Danzig was choked into silence, reluctantly stepping back to one side and watching Germaine Sparo light the candles, burn the powders, and let the pure essence drip down. Inhaling the aroma that filled the air, he raised his voice in surprise: "Did you use the wrong materials?" He remembered that when the rebels honored the "Sea God," they hadn't used "full-moon essential oil," deep sleep, or chamomile—after all, they weren't praying to the goddess of night! This sacrifice primarily depends on two conditions: Cavitua's mental instability—having become completely mad—and its intense craving for the gray mist. Both conditions are essential; without either, the rest are irrelevant. As long as these two are met, whether or not Cavitua is pleased makes no difference to the ritual's success. It neither increases the likelihood of success nor raises the risk of failure—thus, the entire process can be treated as merely perfunctory. If Cavitua still retains reason, would you think it would respond to me, even if I strictly adhere to the ritual's requirements? Klein muttered this under his breath, then stepped back half a step, preparing to begin the most crucial phase. He thought for a moment, without turning his head, and simply said: "Stay away." Me? Danyz was not only unbothered but actually delighted. He promptly nodded: "Yes, yes!" And he hurried straight to the warehouse door, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. Klein half-closed his eyes, allowing his meditative mind to overlay countless glowing spheres, quickly entering his focused state. In a low, resonant elvish chant, he said: "O大海与灵界之眷者, 罗思德群岛的守护者, 海底生灵的主宰, 海啸与狂风的掌控者, 伟大的卡维图瓦! Your most devoted servant humbly beseeches your gaze; That you accept his offering; That you open the great doors of your realm." Suddenly, all the movements ceased, leaving only a steady breath echoing through the ethereal gate—as if something vast and hungry lay behind it, struggling to contain itself. Hh... hhh... hhh... The deep, resonant breath grew increasingly distinct and clear, so that even Daniz at the warehouse entrance felt his scalp grow tense. Then—crash!—the ethereal gate burst open, and a gust of wind with tangible form surged forth. Amidst the sharp whistling, Daniz sensed the intangible wall of spirit shattering, and found himself being hurled forward, like a small boat caught in a storm, slamming hard against the gate with a deep, resonant thud. He landed outside the warehouse, with several wounds from wood splinters lacerating his back. The crimson orb of fire he had instinctively gathered in his hands dimmed instantly in the gale and extinguished swiftly, as though a candle nearing its end. As he floated in the air, he saw a monstrous mouth, resembling a blood-stained basin, emerge from the open portal of the ethereal realm. It displayed long, slightly curved, pale white fangs, longer than a human arm, violently slamming against the ethereal gate, striving to breach into the real world. The wild, howling cries of a beast reverberated within the warehouse, shaking Daniz so violently that blood streamed from his nostrils. At that moment, after finally realizing that the relentless pounding had fallen ineffective and ceased, the Kavitova, which had stood as a shimmering, motionless portal, suddenly drew a deep breath. The azure sea surged from all around, collapsing into a vortex at its throat—a vortex of terrifying suction powerful enough to swallow an entire cargo ship! The iron cigarette box on the altar lifted and was drawn into the vortex. The small cauldron holding the herb ashes rose and vanished into the vortex. Numerous objects and clumps of soil from the warehouse took flight and were swallowed by the vortex. Caine himself rose into the air, unable to resist, and was pulled toward it! He tried to snap his fingers, summoning flames, and leap outside the vortex's reach, but the hurricane accompanying the suction disrupted his efforts. His form suddenly thinned, becoming a paper figure. As this paper figure was drawn into the vortex, Caine reappeared at a new location, once again lifted into the air, unable to escape the overwhelming suction. At the crucial moment, he no longer hesitated, and the "black gloves" on his left hand grew pale, tinged with a faint green. He activated "The Thirsting Hunger," directly summoning the soul of the steel-bodied Mavith! Suddenly,克莱恩's body grew heavy, and he pushed forward with his left hand. A moderately thick wall of ice solidified before him, briefly shielding him from the vortex of the "Sea God." Seizing this opportunity,克莱恩 descended, his feet crashing down and sinking into the ground. Crackle! The ice wall held for only a single second before being torn apart by the overwhelming suction and hurled into the great sea serpent's throat. Relying on the strength of the undead,克莱恩 pressed his feet firmly against the ground, stabilizing his body and preventing him from rising further—yet he continued inexorably sliding toward the ethereal gate, toward the gaping maw of Cavitua, dragging two deep furrows across the earth. Danziz