Pavlo Kort... The woman behind the telegraph office didn't get a direct response from him. He turned to look at Germain Sparo, waiting for him to make a decision. In the eyes of this former adventurer, it was already a considerable challenge for a group of more than a dozen people to safely and smoothly return to the "White Agate." It would be unreasonable—indeed, impossible—to now divert attention to help locate individuals. Yet he was well aware that the current strength of the group rested entirely with Germain Sparo and the "Flame" Daniz, who alone held the power to agree or disagree. Between understanding the situation and mitigating risks, he had to walk a tightrope—neither too much nor too little, neither leaning left nor right, neither tilting nor deviating. It might have been easy or it might have been difficult, because no one knew what changes would unfold the moment they took a single step; judgment had to be made based solely on experience and intuition, with the constant risk of falling into a pit. This kept Caine's spirit highly tensed and his thoughts more agile than ever before. Amid the dense darkness and thin fog, the main gate of the telegraph office remained firmly closed. Inside, the woman paused and said: "He was a very handsome man. He had two eyes, two ears, one nose, and one mouth." How unsettlingly plain that response was... Wasn't she perhaps also experiencing some kind of issue? According to the customs of Banxi Port, she simply shouldn't have spoken at all! Danius of the "Fierce Flame" felt a strong impulse to kick open the door and rush inside to inspect the condition within. At that moment, he saw Germán Spalro raise his hand to adjust his hat, then turn and walk toward the side. "Storm Church," Klein said briefly, stating their destination. He paid no attention to the woman's concerns in the telegraph office, just as he had never paused to investigate the secrets hidden between the owner of the Qing Lemon Restaurant and her guests. The wind grew lighter, the mist remained thin and unchanged; the candlelight from the narrow windows high above the church seemed to glow faintly, like a lighthouse in the midst of a storm. After Klein used the "Sun Halo" once more, the others regained their courage, as if stranded swimmers desperately grasping at the last straw, walking quietly and hurriedly along the streets with no other pedestrians. Soon, they reached the outer entrance of the Storm Church, only to find both doors firmly shut, with no visible gaps. He glanced at the Storm Saint emblem on the doors and then raised his hand, knocking three times. Thud! Thud! Thud! Immediately, a slightly cautious male voice came from within: "Who?" "Germán Sparo," Klein answered directly. He had already recognized the voice as Captain Elran's. "Why have you come here?" Captain Elran didn't open the door and repeated the question. Klein, holding his cane, spoke calmly: "You paid my compensation to the 'White Shark.' " Aerlan first stepped aside to let Danna and the others enter, then pointed toward the chapel. "The priest Jes that I know died inside—his head separated from his body. Bishop Miller is missing, as are several other priests. Additionally, the servants within the church have all vanished." One priest dead, one bishop missing? The entire church has lost all its living members? That's a serious matter indeed... Kline clutched the cold Azk copper whistle, his resolve growing more solid. Of course, he was well aware that priests and bishops were not the core of the Storm Church's response to the extraordinary events in Banxi Port. Deep beneath the church, there must be a small team of 6 to 8 extraordinary individuals—the 'Substitute Sentinels'—along with an undetermined number of sealed entities. Even high-ranking extraordinary beings might not be able to swiftly and quietly neutralize this force in the short term. As long as they are alive and can still utilize the seals, the situation won't deteriorate too severely... So, what exactly is the "Substitute Punishers" team doing at this moment? Based on the experience of the previous night watch and following the standard operational procedures, Caine made his deductions. During this process, he accompanied Elan to the Great Chapel to examine the body of the deceased priest. Jes had a gruesome death—his head seemed to have been severed while he was still alive, unlike the external monsters whose bodies were more disintegrated. His esophagus and head were completely separated. In Caine's spiritual vision, the priest had no residual spirit left; even attempting to communicate with him would have been extremely difficult. Was it due to the unique nature of the killing method, or had specific measures been taken? Unlike the external monsters, perhaps it was because the action had been executed too hastily? Caine completed his earlier conjectures by integrating the on-site observations. He believed there were two possibilities. In the first, some living seal—either a native entity or a mid-tier extraordinary being—had lost control beneath the ground, escaped into the church, fled outward, and in the process eliminated Jés, triggering the anomalies in Benshí Port. The bishop, priests, and the "Penitents" were now urgently searching and pursuing it, striving to restore the seal and eradicate it, while the servants had been relocated to a certain underground area and protected by the remaining "Penitents." Yet this could not