Early in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the alley corner remained quiet and shadowed. With Daniz's cloak, Caine blended into the darkness, moving swiftly and silently through the space, feeling the world around him gray and translucent, reality slightly detached and blurred, as if all sounds came from deep within the stars—echoing, vast, and distant. After moving as far as possible from the avenue of the Sacred Trees, he oriented himself and emerged from the shadows into a deserted alley lined with scattered bricks and stones. Caine shook his hands, tossing the steel figure of Mavith, wrapped in the emerald-blue "sky carpet," forward, aiming to complete the "pastoral" task before the figure's spirit began to fade. He then discarded the carpet, stepped forward, and extended his left palm, fingers slightly spread, facing the still-warm body with a commanding posture. The "craving hunger" revealed its true form—thin, like human skin. Two eyes had opened at the palm's center, their pupils bright red, as though stained with blood. Ah! A sudden breeze, cold and seeping into the bones, swept through the alley, swirling around the body of "steel" Mavithi and distorting into a nearly translucent human form, with thick lips and hair resembling steel beads clearly visible. Mavithi's spirit expressed intense suffering, struggling desperately against the allure of the "creeping hunger." Fleeting points of light, interweaving gray and dark green, surged like a flowing galaxy from his flesh and merged into the transparent form. "No!" Mavithi cried out silently, his pleas for mercy too late. He could only sink helplessly into the human skin gloves, fixed onto the bare finger, thereby displaying his exceptional qualities and establishing a connection with the surrounding environment. This connection determined which abilities Mavithi's soul could utilize during the process of tending to him—either one, two, or at most three—specifically, the exact abilities remained undetermined and entirely random until the connection was solidified, beyond the control of Caine. "The insistent hunger" swiftly spread over the pallor, eventually returning to its previous guise: a plain black glove. Caine closed his eyes, sensing for several seconds, then exhaled with a mixture of relaxation and mild regret. This time, his luck was neither outstanding nor particularly favorable. He had successfully acquired three extraordinary abilities from "Steel" McVitt, yet none of them included the one he most desired—the "body like steel" that offered immunity to gunfire, fire, and a certain yield of blast, along with resilient vitality. First, the power of the "living corpses" allows me to launch furious attacks, compensating for the previous shortcomings in my agile fighting style. Second, my mastery of "ice"—though I can't quite match the magic-wielder's ability to summon ice spears or create blizzards for direct assaults—I can freeze the ground around me, lower the air temperature, and effectively hinder my opponent's movements. Should physical contact occur, I can even freeze the enemy solid, stiffening their flesh and muscles, perfectly complementing my combat skills. Third, the ability to "command the living corpses"—ah, now I won't have to worry about not having enough people to assemble a game group anymore. Klein paused to think, then bent down to inspect the personal belongings of "Steel" Mavith. He quickly located 26 pounds, 11 shillings, and 8 pence in cash, as well as a collection of items that appeared ordinary at first glance but were, in fact, rather unusual—such as candles, clips, and thorny whips, among others. Given that "Steel" Mavithi is likely a member of the "Rose School" and belongs to the indulgence faction, Klein suddenly grasped the point. He cleared his throat and set aside the cash. "Wolf people have exceptional regenerative abilities; the undead possess steel-like bodies—indeed, they don't need healing potions or supplies. This aligns with Daniz's assessment: Mavithi has no magical items. Of course, magical items are scarce, and many come with clear drawbacks or negative effects—few would want or be able to possess them. The combination of ghosts, undead, and wolf people had only two magical items before: the 'Deep Crimson Coronet' and the 'Biological Toxin Vial'..." Klein nodded, then withdrew a neatly folded sheet of paper from his pocket. He unfolded the yellowed sheet and placed it gently upon Mavithi's body, covering the latter's face. This is a reward notice, bearing the portrait of Mavitt and the corresponding reward amount: "6,000 pounds!" Klein straightened up, stepped back, and, with his foot pressing down on the peacock-blue "sky carpet," drew out a paper figure. Crack! With a swift arm motion and a slight wrist flick, he launched the figure into the air, where it dissolved into a cascade of embers, drifting gracefully. Then, he himself became shadow, vanishing together with the items into the alley. A few minutes later, Cordova Roye arrived with a portion of his "Penalty Bearers" team, just in time to see a cool breeze lift the notice, revealing the face of "Steel" Mavitt—his flesh dissolving, eyes wide open. Flapping and fluttering, the notice landed beside them, still facing upwards. …… Cordova and his team, now without sight of their target, carried the body of "Steel" in silence, returning to the area where the battle had taken place. Glancing at the team members on site, Cordova, serving as steward, composed himself and asked in a steady voice: "A follower of the 'Sun'?" This was the most significant question—for him, and for his parish. The team member responsible