Above the gray mist, within the palace resembling a giant's dwelling, Caine sat in the position of the Fool. Raising his right hand, he summoned the "God of the Sea's Staff," hidden among the clutter, and brought it to rest in his palm. Originally, he had intended to place this seal of near-"Level 1" status beside his seat—a gesture of respect for a half-divine artifact. However, after careful reflection, he concluded that the "God of the Sea's Staff" still fell short in stature when compared to the Fool, a figure of profound mystery and power capable of confronting entities such as the "True Creator" or the "Primordial Witch," the very archetypes of the divine. Only at the level of the "Card of Desecration" did it truly measure up. Thus, he returned the staff to the pile of clutter. As he watched the delicate points of azure light swirling around the white bone staff, Caine formed a mental plan for its initial categorization. As he had expected, the azure and blue points spontaneously differentiated according to his will. Those that merely praised the "God of the Sea" and settled quietly at the bottom faded more quickly. Points involving confession or specific petitions rose upward, drifting closer to Caine's palm. Following his spiritual intuition, he gently touched one of the rising points. The fishermen, growing increasingly desperate, suddenly felt steadied as if being gently tossed back and forth by the ship. Startled, they looked around and saw that the towering waves, which had once surged like mountains, had now calmed down, while the fierce winds that had stormed the sea had softened, becoming gentle—like the taste of Zalha beer. The layered clouds overhead began to part, and before the storm could fully unfold, a mysterious force had subdued it. The fishermen soon regained their composure and realized what had happened: "The Sea God" had protected them, and "The Sea God" had revealed His majesty! Thump, thump, thump! They all knelt upon the deck, spread their hands, and pressed them to their lips, chanting the name of the Sea God in a somewhat uneven rhythm: "Thank you, praise you, beloved of the sea and the spirit realm, guardian of the Rosd Islands, ruler of the creatures beneath the waves, master of tsunamis and gales—great Cavitua!" Above the gray mist, Caine unexpectedly felt a sense of unease: "I've saved you all—why should you thank Cavitova? That sea serpent only deliberately creates hurricanes, stirs the waves, and frightens you, compelling you to worship it faithfully." Caine paused for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled dryly. "Cavitova has already passed away. The Cavitova you now know is actually my other identity. Why should I feel displeased because you express gratitude toward my other self? Is this precisely the issue that the 'Faceless One' must attend to when truly embodying a role? To genuinely integrate into the identity, to feel its joys and sorrows as one's own, yet never forget who one truly is from the beginning... This is truly difficult to achieve. A slight lapse and one may spiral into mental instability—once the spirit of an extraordinary being falters, chaos is inevitable." After a thoughtful moment, Caine exhaled softly and murmured to himself, "Playing the role of the Sea God has certainly been quite rewarding." "Although the gray mist shields and isolates, the performance might not yield immediate feedback and may simply facilitate the digestion of my 'Faceless' elixir; yet it still offers valuable experience and lessons, helping me refine safer and more effective methods of performance." Calming his mind, Caine extended his spiritual presence to another luminous point. This time, the plea came from within a bridge arch, where a woman clad in tattered garments, her body already溃烂 and oozing pus, leaned against a corner, softly reciting the name of 'Poseidon' as she made her final confession. Through her words, Caine seemed to witness her entire brief life firsthand. A native woman, both her parents worshipped the 'Sea God,' and thus she too held that faith. In her early years, her father worked as a miner, road builder, and rail track layman, while her mother held various temporary jobs—sewing, ironing, assisting at the docks, and occasionally serving as a street vendor—keeping the family struggling but still afloat. The change happened two years ago, when her father died in a road construction accident, and the Rossd Railway Company offered only a meager compensation, pushing the family toward ruin. Subsequently, the girl was sold by her mother to the "Red Theatre," becoming a legally recognized prostitute. Although Emperor Rossel had long invented condoms, many pirates and adventurers preferred immediate gratification and were unwilling to use them, and the "Red Theatre" itself did not enforce their use. The girl struggled in vain, eventually contracting an illness. The managers of the "Red Theatre" attempted simple treatments, but seeing little improvement, they eventually expelled her, as the cost of further treatment far exceeded the price of acquiring a new girl. The sick girl could no