Bekland, Joewood district. As the deep red glow faded, Folsen once again saw the familiar desk and the open notebook filled with her recorded inspirations. Though this experience no longer felt novel, it still stirred within her a profound sense of awe—this was a power beyond human reach, even for half-gods! "The spirit-eater's stomach pouch will be ready in two days, and my apprentice's potion has now been fully absorbed. Finally, I'm ready to become a Master of Illusions. I wonder what extraordinary ability I'll gain. With my promotion achieved through my own efforts, my teacher will surely place greater value on me. Beyond the potion recipes, I'm certain to receive some additional exceptional materials as well. I'm eager—though I still don't know the exact names of the Sequence 6 and Sequence 5, only that Sequence 7 is associated with the Astrologer. As soon as I become a Master of Illusions, I'll immediately write to my teacher." Folsen felt one step closer to breaking free from the full-moon curse. At that moment, she heard a hurried footfall approaching, growing fainter until it faded into the "clunk" of the front door. "She's off again, truly busy," thought Fotheringhame silently. "If it weren't for her need to repay the Duke of Glayntrath's 400 pounds, we would have been enjoying our holiday at Dacey's Bay." After a long period of effort, thanks to her growing strength, tasks that once seemed impossible now became manageable. Combined with occasional, well-paid assignments from the Man in the Golden Mask, Thew had steadily increased her savings from 110 pounds to 320 pounds, just 80 pounds short of clearing her debt. In fact, I could lend her these 80 pounds right now—though, despite her short stature, she has a strong sense of self-respect. Fotheringhame gathered her thoughts, turning her attention to the tasks entrusted to the gentleman from the world. As a doctor and a writer, she knew little about radio, or indeed about the entire mechanical field, and rarely paid attention to such matters in the newspapers—she had no idea where to go to buy the receiver her correspondent wanted. "Department stores? Seems like they don't carry them... Ah, yes, Avril writes science fiction—she should know something about it." Fores thought quickly and found her point of contact. Yet she immediately faced a new dilemma: should she go visit him in person, or write a letter? Glancing at the plush, thick throw rugs on the armchairs, inhaling the aroma of coffee and tobacco filling the room, and feeling the slow, steady warmth seeping through, Fores' determination to go out gradually dissolved. "I don't know him well. I shouldn't just show up unannounced." She murmured, settled down, and unfolded the sheet of paper. ........ Berg House, Silver City. Derek opened his eyes, emerging from the pretense of sleep. According to his original plan, it was now time to hold the ritual offering and present the stomachs of the food spirits. But the words of "The Hanged Man" reminded him to be a bit more cautious and observe further. Hmm... First, let's gather all the materials requested by "The Hanged Man" and complete the offering in one go. Drici paused for a few seconds, fastened his "Fury of the Wind" axe, and headed straight for the spire. He first checked the inventory of available items at the honor exchange point, not rushing to finalize any transactions, but instead intending to visit the underground market later, once the sky's lightning had diminished. Drici ascended to the third floor and headed straight for the library's section on myths and ancient texts, eager to discover new, valuable knowledge. Suddenly, he spotted a sturdy, yellowed book: "The Hand-Copied Collection of the Book of Black Rock from the Court of the Giants" A record passed directly from the Court of the Giants? I wonder if there's anything related to the "King of Angels"... Darien reached out and pulled the book free, noticing it was bound together with brown sheets of monster skin. At this moment, in the upper part of the library, Colin Iliad stood quietly, dressed in a linen shirt and a brown coat, gazing downward. His slightly untidy white hair was gently stirred by the wind coming through the window, and his pale blue eyes were deep and contemplative. ………… January 12, Wednesday, 5:40 p.m. The sky was overcast, the clouds rolling in like waves of deep blue, rising and falling. The "White Garnet" rose and dipped in this scene of approaching storm, as though a giant were holding it in his hand. "That's the sea," Daniz said, standing by the window and watching the scene outside. "No matter how powerful the forces may be, they appear insignificant before it. Fortunately, we're nearing the 'City of Generosity' now." After departing from Banxi Port, the voyage of the "White Garnet" has been remarkably smooth, maintaining a steady speed of 15 knots with the wind's assistance, thus arriving at Tiyan Port only slightly later than scheduled—half a day ahead of the usual timeline. That is, the "White Garnet," originally scheduled to reach the "City of Generosity" on the morning of the 13th, will now arrive at the port in the evening of the 12th. Upon hearing Daniz's sentiments, Kline merely glanced at him once before turning back to his own reflections. The more he embodied the role of "Germán Sparo," the more he found himself compelled to perform actions that aligned