The immense, clearly defined eyes, semi-transparent, floated silently behind the rich, vivid layers of overlapping color blocks, neither hostile nor friendly. At this moment, Caine remembered a passage from his notebook, *Observations of the Spirit Realm*, where the ancestors of the Abraham family had written: "Avoid gazing directly at any spirit being for more than three seconds—this constitutes a challenge, unless they have already signaled an intent to communicate. Likewise, do not appear anxious or tense, for this will heighten the predatory instincts of certain beings." The words flowed through his mind as he withdrew his gaze and continued to 'follow' the hardwood staff flying ahead, moving at a steady, unhurried pace. In his black full-body armor, crowned with a black diadem and draped in a matching cloak, his figure entered the rounded eye, swiftly passed through, and then faded into the distance, leaving no discernible change. At its essence, the spiritual realm is an extremely dangerous place—any moment of inattention might bring one face-to-face with a terrifying entity of demi-god rank... Kline continued his journey and found the place to be truly chaotic. Although the seven beams of pure, clear light that should have marked positions remained consistently high, casting a luminous "sky," they were frequently visible beneath his feet, to his left and right, and in front and behind him. Without the black staff providing directional cues, Kline would have been utterly lost. Suddenly, through the thin, ethereal mist, he saw a floating castle in the lower-left quadrant as a normal person would perceive it—black in color, with a soaring pointed spire and covered in ivy, exuding a strong Gothic character. At the summit of the castle stood a semi-transparent woman, nearly as tall as the structure itself, dressed in an elaborate, dark, and somber black gown. She had no head, with a neat incision along her neck, and her arms hung down, each holding one of four golden-haired, bright-eyed, strikingly beautiful heads. Upon close inspection, these heads were identical. As the man in the regal "Black Emperor" attire passed by, the four heads she was holding blinked together. Klein didn't respond, simply continuing his flight as if nothing had happened. The woman slowly turned her body, allowing the heads in her hands to watch him fade into the distance. What strange creatures are these... Just as the thought formed in her mind, the black staff began to plummet rapidly downward. She hurried after him, once again experiencing the sensation of free fall. After several seconds, a faintly visible collapse of buildings appeared ahead of him. Beyond these buildings floated a massive, jellyfish-like entity from the spiritual realm, extending long, translucent, mucous-covered tentacles that claimed surrounding areas as its domain. At the tip of each tentacle stood a white, deeply sunken skull, gently swaying with a slow, rhythmic motion. The black staff passed through this strange spiritual being and hovered before the nearly ethereal ruins. Found it? Klein was first delighted, then settled his gaze upon the colossal "jellyfish" wielding the skulls. He had prepared for battle, yet did not immediately act. Instead, he gently radiated the deep dignity and solemnity brought by the "Black Emperor" card's high-tier attributes, his eyes calmly meeting each dark, profound eye-hole. A stillness of three seconds passed. Then, Klein spoke in a low tone, uttering an ancient Hermes word: "Leave!" The tentacles bearing the skulls twitched twice, and the giant "jellyfish" slowly drifted upward, vanishing into the depths of the spiritual realm. The "Black Emperor" card still proves useful—indeed, I was even considering discarding Mr. Azk's brass whistle. After all, a descendant of Death should still command some dignity in the spiritual world. Klein exhaled, then descended, grasping the black hardwood staff. Next, he quietly fell into the ruins of the collapsed structures, with quiet anticipation. To him, even if the Church and the royal military had already arrived in advance, seizing the most valuable items, he would still be content as long as there remained a few things. Even if nothing at all remained, studying the elven ruins and learning what information they had left behind would be sufficient... As Caine pierced through the veil-like "barrier" of void, he suddenly felt the air around him grow thick and heavy. Ripples of shimmering waves appeared all around him, emanating from the deep blue sea that filled the area. At the sea floor lay an ancient, dimly lit ruin, with all the buildings either collapsed or partially collapsed. A massive pillar, inscribed with strange patterns and symbols, rose from the center, seemingly once supporting the entire structure—now broken and leaning half-over, resting against the rooftops of nearby buildings. Klein recognized this place, this pillar—it was the hidden sanctuary of the sea god Cavitua, where reality intertwined with the spirit realm. At this very moment, a prolonged, defiant, painful, furious cry echoed without diminishing, the very roar Cavitua had uttered in his final moments of resentment. Indeed, he had passed away… Klein, holding his black staff, stepped onto the pale gray stone avenue that lay before the ancient ruins. Along both sides of the avenue stood pillars neither particularly thick nor