"As soon as we know where she is, we'll get 1,000 pounds! I've never encountered a commission like this before!" Daniz, slightly excited, rubbed his hands together and clenched his fists against the tall, iron-black gas lamp pole, as if he wanted to immediately wander the entire city, searching for the red-haired woman named Eileen. For him, 1,000 pounds wasn't a small sum—it would allow him to add another house to his property in Bayam, though not in the most prestigious or valuable districts. His earlier acquisition of the elven flying carpet had been valued at around two to three thousand pounds, and this current commission—earned against formidable opponents like the steel-wielding McVey and the blood-red thorned Hunterly—was far more significant than a straightforward search-and-recovery assignment. A few steps ahead, Caine carried a newspaper wrapped in protective spell materials that had cost him a full fifteen pounds, slowed his pace slightly, and spoke with a composed expression: "One thousand five hundred and fifty pounds." "...Danzig's excitement froze on his face. He suddenly remembered an important point—to other pirates and adventurers, he was just as attractive and appealing as Elizabeth the Red. They didn't even need to fight him; once they recognized him, they could simply report him to the military, the church, or the police and claim a reward of over 1,000 pounds. After all, he was already a pirate worth 5,500 pounds. Seeking out Elizabeth the Red was like a graceful, beautiful woman entering a 'red theater' for entertainment. Stink... Dazig spat out the word, dragging the middle syllable so slowly it seemed to stretch. At the same time, he instinctively lifted his hand and pulled down the brim of his cap, lowering it slightly. Klein, who had just been doused with a bucket of cold water, resumed his normal walking pace and began thinking about how to locate Elizabeth the Red. Without a reliable intermediary or sufficient information, he found it difficult to rely on divination. He could only consider alternative approaches." "Motivating subordinates to conduct a citywide search? This is something only the Church, the military, and the police could accomplish—even the local crime syndicates would struggle to manage... Wait, I think I can do it too... "Right now, I am 'Poseidon' Cavitova, and my followers are spread throughout Bayam and the Blue Mountain Island. With a single broadcast, no—rather, a single divine proclamation addressed to all my faithful—I can have them help me locate the red-haired Elen... But won't that seem too humble? Even a god would expect some dignity, after all, for merely charging a thousand pounds to do such a thing... "If I were truly the 'Poseidon,' I wouldn't care about such matters. But I am playing the role of Cavitova, and I must strive to preserve the dignity of the divine." "Kavituvwa was on the brink of collapse, yet when it urgently needed to locate Laticia and her followers, it made no divine broadcast—only issued commands to a select group of high-level devotees. I can revise its statutes, which would be part of reestablishing its image, but I must not make it seem too modest. Hmm, that should also be part of the genuine embodiment requirement. Simply sending oracles to figures like Karat and Edmonton alone would be insufficient to quickly mobilize a search effort, and they would inevitably amplify the crisis, making it seem far more severe—making subsequent management difficult. Another option: once again send the radio telegraph into the gray mist, and after a few days, attempt to reach the mirror-king Arodes, inquiring about the whereabouts of the red-haired Elen. This must be handled carefully, with proper preparations—using divination to confirm the situation. If the telegraph receives any odd or strange messages from the 'True Creator' or the 'Primordial Witch,' even just a brief glance at them, they will likely be truly overwhelmed." Klein quickly formed a plan and boarded a hired carriage waiting at the street corner, Daniz following close behind, holding his cap firmly. Upon returning to the "Blue Wind" inn, Klein removed his hat and unbuttoned his coat as he said to Daniz, "If your captain has dreamed of you, ask about the information on the red-haired Eileen." "She probably doesn't know, otherwise I wouldn't recognize this red-haired Eileen," Daniz chuckled. "I can't even imagine who's looking for her—how generous of them to pay 1,000 pounds." His mind drifted off, imagining a love story as grand as any from the novels of King Roderick. Klein glanced at him and casually added, "I'll be listening tonight." "Listening?" Daniz blinked, suddenly realizing he must have misunderstood. "Yes," Klein nodded. Germán Sparrow—hasn't he been feeling rather tired lately? Though a bit mad, he's essentially a good person at heart. When at Banxi Port, he'd even taken a risk to save someone, simply for reasons that didn't quite make sense—Danziz quietly reflected on