After a series of trials, Caine finally gained a clear understanding of the "God of the Sea's Staff": it can generate tsunamis, summon hurricanes, bring down torrential rains, deliver lightning strikes, enable flight through the skies and strolls beneath the ocean floor—almost without limitation. It is nearly indestructible, capable of directly crushing an enemy's head; it ensures the holder never gets lost, even without any other powerful external factors; it offers extraordinary balance, commands various marine creatures, responds to the prayers of its devotees, and grants the wielder powers akin to those of sea monsters—effectively making them the sovereign of an entire sea region. To Caine, this truly qualifies as divine-level power—on par with what one could muster to challenge an entire aircraft carrier fleet on Earth! Though he is currently ranked as a Sequence 6, he possesses several practical extraordinary abilities that, to ordinary people, qualify him as a true powerhouse—someone worthy of legendary status. Yet at his core, he remains fundamentally fragile, still closer to being a mere human. With the right circumstances, a single revolver could end him—though, of course, should he die and rise again, resurrected from his coffin, that would be a different matter altogether. In contrast, the powers wielded by the "Rod of the Sea God" transcend the human level entirely, representing undeniably divine or demonic forces as firmly believed in folk tales and deeply rooted in the public consciousness. It's no wonder that starting from Sequence 4, they've been called half-god, half-man—truly more godlike than human. Kline silently mused, then self-consciously chuckled, "If I could use the 'Rod of the Sea God' effectively, I'd already be a senior steward of the Night Watch, one of the church's most powerful twenty-some individuals. Even without the '0–08,' if Inz. Zangwei were still at sea, I could have launched a swift campaign against him and had a solid chance of success. 'But can I use the 'Rod of the Sea God' effectively?' 'No...' Kline had just realized—the negative effects of the rod were astonishing. Within the Night Watch, it would easily earn a 'Level 1' seal status, and countless researchers would have to perish before the optimal methods of sealing and using it were fully understood. The negative effects of the "Rod of the Sea God" are three in total: first, it makes the holder irritable, prone to anger and mental overheating; second, it periodically causes all creatures within a certain range to have their thoughts frozen and their blood drained, including the holder themselves. The exact size of this range and the precise duration of the cycle, however, remain difficult for professional researcher Klein to describe in detail—only rough estimates can be provided, with the range estimated between 600 meters and 1 kilometer, and the cycle between 20 and 35 minutes; third, it gathers and displays the prayers of the faithful, presenting both spoken words and visual imagery, which often directly overwhelms and causes collapse in less powerful spiritual holders who are not half-gods. "The first one is manageable—so long as it's used only for a short period, anger and irritability are acceptable. In short, with such a powerful seal in hand, one just needs to act boldly and charge forward. "Klein carefully pondered, imagining several scenarios for using the 'God of the Sea's Staff,' but each relied heavily on the environment and precise prior judgment—making them largely impractical. 'Hmm... Is its fate simply to remain above the gray mist, delivering a barrage—no, a lightning strike—whenever someone like Amun tries to reach up? Ah, there's another use: when the 'Justice' lady or the 'Hanged Man' gentleman seek assistance, I'm no longer limited to just the paper angels. I can now offer rain, or a gust of wind... Of course, these effects can be carried just like the 'Sun Brooch's' purification power, through the paper angels. 'Honestly, thinking about it, with the 'God of the Sea's Staff,' I can truly embody a genuine half-god presence above the gray mist.' Klein's mood gradually lightened, realizing that the 'God of the Sea's Staff' was far from useless in the current situation—this would undoubtedly give him more room for creative maneuvers." He refocused his attention, once again turning his gaze toward the white bone staff adorned with countless blue-green "gems" at its apex, pondering another question: whether or not to respond to the prayers of the followers of the "Sea God." "Kavitova has already died. There's no longer any need to offer them a figure of faith." "Yet, even if the living priests and high-ranking leaders of the resistance