaked, its head swiveled around, yet its body remained facing away from the second floor. In a hazy, faint, ethereal glow of soft crimson, the figure's eyes bulged with terror. *Plip, plip!* The two eyes fell to the ground. *Thud!* The figure's head detached from its neck and struck the wooden stairs. Already lifeless, devoid of any spiritual luminescence—Caine watched calmly, judging, as though the entire event had been nothing more than a farce. He made his deductions from the details—his worn black clothing and the numerous open rooms on the second floor—concluding that this was another thief, coming after the initial one to visit the house. Yet, unfortunately, he wasn't as fortunate. Could it be that the "universal key" itself was binding the "danger" here, and only when it was removed did the crisis erupt? Caine drew his revolver, adjusted the trigger position and grip, and stepped down the stairs one pace at a time, approaching the body. He knelt, examined it briefly, and found no cause of death other than the neck being twisted. After a moment's pause, Caine straightened up, proceeding with cautious steps—though the stairs were wooden, he made no sound. One step, two steps, three steps—he reached the ground floor and stepped firmly onto the floor. Before him stretched a corridor connecting both sides, with a soft crimson moonlight filtering in, faintly outlining the silhouette of the balcony. On either side, doors stood open, revealing cluttered interiors—no living room, no dining area, no kitchen. This was the second floor! After descending the stairs from the second floor,克莱恩 found himself back on the second floor again! And throughout this journey, he had noticed no anomaly at all. 克莱恩 remained calm, slowly turning around to see that the stairs behind him led downward. That is to say, my special ability only counteracts extraordinary powers that directly invade my mind or spirit—such as entering my consciousness or penetrating my inner world—or those that make me perceive my surroundings as not belonging to the real world. I am still susceptible to illusions. 克莱恩 pulled out a matchbox with his gun-hand and twisted a few matches from it. He continued descending, lighting a match every few steps. Klein once again reached the corner of the staircase and saw the corpse with its head detached from its body. At that moment, a cold breeze suddenly brushed past his nape, sending a shiver down his spine. Pop! Klein snapped his fingers, and a bright crimson flame erupted from behind him, surging upward toward the ceiling. The flame danced and surged like a monstrous creature, yet it touched nothing. As Klein prepared to turn around and use his spiritual sight, his body suddenly stiffened, as though plunged into a frozen lake in winter. He began to tremble, slowly pressing his left hand against his neck, only to force it back again. At this point, Klein sighed lightly. He then extended his left hand, which he had been holding firmly, into his coat pocket, breaking down the spiritual barrier and opening the iron box containing his cartridges. Immediately, he grasped the Azk copper whistle, pulled it out, shook it vigorously, and tossed it into the space halfway down the staircase! Almost instantly, he felt the coldness and stiffness within his body vanish. A strange, eerie cold entity surged forth from his inspiration, darting like a dog chasing a ball, and lunged straight for the Azk copper whistle! Klein smiled slightly, raised his right hand, aimed at the whistle, and pulled the trigger, then softly said, "Bye." Thwip! A pale golden purifying bullet shot out, striking precisely the form of the cold, ethereal entity. A cry of pain rang out, and golden flames traced a human shape in the air! Amidst the warm, bright light, all the coldness and all the strangeness swiftly dissipated. Clang! The Azk copper whistle landed, wobbled a few times, and rolled into the living room on the first floor. Klein looked around and noticed that the scene had changed somewhat from before—most notably, the corpse's head remained attached to its body; he had, in fact, suffocated himself with his own hands. Hm, it truly is much easier when you're prepared... Kline chuckled, descended the stairs once more, and smoothly reached the first floor, picking up the Azk copper whistle and giving it a few shakes to check whether any other spectral shadows remained. After confirming that everything was clear, he oriented himself and headed directly to the basement. Upon walking down the stairs and through the door, he saw the scene he had witnessed in the dream divination—there, on the long table, lay the brown notebook.