longer find work or afford rent. Her mother and her siblings had long since disappeared—perhaps dead, perhaps taken captive and turned into slaves. The girl became a wanderer, settling beneath a bridge arch, sustained for a while by food and free medicines provided by charitable organizations. Yet this too was only temporary—her condition worsened, her body grew increasingly frail, and soon she reached the end of her life. At that moment, she recalled the days when she had eaten well and worn warm clothes, and remembered the occasional words spoken by pirates and adventurers, softly praying to the "Sea God": "I wish to live like a human being." Klein raised his staff once more, only to find that the seal had no healing power. He considered whether to purchase a supply of medicines from Emlyn White under the name of "the World," but realized that the prayer scene had taken place at noon—by then, the girl had already passed away, lying in the muddy, filthy bridge arch, wracked by pain and intense hunger. Klein remained silent, then raised the perspective of the prayer scene, revealing the location of the bridge arch. After noting the characteristics of the nearby streets and surrounding areas, Caine leaned back against the chair, sighed, and said with a sober, quiet smile, "What a humble request. 'There's nothing for me to play at... I'll do my best to bury you with some dignity.'" He shifted his attention, scanning the other glimmers in search of genuine roles to embody, but found little success. During this process, Caine observed the rebels—Karat, Edmonton, and others—conducting ceremonies, placing items upon altars and praying to the "Sea God" for strength. These extraordinary "things" they exchanged were indeed arrived at in such a manner... At the level of half-gods, everything truly changes... And they've grown accustomed to not receiving immediate responses—seeming to want the items to spend the night on the altar... It appears that even the sea serpent from Cawitua isn't responding instantly; it depends on its mood, whether it's asleep or not. Otherwise, it can only offer instinctual responses and cannot produce batches of extraordinary "things" at once. Kline picked up the "Rod of the Sea God" and caused each of the deep blue "gems" to glow once more. The powerful spiritual essence combined in a wondrous way, flowing into the image of supplication, into the altar, and randomly merging with various objects. Some produced electric incantations, others enabled people to swim like fish through the sea, while others summoned strong winds... Within three months, the spiritual power would gradually fade away. Kline half-closed his eyes, feeling the transformations taking place in the objects. At this point, he was quite weary, though he had only made two responses—primarily relying on the power of the "God of the Sea's Staff." One instance involved forcibly dispersing the storm and calming the waves, the other required simultaneously enchanting dozens of items, both of which were semi-divine-level applications and consumed significant spiritual energy. "Even if I can fully utilize this 'Poseidon's Staff,' I won't be able to sustain it for long... As for the negative effects, they don't burden me at all—sometimes, I might even find ways to leverage them. 'Hmm,' the rebel forces reminded me—I need to pray to myself and create a batch of talismans, especially those suited for underwater activities. That way, even if sea battles arise, I won't be constrained. Oh, and I still haven't figured out how to craft the lightning talismans yet—I'll need to gather relevant esoteric materials. With them, I'll be able to counter enemies who control the skies..." Klein murmured silently, then set the 'Poseidon's Staff' back among the clutter and swiftly returned to the real world. Audrey Hall sat with ease on the back of a brown-red mare, her riding suit cinched at the waist, a simple women's blouse tucked beneath it, completely steady without a single tremor. Her black leather boots firmly planted in the stirrups, her legs in white trousers slightly tucked in, she turned her head to smile at Suzy, a golden retriever carrying a small leather satchel beside her. "I was waiting by the edge of the woods!" she said. Then, lowering her body slightly with the reins in hand, she guided the brown-red mare from a slow to a steady gallop, weaving through the open fields. Compared to the grand, expensive, yet gloomy family manor, Audrey preferred the beautiful country estate and the charm of rural life. One after another, the fine horses emerged, riders ranging from servants to maids, each with one mission: to protect Miss Audrey. Suzy, too, galloped joyfully—something Audrey had never experienced in Beckettland. Moreover, Audrey and she will have a small adventure today—exploring an ancient tower that has stood abandoned for a long time within the forest. Though valuable items have long since been removed and no accidents have ever occurred, it is an ideal setting for beginners to master various skills. The only issue is that it will grow dark in two hours, and time may be tight.