outside the warehouse wasn't significantly affected by the vortex's suction. He tried to gather a fireball, hurl it toward the side, and send Gorman Sparrow leaping out, but each time it was blown out by the relentless gales. Kaine was drawing closer to the ethereal gate, his nostrils filled with a foul odor of blood and decay, before him stood a pale, frost-tinged, soiled incisor. His thoughts raced, and he quickly devised a plan. The plan was simple: throw out the "Eye of Total Blackness," originating from Rosagor, the Master of Secret Figures! Since you, Cavitova, have created this sea vortex to devour everything, I'll make you drink another dose of the "magic potion"—this time, without any auxiliary ingredients—and add a side of spiritual contamination from the "True Creator"! With that, I doubt you, already on the brink of collapse, will be able to endure! Kaine clenched his teeth and reached into his coat pocket. Perhaps instinctively sensing his treacherous intentions, or perhaps the frantic Kavitova simply lacked patience, it suddenly lifted its head and let out a long, powerful roar, shattering the vortex of water in its throat into countless droplets that sprayed outward toward the ethereal gate. Plash! Plash! Plash! Rain poured down inside the warehouse, while a new, shimmering, radiant orb of lightning—interwoven with countless electric filaments—coalesced once more in Kavitova’s throat. With a thunderous boom, it expelled the orb. Amidst the rain, the silver-white lightning orb expanded rapidly into distinct, vivid streaks of lightning, spreading outward and swiftly destroying the simple altar, eventually engulfing the entire warehouse. Zzzz... zzzz... zzzz—within the electric sea, Kaine’s form repeatedly emerged, only to blacken and turn into paper fragments. Outside, Daniz was likewise affected, his hair standing on end and his body trembling convulsively. After repeatedly summoning several paper-man stand-ins, Kaine, nearing his limits, finally waited for the lightning to subside. And, affected by the complete disruption of the ritual, the ethereal gate closed swiftly and irrevocably. Clang! The defiant cries of "Poseidon" Kavitova were isolated outside. Instantly, the ethereal gate vanished entirely, leaving chaos all around, with only a single candle on the altar trembling weakly in the flame. Thud! Daniz leaned forward against the warehouse wall, barely standing at the doorway. He wished to speak, yet could only shake uncontrollably, conveying his frustration solely through his gaze: Germán Sparo was truly mad! When I was at Banzheng Port, the sense of dread I experienced still comes back to me now, often triggering nightmares. Earlier, when I chose goods from the Resistance's lineup, I triggered the "Sea God's" curse once again, and along the way, I was so frightened I nearly fled. This time, though, they've arranged yet another sacrifice—almost summoning Kavitua—making the situation truly perilous just now. How does he simply love adventure, love creating dramatic events? Time and again, he seeks thrills right at the brink of death. Is this his madness—or the very reason behind it? Kavitua, the "Sea God," is indeed formidable. Even as he nears death, even though he can only project a fraction of his power through the "Sacrifice Gate," he nearly effortlessly defeated me. Indeed, he's a half-god capable of standing up to the "Sea King." Caine lifted his feet from the ground, and by then, his boots were already tattered. At the same time, he realized that, whether by luck or fate, in any sense of the word, Cavitua had accepted his "sacrifice"—for when the great sea serpent created its vortex, it had swallowed up the iron cigarette box, tinged with the gray mist, and many other things alongside it. That meant he could now attempt to locate the creature's hiding place in the spiritual realm, though he would have to wait until it died, so it would no longer interfere or oppose his divinations. This search had to enter the spiritual realm and could no longer rely on the gray mist. As soon as Caine had quietly exhaled, he felt an inexplicable frenzy and hunger surge through the gloves on his left hand, as though it would soon devour the wearer before any food arrived. There were no particularly sinful individuals nearby... Caine turned his head toward Daniz at the door. Daniz's spirit suddenly tightened, as if he were being watched by some monster that would soon become its meal. The spiritual hunger pressing upon him caused him to tremble slightly, and he longed to turn and flee immediately. Then he heard the detached voice of Gorman Sparrow: "Close the door from the outside." "...Alright!" Daniz, enduring the lingering pain of the electric shock, pushed the door panel back with force, managing to seal the opening. Meanwhile, Kaine seized the moment, performing the ritual of sacrifice, praying to himself and answering in kind, channeling the nearly uncontrolled "creeping hunger" into the gray mist. The miraculous object, which had previously frightened Daniz into submission, instantly grew calm, gentle, and obedient.