with the character's persona—each time, realizing that his true intentions in various situations often diverged from what "Germán Sparo" would naturally do. For instance, under normal circumstances, he would respond to Daniz with casual conversation about the sea weather and the disasters caused by those terrifying storms. But Germán Sparrow would never do that—he would inevitably remain cold, reserved, and silent. "The more such contrasts I encounter, the clearer I become about myself," CK sighed sincerely. This experience had been entirely new to him during his earlier days as a private detective under the identity of Sherlock Moriarty, when he didn't need to mask his personality and could simply be himself. I feel my potion has begun to settle a bit… Still, Germaine Sparrow shares qualities with me, at least in the moment when I chose to disembark and head to Benshie to rescue people—then, my personal identity and that of the character were completely overlapping, indistinguishable… Of course, one could also say that I’ve added a certain persona to myself—beneath the polished composure and the occasional frenzy lies a genuinely kind, brave, compassionate, emotionally attuned heart. Hah, self-praise is no small thing. If I had known Benshie was actually Benshie, I’d probably have been paralyzed with hesitation myself… Not necessarily. At least, the danger foretold by the divination was within manageable bounds. Klein thought half in summary, half in self-mockery. This made him increasingly aware of one point: while embodying a purely fictional character helped him digest the potion, to truly accelerate progress and advance faster, he indeed needed to assume an existing identity, gain recognition within the existing social network, experience the corresponding emotions of joy, sorrow, anger, and love, and immerse himself—without becoming overly attached. Become anyone, yet ultimately return to oneself? And gather feedback from the people involved? Klein gazed at the pale yellow carpet, his thoughts swirling. When Geremán Sparo didn't respond, Daniz sighed, palms flat, feeling the pressure building. Besides making me do servant's tasks, this madman is otherwise quite good—only one thing: he doesn't speak well, has communication difficulties. If this continues, I'll surely go mad. Well, well, at least we're nearing Baimy now, and finally, relief is within reach! Daniz felt certain he would eventually develop the habit of talking to himself in the face of such silence. A moment later, he saw Geremán Sparo lift his head, smile, and say: "Could you tell me about Baimy's pirate communication points?" ...Good heavens! You'd better keep quiet! Daniz's expression twisted instantly. Ah! At 6:15 p.m., just before the storm arrived, the "White Garnet" smoothly entered the harbor and reached Bayam, the capital of the Rostead Islands—the city known as the "City of Generosity." Also known as the Spice Islands, it is renowned for its diverse and exotic spices, with spice plantations forming the backbone of its economy. The island of Blue Mountain, where Bayam is located, covers more than half the land area of the archipelago, boasting rich deposits of gold, silver, copper, coal, and iron, high forest coverage, a wide variety of fruits, and exceptionally fertile soil. For this reason, the first settlers named their coastal city "Bayam," the "City of Generosity," believing it to be a divine promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. After being frightened earlier, the two siblings still remain a bit afraid of Cline, half-hiding behind their parents and bodyguards, hesitant to speak—like deflated balloons. Cline gently nodded, offering a polite greeting. At that moment, Uldi Blanch hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward. "Mr. Sparlo, will you be staying in Bayam? If I wish to hire you, would you please help me with your contact details?" Indeed, a venturesome merchant—despite his fear, he seeks out people with exceptional abilities. Cline thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have any newspapers here?" "The main papers in the群岛 are *Sunia Morning News* and *The News*," Uldi replied without needing to recall. "I'll run a three-day advertisement in *Sunia Morning News* seeking suppliers of Damir's specialty cured meats, including my address. I'll then come to you. If I haven't shown up after three days, it means I've set sail again." "Klein provided a one-way contact method with careful deliberation." "Good," Urdi exhaled, a smile spreading across his face. The others, including Kriwivs, once again expressed their gratitude and departed the cabin in an orderly fashion. As the hatchway came into view, Tanah suddenly slowed her pace, stepped back beside Klein, lifted her face, and bit her lower lip. "Uncle Sparro, if such power inevitably brings danger and madness, then why—why have you chosen it?" This question she had pondered for a long time, finally summoning the courage to ask. Klein paused, instinctively forming a smile. "For the dream." Then, his voice softened, and he uttered two words: "And, to protect." "Protect..." Tanah murmured the word, slightly puzzled, and quickened her steps to catch up with her parents. After watching the Blanch family depart the ship, Klein turned his gaze back, and to the one beside him, Daniz, said: "You are free." Ah? Daniz was a bit uneasy at first.