The cold seawater instantly submerged Caine, soaking through his golden-red gown and making it heavy, as though it were stone, dragging his body downward with relentless force. At the same time, the "craving hunger" consumed the pirate, lightening the weight of an entire person. Caine did not attempt to rise—he continued to sink, faintly hearing several distant thuds, muffled by the waves, as if waterborne seamen were persistently pursuing him. This was their home ground! They could move like fish here for a long time! Caine remained calm. As a magician who never performed without preparation, he had certainly considered an evacuation plan should his efforts fail—after all, no endeavor ever succeeded perfectly. Although, in order to best embody Eileen and avoid being discovered by the ailing Tracy as being out of place, he had not brought any of his other magical items or cash, and even the newly crafted sigils related to water and wind domains had been left behind in the gray mist, this would not hinder his performance. In his triune state—as divine being, companion, and devotee—he could execute a number of remarkable maneuvers to handle such situations. He swiftly made the "craving that pulses" pale and tinged it with a sickly green, causing the surrounding seawater to freeze into layers of white frost. Before the frost fully solidified into ice crystals, a subtle contraction in his back butterfly muscles triggered, and his arms suddenly spread wide, using the strength of the living corpse to shatter the ice, sending the fragments flying backward into the farther reaches of the sea. As a result, a small, temporary area devoid of seawater now formed around him. The water surged backward instantly, rushing to fill the void. With a gentle extension of his left hand, Caine released a terrifying cold that spread outward, forming successive walls of ice from the sea. For a brief moment, he felt as though imprisoned within a sea of ice, able to stand and speak, yet confined to a remarkably narrow space. Immediately, he took four small steps counterclockwise, softly reciting the names of Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Tian Zun, swiftly drawing his spirit into the haze above. As his form emerged onto the high-backed chair of "The Fool," he immediately grasped the "Rod of the Sea God" already placed before him. Without needing to identify it, Caine thought of the name, selecting the luminous point symbolizing the newly ordained "Sea God" devotee, Germain Sparo, and, guided by the pre-established connection, raised his short, milky-white staff, causing one by one the emerald-blue "gems" to radiate a soft, gentle glow. He responded to "believers," layering upon himself a series of spell-like effects—among others, underwater breathing, free movement, and resistance to pressure. Finally, he summoned the Angel of Paper to disrupt the divination and issued commands to the marine creatures beneath the surrounding waters, instructing them to assist and shield Galman Sparrow as he fled. Having completed all this, Caine did not delay—he immediately returned to the real world and reasserted control over his body. At that moment, the pressure of the sea had breached the ever-melting ice wall, once again submerging the once-"independent" space. Yet Caine now breathed easily and swam swiftly. Through the shimmering, clear ripples of the water, he saw schools of fish approaching, and saw a shadow rise beneath his feet—then a colossal creature surged upward at high speed. It was a peculiar, brownish-red octopus, so large that it seemed capable of embracing and ensnaring the entire ship with its tentacles. It spewed ink outward, darkening the surrounding sea. Several "mariners" searching and pursuing the attackers suddenly found their vision dimmed as they passed by the extraordinary one, their bodies growing momentarily numb. Unaware of what had transpired, they rose to the surface to address their unusual sensations. When they submerged again to continue the search,克莱恩 had completely vanished. At that moment,克莱恩 was leisurely gliding through the depths, even taking time to reflect on his actions, evaluating his performance: "I was well-prepared in embodying Elaina; even Tracie, who had shared countless nights of intimacy with her, failed to recognize me immediately, which greatly aided the absorption of the potion. Throughout the process, I overcame my psychological barriers and achieved a balanced state—both immersed and detached—which significantly enhanced the potion's absorption." "During the battle, I managed to perform at my best—essentially a well-prepared performance. Still, I underestimated the strength of a Sequence 5 'Sorceress of Suffering,' and I failed to fully appreciate the experience of a 'General of Illness' who has steadily ascended to this rank. Even if she began the battle without her magical artifact, with my current strength and the seal items at my disposal, it would have been difficult to defeat her swiftly—unless I could summon the 'Poseidon's Staff.' But that's in the territory of the Rosted Isles. "Today's engagement clearly reveals that I still lack a powerful offensive magical artifact..." Faced with the reality of this setback, Caine undoubtedly felt a sense of