With the idea in mind, Caine immediately set about doing preparatory work. That meant exploring the spiritual realm, selecting suitable candidates to serve as messengers, and once he departed the Rosedale Islands and their surrounding waters, he would take the "Staff of the Sea God" with him to reason with his chosen targets, persuading them to become his messengers. Should he get lost or encounter any danger, he would promptly end the summoning and return to the gray mist—thus ensuring minimal risk. After a few seconds of contemplation, Caine locked the door and began the ritual of summoning himself. As the ritual concluded, he swiftly ascended into the gray mist, yet did not immediately respond. Instead, he settled down, allowing the "Staff of the Sea God" to rise from among the clutter and settle into his palm. He intended to go through the usual routine of reviewing the prayers and requests from his followers, checking for any matters that needed his attention. Throughout this process, Kline found that some prayers were quite interesting—since humans could deceive friends and relatives, yet struggled to maintain their most authentic thoughts when confiding in or appealing to the divine, often only making minor adjustments to present themselves as less flawed. A mixed-race officer who had risen to a mid-level position at the Bayam police department clearly leaned toward embracing "the Lord of Storms," yet during his confession, he consistently framed his actions as part of a patient, enduring strategy. For the sake of the bright future of his native heritage, he could only painfully confess his shortcomings to the gods, hoping they would protect him as he climbed higher within the police hierarchy through his identity as a devoted storm follower. Though his words sounded coherent, the subtle shifts in his thoughts and the emotional fluctuations during the prayer were clearly visible in the recorded images—a feeling that could not be concealed. Yet, while deceiving himself, he also seeks to deceive the gods... If it were merely a sea serpent like Kavitova—so unwise and unremarkable—she might very well believe it... Shall I strike her with a lightning bolt, or ten gust blades? Well, a mixed-blood who has risen to the position of Senior Inspector is already quite commendable. I'll keep him. There's value in having a reliable, if not particularly outstanding, subordinate. Caine raises the "Rod of the Sea God," causing one of the azure-blue "gems" within it to shine brightly. The radiance pours into the scene, subtly seeping into the Senior Inspector named Braya. This is no curse, nor mere influence—it is a mark of divine origin, almost invisible to others. In essence, it signifies one-sided, special attention. Caine silently adds this to his thoughts. He continued browsing and spotted a young devotee with copper-toned skin and slightly wavy hair praying to the deity that a man named Zhangmu be struck by a storm and drowned at sea. The surface reason was that Zhangmu lacked piety, but the true intention—both of them fishermen—was that Zhangmu consistently brought in more catch than he did each time. What kind of nonsense is this—people's hearts are truly hard to grasp... Kline furrowed his brow, murmured silently, then formed a vague idea: "To genuinely embody the 'Faceless One,' one must not only maintain consistency in appearance, mannerisms, and habits, but also preserve the core of one's personality without making significant changes. Personality, after all, varies from person to person and is inherently distinct. "By reviewing the prayers of my followers, I can observe diverse personalities and psychological states without having to go through the trouble of direct interaction—each person's unique 'face' is not merely about physical appearance." "This will be of considerable importance to my ongoing role as the 'Faceless One,' helping me save time and effort in accumulating experience." Kline was increasingly convinced that embodying the role of the 'Sea God' had been of great benefit to him. When you truly embody a half-god, even without receiving feedback, you're bound to gain significant insights—this is an experience of a higher state. Klein felt a surge of energy and no longer skimmed through the prayer scenes. Scenes flashed by swiftly, until his gaze settled on a merchant named Relf. He intended for Relf to establish a charitable fund with a fortune of twenty thousand gold pounds, actively seeking donations from across society to repair the damage, foster consensus, and provide food, clothing, and education to children of local lineage—thus strengthening the legitimacy of the ruling authority. As for the rebels' operational expenses, Cline had a clear strategy: in this world of extraordinary power, sustained resistance by the colonial populace alone would be insufficient, necessitating crucial support from foreign allies such as Fosak and Intis. Financial backing was undoubtedly an essential component of this support. Unfortunately, he couldn't add a principle to the Decree stating, "Always boldly request funding"—that would undermine the image of the Sea God. The rebel forces should also refrain from constantly aiming to annihilate the garrisons; instead, they should focus on disrupting transportation infrastructure and increasing the difficulty of the Governor's administration, using such actions to promote negotiations. As a seasoned strategist, particularly adept at strategic planning, Cline was well-equipped with such ideas. He quickly settled his scattered thoughts and performed a divination to assess whether the exploration of the spiritual realm posed any danger. After receiving a favorable omen indicating no significant risk, Kline took