Sharon, already frail, showed a look of pain under Steve's piercing shriek, yet she managed to slowly close her hands, cutting short the radiant, magical glow emanating from them, and thus causing the mysterious, ethereal bronze gate to vanish before them. Caine sensed trouble and quickly braced against the headache, retreating one step and stepping into the fire, where his figure swiftly disappeared, reappearing in the sudden, intense flames of a violent explosion in another direction. As he emerged, seeking to mount a counterattack, he noticed that the middle-aged man in the deep crimson cloak, Steve, did not pursue him but stood still, as if waiting for something. Caine suddenly felt his heart racing, his head spinning, and his stomach tightening in spasms. Though he grew increasingly weak, he had no idea why. Even Mariqi, who had just recovered from Steve's shriek, now exhibited unusual symptoms, constantly reaching out to grasp himself, as though an uncontrollable itch was spreading over his body. He gasped heavily, his sharply growing, fingernails tearing through his clothes, leaving white streaks that deepened with each pull, until red began to seep out. Sarlen collapsed to the ground, yet could not rise; her blue eyes gradually lost focus, as if seeing nothing at all. "Toxin..." she whispered the word softly. Nearby, the "Wandering Spirit" Steve glanced at her tightly clenched hands, and though the mysterious patterns on the bronze-hued, ethereal gate—emitting an indescribable scent—seemed to unsettle him, he did not rush forward to act boldly. In his right hand he held the "Deep Crimson Crown," glowing with a cool, radiant hue like a crimson full moon. With his left hand, he drew from his pocket a small, translucent brown glass bottle. He hummed, then said: "A biological toxin vial—capable of generating various toxins at random. Once opened, they gradually spread outward." "It takes no more than a minute to take effect, after which symptoms worsen progressively. By the four-minute mark, if one hasn't escaped the environment saturated with toxins, the consequences become insurmountable—such as death." "I'm sorry, but I thought Jason would make it this far." "Sharon, you were originally unaffected—spirit forms are not afraid of poisoning. Unfortunately, there's the 'Deep Crimson Coronet' here, which prevents you from transforming at all." "Or, you could simply yield and allow me to discover your hidden charm." He introduced the magical properties of the item in a relaxed, almost leisurely manner, as though he intended to wait until Caine and the others had completely lost their resolve before acting. Yet Terel, who had been prepared in advance, failed to grasp his intent. Under the influence of the 'Deep Crimson Coronet,' the 'werewolf' lost his senses and immediately launched a counterattack, charging forward with a determined surge, his claws sweeping and tearing at Mariqi's body. Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of fingernails scraping against steel rang out continuously, and finally, several wounds visible through the flesh appeared on Marič's chest. Cain pressed his forehead, feeling it beginning to warm, though the negative effects weren't as severe as Steve, the "spirit of resentment," had described. It seemed the "sun pin" constantly purifying and expelling the surrounding malevolent energies was weakening the toxins. Suddenly, Cain chuckled. "Did you think we should wait until we're poisoned before acting?" "Why did I use smoke instead of explosives just now?" "With so many explosions already, people must have noticed. Official extraordinary beings from the vicinity are bound to arrive soon—time is running out!" Steve glanced at Cain, whose face was smeared with paint and now barely recognizable, and suddenly smiled. "I forgot there was still a small pest I could easily handle." "Relax, you'd have been dead by the time the church people arrived..." He hadn't finished speaking when Caine suddenly raised his left-hand revolver and fired a "purification bullet." Steve stepped slightly, already moving several meters across, leaving behind lingering traces of his motion. Yet the bullet didn't strike where Steve had been standing—it hit dead center on the open ground, piercing through the soil and making a clear, resonant sound. A gentle spiritual breeze swept past, and at that moment, both Mariichi's undead and Steve's spectral figures simultaneously froze. Instantly, they surged forward in a frenzy, rushing toward the center of the clearing, as if a hungry pack of dogs had finally reached mealtime. Steve, who had been preparing to use his eerie techniques to control Caine and effortlessly defeat him, first paused in astonishment, then expressed a mixture of bewilderment and wonder. This was the first time he had ever witnessed his summoned spirits suddenly losing control without any apparent cause. At the same time, Crane snapped his fingers, setting off several more bombs and causing bursts of vibrant crimson flames to leap upward from different points. His figure swiftly leapt between the flames, moving toward the open space beyond. "Trying to escape!" Steve murmured, preparing to fade into the background and pursue his target, only to find that the undead and spectral figures had unearthed a square iron box, now scrambling to seize the items inside. Soon, one of the specters succeeded, expanding its form as if gaining intelligence and flying off in a new direction. It was clear they intended to use the item to delay his advance and thus secure their escape... Hmph. He still didn't fully grasp the nature of "Sorrow Spirits" and the "Deep Crimson Coronet!" Steve temporarily abandoned his pursuit of Crane, retrieved his "biological toxin vial," and then vanished suddenly, materializing on a thin sheet of ice formed over a pool of