disappointment, yet he remained composed, knowing the situation was far from over. He intended to write a letter to Mr. Azk, inquiring whether he might be interested in ancient texts related to the Death Deities, and whether he had the time to make a visit. Before leaving the captain's quarters, Crane snapped his fingers to ignite the male attire and his hair and skin flakes removed from the cloak room—appearing to leave nothing behind, yet in reality, this was a deliberate act of concealment and deception. He sought to hide the subtle strands of hair and buttons that he had discreetly dropped into various rooms after entering the ship's hold, items so inconspicuous that no one would notice them. Once Tracie, the "Diseased Captain," had been misled into believing the attacker feared exposure and feared a spectral curse, thus carefully erasing all traces of her own presence, it would become difficult for her to convince the pirates to conduct a thorough inspection for any lingering evidence. With those hair strands and buttons, Crane could, through divination, pinpoint the location of the Black Death over a certain period. As long as Mr. Azk had expressed the desire, he could then swiftly locate Tracie, the "Diseased Captain." Oh, he had originally thought he could manage entirely on his own without Azkira's assistance—only to find that he still fell short a little. Klein sighed, feeling a bit wounded in his self-esteem. This was one reason he hadn't sought help from the big names right from the start. The other reason was that he wasn't entirely certain that Tracie had secured the ancient documents related to the Death God. If she hadn't, it would have been quite awkward for Azkira to have come all this way in vain. Moreover, he worried that even with Azkira's support, he would still need to appear as Ilean, still need to wear her clothes, and continue to act as a lure—something that would be deeply embarrassing to present to someone he knew well. "Actually, if our goal had simply been to eliminate 'The Sick One,' Tracy, without needing to gather intelligence—then the matter would have been much simpler. I'd just swim back to Bayam, rise above the gray mist, and use the 'God of the Sea's Staff' to summon a storm from my precise position... This wouldn't necessarily kill Tracy outright, but it would draw the attention of 'King of the Sea,' Ayn Cortman. Once the storm is summoned, the Black Death's movements would be exposed to the Storm Church's watchful eyes. 'King of the Sea' would now have his 'Sick Maiden'..." Caine shook his head with a touch of self-mockery, swimming swiftly toward the shoreline, guided by the seer's intuitive sense. This is not only because she had nearly died at the other person's hands, but also because she sensed a growing closeness between the other and Eileen. As per the Emperor Roscel, she felt a bit greenish at the crown of her head. "Eileen, are you truly so cold and unfeeling? No—perhaps, perhaps she is being forced to." Tracie turned her head to gaze at the massive, gruesome wound on her left shoulder, feeling the sharp, piercing pain. If it weren't for the "assassin" and the "instigator" both possessing enhanced physical strength, with further improvements in the aftermath, this single blow might have completely severed her shoulder—just as those pirates had been struck by musket fire. Blood flowed steadily, blurring her vision. While Tracie summoned her golden-haired attendants to assist with the wound and used her own abilities to stabilize her condition, she instructed the pirates, who were fixated on her, to search for any items left behind by the attackers. Unfortunately, the pirates reported that the attackers' clothing had been consumed by the flames. This reminded Tracy of the sharp finger gesture the enemy had made before they departed. She sighed again, "Such caution. And not at all greedy. If he takes this bracelet, I won't worry about catching up with him." Tracy waved her hand, signaling most of the pirates to leave, keeping only Misor Kin, the "Master of Words," and a few senior officers from the fleet. "Third mate, go back to Bayum and find out exactly how the resistance discovered this Elen," Tracy ordered firmly. Misor had a difficult time shifting his gaze from the captain's chest. "Yes, sir!" Tracy paused, then added, "Spread the word that I've sustained serious injuries and will be unable to recover for a long time. And, chief mate, set sail immediately—don't delay any further." As one command after another was issued, quiet settled around Tracy once more. Only now did she have the quiet moments to ponder the identity of the attackers—what faction they belonged to, why they had targeted her, and what their true intentions might be. Yet, the more Tracie thought about it, the more it felt like a fog, obscuring the truth. Though she had many enemies, none possessed such capabilities. Finally, she found a clue, murmuring softly to herself: "A hunger that creeps and grows?" He didn't hurry to join Daniz; instead, he checked into a small inn and, using the ritual, brought the magical items—including the Azk copper whistle—and his wallet with cash back into the real world. Once he confirmed he could locate the Black Death, he blew the copper whistle.