"Demerdo?" Ulric Blanch replied instinctively. Then, pointing toward the spot where the moldy head had been purified, he asked urgently, "What was that just now?" To be honest, these three bodyguards had all, at one time or another, spent some period of time as adventurers. Yet their understanding of monsters remained at the level of folk legends and casual chatter among peers—now they felt a bit like they were dreaming. Nevertheless, having witnessed creatures like merfolk, they found other oddities less daunting, merely a bit less beautiful, more unusual, or more peculiar. With this perspective, their inner composure steadied, and their guns seemed to regain strength. Still, the pure, radiant light that had descended from the sky remained beyond their comprehension, as though their long-held worldview, life philosophy, and values had been shaken to their core. They could only temporarily set this aside, suppressing all such emotions deep within themselves. If there weren't for the bright glow of candlelight seeping through the windows and doorways, Caine would have thought this a house long abandoned and empty. Thud! Thud! Thud! He knocked three more times. Inside the dining room, silence persisted—everyone seemed to be observing the customary practice of not responding to knocks during foggy weather. Caine withdrew his right hand and smoothed the lapel of his double-breasted formal suit. Suddenly, he leaned back, lifted his knees, and forcefully pushed forward with his right foot. With a loud clatter, the dining room door swung wide open, and the nails securing the copper hinges burst free. Fox, the owner in a tailcoat with a round, full-faced demeanor, remained in his original spot. The ladies and gentlemen who had chosen to stay opened their doors and quietly stood on the threshold, gazing silently toward the dining room. “What do you want?” Fox didn’t scold. His tone remained as before, though now he held a revolver in his hand. With his spiritual sight now awakened, Caine turned his head and surveyed the room, finding no unusual traces among the present humans. His gaze settled on the restaurant owner, and with steady eyes, he locked onto the man's gaze, asking, "Where is the Dymond family?" Fox and the owner exchanged a quiet, strained look—deep brown eyes meeting for a few seconds before both awkwardly turned away. "There's still one table of guests upstairs," Fox replied. "They're from out of town." "Have them come down," Caine ordered coldly. Fox remained silent for several seconds, until Caine swiftly drew his gun and aimed it directly at his head. Taking a deep breath, Fox sent a waiter up to the second floor and guided the Dymond family down the stairs. "What has happened?" asked Dymond, a man in his early thirties, on vacation with his new wife. Caine lowered his gun and spoke calmly, "Something has happened in Banceshore." "Shall we return to the ship with you, or shall we stay here?" "What? What has happened?" While Dimerdo chewed on the word, he noticed Urdi Blanch nodding at him firmly from outside. He knew Urdi was a wealthy import-export merchant, accompanied by three bodyguards—so if anything were to go wrong, being with him would surely ensure greater safety. Thus, the answer was clear. As for the unique customs of Banxi Port, they were merely customs! He grasped his new wife's hand, and as they walked toward the door, politely remarked, "Everything we have is on board—of course, with you all." "Thank you," he and his new wife said in unison, passing by Crane, and joining the Blanch family outside. Crane returned his revolver, bowed politely to the owner, Fox, and said, "Excuse me." Then he turned and walked toward the others, under the light spilling out from the restaurant. The door of Qing Lemon Restaurant closed with a soft thud, swaying slightly in the wind. Klein had actually noticed some unusual, subtle shifts in the atmosphere earlier, but since the spiritual vision had yielded nothing, he chose not to probe further—lest he trigger the immense hidden danger lurking beneath Bansi Harbor. He returned to Daniz’s side and, under the glow of the lantern, checked the headcount. The Tanas family of four, three bodyguards, the Dimeros couple, and several servants—all were present. Klein exchanged the position of his revolver and walking cane, raised his right hand still gripping the gun, and reached into the double-breasted formal suit, running his fingers over the "Sun Brooch." A flash of deep gold light rippled out, spreading swiftly outward in waves, cascading through every person present. In that instant, the Tanas and others felt as though they had arrived in the south, bathed in warm sunlight, their internal chill dispelled. Their anxiety and concerns eased, as if regaining their own courage. The faint traces of blackness from the special cured meats they had enjoyed at Damaris Harbor, along with the minimal tinge of the strange, swiftly dissolved. "The Solar Halo" boosts the courage of companions within a twenty-meter radius and purifies the malevolent forces within their bodies! By channeling this spell through the brooch,克莱恩 can, under the influence of his spiritual and mental control, direct the sun's power around targets who refuse to assist. "Head for the telegraph office,"克莱恩 repeated, holding his staff in his left hand and his gun in his right, orienting himself, and stepping forward. Danyz moved along the diagonal as instructed, while Krivits, Cecil, and Tige took professional posts on the other two flanks. With a team of over fifteen, it's easy to become overwhelmed during an attack, and here, only "Flame" truly counts as a reliable ally... What now? Recalling the characteristics of the monsters they'd previously encountered,克莱恩 suddenly returned his revolver to his armpit holster and transferred his staff to his right hand. He reached into his coat pocket with his left hand, removing the spiritual barrier of the iron cigarette box and drawing out the Azk copper whistle, holding it gently in his palm, now and then tossing it into the air. He believed that the undead creatures with only one head