the "Black Emperor" card, naturally transforming his appearance, and stepped through the "Gate of Summoning." Upon entering the real world, he stored several magical items within himself as a precaution, then, as before, used meditation to sense the spiritual realm. Advancing one step, he passed through the invisible veil and floated in a state of ethereal stillness. Around him, vivid blocks of red, yellow, blue, green, and other colors overlapped in a striking, abstract composition—resembling the most abstract oil painting—where human concepts such as up, down, left, and right no longer held universal meaning. If one relied on such directional cues, one would inevitably become disoriented. Kline wandered carefully yet casually, occasionally catching sight of a simple yellow sun drawn like a child's sketch, and sometimes passing by rivers that flowed silently yet remained formless. Here there are flat women with bare upper bodies, the smiling moon, a canoe with its ends arched upward, a tangled ball of threads, and serpentine staircases leading to seven beams of pure light... In this world so profoundly chaotic, information exists not as tangible forms but as abstract symbols, compounded and interwoven—thus, during divination, one receives only revelations that must be interpreted personally. These symbolic forms may even come to life, transforming into non-material monsters. This is the ethereal realm that defies human understanding and perception. What puzzles Klein, however, is another matter: when he first arrived, he had found the ethereal beings quite easily, noticing a series of unsettling glances emanating from all directions—faintly, as if coming from everywhere—such as a woman without a head bearing four heads, eyes of distinct black and white circles, or a colossal jellyfish with tentacles ending in skeletal heads—all of which he encountered effortlessly. Yet this time, he wandered for a while, seeing not a single spirit-being, and even the distant forms, which were hard to describe, vanished as if they had withdrawn. Could it be that they were afraid to serve as messengers for him? Ah, I entered the spirit realm directly as a mental entity—my thoughts might manifest here as subtle, invisible symbols, thus establishing an interaction with the spirits, naturally influencing the path I take. Klein pondered this, yet could not pinpoint the reason. Various ideas flashed through his mind, and suddenly his body began to sink, free-falling. After falling for a while, Klein still only saw vividly layered color blocks and a variety of solidified symbolic forms. What on earth was going on? He began to consider whether to write a letter to Mr. Azk or to simply toss his radio receiver into the gray mist, allowing it to absorb the ambient atmosphere and thus establish contact with the mirror spirit, Arōdes. Floating freely, Caine suddenly had a thought and darted to the side. A broad foot, large enough to flatten him entirely, swept past his vision and settled into the interwoven patches of red and blue. On the foot was a long, decaying leg oozing a yellowish-green fluid, stretching over three meters, and above that, a massive body wrapped in sheets of corpse-oil bandages. Amid the stillness that seemed to have frozen the surrounding air, those two legs, each dripping yellow-green pus, alternately lifted, carrying an indistinct form, and swiftly receded, vanishing deep into the heart of the spiritual realm. Caine stood at a distance, silent as a leaf. Only when he was certain all was well did he grit his teeth and think: The spiritual realm is truly daunting—just one moment, and there comes a major figure passing by... a major among the spiritual realm's creatures? Shaking his head, Caine continued his exploration. By now, he had no idea where exactly within the spiritual realm he had drifted. After drifting for a while, he finally caught sight of traces of spiritual beings. As he was about to shift from forward flight to a leftward descent, he was startled to find his body no longer under control—instead, it carried on, accelerating steadily. His "forward" path, a chaotic overlay of colored patches and faintly diffused gray mist, suddenly cleaved open, and a massive three-masted sailing ship, entirely enveloped in pure black, surged in. The vessel was nearly a hundred meters long, its three black sails high and billowing, like banners. At its two sides stood a series of cannon ports, and on the deck, watermen of various forms and movements hurried and worked busily. Everything was so vivid, so tangible—so at odds with the overall condition of the spiritual realm. Yet as the ship fully entered the spiritual world, its black hue deepened, acquiring a touch of ethereal quality. On its deck, leaning against the hull, stood a weathered stone chair about two meters tall. Seated upon it was a colossal figure, whose stature rivaled that of ancient giants. He had a black beard just brushing his neck, wearing a tall, pointed crown on his head and a magnificent robe of black with silver trim. His facial contours were firm and deeply carved, exuding an aura of dignity that made one instinctively bow their head. Beneath the broad forehead etched with slight lines, and above the high, arched nose, his two deep black eyes shimmered with a rich crimson glow, reflecting the figure of Caine—dressed in full black armor and crowned with a dark crown. Caine, in turn, struggled to slow his swift approach toward him. Their gazes met briefly within the layered hues and various symbols of the spiritual realm, then Caine vanished instantly. The "giant" seated on the weathered stone chair did not withdraw his gaze, still gazing into that space, remaining in long, silent contemplation.