At 10 p.m., in the alley behind the Courageous Bar. Dressed in a black double-breasted dinner suit, with a matching half-high hat on his head, Klein simply strolled around as he had the previous time, then walked calmly toward the nearest street. As he stepped out of the alley, a carriage stopped directly in front of him, and behind the glass window, Mariach's brown eyes—always suppressing their malice—gazed steadily at him. Klein touched the brim of his half-high hat, grasped his solid cane firmly, and got aboard with calm composure, as if he had himself summoned the carriage to a halt. He settled into his seat, smoothed his tie, and settled into the manner of a gentleman on his way to a dinner engagement. "This attire is not suited for battle," Mariach observed, studying Klein from head to toe, his brow now furrowed slightly. It was clear that he still harbored some doubt about Klein's capabilities, yet he had chosen to trust Sharon. Caine smiled easily. "My extraordinary abilities differ from yours, and my combat style is distinct as well. Such attire has no negative impact on me—indeed, it suits me well. For instance, it has numerous pockets, allowing me to store different items in designated places, so that I don’t make costly mistakes due to misplaced objects during moments of urgency." As he spoke, he reached into one of the concealed pockets and withdrew the remaining three sedatives—special sedatives prepared by the pharmacist! Immediately upon finishing his words, a figure swiftly materialized beside the other window. Dressed in a black court gown and wearing a delicate soft hat, this was the Sequence 5 strength of the Other Path, "Soul-Whisper" Sharon. "You've explained too much," Sharon said, her blue eyes fixed on Caine, her tone slightly detached and unnatural. "...I just wanted to gradually settle into the performance state." Kline chuckled lightly in response. "Probably because I'm a bit nervous." Before Sharon could speak again, he handed the three sedatives to Mariqi. "You find the right moment to take them." "I'm sure you're more experienced than I am—you won't take them too early or too late, nor too few or too many." Mariqi looked at the sealed, transparent glass vial, gently shaking the liquid inside. "Two and a half, if I take any more, I'll be truly calm and will probably not want to do anything for a while." "Excellent," Kline nodded, turning to Sharon. "Have you finalized the ambush location?" Sharon nodded gently. "We're en route to it." She hadn't directly revealed the planned battle site to Kline. Very cautious, very careful... Kline thought for a moment, then asked, "Will you be harmed by the purification process?" "Living corpses will be affected," Sharon replied succinctly. "And I will too, when I transition into a spiritual state." That is to say, when the Sequence 5 'ghostly souls' are still in a physical form, purification is unlikely to have a significant effect... Kline pondered, then asked, "What about exorcism?" "What about the hunters?" Since they were facing off against powerful opponents from the same path, Sharon did not withhold any details: "The hunters will harm our bodies. Exorcism can affect both body and spirit, but neither is fatal." Kline smiled slightly, exhaled, and said, "I understand now." He thought again, then carefully asked, "Have you currently sensed the strength of purification or exorcism?" "No," Marijic replied, his voice hoarse. Well, the spiritual prison that has evolved from the spiritual wall indeed blocks the influence of the "Sun Breastpin," but I'm so hot... Caine sighed quietly and then asked, "Regarding the 'Wraith' Steve, the 'Zombie' Jason, and the 'Wolf Man' Tael—besides the 'Deep Crimson Coronet,' do they possess any other magical items or extraordinary weapons?" "We're not certain," Marijic said again, pressing her brows with a touch of restlessness. With the great battle looming, his already restrained malice and desires were beginning to show emotional strain. Sharon listened quietly and responded calmly, "Under the influence of the 'Deep Crimson Coronet,' Jason and Tael will be in a more frenzied state. Even if they have magical items, they won't have the clarity of mind to use them—unless it's a passive effect." "Marich added, "For the 'werewolves,' their hands and claws are their extraordinary weapons—just as I am, as Tael is, as Jason is. They can cut through steel and carry their own toxicity." Klein's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded. "That's all. I have no further questions." As the night grew sparser with pedestrians, the carriage sped forward, its wheels occasionally splashing over puddles, leaving faint stains. After a few minutes, Marich instructed the living corpse driver to hold the reins steady. Klein looked out the window and saw a weathered building with layered shadows, and a sound of flowing water coming from a distance. "This is the Westbarn Docks, abandoned for a year and soon to be redeveloped. Our planned ambush site is within its warehouse area," Marich explained. The abandoned Xibalang dock...if anything goes wrong, the Tassok River is the best escape route. As I previously surveyed, heading northwest from here for about two kilometers leads to the "Lever Church," dedicated to the Gods of Steam and Machinery. Caine quickly recalled