To the side of the bronze long table, "The Nightmare" materialized. He was a man in his thirties, with black hair and blue eyes, a slender face, distinct grooves on either side of his nose, and a sparse beard covering his jaw and chin. As the palpable pain and distortion in his form eased, he placed his hands on his chest and bowed solemnly. Compared to the earlier "Faceless One," this "Nightmare" now seemed more alert and resilient—perhaps due to the superior enhancement of spirits through the "Night" path rather than the "Seer" path, or simply because he had been in pastoral care for a shorter duration. Kline sighed quietly and, through spirit communication, asked directly: "Why did you die at the hands of Zilings?" The "Nightmare" smiled faintly, with a touch of wry humor: "I was the Red Glove among the Night Watchers, investigating an ancient collection of manuscripts originating from the royal mausoleum of Baylang. These documents appear to be connected to the fallen God of Death." "I realized that part of it might have ended up in the hands of a wealthy patron, so I led two companions aboard the very ship he was traveling on. Unfortunately, as we were just about to begin our investigation, we were attacked by the Zilingsh ship fleet." "Where are your companions?" Kline asked instinctively. "Nightmare" replied, slightly distressed: "We had the opportunity to evacuate—indeed, with skilled coordination, we could have even defeated the Zilingsh. But, but our ship sank, and we had to transfer to lifeboats. Everyone—everyone—died. No, they sacrificed themselves!" May the goddess protect them... Kline silently drew a crimson moon in his heart. This deepened his understanding of the crucial differences between naval and land battles—the environmental factors were paramount. Sequence members who were not trained in maritime skills would suffer greatly! If the "sky carpet" weren't so large, inconvenient to carry, and slow-moving, making it an easy target, Caine would have definitely chosen to keep it and paid Daniz cash instead. Fortunately, I have the bladders of fishfolk, which I can use to commission underwater ambulatory magical items from the "Artisans"... though unfortunately, the "Artisans" are very hard to find—most of them are located within the Steam Church, with only a few wild ones remaining. Otherwise, magical items wouldn't be so scarce today. In the end, I'll still have to rely on Mr. The Hanging Man. Caine gazed at the "Nightmare" who had died in service, leaning gently back: "What's your name? What's one thing you still wish to accomplish?" "The figure of the 'nightmare' was slowly fading away, and with a smile, he said: 'My name is David Raymon. In a black magic incident, I lost my parents, my wife, and my siblings—only my daughter remains. Her name is Nibel, born in 1330; she's a lovely girl. I'm deeply sorry that, in pursuit of uncovering the truth behind that black magic event, I joined the Night Watch and later became a Red Glove, never having been able to stay with her long enough to truly share my presence. She has lost not only her mother but also, in effect, her father. 'I'm confident the Church will deliver the pension payment in full and provide her with certain hidden support. I don't worry about her daily life. What I truly hope for is to see her married, under the witness of the goddess, to build her own family and no longer live in solitude.' 'This year is 1350—perhaps she already has someone in mind for marriage,' said Caine, half-wistful, half-sighing." "Time flies so quickly..." David Raymon murmured, as if speaking in a dream. "Tell her that all the murderers have been dealt with. I died by accident, so there's no one left to hold against. Tell her that Dad loves her, and that Dad is truly sorry..." His form grew increasingly translucent, fading away. Klein watched the scene silently, and only after several seconds did he raise his right hand, tapping it four times in a clockwise motion on his chest, then spoke in a low tone. "If I ever get the chance, I'd like to visit your daughter and see how she's doing these days." Beneath the palace-like dwelling of the giant, the gray mist stretched endlessly, undulating neither in height nor in form, unchanged through the ages. Caine set aside David Raymon's extraordinary traits, rubbed his temple, and refocused on the matter of the Death God's texts: "The Path of the Death God and the Path of Night can exchange at higher sequences—there's nothing unusual about the Church sending agents to track down the whereabouts of the relevant documents. Jimmy Neek's status remains unclear; I'll need to inquire. If he has already perished in that tragedy and the documents ended up in the hands of Zilinger, then I'll have to investigate the pirate faction. Zilinger's fleet now belongs to the 'Disease Admiral' Tracie." Since the matter involves the Death God, perhaps it could assist Mr. Azk, Caine decided to check on it promptly and simply