this. Holding the radio receiver and its accompanying items, Caine entered the bedroom, locked the door, and offered a sacrifice, sending them into the gray mist. After completing this, he didn't immediately leave the grand palace. Instead, he called out, summoning the "Sea God's Staff" from among the clutter, and began reviewing the diverse prayers offered by different people, accumulating experience from a thousand distinct expressions. Throughout this, he occasionally responded, as if still marveling at his toys. As Caine's review drew to a close, a series of rippling circles suddenly appeared beside the seat of "The Fool." Someone was praying to me, not to the "Sea God"—Caine raised an eyebrow, extended his spiritual awareness, and began exploring the scenes contained within the circles. ……… Emmat Port, in a room with curtains drawn tightly closed. Dressed in a black classical robe, Edshiran restrained his inner impulses and spoke to the youthful and sweet-faced girl Danniess: "The gift of the divine resides within us, yet to claim it, we must have a guide. Your soul is pure, cherished by the gods. I shall personally guide you. Throughout this journey, no matter what happens, you must believe in me and follow my lead. What would you like to ask me before this begins?" He claimed that "The Fool" was the incarnation of "The Storm King," who would descend at the end of days to save his followers—this was a secret that could not be widely publicized, for otherwise other churches and their deities would take notice. Only those specially chosen could come to believe in "The Fool" before the end, and thus be among the first to be saved. To strengthen his credibility, he had spent considerable funds in Bekkanth, purchasing sheets of paper bearing the sacred name of "The Fool." Regarding the content of these sheets, he remarked: "They look genuine." Dennis asked, with a mixture of apprehension and anticipation, "Lord of the Covenant, why have we not received any response when we recite the divine names? Aren't we the ones specially chosen to be blessed by the gods?" I'll grant you the blessing right away... Edshilan took a deep breath, suppressing the vivid images that arose in his mind: "There are two reasons. First, you have yet to uncover the divine gifts hidden within your own being. I will assist you in discovering them shortly." "Second, you are not sincere. You don't need to justify yourself—I can see right through to your soul." "When you have accomplished all this, you will be able to recite the true divine name and receive a response, just as I have." With Danneys' mixture of reverence and curiosity fixed upon him, Edhislarn picked up a steel pen from the table beside him and swiftly wrote a line of words. It was the Hermes liturgical language used in rituals. —To make the deception successful, Edhislarn had acquired a solid grasp of religious knowledge, even secretly attending lectures in history and archaeology at the university. He held the paper in his hands and, before Danneys' eyes, proudly recited the Hermes words he had just written: "O fool of a time unbelonging, Mysterious sovereign above the gray mist, King of fortune, of yellow and black." Then, Edhislarn half-closed his eyes, spread his arms, and murmured dreamily: "I feel the divine presence." At that moment, a silver-white lightning bolt descended from the sky and struck directly upon his head. With that, electric serpents surged across his body, and he collapsed to the ground under the blessing of "divine favor," his skin rapidly blackening and his muscles convulsing violently. A few seconds later, he ceased all movement—including breathing—within Dan尼斯's astonished exclamation, "Indeed, Lord Edshiran is a true recipient of divine grace." Only then did Dan尼斯 realize something was wrong. She approached carefully, lowered her dress, and placed her fingers gently on Edshiran's nose. He... he was dead... he was dead! Dan尼斯 stepped back in shock, falling to the ground with a gasp. She began to cry, stumbling out of the room and rushing toward the nearest police station. ........ Above the gray mist, Caine silently withdrew the "Poseidon's Staff." How dare he use my name to defraud me and dishonor women... A slight twitch passed across his lips; he longed to strike another lightning bolt at that man named Edshiran. This is what is called posthumous punishment. Will the girl file a report? This case will inevitably be assigned to the corresponding extraordinary team—either the "Watchers at Night" or the "Sentinels of Punishment," or perhaps the "Heart of Mechanism"—to be handled. Having been so thoroughly handled by Mr. A, my reputation as the " Fool" in Beckland is no longer modest; perhaps there's already an official file on record. Indeed, they might consolidate all the details and hand them over to a specialized unit like the "Red Glove" or something similar. Klein had previously served as a Watcher at Night, and he had considered the potential developments