the surrounding situation. He dismounted from the carriage, casually adjusting his clothes, holding his cane, and followed Sharon and Marijic deeper into the dock being renovated. After about five to six minutes, they arrived at an open space enclosed by several warehouses. The soil here was dark brown, with withered grasses lying scattered throughout; in a quiet, dim corner stood a wooden crate. "That's the explosive you wanted," Marijic pointed out. Caine nodded. "Won't someone from the wandering population steal it?" "My undead sleep beneath these grounds," Marijic replied. "As soon as anyone enters, they'll startle and drive them away." "Mariani pointed to several more locations," You'll need to avoid them when you're planting the bombs." "Understood," Klein smiled and nodded, then asked, "Right now, as I use my purification and exorcism abilities, will that harm your little creatures?" "No," Mariani replied confidently, "They remain in a dormant state, equivalent to corpses, and are well protected by the thick layer of soil." After a brief glance around, Sharon hesitated and spoke more cautiously: "You take care of your preparations here while we go and draw the enemy out." "This won't take more than thirty minutes—please keep that in mind." "When you're ready, randomly retreat to one of the warehouses, and don't rush to act—be patient." "Regardless of how intense the situation becomes, treat it as normal." "Once I begin to weaken and the 'Deep Crimson Coronet' appears, then use your 'eye' to locate Steve and launch a sudden assault on him. At that moment, I will activate my magical items in coordination with you." "Klein listened carefully and chuckled softly, saying, 'It's a simple plan.' 'The simpler the plan, the more effective it is,' Sharon replied calmly. Marić pinched his forehead and shook his head, saying, 'Steve isn't an idiot—once a complex plan encounters even a minor issue, it collapses entirely.' After the exchange, Sharon vanished instantly, and Marić hurried off toward the dock. Watching them go, Klein pulled out a small square iron box from his pocket. A thin, ethereal film adhered tightly to the surface—this was the 'Ethereal Prison,' evolved from the 'Wall of Spirit.' It could partially shield certain magical items from external influences, but it could not alleviate the negative effects imposed upon the bearer. Of course, it was no match for particularly powerful or exceptionally strange seals—those required a specially tailored, dedicated sealing environment." Four warehouses, overgrown with weeds, the ground slightly muddy from previous rains... Caine pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it casually. *Plink!* The paper snapped taut, becoming as rigid as a sheet of iron. Holding the paper firmly, Caine quickly dug a shallow pit in the center of the open space and buried the square iron box beneath it, leaving only a thin layer of soil between it and the outside world. Then, he retrieved several charges of explosives from the wooden chest, placing them in different corners and across various warehouses. The last few charges, he buried all near the central area. After completing this, he pulled out his revolver and adjusted the mix of bullets—three for "Purification," two for "Exorcism." He slipped the revolver into his armpit holster, straightened his clothes, and walked to the narrow space between the two warehouses, where he placed a paper figure atop the recently buried explosives. He surveyed the surroundings once more, then produced another square iron box, released the "spiritual prison" encasing it, and carefully extracted the sunbird-shaped, dark-gold brooch, placing it with solemnity at the left breast. Huff... Caine exhaled, stepped out, walked around briefly, discarded a few inconspicuous items, and then burned the used paper slip with a flame. Upon returning, he climbed to the rooftop of a warehouse and took shelter in the shade. After carefully counting and verifying the various sigils, distilled essences, and herb powders, Caine touched the iron cigarette box and snapped his fingers once. The paper figures he had previously placed in the space between the two warehouses instantly rose, transforming into a gentleman dressed in a black double-breasted suit, wearing a half-high silk hat and holding a solid-handled cane. This gentleman stood in a secluded and inconspicuous spot, difficult to notice from the outside. With his presence now in place, Caine’s own form vanished completely. Yet his vision remained unimpeded, clearly seeing the path leading to the open space. Even having prepared thoroughly and having endured numerous battles, Klein still felt a touch of fear and nervousness at this very moment. No matter how well-rehearsed the performance, it might still be exposed! Moreover, the opponent was a Sequence 5 powerhouse wielding a magical artifact—along with another Sequence 6 and a Sequence 7! "This must be the state every magician experiences before stepping onto the stage," Klein breathed silently, calming both his inner emotions and the rising heat in his body. All night, the crimson moon had been veiled by clouds, and the open space had only a faint glow. Not long after, Klein spotted three figures approaching at an astonishing speed—one in front, one in the middle, and one in the rear.