for gathering clues and using supernatural means to uncover the truth was not an extraordinary being from the 'Storm' path, but rather a Sequence 7 'Keeper of Knowledge'—a 'detective'—a 'Reader'—he did not immediately respond, but approached and knelt to examine the body of Mavith. After a moment, he looked up and said: "Not a follower of the 'Sun'; rather, the power is drawn from a magical artifact." "The reason?" Cordova asked, frowning. The "substitute penance" member said: "There's a deep-seated evil here, as evidenced by how one corpse was entirely consumed, leaving only its unique qualities and belongings. If these were followers of the 'Sun,' even relying on objects, they wouldn't act this way. To them, anything from the 'True Creator's' domain is impure and must be purified or sealed immediately—never borrowed or used. "Cordoba" paused for a few seconds, agreed with this assessment, and then asked: "What about the 'Aurora' people?" "No," the "Keeper of Knowledge" replied calmly. "True 'Rosa' bishops or 'Shepherds' wouldn't be so crude. They would surely integrate the corpse into their own being and handle it only after departure. There's no reason to dismember it on the spot—wasting time and leaving behind still valuable items. Such urgency to consume it strongly suggests a negative effect of the magical items involved." "Magical items that embody both the 'Sun' and the 'Secret Prayer' domains?" Or something like the 'Shepherd's' ability? Berg, what's your assessment?" As the steward, Cordova had the authority to know about the 'Shepherds' and their special abilities, while the 'Keeper of Knowledge' understood this based on his position within the group; the other 'Replacements' were still unclear about what was being said. Standing up, the 'Keeper of Knowledge' Berg replied: "Either is possible." "Any suspects?" Cordova asked in a steady tone. Berg shook his head: "No specific targets at the moment. "But we can confirm that 'Blood Thorns' was killed by the 'Flame' Daniz, and the other one was his assistant—a formidable strength, no less impressive than the pirate admirals." "A formidable strength..." Cordova murmured, his expression serious, then brightened as he added, "Could it be Edwenna? She's capable of simulating some extraordinary abilities she's witnessed!" "The 'Keeper of Knowledge' Berg mused, 'It's certainly possible, though intelligence indicates she was near Sunya Island just a few days ago. Unless—unless she can simulate the necessary abilities and traverse through the spiritual realm to arrive here.' Cordova paced back and forth, then surveyed the room, saying, 'Secure the scene and avoid disturbing the nearby residents. I'll submit my task report, hoping to receive more timely and effective intelligence.' This involves a warrior of at least Sequence 5 strength—enough to keep him composed and make the most rational decisions despite his mounting impatience. ………… In the basement of Old Quin's house, sealed off by a heavy stone door, Aljere sat on a low bed, quietly gazing at the candle flames on the table. Suddenly, a haze of gray mist enveloped him, and within it, seated in a high-backed chair, gazing down upon everything, stood the 'Fool'." A vague figure stood below, hands clasped before his face, speaking in a reverent tone: "Sir, the great 'Knight of the Fool,' the matter has been smoothly concluded." Smoothly concluded? That was the 'Steel' Mavith and several extraordinary beings... Indeed, 'World' acts with remarkable efficiency—stronger in power than I had imagined. Truly, no wonder he is regarded as the favored one of Sir the Fool... Hah, he'll surely be able to market his extraordinary traits at the Tarot gatherings again—perhaps even more than one. How did he manage to bypass the seal "2–37"? Was it a divine favorer's special ability? Aljé's thoughts flashed. He instinctively expressed his gratitude to Sir the Fool. Then, he produced a small metal bottle, applying a fresh, mint-infused essence to his nose. The sharp, invigorating scent immediately awakened him. By this time, he found a white cotton mask in his hands, which he then filled with 'Moon Essential Oil'. Diligently donning his mask, Alger stood up and slowly walked to the heavy stone door. With steady movements, he retrieved a sealed metal can from the inside of his clothing, turned a mechanical switch, and pulled out a tube. Then, he inserted the tube into the gap of the stone door, extending it outward. Without a sound, the gas inside the can rapidly diffused outward. This was the bloodline anesthetic gas provided by Emlyn of the Moon! It could induce unconsciousness in ordinary strong individuals, in sequence-9 exceptional beings whose strength was their strength, and even in higher-tier targets with less robust physiques! Even old Quin would be noticeably affected—his assistants and friends, however, well... Alger leaned against the stone door, patiently waiting. When the gas had dispersed to nearly one-third of its volume, he retracted the tube and closed the switch. Turning his body, he listened attentively to the sounds outside, satisfied with the results. A gentle smile appeared on Alger's face, and he quickly drew in his breath, settling his accumulated composure. Suddenly, his entire body muscles swelled out, and he drove a punch forward. "Fury Strike!" Thud! The iron hinges of the heavy stone gate shattered, and the gate itself swung open. Aljer retracted his fist, took a step out, and found himself among the sleeping ones. PS: There are two modes of hunger movement—pastoral and devouring. The former targets spirits and exceptional traits, while the latter targets spirits and flesh.