The City of Silver. Derek Berg had no memory of how he had returned home, only a profound, indescribable fear. While Dac Regins's character and demeanor remained largely unchanged from the past, there were indeed subtle shifts that now unsettled him. Derek feared that the city was being watched by the evil god, the "God of Decay," and that before he had fully become the "Sun"—before he had rescued the city from its two-thousand-year curse and brought hope and sunlight to its people—the city would be utterly destroyed. At this very moment, he resented himself deeply for not being strong enough, still only at Sequence 8. No! He couldn't just stand by and watch! Derek suddenly rose to his feet, determined to rush to the Round Tower and inform the other elders of the Council of Six—especially the Chief, Colin Iliat—of the anomalies he had discovered. Yet Deric was very clear: such anomalies were far from unusual. Every expedition into the depths inevitably brought several days, even weeks—sometimes exceeding a month—of intense, high-stress periods, during which members could at any moment encounter either powerful or strangely eerie monsters. Moreover, the desolate, uninhabited terrain and the journey without visible hope created profound psychological pressure. Combined with the strict rule that expedition members were not allowed to experience physical intimacy during their field assignments, each journey inevitably led to a certain psychological transformation. Should the team face a crisis involving the loss of half its members, it was not uncommon for survivors to undergo significant personality changes. For such individuals, treatment followed the standard protocol of isolation and therapy—there were few exceptions. The Silver City had three sequences in its "Dragon Path," so it was never short of mental health analysts. Deric rushed to the door, then suddenly slowed his pace. He knew that seeking a report from the Council of Six would likely be ineffective, and that it might even invite suspicion—possibly even drawing the attention of Elder Lovira, the "shepherd." After hesitating for several seconds, Dariq bit his teeth and stepped out into the hall. He believed he had to remind the elders of the Council of Six, even if it meant bearing significant risks! I merely mentioned the anomalies I've observed—there should be no danger... Deric reassured himself, running faster and faster. Finally, he spotted the circular tower symbolizing the highest authority of the City of Silver. He found the extraordinary being on duty here and requested an audience with the "Chief." To Deric's surprise, the being didn't ask any questions as one would expect; after a brief communication, he simply led Deric up the spiral staircase to the room belonging to the "Chief." Strange... different from before... Deric found this subtle change only deepening his unease. Upon entering the room, he saw the "Chief," Colin Iliath, standing before one of the walls. This tall, elderly man, with deep wrinkles, weathered blue eyes, and disheveled white hair, was facing two straight swords crossed and hung on the wall. Dressed in his usual linen shirt and brown coat, it was hard to believe he was a warrior who had slain numerous demons and monsters. "Derek Berg, do you have anything you must tell me face to face?" Colin asked in a rich, steady voice. "Your Excellency," Derek bowed, "today while on the training grounds, I encountered the small team exploring the temple. I noticed an odd change in Dac Regins—someone I know well—he is no longer as cheerful as before; his smile now feels stiff and formal, like that of a stranger. Also, Elder Loviya no longer frequently shifts between her speaking tones." Colin studied Derek intently, then asked in a low tone, "Are there only these two matters?" "Yes, yes," Derek lowered his head, "I believe there may be something amiss." Colin waved a hand and said, "I understand. I'll have Eflor conduct an examination. You may now return. From now on, simply report such matters directly to the Watchers of the Round Tower." Aiflo is the most experienced and closest to Sequence 6 among the "psychological analysts" in Silver City—unfortunately, there are no magical recipes beyond Sequence 7 available here. Upon receiving this response, Deric sighed and departed in a沉郁 mood. Colin watched his back fade into the corner of the door, and then breathed out in a rather disappointed tone. Late at night, Crane tucked away *The Book of Secrets*, sighed, and went to the bathroom to freshen up before settling down for bed. That night, he slept deeply—even the precise chimes of the church bell in the morning only made him shift slightly. Winter was perfect for staying in bed… Crane murmured as he rose. To reward his heroic "Black Emperor," his breakfast included an extra poached egg with a runny yolk, and a specially purchased strawberry jam for his white bread. As he leisurely enjoyed his meal, the doorbell suddenly rang. "Didn't I tell Mike to come later for breakfast?" Crane mumbled, sipping his sweet soup and wiping his lips with a napkin. According to his agreement with journalist Mike, the man was supposed to arrive half an hour after breakfast to begin interviewing the rescued East District girls. If Mike hadn't shown up within half an hour, the schedule would be postponed by a full day. Klein walked to the door, but before he reached out, his mind naturally formed a clear image of the visitor outside. It wasn't Mike Joseph, the journalist—it was Dr. Alan Cris. "Good morning, Alan. Did you sleep well last night?" Klein noticed Alan's complexion was rather pale, so he quietly activated his spiritual vision and glanced at him. That falls within my expertise… dream interpretation is my specialty, more so than detective work. Kline leaned forward, clasped his hands. "What kind of nightmare was it?" Allen recalled. "Some details and sequences have faded from memory, but the image that remains most vivid is a towering, black spire, upon which a massive silver serpent coils, moving slowly, its cold, impassive red eyes fixed upon me. "I don't know why, but I entered the spire, ascending and descending the staircases, passing through one wall after another, through one locked door after another, until I finally found the child named Will. Aonsetin, curled up against the wall, hopping on one leg, with the tarot cards scattered around him. "When I saw him, he was both afraid and delighted, calling out, 'Dr. Allen!' That's essentially the whole dream—then I woke up. Klein listened carefully and pondered, asking, "Did Wil O'Scatten say anything else?" Alan frowned, thinking for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, "Yes—he said, 'Dr. Allen, there's a snake that wants to eat me!' Then, that great silver serpent hung down from the ceiling, its head facing me... Its mouth was large, yet it had neither teeth nor tongue—just a deep, blood-red interior!" "The silver-white giant serpent... the dark, towering spire... Wil Ansin protected within layers of defenses... Klein carefully remarked to Dr. Allen: 'This isn't an unusual dream. It's likely that, during your conversations with Wil Ansin, you unconsciously sensed that he was in a certain predicament—threatened by something—thus dreaming of such a scene: a child hidden deep within the spire, behind countless walls and gates, with the silver-white giant serpent coiled at the very summit.' 'Ah, as a detective, one naturally gains some understanding of psychology—there's often coverage of such topics in newspapers.' 'What puzzles me is why you've only begun dreaming of this scenario today.' Klein had not lied in his interpretation, merely omitting the possibly deeper reason. Allen opened his mouth, then said: 'I was too eager just now, and I forgot something.' He pulled out a leather wallet as he spoke and removed a well-crafted origami crane from inside: "After I realized the Wilton family had moved out, I remembered that when he was discharged, he had given me this crane, saying to me, 'Doctor, this will bring you good fortune.' At the time, I didn't pay much attention and simply tossed it into the drawer of my office desk. Only last night, after parting ways with you, did I retrieve it and place it in my wallet—right then, the nightmare I just had began to unfold."