tall, each bearing strange patterns distinct from the current symbols and magical emblems. At the base of each pillar, a figure sat—some draped in ancient robes, others wearing contemporary brown jackets. As soon as they sensed someone approaching, they grasped their swords, axes, and other weapons, rising stiffly yet swiftly to face the spot where Caine stood, revealing their weathered gray-and-black faces and sunken, almost lifeless bodies. Their fervent and numb gazes converged on Caine—wearing a black crown and clad in black armor. A devoted follower of Cavi-Tuwa... yet this also meant that the Storm Church and the royal military had not yet found their way here. Caine sighed inwardly, channeling his spirit into the "Sun Breastpin," and softly murmured an ancient Hermes word: "Sacred!" He activated the "Sacred Oath" that came with the "Sun Breastpin," briefly enhancing the sacred damage of his attacks through the corresponding ancient Hermes term. Clack! Caine shook his wrist, waving his staff. He then bent slightly and charged toward the first "Sea God Guardian" rushing toward him. As he sprinted swiftly, Caine suddenly leaned to his left, dodging the axe swing aimed at him and then flicked his arm, drawing a vivid, crisp line across the enemy's body with his staff—cracking the gray-white flesh. Within that line, a clear, golden flame rose silently, instantly engulfing the "Sea God's Guardian," burning it to the point of instability. Thrust! With a strong push of his feet, Caine stepped over the enemy. Behind him, the completely dried-out "Sea God's Guardian" finally collapsed, turning to ash within the golden flame. Thrust! Thrust! Thrust! Caine bent slightly at the back, moving swiftly forward, occasionally leaning to one side or stepping diagonally past one guardian after another. Throughout this, he wielded his staff, drawing, stabbing, cleaving, and slashing, leaving varied marks on the lifeless guards. Thrust! Thrust! Thrust! Caine reached the edge of the half-collapsed ruins. Behind the gently raised black cloak, the "Guardians of the Sea God" transformed into golden torches, illuminating the slate-gray stone floors and the intricately patterned pillars. Amid a chaotic dance, these guardians fell one after another, silent and still. Kaine stepped onto the stairs and entered the building where the pillars had partially collapsed. Before him stood a colossal sea serpent of an unimaginable blue-green hue, its scales smooth and slick, adorned with patterns resembling those found throughout the ruins. The serpent's massive mouth bit into the pillar, its curved, milky-white fangs piercing deep. Its body, below the head, hung down to the ground, coiling and occupying one-third of the vast hall like a rolling, undulating blue-green hill—yet it was covered with numerous wounds, some flesh torn and mangled, others revealing white bones. A faint, mysterious blue glow has begun to emanate from its body, slowly gathering toward one of its teeth—longer than a human arm—and gradually straightening the slightly curved, sharp white bone. The intense roar of its final cry resonates powerfully here, causing even Caine's tangible spirit to exhibit slight instability. Beside the figure of Kavitova, an elderly man wearing a clerical cap lies prone. His hair is white, his body resembling gray stone, his face pressed tightly against the serpent's body, emitting sounds of unclear meaning, as though attempting to do something. Around the massive serpent, several weathered, dry corpses lie fallen—similar in appearance to the outer "Sea God Guardians," yet more peculiar, with their bellies distended and even ruptured, and their mouths stained with dark red blood, each adorned with slender strips of pale blueish flesh. Similarly, points of the same cerulean light were seeping from their bodies, flowing toward the gradually straightening white tooth that had previously emerged. Before克莱恩 could ponder what this scene might signify, the elderly man who had been lying on卡维图瓦's body and wearing the priest's soft hat staggered to his feet and turned around. His eyes shimmered with cerulean light, his lips streaked crimson, and his teeth were firmly tearing into chunks of flesh. Where his face had pressed against卡维图瓦's, the snake's body was now in disarray—its flesh torn away in patches, nearly revealing the white bones beneath. He was devouring the living body of the sea god,卡维图瓦! This...克莱恩 furrowed his brow, now grasping the unfolding events: After卡维图瓦's death, the priests and guards in the hall lost control and began frenziedly devouring his flesh. At this moment, the extraordinary traits had not yet fully manifested, and a significant portion of Kavitova's body remained intact, causing many guards to suffer from excess magic potion effects or conflicting trait interactions, leading to immediate collapse and complete death. Yet among them, some fortunate individuals managed to survive the sudden demise, either maintaining composure, transforming into grotesque monsters, advancing directly through several ranks to become strong, or evolving into mad figures with twisted, eerie abilities due to the blending of diverse traits. Regardless of the path taken, all of these outcomes were profoundly dangerous. Caine's gaze shifted from the surviving priest's face down to his swollen abdomen, which rose and fell powerfully, as though housing a massive heart.