"Second Commandment: Do not misuse my name." "Third Commandment: There shall be no other gods." "Fourth Commandment: Love your parents, your husband, your wife, your children, as you love me." "Fifth Commandment: Do not commit adultery." "Sixth Commandment: Do not kill the innocent." "Seventh Commandment: Do not lie, do not slander, do not break your promises." "Eighth Commandment: Serve me with your heart, not merely with sacrifices." "Ninth Commandment: Those who commit small sins must first make restitution and then receive forgiveness." "Tenth Commandment: Help your fellow citizens and companions, and thereby glorify my name." As an exceptional mid-level figure—a former resistance officer educated in the Fesak Empire—he possesses sufficient insight to understand that the veneration of the "Sea God" stems primarily from fear: fear of overwhelming power, fear of inevitable natural risks faced by humanity. Many rituals still retain their primitive, blood-soaked forms, reflecting outdated, uncivilized, and unhumanitarian beliefs that will inevitably be phased out. Yet, shaped by his early upbringing, he remains hesitant to defy the divine mandate, quietly burying his vision for reforming the ritual process and carefully avoiding any elements that conflict with his own convictions. Now, the Sea God's sudden transformation fills him with profound joy—like witnessing a primordial totem, as spoken of by outsiders, evolving into a true divine form. We are blessed, the resistance is blessed, the true believers are blessed… With a slightly blurred gaze, Karat gently lifts his head, earnestly spreads his hands, and places them to his lips: "We shall follow your path, as we praise your name." The blurry figure before him vanished, the grand voice in his ears faded, and the scene within the cavern returned to its original state. Yet Karat knew that everything had changed forever. He swiftly moved his elbows, climbing back to his wheelchair and settling into it, then turning to the other side of the cavern. Karat had soon encountered Edmonton, the rebel with a sea-serpent tattoo in shades of blue and green, standing before the strange, bleeding statue, his forehead a mix of red and black, stained and grotesque. Yet Edmonton's expression was joyful, uplifted, and satisfied. He looked at Karat and asked immediately, "Did you receive the divine prophecy?" "Yes, it's the same divine presence as before," Karat nodded excitedly. "The gods have not only returned to the land, but have renewed their sacred covenant." Edmonton exhaled in relief, "I was just beginning to doubt I was having a hallucination. It seems that merely having an outsider touch the Holy Sword is enough for the gods to return to the land—no need to lift it completely." "Karat agreed: "Indeed, the divine images are now shattered and bleeding because the God has changed His form. We must build new ones! Exactly as we just witnessed!" Edmonton recalled, describing how the God had revealed His sacred emblem—a staff resembling lightning set atop a wave symbol, surrounded by swirling winds. Karat immediately tapped the armrest of his wheelchair: "We'll go find the High Priest right away—he should have received the divine message as well. "A new world is dawning!" ………… Above the gray mist, Caine placed the "Staff of the Sea God" and gently rubbed his temples, weary. He had just noticed one point: the "Staff of the Sea God" responds to ritual magic—offering a certain measure of strength to assist the practitioner in completing the ritual and achieving the desired outcome. However, this power is confined within its own domain and cannot exceed its limits, thus the range of actions it can perform remains quite limited. For example, the Goddess of Night can naturally enable her devotees to acquire the necessary funds and settle their bills by influencing fate, whereas the "Staff of the Sea God" can do no more than transform the white paper on the altar into cash temporarily—only for it to eventually fade away and revert to its true form. "That's the difference between a false god and a true god... Moreover, beyond the gray mist, as long as the proper procedures and incantations are followed, the 'God of the Sea's Staff' can respond autonomously to ritual magic—unless it requires mobilizing more than half of its power at once. This may explain why ritual magic procedures are so crucial... Above the gray mist, prayers are shielded and reduced to mere points of light, and the 'God of the Sea's Staff' can no longer respond on its own; it must be manually managed by me. That becomes quite troublesome. I can't possibly stay here all the time. Of course, there's a benefit too: as long as the prayer is correctly delivered and accurately directed toward the 'God of the Sea's Staff,' even if the ritual steps are rather haphazard, a response may still be achieved—provided only that I'm in a good mood. When I have time, I'll think of a way to make the 'God of the Sea's Staff' automatically