notice the lack of response and begin to lose hope, it will take a long time before they truly accept the worst outcome. People naturally cling to hope, comfort themselves, and engage in self-hypnosis—especially when they find themselves in a dire, uncertain environment with no visible light ahead. Just as in the Silver City, after two thousand years, they continue to honor the 'Creator,' believing that they are merely being abandoned and overlooked, convinced that one day, they will finally receive a response again." "That is to say, once the devoted followers of the 'Sea God' no longer receive answers, they won't simply believe that Kavitova has fallen and cease the practice of human sacrifices. On the contrary, they will intensify their efforts, striving even more fervently to regain the divine favor. It "When the resistance loses the support of the indigenous deity Cawituvah, they will likely have to fully align themselves with either Fasak or Intis. With their more rigid beliefs, they might then be driven to do unconscionable things—such as attacking civilian gathering places, or having children still holding onto naive innocence stand in front of the onslaught." After some consideration, he first manifested the required scene, then grasped the "Rod of the Sea God," spreading out his spiritual essence and making contact with one of the luminous points. ... Deep within the jungle of Blue Mountain Island, in a concealed cave. Karat, the bald leader of the resistance, tumbled from his wheelchair and crawled forward, eyes filled with both despair and confusion, toward the shattered statue of the god Kavituvah. He sensed something, yet was unwilling to believe—because it meant all his perseverance, all his sacrifices, all his suffering, would have been in vain. No... he silently cried out, softly repeating the sacred name of the "Sea God," Kavituvah, in desperate hope of receiving a response from the deity. With his elbows braced against the ground and fingers digging into the mud, he moved inch by inch toward the broken statue, finally lifting the carved sea-serpent's head, only to find that the eyes had mysteriously sunken into black voids and the teeth had fallen out one by one. Karat seemed to have frozen, as if the light around him had vanished. At that very moment, he suddenly saw a blurred figure—behind the figure, a deep blue tidal wave surged upward like the sky, and branching silver lightning arced like tree limbs. In astonishment, Karat instinctively lowered his head, and a surge of joy, overwhelming and unbelieveable, welled up within him. He saw the figure's feet surrounded by gathering waves, and swirling hurricanes swirling around them, all majestic and sacred, lofty and vast. Then, he heard a calm, resonant voice: "I have returned." As the voice echoed, Karat found himself unexpectedly crying. ………… Inside the underwater ruins partially integrated with the spirit realm, about fifteen minutes after Kline had departed. The seawater filling the area suddenly rushed and gurgled, then poured out. Within just twenty or thirty seconds, the elven ruins became dry, as if transported to land. Fresh winds swept in, bringing breathable air. One after another, figures fell in the hurricane. At the forefront stood a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man, his outward appearance barely in his forties—his facial lines sharp and deeply etched, his muscles clearly defined, supporting the loose robes of a Storm Church priest. This was Bishop Ayn Cortman of the Storm Church, Metropolitan of the Rosth region, Senior Prelate of the "Penitent," and "King of the Seas." He had deep blue eyes, and his hair—of the same hue—was twice as thick as that of ordinary people, resembling slender creatures or delicate tendrils. Behind him came several members of the "Penitents" and military personnel, carefully and cautiously assessing the surroundings, neither relaxing their vigil despite the presence of a half-god ahead. At that moment, they heard a soft hum, which was then swept up by the hurricane and carried all the way to the entrance of the hall of the ruins. There, they saw a massive sea serpent, its flesh completely liquefied and its bones exposed, lying motionless. Nothing else remained. "Who—?" Ayn Koutman suppressed his fury and roared. As he spoke, a wave crashed down from above, echoing through the partially collapsed hall and swiftly settling into a still, windless lake. The lake reflected the scene that had just unfolded: a figure too indistinct to make out had raised a white staff inlaid with sapphire, stirring the sea and causing the ruins to tremble. Ayn Koutman took a deep breath and turned his back to the gathered crowd. "Find him."