write a letter to the senior officers should any difficulties arise. After clarifying his thoughts, he swiftly returned to the real world and used the ritual to summon the 'craving hunger' once again. Having completed all this, seeing that it was already late, he abandoned his intention to catch up on sleep and instead resolved to summarize the lessons learned from his actions last night. For Kline, the greatest lesson was that he had significantly underestimated the patience of the "stand-ins." He had hoped that even with some unforeseen developments, the "stand-ins" would remain composed, waiting for the true protagonist—Steel Maveth—to make his appearance. At that moment, they would deploy multi-dream-sealing artifacts to control the wild extraordinary beings who had been integrated into the narrative. As someone fundamentally unique—capable of detecting dreams and forcibly breaking free—he could then calmly confront Steel Maveth and his allies, achieving a decisive victory and securing one or two bodies. Yet, as soon as an unexpected event occurred, the group of restless elders surged forth, abandoning even a reserve force. They merely stationed the artifact holders at the periphery, accompanied by a few protectors. Kline found himself increasingly at a loss, both amused and exasperated. If the pirate crew led by the "steel" Maithe had been more cautious and had dispatched at least two exceptional figures along with all their puppets and the living corpses to block any potential follow-up "Agents of Reckoning," Caine would most likely have faced a scenario of fighting against five forces—thus opting to abandon his position and initiate a strategic retreat. What pleased Caine most was that his targeted preparations had been exceptionally well-executed. This is simply the hallmark of a Magician's profession! Since he had already learned from Miss Sharon and Mariichi about the characteristics of the first five sequences ahead of the divergent path, Klein was well aware that the "steel" McVitt, who had previously gone through a "madman" phase, could effectively counter disruptive mental influences and psychic disturbances—thanks to his strong resistance rooted in irrational factors. Therefore, he forwent the "psychiatrist"’s "Dragon’s Might" and "Rage," as well as the clearly less potent "Nightmare" compared to the "Penalty-Bearer’s" sealing power, and instead selectively employed the "Interrogator’s" "Spirit Piercing" and the "Light Priest’s" purifying abilities. ——"Spirit Piercing" is not a means that interferes with thoughts or affects the psyche, but rather a direct assault on the spiritual essence; in essence, while the others act upon the "mental body," its target is the "spirit body," thus presenting a clear distinction. "The sequence of maneuvers—once any single step fails to achieve the desired effect, Steel Maviel can adjust and stabilize, preventing me from securing a swift victory. Under the circumstances at the time, that would mean failure. Indeed, I've deliberately exploited the tendency of the emotional faction to be easily swayed by sentiment, believing that once their spirits are shaken, they'll likely erupt into frenzied counterattacks, without considering anything else. At that moment, Daniz was lying on the armchair, asleep, his breathing so deep and even that it sounded like the entire room was running on the steam engine. He was still alert enough to open his eyes and sit up as Gentry stepped out. "Are you going out?" Daniz noticed Germán Sparrow removing his hat from the hat stand. "Yes," said Caine, maintaining his persona without explaining that he was now trying to play the role of someone who could help others make their romantic intentions known. As for me? "Steel" Mavith and his entire crew had been largely wiped out—now I no longer need to worry so much. Even if the newspapers don't report this, I can spread the word myself. There are always plenty of idle pirates and adventurers who will use this as a talking point, spreading the news across the sea and reminding captains of those useless men—those dogs—who only know how to drink and boast. Even so, it will still be of some use. Daniz paused, his voice tinged with quiet apprehension, asking: "Mr. Sparrow, may I now leave?" Klein smiled slightly. "You've always been free." Indeed... this time I wasn't caught by him, I only sought assistance. I've always been free! Danyz was first startled, then filled with surprise. At that moment, he heard Germain Spaulo say lightly, "But so far." Ah? What? Danyz looked utterly puzzled. It took him three full seconds to grasp Germain Spaulo's true meaning: he had, in fact, been caught again! "Why?" Danyz asked, both angry and frustrated. Klein put on his hat and spoke quietly, "I would like to speak with your captain." Danyz's eyes widened, and he leapt to his feet, exclaiming, "What do you want?" He seems quite excited... Klein replied calmly, "There are certain things I need to ask her."