would surely forget everyone else—within their eyes, there would remain only this ancient bronze whistle! Thus, he no longer needed to worry about being unable to rescue them. That was precisely the purpose of the MT! Klein sighed, slightly quickening his pace. At that very moment, three shriveled heads, spotted with mold, burst forth from the thin mist ahead, darting like arrows toward Klein from different directions, completely ignoring the fresh, succulent flesh around them. Three! Danyz's eyes narrowed slightly, a bit concerned that Gorman Sparrow might be overwhelmed, yet also eager to see him demonstrate his true strength. Three... Klein remained calm, gently shaking his left hand and throwing the Azk copper whistle into the air. The flying heads, trailing their esophagi, immediately arched their paths and surged toward the primary target. Klein stepped back, lifting his hand without expression to gently pinch the "Sun Breast Pin." Suddenly, golden, dense flames erupted spontaneously at the spot where the bronze whistle had been, radiating a powerful, sacred aura. "The Light Fire!" The three thin, skeletal heads cried out in sharp, piercing screams, turning into powdery fragments within the golden glow. Klein took two more steps forward and reached out to catch the Azk copper whistle. ...Could it really be like this? Another magical artifact? Danyz was momentarily stunned, finding the resolution surprisingly effortless. At this moment, Dimerdo and his wife had both clearly identified the form of the entity that had attacked the group. One grew pale with fear, while the other, visibly startled, asked, "What was that?" Tandara immediately turned and nodded seriously, saying, "We'll ask again once we return to the White Garnet." Then, she raised her finger to her lips, mimicking her uncle Sparro's gesture to signify "silence." Dimero, struck by the sacred aura radiating from the young man ahead, struggled to swallow and grasped his wife's hand tightly, remaining silent with cautious alertness. The servants, seeing this, fell into compliance. The procession moved forward along the narrow streets illuminated only by a thin moonlight, the windows of the houses on either side dark and indistinct, their interiors lost in shadow. Tonda often felt as though a dozen eyes were following them, yet no one dared to appear due to some unspoken reason. They must all be afraid of Uncle Spalro! She tightened her hold on her brother and walked within the protective circle of her parents. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the side street entrance, draped in a black cloak, leaning forward so that the neck, still gushing with blood, was revealed—yet the neck itself was bare, the inner lining of the cloak catching the moonlight. Ho! The figure without a head emitted a low, wild cry, and charged straight toward Cline, its footsteps causing the street surface to tremble slightly. The spot it passed through precisely met with Daniz, the renowned pirate, who muttered under his breath and, with a sweeping arm motion, hurled a compacted orb of vivid orange flame from his palm. Boom! The flame erupted, sending the headless figure staggering back several steps. His garments were tattered, his skin rapidly blackening, and his cloak caught fire. Yet for the already lifeless creature, this was no serious wound. At that very instant, with a crisp snap, the crimson flames on the black cloak surged upward, blossoming brilliantly. From within the blaze, Caine leaped out, using the momentum of his fall and his own strength to drive his staff directly into the neck of the headless figure. Plunk! The staff entered the body and emerged from its crotch. Thud! Caine's back muscles contracted powerfully, and he pushed the lifeless monster flat to the ground. Seizing this opportunity, he stood behind his opponent, holding firmly onto his staff, and poured his spiritual energy into the "Solar Brooch." Having already assessed the situation with his spiritual sight, he judged that neither the "Summoning of Sacred Light," the "Purification Slash," nor the "Light Fire" could effectively defeat this dense, dark-green creature in the near term—thus, he needed to try a different approach. Five seconds, four seconds, three seconds—the headless figure struggled desperately, yet like a snake, it was firmly pinned to the ground by the staff. Two seconds, one second! Klein spoke in a low tone, uttering an ancient Hermes word: "Sun!" Faint glimmers appeared, forming droplets that fell downward, landing upon the headless figure. Crackling! Dark-green gas bubbled forth as Klein released the staff and stepped two paces aside. Within the sparse "rain," the headless figure convulsed continuously, then gradually settled, dissolving into a pool of blood. No extraordinary traits... this indicates they are not genuine enemies, at best mere constructs—created "servants." Caine withdrew his staff and turned toward the group. "That's awesome!" Danton finally offered his admiration. Tondra's eyes shone with brilliance as well. Still relying on the power of magical artifacts... yet the fiery flash revealed his true strength—truly formidable. "Flame" Daniz drew back his gaze, feeling deeply satisfied with his decision not to flee blindly. Fifteen to twenty minutes later, the group cleared two more waves of monsters and arrived at the Bansi Port Telegraph Office. Krivis stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Who is it?" a calm female voice answered from within. "We're looking for Mr. Elran, the captain of the *White Garnet*," Krivis replied through the door. In the quiet night, the voice responded slowly and evenly: "He and his first mate have gone to the church across the street." "The people here speak a bit oddly, or is it only on nights like this? Kline tossed a coin to confirm the other wasn't lying. As they were preparing to leave, the woman's voice from the telegraph office hesitated: 'Could you perhaps, help me keep an eye out for someone? He's mine—my colleague—who went out before the wind picked up tonight and hasn't returned since. His name is Pavlo Kort.'