explain the strange behaviors of the residents of Benshí Port. In the second possibility, the original rites dedicated to the "God of Weather" had revived among certain segments of the population. The phenomenon of flying heads and headless monsters aligned with the ritual description of sharing flesh and burying heads in the altar. For some yet unknown reason, these people launched a surprise attack on the church, killing the priest Jés. The rest of the residents, though to varying degrees aware of what had transpired, had all chosen silence. They might have already penetrated deep underground, fighting fiercely alongside the seal's aid—those penitents, priests, and bishops—and turned all their servants into monsters, or perhaps they've been pushed back, now being pursued by the storm church's extraordinary ones as they flee, while the servants make their way underground to seek protection against unforeseen threats. Given that Jace's body wasn't utilized, it's most likely the latter scenario. Visiting the underground at this moment to check on the situation would certainly draw an attack—after all, they're strangers to the storm church's extraordinary ones. And the forces remaining behind may not be sufficient. Kline gazed at the priest lying on the ground, noticing his extraordinary trait had condensed into a blue gem-like formation at his neck. He then turned away, leaving the priest undisturbed, unwilling to risk a minor gain triggering the storm church's irritable elders' furious retaliation. Instead, he addressed Elan and First Mate Harris, "Return to the ship." He casually tossed a few coins aside, ensuring no battle was underway underground. And regardless of what happened, whether or not there were "substitutes" remaining, the ground area of the church was no longer suitable for prolonged stay, since Caine couldn't be certain that his conjecture was absolutely correct—only the safest course of action remained. "Good!" Ailran, too, was unwilling to stay put, nervously awaiting the unfolding of events. As long as they returned to the *White Garnet*, he would have numerous cannons and many sailors capable of withstanding a certain degree of unforeseen adversity. After a brief rest, the group departed from the storm church. With Ailran and Harris joining them, the defensive perimeter around the group had become noticeably more secure, and Caine no longer needed to wave his copper whistle to draw the monsters' attention—instead, he placed it back into his coat pocket. "Shall we send a telegram to the headquarters of the Storm Church to report on the situation at Bansi Harbor?" Ailran cautiously suggested after walking a few steps. In that way, even in the event of a major development, as long as they persisted, they would surely be saved. Klein didn't object. He walked steadily through the mist, speaking calmly: "We'll pass by the telegraph office." A deep breath. "Danzis first relaxed, only to have his heart race again. He feared that the Storm Church would send investigators to examine the entire matter and discover that a well-known pirate had played a significant role—especially if, at that time, he was still stranded aboard the *White Garnet*. Though I saved lives, the *Avenger* is not particularly friendly toward those who aren't of their own kind, especially since I'm a pirate myself... Danzis felt uncertain and decided to first weather the immediate danger. As they walked on, approaching the telegraph office, a warm glow suddenly emerged on the side street, drawing closer from within the mist. It was a middle-aged man carrying a lantern. He wore a deep blue bishop's robe embroidered with storm symbols, his head bowed, pale-faced, breathing rapidly, and his steps unsteady. Ailran paused and exclaimed, "Bishop Miller?" The middle-aged man lifted his head, raising the lantern high. "Are you, Ailran?" At this moment, Cline stepped back slightly, drawing attention to Ailran's position and ensuring the Bishop did not notice him. Danyz hunched his shoulders, using Urdi's broad frame to shield himself. "Yes, Bishop, I saw Jés dead. What exactly happened?" Ailran was no novice—he did not immediately advance. Bishop Miller cleared his throat. "The old customs are returning. A group of邪教徒 with impure blood has begun sacrificing living people and sharing their flesh. Jés uncovered their activities and was killed before he could act. The situation can no longer be concealed. They use the sacrifices to alter the weather, aiming to attack the church, but were defeated by the designated penitents and have now fled to the mountains, to the caves where the altars stand. "I was wounded in the battle and couldn't keep going—I had to return slowly." As soon as he finished speaking, a bright flash erupted suddenly in the distant mist, as though countless lightning bolts were entangled and striking down. With this light, Caine and the others saw the mountain range along the shore, previously hidden by the mist, and spotted the peak connecting the storm scene. This in part confirmed the Bishop Miller's statement. While Elran was about to go forward to assist the Storm Bishop, he noticed Germán Sparo pulling out a gold coin and whispering, "He holds ill will." *Tink!* The coin rose into the air, then curved downward and landed in Caine's palm, with the head side up—this was a clear affirmation! Bishop Miller watched the scene intently, and a deep red glow suddenly surged within his hazel eyes.