No. 48, Acid Lemon Street, outside the "Blue Wind" Inn. Daniel of the "Flame" returned along a detour, standing pressed against the wall corner, motionless for a long time, hesitating whether to make a sudden escape and finally avoid facing the terrifying maniac, Gerem Sparo. Unlike his encounter at Bances Port, where he had hidden at a distance on a rooftop and could survey the entire battlefield, this time he could now fully observe the entire combat zone. Thus, while supporting Gerem Sparo and countering the "Bloodthorn" Hunter, he finally gained a clear view of the mad adventurer's combat actions and grasped the exceptional abilities and unique qualities on display. The mannequin substitute, the flame burst, the mental shock, the sacred radiance of the "Sun" domain, the air bullets fired by finger movements, the complete mimicry of another's abilities, the several transformations of form and the magical gloves that ultimately consumed Skall—these were beyond my expectations. Some of them were even incompatible. This couldn't be explained simply by a sequence of upgrades plus a few magical items. Moreover, the deep-seated hunger emanating from his soul pointed to something significant. The glove from the "Storm Captain"—the "Crawling Hunger!" The captain had specifically reminded us that this glove could pasture the souls of multiple extraordinary beings, drawing upon their abilities. Daniz's thoughts flowed through his mind, culminating in his final judgment: Germain Sparo was now the host of the "Crawling Hunger!" He did not regard the other as formidable merely because of his powerful magical items; rather, his reverence only deepened. First, the effectiveness of most magical items largely depends on the inherent quality of the item itself. If Germaine Sparrow lacked sufficient personal prowess and extensive experience in extraordinary combat scenarios, even with the "Craving Hunger," he would have been unable to swiftly defeat Skall, the composed and steady Skovthi of Steel, within just a few seconds. Second, his captain, the "Ice Mountain Admiral" Edwena Edwards, has learned through secret channels that the "Hurricane Admiral" did not perish at the hands of the Storm Church, but was instead swiftly killed by a powerful individual during his escape. Daniz has a clear understanding of the "Hurricane Admiral" Zinglungs' peak strength, and knowing that a single opponent capable of easily defeating him stands at the very apex of pirate power—specifically, among the two most powerful and formidable figures at the pinnacle: the "Admiral of the Five Seas" and the "Mysterious Queen." Though there was an element of surprise, the ratings would at most be slightly downgraded—not worse than "King of the Unvanquished," certainly surpassing "General of the Underworld" and "General of the Blood"—"The Crawling Hunger" now belongs to Germain Spalro, which means either he is the very warrior who slew Zilinger, or there stands behind him a major figure of royal rank. In either case, it's far more formidable than I had anticipated! Daniz felt his body tense, unwilling to face the adventurer whose veins ran with wild, frenzied blood. Huffing out a breath, he realized he had hesitated too long here and needed to make a decision swiftly. Germain Spalro is skilled in divination and deeply confident in his abilities, and my "Shroud of Shadows" is currently in his hands. Escaping would not only be difficult but would also provoke him—this "Shroud of Shadows" is a rare and magical artifact. Daniz bit his teeth, turned from the corner of the room, and made his way through the hall to the entrance of the inn, eventually reaching the door of the luxurious suite. After hesitating for a few seconds and observing the scene, Daniz produced the key and opened the door. Inside, the room was dim, the gas wall lamp unlit, and the early morning sunlight, filtering through the windows, fell gently onto Germán Sparo, who was facing the entrance. The adventurer had returned to his original attire—a black wool coat and dark trousers—holding a half-high silk hat in his hands, his right foot resting on his left thigh. Leaning slightly back, his profile appeared shadowed and blurred by the window's absence of light, yet his deep brown eyes remained sharp and clear, calmly and evenly fixed on the doorway. Daniz unconsciously lowered his head, offering a dry, hesitant smile: "As you instructed, I visited several newspaper offices, wrote down the news of 'Flame' defeating 'Steel' McVitt, 'Blood Thistle' Hunterly, and Skall, and then dropped the papers inside." "Of course, within this news, I have a powerful ally—mysterious, unknown, a top-tier adventurer and an experienced, seasoned bounty hunter." Kline nodded gently, offering a polite smile. "That's excellent." Danyz exhaled in relief, glanced around, and spotted the "sky carpet" with its peacock-blue background. He paused for a few seconds, then asked with mild confusion, "Where are the 'Steel' and Hunterley's heads?" Kline spoke calmly. "They're still here." "Still here?" Danyz exclaimed in surprise. "Then what about our bounty?" "As long as he has the heads of both 'Steel' and 'Bloodthorn,' he can secure the corresponding rewards