Within the magnificent palace supported by towering stone pillars, Caine sat in a high-backed chair, lightly tapping the edge of a weathered long table, first eliminating the approach sequence 4, "The Unshadowed," as a viable path. This was due to his limited contact with the Church of "Eternal Radiance," making it difficult to find anyone to assist him, and secondly, he doubted that "The Unshadowed" could fully purify the spiritual contamination within "The Eye of Total Blackness," since嘉德丽雅's suggestion—focused on the lingering effects of ordinary, uncontrollable individuals—was specifically tailored for such cases, while the contamination in question originated from "The True Maker" itself! It’s not very realistic to rely on the angels’ or true gods’ divine assistance. In theory, within this mysterious space above the gray mist, I could perform a divination to summon the "Eternal Scorching Sun," harnessing its spontaneous counterattacks to shatter the "Eye of Absolute Darkness," evaporate the spiritual contamination. But the issue is, should this being—having experienced such power—decide to take advantage of its strength, it might infiltrate this space and claim dominion over the gray mist, rendering my efforts futile. Moreover, this power operates at a level far beyond what I currently comprehend—acting instantly, without delay—and is specifically targeted at me. I simply wouldn’t have the time or capacity to redirect it toward the "Eye of Absolute Darkness," leaving me with no operational flexibility. And, not to mention, divination doesn’t always succeed—it requires a medium. Previously, I used a mutated Solar Saint Seal infused with the "Eternal Scorching Sun’s" divine blood, which itself had been contaminated by the "True Creator’s" influence. Currently, the mediums are Mr. Door and the Hidden Sage. We can attempt to reach out through the full-moon murmurs of Miss Magician and the pursuit of the Star General by knowledge, yet there remains the issue that the counteraction does not directly point to the All-Black Eye, and I am unable to relay it. Mr. Azk has not yet recovered, and the Serpent of Fate, Will Angestin, has not yet been born. I keep coming back to this, yet still find no angels to assist me—ah, I simply know so few high-level figures. Oh, and there's one more entity somewhat connected to the angelic ranks: a malevolent spirit in the underground ruins of Beckett, believed to be the King of Angels, Medici! However, this being is deeply strategic, concealing countless schemes and malice. It's not that I lack alternatives—it's simply that I cannot consider it at all. "Yes, it's simply not worth risking that much. Instead, I'd rather give up on the 'Eye of All Black' and start gathering the primary materials for the 'Master of Secret Figures'—the dust of ancient spirits and the core crystals of six-winged stone gargoyles. The former might even be available in the Underworld! The Sir of Temperance said nothing after reviewing the plan, indicating he too didn't know—though he could certainly ask the others next time. The Lady of the Hermit, the Miss of Justice, the Miss of the Magician, the little Sun, and even Emlyn White all have their own networks and resources... "For this week, I'll start by seeking on my own, beginning with the Lady of the Iceberg. Her three associates, Yoder, possess the remarkable ability of 'stealing,' and perhaps she knows where similar magical items might be found." Klein gradually clarified his thoughts and began to form a clear plan. He first performed a divination, then swiftly returned to the real world, shedding the lethargic state of sitting in his armchair drinking tea and reading the newspaper, and quickly set up the ritual. Still three candles, but now the motif has changed to the sacred emblem of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom—the all-seeing eye atop an open book—and the ceremonial silver dagger has been replaced with a bronze knife. In the esoteric tradition, the blue star corresponds to the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and the metals associated with the blue star domain are mercury and bronze. Having anticipated the need to connect with the "Iceberg Admiral" Edwina Edwards, Caine had already prepared a set of materials for the "descending spirit" ritual. After performing the necessary steps, he incinerated the powdered herbs, then dripped upon the altar the essence and distilled water extracted from lavender and mint. A fresh, delicate, and mysterious fragrance filled the air. Klein stepped back and recited the incantation in ancient Hermes tongue: "I invoke the power of knowledge; I invoke the power of reason; I invoke the favor of the god of wisdom; I invoke you to allow me to establish a spiritual connection with 'the teacher who pursues knowledge, the researcher of ethereal beings, the commander of the ice mountain above the sea, Edwina Edwards of Lüneburg.'" — He understood that the essence of the "spirit descent ritual" was to release one's own body, allowing the target's spirit body to attach and