Dak? In Derek's mind, a clear image of the boy emerged: medium height, slightly stocky, strong in strength, an optimistic, cheerful youth with a bright smile—someone he shared both general education courses and patrol team duties with. But since returning from their exploration of the temple, half-destroyed by the Fallen Creator, Dak had grown more serious, offering only polite smiles to everyone. As Derek recalled the changes in Dak Riggins, a chill ran through him, spreading across his body. How had he suddenly come to see him? Just released from isolation, wasn't he supposed to go home? A wave of questions surged in Derek's mind instantly. Suddenly, a possibility struck him: "Could it be that Elder Loviya learned of my suspicions regarding their transformation, and thus sent Dak to resolve this matter?" Derek was first startled, filled with fear, but then realized that this might not be such a bad thing after all. The Hanged Man had said, "If there isn't a suitable audience to witness you, then you might as well make use of the extraordinary beings who monitor you." And now, there stood the Monitor right in that corner—should Derek suddenly attack me, he would surely reveal their flaws! Thus, even without relying on the "World" gentleman's object, the situation could proceed smoothly. Exhaling, Derek turned his gaze toward the window. At this moment, the frequency of lightning had dropped to a minimum—only one or two flashes every few minutes, illuminating the sky and half the heavens. Most of the time, the entire world, and indeed most of the Silver City, remained deep in darkness. If it were just him at home, Derek would never reach for the candles; instead, he'd simply lie in bed, quietly thinking about all sorts of things. Of course, he knew it was actually rather risky—without a bit of light to dispel the darkness, even within the city of Silver, monsters might suddenly appear at any moment. Yet Dariq himself was a "light-worshipper," naturally endowed with a certain luminous quality, so he didn't need to worry too much about such occurrences. Thud-thud-thud! Dac knocked on the door three times, as if urging the host. He hadn't been like this before—he had always been so polite... Dariq suddenly felt a deep sense of sorrow. He took a candle from the wooden box, placed it at the center of the table, then rubbed his fingers together, producing a golden flame. The flame lit the candle, filling the room with a warm, soft glow and a subtle, slightly sharp aroma. —The candles of Silver City were primarily made from the oils extracted from monsters' bodies, and thus carried different scents depending on their sources. Taking a deep breath, Dariq approached the door with strong caution and opened it. "Why are you so slow?" Dak smiled and asked, "Any candles?" Derek replied, not daring to leave his back open, but instead walking side by side with his classmate and teammate, together returning to their tables and taking their seats. "Freshly dried Dume fruits—would you like some?" Dak reached into his waistband and produced a small cloth bag, smiling as he asked. Dume fruits were one of the rarer snacks in Silver City, harvested from a plant known as "Dume Blood Vine." This creature didn't require sunlight and grew by absorbing nutrients from decaying bodies, exhibiting a certain aggressive nature and being a common, relatively weak monster. Each Dume Blood Vine bore numerous black fruits the size of a thumb, which could be eaten directly—crisp and aromatic—but they couldn't satisfy human hunger or provide essential nourishment, serving only as a daily treat. A single patrol's merit points could be exchanged for several large bags of them. "No, thank you," Derek shook his head cautiously. "Alright." Dak poured out a heap of black fruits from his small satchel, picked one up, and bit into it with a crisp snap. Darien thought for a moment and then asked, "Have you encountered any monsters in the underground section of that temple?" Dak paused mid-chew, smiled, and replied, "There were quite a few, but none particularly formidable—they were easily defeated by us. The area has been devastated for a long time, so the more powerful monsters must have already left." He paused briefly, then added with a gentle smile, "We discovered some unusual plants at the very bottom of the temple. They resemble the mushrooms described in the general education courses—vividly colored and so appealing that they instantly spark a desire to eat. Once confirmed, they are edible and offer both spiritual enhancement and physical strength. When paired with roasted monsters, they release an aroma utterly beyond imagination." As he spoke, he pulled out from another small cloth sack a mushroom-shaped object about the size of a palm. Its stem was as pure and white as jade, and its cap was fresh and translucent, adorned with small spots of deep golden hue. Simply seeing this plant, Dric could hardly refrain from swallowing a lump of saliva—seeming as though he had gone several days without eating. Under the soft glow of the candlelight, the beautiful mushroom constantly shimmered with an inviting radiance, stimulating the appetite so powerfully that it was hard to resist. "Here you go," Dac warmly smiled. "Yes, yes..." Dric almost reached for it immediately, lifting the mushroom-shaped object to his mouth, but ultimately held back, managing to open his mouth only with difficulty, and said, "I'll