through connections and allies—though this will cost him between 15% and 30% of the money. As a pirate, he simply can't go himself to claim them; he must rely on this method. The military and the Church use rewards to encourage pirates to fight one another, but that doesn't mean they'll overlook the gifts they receive when offered. This carpet seems to have only two abilities—hovering and flying—and not particularly fast, so its usefulness isn't all that great… Well, actually, at sea, for extraordinary individuals beyond the seafarers' usual path, such items are quite valuable; at least, they no longer have to worry about what to do if the ship sinks. Daniz hesitated for a moment. Then he heard Germain Sparrow count: "3, 2…" Daniz was startled and quickly exclaimed, "The flying carpet!" Kaine nodded: "Good." Knowing that Germain was reliable, Daniz finally relaxed, half-muttering, half-complaining, "Why didn't you count 5 and 4?" It was supposed to be five seconds! Kaine remained expressionless: "I counted it in my mind." Counted it in his mind… Daniz took a deep breath and offered a strained smile. Kaine slowly stood up, gave a slight shake of his wrist, and tossed the hat from his hand, letting it hang steadily on the rack, then walked toward the bedroom. ……… St. Wave Church. Upon entering for the morning prayer, Aljere met the bishop of the parish, Jogori, and recounted in full detail his experiences from last night, with only one adjustment: he substituted the bloodline's anesthetic gas with the sleep incantation of the Night Church. Jogori nodded in approval. "For the sake of faith, daring to enter the enemy's stronghold and endure life-threatening risks—such actions deserve commendation. You are truly a Storm Servant. Last night, we captured five extraordinary beings, killing two on the spot. Mavith, Hunterly, and Skall have also perished—either their heads will no longer appear, or they are now in our hands. The government's reward will thus belong to us. This amounts to over 10,000 pounds; you will receive the majority—6,000 pounds. Do not hesitate. The Bishop has told us: 'Those who fight for faith shall not be left in distress.' " "By the Storm!" Aljere exclaimed, clenching his fists and pounding his left chest with enthusiasm. Though he and "the World" had not agreed on how to divide the spoils, he believed there was an unspoken understanding between them—such as each pirate keeping their own hunt's spoils without interference, and the bounties, which needed to be cleared through the Church, being split equally between them. As for the bounties offered by nations and organizations like Intis and Fosac, Aljer had no expectations of securing all of them, since each required the complete corpse or head of the target to be delivered in order to claim payment. Thus, he could only choose one or two. Only someone with deep roots and strong ties across nations and organizations could possibly claim all. The 3,000 pounds belonged to "the World"—a sudden shortfall of that amount would surely raise suspicion. Indeed, he would need to find an opportunity to acquire a rare, magical item, one that, due to its scarcity, often commands a premium, especially when urgently needed. With such an item purchased for 3,000 pounds but priced at 5,000, no one would question it. Then, he would sell off the items he had obtained from old Quin. With these adjustments, Aljer quickly had a clear … Knowing that a deposit of 3,000 pounds was forthcoming, Kline sat comfortably in the high-backed chair of "The Fool," pondering a serious matter. He had promised to release one soul from "The Crawling Hunger" after tending to "The Steel" Mavith. Their extraordinary abilities had proven invaluable, and it would have been a pity to release them now before a replacement was found—well, perhaps... he had already released the "Faceless One" earlier, so this time it might not be necessary. Doubt, hesitation, and reluctance brewed within Kline, keeping him indecisive for a long time. After a while, he leaned back, exhaled deeply. "I can't deceive myself anymore," he shook his head, smiling with relief. Having made up his mind, he felt at ease. He would honor his promise and release one soul. The earlier release of the "Faceless One" had been driven by his desire to gather relevant information—effectively, it had already been an equivalent exchange. Now, which one would he release? Miss Justice purchased materials from the Psychologist and acquired a magical item worth 5,500 pounds. Even with such a sum, she should have faced financial strain—yet selling the Psychologist's exceptional trait at this moment seems ill-timed. Indeed, she still owes me 2,000 pounds, to be repaid in February and March. Rejecting the earlier proposal, Caine decided to release the "Nightmare" first. As a former Night Watcher, he always holds a certain impression and emotional preference for exceptionalists in this domain, so, in the absence of other considerations, the choice was straightforward. Calming himself, Caine took up the human skin gloves he had brought into the Gray Mist and closed his eyes, sensing the distorted, ethereal souls within. Without hesitation, he released the "Nightmare."