respond even above the gray mist. Perhaps a paper angel?" It's useless—no soul injected at all. Just a rigid, mechanical puppet, handling repetitive, ritualistic magic responses? Hmm… I'm not sure if the "Master of Secret Figures" possesses this kind of ability. At least, Rosago only demonstrates the capacity to manipulate people like puppets. Klein's thoughts gradually settled as his gaze shifted to the iron cigarette box. After careful examination, he found that despite its visibly corroded appearance, the box had indeed undergone certain changes—become stronger, more durable, and more resistant to corrosion—though still within the range of what ordinary humans could understand and accept. No special nature present… yet if left here for several years, decades, or if long-term housing of extraordinary items or magical artifacts, perhaps one day it will truly evolve into a "sealing box" whose effects gradually fade. Klein's lips moved slightly, and he turned his head toward the clutter piled in the corner. They were now enveloped in gray mist, nearly blending in with the surrounding environment. Hmm... Caine chuckled softly, drawing his gaze back. He played with the golden wine cup that had been flattened, making sure there was nothing amiss. After completing these actions, he returned to the real world, summoned himself once more, and brought the "solar brooch" and other items back to his room at the inn. At this moment, the sky cleared, the crimson light spreading gently, and the entire city of Bayam, the "City of Generosity," remained asleep in its dreams. In an instant, he shifted his thoughts, choosing not to conceal the change in his emotions, and simply said aloud: "Who is this?" The figure in the portrait was unusually blurry and lacked any distinctive features that could aid in identification. There hadn't been this task yesterday—today in the morning, it had suddenly been assigned. What must have happened last night? Ah, Kavitova had completely fallen. Consequently, the Church and the military would surely be searching for what remained. Wasn't Symim Island the key clue? Had this person seized the most vital items before they even began their search? Who exactly was this person? Aljé's mind trembled, and he nearly dared not meet Jogori's gaze. Jogori nodded: "A dirty, underhanded thief! He might be someone from Indis or Vaskar, possibly belonging to the Church of the Sun or the Church of the War God." Someone from Indis or Vaskar, from the Church of the Sun or the Church of the War God? Why was there such a clear judgment and assumption? Lord Ayen Koutman received only limited information on-site and could not clearly identify the target. Indeed, it was reasonable to initially assume the person came from Intis or Vosak, as these two nations were the primary supporters of the resistance and of Cavituwa—ah, this aligns well with my earlier speculation. Of course, it might also have been something else entirely. Aljer composed himself and asked, "What did he do?" "You need not know—just observe any anomalies among the Intis or Vosak representatives, including the local individuals who have become extraordinary. Also, look into the people who previously posted the notices at the church's main entrance; they may have some insights. Further information will soon follow." Jogo said, his voice steady. This is indeed a direction... It's as if it's telling me that this person is connected to the announcement and the fall of Cavituwa... I wonder who has come into possession of Cavituwa's remarkable qualities... Who... Ah, "The World" is in Bayam—he's only just arrived, and Cavituwa has already fallen! Could this be The Fool's true purpose? Does it help Him unlock more seals and restore His strength? Aljé's pupils suddenly narrowed, recalling a hunch he'd had earlier. Gelman Sparo arrived, and Daniz chuckled warmly. "My recovery ability is quite solid. My Sequence 9 is called 'Hunter'—my physical attributes have significantly improved, surpassing normal human standards. The combat-related aspects have seen even greater enhancement. I'm now at Sequence 7." Sequence 9, 'Hunter'? I've defeated one—indeed, I recall the Sequence 6 known as 'Conspirator'... It suddenly came back to me—the first enemy I encountered when I first arrived in Beklan. That encounter plunged me into a deep crisis, nearly overwhelming me. "Sequence 8, 'The Provoker'?" Klein asked casually. He had long suspected Daniz's exceptional path, based on his mastery of fire—what Roessel called the 'Iron-Hearted True Man' path, the 'Red Priest' path. Sequence 7 in that path is known as 'Pyrologist,' or 'Fire Mage.' Daniez paused for a moment, thinking that Gerem Spalro was questioning him, and unconsciously raised his voice: "Do you think I'm not good at provoking? No, I'm an expert at that!" PS: Recommending a book, "Infinite Personalities of Marvel," by an older author with a new account. One book after another, the writing quality continues to improve.