try it tomorrow." Dac said nothing further, gently placing the mushroom before Dric, while he continued to bite into the Dhum fruit with satisfying crunch. Dric struggled greatly to shift his gaze away from the mushroom, and with difficulty asked, "Any discoveries from this exploration?" "Yes!" Dac stopped eating his snack, holding a black Dume fruit in his hand and responding seriously. "We've discovered numerous continuous murals. Do you remember the statue inside the temple?" "Uh-huh," Deric glanced at the "mushroom," nodded. "A massive cross with a naked man hanging upside down from it, and the surface deliberately stained with blood." Dac rotated the Dume fruit in his hand. "The newly discovered murals tell us that the temple's builders believed this statue represented the Creator—the all-knowing, all-powerful God. They believed that the God had not abandoned this land, but during the great catastrophe, had carried the weight of our sins, bearing the majority of them. As a result, the statue transitioned from upright to inverted, from free movement to being nailed to the cross, and began to bleed on our behalf." "The grace of God is like an ocean—we are not the abandoned, but rather the beloved, cherished ones. Without our Lord bearing our sins and shedding His blood, the city of Silver would have perished long ago, and humanity would have vanished entirely!" Yet, outside, in the kingdom of Luon, where the Sir of the Inverted Man and the Lady of Justice reside, there is no curse, no extreme darkness, no monstrous beings dwelling in the depths—there is no such suffering. We are not the favored. In his heart, Dariq quietly countered this. "If that is true, then all we need to do is modify certain symbols and titles used in our rituals, and we can reestablish communion with the Lord." Dac spoke with enthusiasm, describing the frescoes at the base of the temple and sharing his speculations. Yet Dariq found himself increasingly drawn to that 'mushroom'—unable to resist it. No, not this one! If they ate it, they might just be completely contaminated by the "Fallen Creator," becoming fervent devotees—problems would go unnoticed even with monitors present. Deric felt a wave of apprehension, convinced he had to do something to free himself from the current predicament. Should he drive away Dac and return the "mushroom" to him? Yet that would mean giving up the opportunity... the opportunity... Deric's gaze instinctively fell upon the steady, golden flame of the candle burning quietly. "I'll get you a glass of water," he swiftly ran through the plan he had discussed with the "Hanged Man" gentleman, standing up with steady resolve. Dac nodded in response, and with a crisp snap, he swallowed the black Dume fruit in his hand, the sound clear and resonant. As Derek poured the water, he deliberately slowed his movements, lowered his head, and recited the noble name of the "Knight of Fools." At the close of his words, he added: "Your faithful servant begs your gaze;" "that you accept his offering;" "and that you open the gates of the realm." Hark! A sudden, powerful gust of wind swept through the room, its natural force visibly stirred and amplified by the incantation. At that moment, Dac, who had just picked up a black Dume fruit, abruptly raised his head and turned to face Derek, now standing beside him: "What has happened?" Derek said nothing. With one hand pressed firmly against the "Floodaxe," and the other reaching into his inner satchel, he removed the ethereal veil encasing the outer layer of the iron chest. The faint murmurs and the sense of decay and corruption began to fade and dissipate. Derek's gaze remained sharply alert upon Dac, whose expression suddenly darkened—threads of crimson now shimmered within his once-blue eyes. Yet the Dum fruit in his hands strangely shed its deep black exterior, taking on a slightly pale flesh tone. It wasn't Dum fruit anymore—it was a human finger, blood-streaked, a human finger! The pile of Dum fruit on the table consisted of human fingers, one after another! The vibrant "mushrooms" had transformed as well, no longer so beautiful, no longer radiating the lustrous appeal that stimulated appetite; they now resembled a layer of blood-stained scalp, crowned with short black hair! Dacre stared at Dric, opened his mouth, and spoke in a cold, wavering voice: "What are you doing…?" ………… Beckland, 15 Minsk Street. Already tucked into bed, immersed in the warmth of his world, Kline heard the faint, pleading sound seemingly emanating from the small "sun," and immediately rose, constructing a spiritual wall, then reversed his steps four times, stepping into the gray mist. Seated in the position of the " Fool," he did not immediately examine the "Little Sun's" request, but instead arranged the "Emperor" card, the cut-out figures, and other items neatly upon the bronze long table before him. According to the vision of the "Hangings," the scenes in which the explorers undergo transformation would be incorporated into the sacrificial rite—thus, once the proceedings concluded, the item borrowed from "World" could simply vanish from the scene, leaving no trace, and all issues could then be attributed to Amun! At that moment, the "Fool," Mr. Caine, had readily agreed to the "Little Sun's" request for a simplified rite, focusing only on essential steps. Now, he waited for the earlier phases of the rite to be completed before responding.