water. With a terrifying speed that left behind lingering traces, he took two swift steps to reach the back of the massive spectral figure. A flash of cool, green light in Steve's eyes caused the shadow to vanish silently, and the object he was holding dropped suddenly to the ground. The other zombies and shadows, completely unimpressed by the superior beings' imposing presence, rushed forward to claim it one after another. Steve grew increasingly astonished and puzzled, finding that his intuitive sense could offer no guidance regarding the very item that had stirred such unrest among the living and the shadows. He stepped forward, catching the object with his left hand. It was a keyring of deep gold, with an ancient, finely crafted bronze whistle hanging from it, and beside the whistle, a simple, rustic bronze key suspended. The three items stood side by side, pressed closely together, resting gently in the paleness of Steve's palm. Meanwhile, Steve's right hand, bearing the "Deep Crimson Coronet," quietly radiated a soft, crimson glow, like a miniature full moon. Before Steve could form any other thoughts, a faint, ethereal yet profoundly strange voice pierced into his mind, tearing at his nerves and peeling away his scalp. "Ah!" Steve screamed in sudden agony, plummeting from the air directly to the ground. The "Deep Crimson Coronet" he had been holding, as well as the circular ring with the bronze whistle and key, were both thrown into the air as he fell. Struggling and twisting on the spot, his body rose in a series of bulges—some sprouting slender arms like those of infants, others gushing out foul, pale yellow liquids. At that moment, a surge of flame reignited, and the one who had seemingly escaped, Caine, stepped forward, intercepting the path of the "Deep Crimson Coronet." He did not attempt to catch the magical object but gently guided it, altering its trajectory so that it soared toward the weakened and limp Sharon. Steve's cries gradually softened, and the "Deep Crimson Coronet" landed precisely upon Sharon's body. Salen's figure instantly blurred, her once-blurred sapphire eyes instantly regaining their luster. She clenched her right hand tightly, holding in her left the palm-sized ornament encrusted with a ring of deep red rubies, and her body floated into the air. "The Deep-Red Moon Crown" grants its bearer immunity to the effects of a full moon! Salen is no longer weak! And now, in her ethereal state, she is immune to biological toxins! At this moment, the zombies and shadows once again gathered, rushing to seize the linked Azk copper horns and universal keys. Klein paid no attention, extended his left hand, raised his arm, and pointed toward them. A flash of subtle golden light passed across the sunbird pendant on his chest, and a powerful, radiant, divine glow descended from the heavens, enveloping the crowd of zombies and shadows. Under the daylight, the translucent, strange shadows swiftly melted and vanished, while the pale, foul-smelling zombies first released black smoke, then burst into flames, like candles burning steadily. When daylight faded, the place had grown nearly empty, save for the ancient, refined Azk copper whistle and the sturdy, timeless universal keychain resting quietly on the darkening rings. On the other side, Sharon paid no attention to Marić, whose condition was worsening under the assault of the werewolf Tael, but instead relied on her own peculiar ability to leap between mirror-like objects, reaching the thin sheet of ice where Steve had once stood, and stepping onto it. She extended her tightly clenched right hand toward Steve, who was transforming into a monster, then suddenly opened her palm, directing the palm squarely at the enemy! An endless surge of light erupted, swiftly weaving together into the grand bronze double doors adorned with mysterious symbols and patterns. Creak! The small, soft black hat atop Sharon’s head was suddenly blown off by the gust of wind, and her neatly combed, pale golden hair fell wildly about her. Clearly, the renewed use of that magical object had taken its toll. Creak! A mysterious bronze gate cracked open, echoing with sharp laughter, weeping cries, and shouted appeals. Arm after arm—some toothed, others skinless—reached out, grasping Steve one after another as blisters burst across his body. Strange, dark-green vines revealing infant-like faces and smooth, ethereal tentacles also wrapped around the Sequence 5 warrior. "Ah!" Steve cried out again. The pale yellow fluid seeping from the blisters covered him entirely, enabling him to resist the pulling forces. Cracks of bright red split across his face, revealing dark, tunnel-like hollows within. At that moment, Caine raised his revolver, aiming directly at him. Without hesitation or delay, Caine, having masked his features and wearing a half-high silk hat, calmly pressed the trigger. *Bang!* *Bang!* As the "Sun Breast Pin" flashed, two sacred bullets struck Steve squarely in the head. Though they couldn't penetrate skin or bone, they ignited a brilliant flame, transforming Steve into a glowing torch. "Ah!" Steve cried out again, being drawn closer to that ethereal, mysterious bronze door. While Crane flung the gun's cylinder to the ground, turning over the spent cartridges, he produced the iron box containing those extraordinary bullets. At the same time, he infused the "Sun Brooch" with renewed spiritual energy. 2! 1! A pure, radiant column of light descended from the sky, striking Steve instantly. Seizing this moment, Crane filled the cartridge slots with a precise ratio of three purification bullets to three protective bullets, then closed the cylinder. He once again aimed at Steve's head, pressing the trigger firmly with the shimmering golden brooch, delivering six sharp shots: thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!