Filth flows through the channels, and the sewers are dark with no light. A normal person walking here must carry a lantern to see clearly. Yet for Kline, in his ethereal state, this is no obstacle—everything around him is already visible to his "eyes." Thus, when the "Apostle of Desire" discovers him, he too has already perceived the "Apostle of Desire." Without speaking, without hesitation, he simply opens his mouth and emits a silent, piercing cry—a direct assault on the soul! The body of the "Apostle of Desire," just about to move, suddenly halts as if struck by a heavy blow. Blackness spills from his form like snow shedding off deep, accumulated longing. In this instant, the already wounded "Apostle of Desire" nearly collapses into unconsciousness. Without a solid physical body to support him, he now trembles like a candle in a strong wind, wavering and ready to go out at any moment. His shadow suddenly dispersed, flowing outward like a dark liquid in all directions, making it impossible to tell which path to pursue. At that moment, a shadow surged forth from the darkness behind Caine and lunged forward! Those once-thick black liquids were merely props used by the "Apostle of Desire" to distract attention and facilitate a surprise attack. Caine seemed completely unprepared, allowing the shadow to land squarely upon him. Yet, the "Apostle of Desire" suddenly shivered—as if encountering the coldest, most rigid substance imaginable. The shadow slowed dramatically, as though frozen and stiffened. He knew that spectral shadows often carried a natural effect of freezing, but he hadn't expected this being, crowned in darkness, to affect him in such a way. This was a complete suppression of his very essence. Klein had anticipated this outcome. He half-turned his body and placed his right hand upon the rigid shadow's head. The dark golden "Solar Breastpin," concealed beneath the black armor, momentarily flashed with light. The "Apostle of Desire" sensed the threat and felt the approach of the end, striving to resist—but for a brief moment, he was powerless. A clear, sacred radiance materialized suddenly, falling upon the shadow's head and enveloping his form. The surroundings were instantly illuminated. The black shadow struggled fiercely, yet continued to evaporate—within the span of a single blink, he had grown remarkably thin, his very essence now filled with the brilliant light of the sun and the frantic, desperate cries of defiance. Klein did not grant him a moment to recover. He summoned a second pure and bright divine light. For two seconds, the sensation of daylight persisted. Then, the "Apostle of Desire" collapsed upon the ground, life fading from him. His body remained in the shadow state, thin and almost weightless. This Sequence 5 powerhouse, who had just assassinated a duke, died without even being able to leave a final message. At the same time, Kline observed the fading spiritual essence of his opponent, visibly shaken and beginning to dissipate. The extraordinary trait still needed a moment to manifest—should he emulate Miss Shalun, embody the shadow to accelerate the process? But I don’t possess that technique... Kline pondered what to do next. Suddenly, he felt the ground tremble slightly. Guided by his intuitive spiritual sense, he turned toward the area where he had previously passed. A tall, heavy silver armor surged forward, its left shoulder slanted downward, streaked with large patches of solidified blood. The seal "1–42"... Kline's heart tightened. Without hesitation, he enveloped the spiritual essence of the "Daimon of Desire," concluding the summoning. His original intention had been, even if he hadn't managed to defeat the "Daimon of Desire," to immediately "return" as soon as an official extraordinary being arrived, delegating the subsequent matters to them. The red-gloved figure clad in blood-stained silver armor, upon seeing a silhouette wearing a black crown and a cloak of the same hue, found the figure vanish silently—leaving no trace at all. He narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the spot where the figure had stood, and there, he located the lifeless "Daimon of Desire." "Eliminate the trail, destroy the evidence?" he murmured softly. Then, one after another, the red-gloved figures arrived from behind. ………… Upon returning to the realm of mist, Caine did not immediately summon his spirit. Instead, he stepped directly into the physical body of the real world. He skillfully gathered and arranged the candles and other ritual items, swiftly erasing the final traces. After completing all this, he created a duplicate of himself, reversed his steps four times, and arrived at the ancient palace within the realm of mist. Here, he could directly communicate with the lingering spirits as a true "medium," no longer needing to pray or rely on any ritual assistance—something he had already verified during his time with the "medium master" Rosagho. Considering that the spirit of the "Apostle of Desire" Belia had undergone purification and might vanish at any moment, Caine decided to first seek out more crucial information. As for the potion formula along the "Demon" path, he intended to address it last—after all, even if he obtained it, he