with thoughtful insight. Yet he soon set this matter aside, as he simply couldn't be found. Klein returned the "Staff of Neptune" to the pile of miscellaneous items and prepared to re-enter the real world. Suddenly, among the deep red stars quietly suspended in the boundless gray mist, one brightened abruptly, radiating a luminous, liquid glow! It expanded and contracted, then contracted and expanded again, standing out remarkably. And yet, this deep red star belonged to no member of the Tarot Circle. Today has been truly busy... Who could it be? Someone like the "Justice" lady, the "Hanged Man" gentleman, or the little "Sun"—someone who connects with the gray mist through certain objects? Kline thought deeply, spreading out his spiritual awareness, remaining silent and simply browsing. PS: First chapter delivered—please support with a monthly subscription! (Chapter complete) 567. Year-End Summary and Thanks Along with a Request for Monthly Subscriptions (Chapter updated) Year-End Summary and Thanks Along with a Request for Monthly Subscriptions (Chapter updated) The year 2018 has come to an end—perhaps it's time for a simple summary. For an author, the most joyful and fulfilling thing is having the confidence and passion to create even better works, while still finding room for growth and discovering effective solutions within the writing process. For instance, in the past, my strongest strength was the explosive, repetitive questioning style—particularly effective in building major climactic moments. However, in "Mysterious," I deliberately chose not to adopt this approach. This was both a matter of self-restraint and a limitation imposed by the story's world-building framework: overly dramatic, explosive emotions often felt out of place. Therefore, I hope to find a harmonious balance between the repetitive, questioning bursts and the calm, objective descriptive style in my next work following "Mysterious." "Mysterious" was uploaded in April, and today it has been exactly nine months since then. In total, I have written 179.8 thousand words—rounding that off, that's approximately 20 thousand words per month. While not a high volume, it's steady and consistent, flowing like a gentle stream. I'm not a particularly gifted writer, nor am I much younger than I was a few years ago with a sharp, lively mind. For each chapter, I spend a considerable amount of time in planning. Often, when I try to write two chapters a day, I get stuck and end up without time to rest or read—writing three chapters becomes even more challenging. On top of that, I'm also maintaining my fitness routine. As a result, my updates are sparse. In this situation, my top priority is quality. Readers gather around the book because they find it enjoyable, not the other way around. Before I began writing, I had conversations with some friends about crafting a fantasy story with an English-inspired flavor. Their consistent feedback was that securing film and television rights would be extremely difficult, almost impossible—and that would represent a significant financial investment. I value money, and I believe everyone would appreciate it, except perhaps Mr. Ma, but as a writer, what I truly desire is to create the stories I personally want to tell and express. I believe that if the quality is strong, financial returns will naturally follow. I don't want to create a commercially driven story simply to generate revenue—my creative vision and the relationship with the audience must never be reversed. It's wonderful to see that since the launch of *The Mysterious*, I've been gaining increasing appreciation from readers—more and more people are enjoying it—and being able to earn a living from it is the very best outcome. By the way, on the last day of 2018, we achieved the milestone of reaching 100 alliances. I never actually considered this, nor did I actively promote it—it simply happened organically, because *The Mysterious* has been written fairly well. This is exactly the logic I envisioned. I'm deeply grateful to each and every alliance leader, to every supporter who has made donations or subscribed, and especially to all of you who enthusiastically voted—thanks to your support, Xiao Ke has been named the most beloved character of 2018 on Start! When the forum moderators and group leaders asked me what I was fighting for, my first thought was to compete for the Author's Rank. Later, after they encouraged me to study the rankings more closely, I decided to go after the Character's Rank instead. First, many of my friends are already strong contenders, and if I were to fight for the Author's Rank, it would place a significant burden on everyone—both in terms of time and money. Second, I found that the Character's Rank is actually more cost-effective: while the Author's Rank offers only a Golden Keyboard advantage, the Character's Rank comes with exclusive live-screen promotion, which is equivalent to a major push. I'm just someone who values practicality.