had no intention of selling it, lest he cultivate several cold-blooded serial killers. Gazing at the "Apostle of Desire," whose brown hair and brown eyes now held a vacant expression, Caine extended his spiritual presence and asked, "What exactly are you after?" The "Apostle of Desire"’s connection to the outside world had been entirely severed by the gray mist, leaving him to respond vaguely: "Assassination of Duke Nigen." Duke Nigen... again him? Who had such a desire for his death? Caine asked, slightly astonished, "Did it succeed?" "Success," the "Apostle of Desire" replied calmly, saying nothing further. In this state, he only answered what was asked. How pitiful for Duke Nigan, even the Lord of the Storm could not shield you... Kline drew a crimson moon on his chest. He didn't attempt to grasp the details, but simply asked, "Who sent you?" Was it the organization that originally commissioned the "General of the Hurricane," Zilings? Kline recalled the previous assassination attempts. "An organization," the "Apostle of Desire" said, his tone unflinching, "the most secret and ancient one. Most extraordinary beings are unaware of its existence. Its members are said to include prominent figures across various fields—perhaps even high-ranking officials within various churches and national military establishments." That sounds familiar... Could it be the secret organization that Emperor Rosel joined, the one that holds the second 'Board of Desecration'? Klein was struck: "What reward did they offer you that made you willing to give up your identity, which you've nurtured for over a decade?" The "Emissary of Desire" replied, his voice slightly altered: "A card of亵渎—the 'Deepening' card!" The card of亵渎? One of the twenty-two cards of亵渎 crafted by Roscel—specifically, the 'Deepening' card! This likely corresponds to the "Demon" path. That's why the "Emissary of Desire" is ready to sacrifice everything he's accumulated over the past dozen years—his very hope of becoming a high-tier powerhouse! This reward is far more valuable than the mission itself! Yet, Zilingsh, the "Storm-Bringer," should not be attracted by such compensation—unless, unless that organization still holds another card of profanation he needs, or something else… If it truly is the enigmatic group that Rosel joined, gathering a few cards of profanation would be quite normal… Even if they didn’t, they still possess the "Tablet of Profanation." "If the current trends don't unfold as they had anticipated, they will do everything to reverse the direction. Otherwise, they will simply watch quietly, remain indifferent, and may not take a single action or commission for decades, even centuries..." A truly secret organization... embodying the characteristics of subtle world influence as described by Rosel... and now connected to the original Creator... Seeing the spiritual form of the "Apostles of Desire" about to fade, Caine quickly asked: "What is the organization's name? How can we contact them?" The "Apostles of Desire" gazed steadily ahead, emotionless, and his form rapidly dissolved. As he vanished completely, he answered Caine's question: "Their name is: 'The Order of the Twilight Hermits.'" ... Inside the house featuring a glass greenhouse. The secretary, slender in build, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and white gloves, sat with a沉沉 expression, his demeanor filled with deep sorrow. "What is your name? What sequence? Which extraordinary path do you belong to?" the cleric Ekonser asked seriously. The golden-haired secretary responded slowly in a deep voice: "Lockhard Siakeem, sequence five. As for which extraordinary path I belong to, you may request to view my file at MI9." "Very well," Ekonser said, turning to ask, "Does the duke come at a fixed time every week?" "No," Lockhard Siakeem replied earnestly. "He's not someone who follows a schedule. Since the assassination by Zilings, he's even more so. Until today, no one knew he would come at all—only this morning, in the hall of parliament, did I hear about it." Ekonser paused and then asked, "If there is a spy among you, whom would you suspect? Do you have any particular person in mind?" Lockhard thought for a few seconds and shook his head. Ekonser then asked for further details about the battle, gaining a clear understanding of the sequence of events. He noticed Lord Lockhard's pale complexion and the severity of his injuries, so he rose with courtesy to investigate the other members of the Duke's guard. After watching the steward known as the "Heart of Mechanism" depart, Lockhard took a deep breath and walked heavily toward the body of Duke Niggen. The nobleman, no longer clad in his earlier nudity, still bore an expression of profound terror on his face. After gazing at the Duke's body for several seconds, Lockhard spoke softly with sorrow: "I'm sorry." At that moment, as he faced away from everyone, a slight upward curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. In his mind, he quietly added, with remarkable composure: "This is the choice of the age..." PS: Updates will be posted early in the morning. Recently, I've been taking extra care of my neck—please bear with me for a while as I manage to keep the updates coming.