establish effective communication. In doing so, the practitioner himself would lack essential protection and thus be vulnerable to harm from the person specifically designated in the ritual. Therefore, he had already conducted divination to assess the level of risk, and through face-to-face meetings and conversations, he had come to believe that "Ice Mountain General" Edwena was not harboring ill will—she could be trusted for now. At that moment, the wind within the spiritual wall took on a weeping quality, and Klein felt a cold, icy force descend from nothingness, attempting to enter his body. Yet, he was astonished to find that he did not merely passively endure the process as expected—he possessed sufficient counterforce and operational room. What on earth was going on? As his thoughts formed, he vaguely perceived a thin, almost imperceptible gray mist surrounding him. This was a unique ability he had acquired upon becoming an "Unseen One"—the mist's power was now subtly seeping into the tangible reality. In an instant, Klein hesitated no longer, suddenly raised his arms, and pointed toward the coat rack where his overcoat hung, hurling that cold, icy force at it. On the coat rack, his black wool suit floated eerily, arms raised slightly awkwardly. It was as if an invisible person had donned his coat! The suit drifted forward two meters before pausing. Its two sleeves rose and crossed in an "X" shape. What did that mean? Klein stared, then suddenly understood the metaphor of the "ice mountain general": Without a mouth, I cannot speak! Without hands, I cannot write! That was rather awkward. Klein thought for a moment, then said directly, "I need a magical item that can steal someone's extraordinary abilities. Do you happen to possess such a thing, madam? If not, could you kindly ask your three associates—Mr. Jodens, the tie-maker—?" "The corresponding answer could be written in the letter and sent over by my messenger." The sleeves of the black wool coat unfolded and gently pressed downward. Then, it lost its spirit, settling with a soft snap to the ground, no longer standing upright. Did that mean "yes"? Kline sighed silently and hurried to conclude the ritual, hanging the black wool coat on the coat rack and brushing it down with a brush and handkerchief. He then wrote a letter, posing a similar question to Mr. Azk. He blew the brass horn to summon the messenger, who took off with the letter. With renewed energy, Kline attempted his third method. From his wallet, he drew out the crane made of thousand paper cranes, carefully unfolded it, and wrote in pencil: "Where might one find a magical item that enables one to steal another's extraordinary abilities?" After placing the pencil down, Kline followed the creases to restore the crane, and was deeply pleased with the noticeable improvement in his own craftsmanship. In the evening, after reviewing the prayers of his followers, Caine returned to the real world and took a quite comfortable hot bath in the restroom. This settled him so well that he fell asleep promptly once he got into bed, only to be startled in his dreams by an invasion of power. Once again, it was the desolate, bleak plain, and once again, the towering, black spire rising high above. Caine moved with practiced ease through the gates and walls, eventually reaching the deep interior of the spire. There, scattered throughout the area, were still a few tarot cards arranged around the central raised platform, as if conveying some message—yet as a "seer," Caine found his interpretations chaotic and contradictory. The words on the raised platform had been updated, now composed of silver-white words forming three sentences. The first read: "I am merely a child yet to be born." Caine's expression froze, as though he had heard a newborn crying out, pleading, "Please, don't make me suffer—this kind of communication is exhausting." The second sentence was equally concise: "The clues lie within yourself." "The third line reads: 'Don't ask what the clue is, because I don't know myself.' That is, Wil Ainsley, the 'Snake of Fate,' has foreseen that a clue lies within me, yet cannot specify what it is—there's a very oracle-like, mystical quality to it. No, I shouldn't say that—otherwise I'm casting aspersions on myself. Kline remembers the hint, exits the dream, and falls back asleep until dawn. After breakfast, he begins to recall the items he possesses and the events he has experienced, searching for the supposed clue. At this moment, inspiration strikes him suddenly, and he swiftly activates his spiritual vision. The bone messenger remains immense, but unlike before, its head no longer emerges through the ceiling. This is because it has emerged from the floor, with half its body still beneath the lower layer. Now, it gazes levelly at Kline and places the reply gently into his palm." Witnessing the messenger rapidly disintegrating, cascading like a waterfall, Caine paused for two seconds, then murmured with a mix of exasperation and amusement: "Finally learned to be polite! Growing more considerate, isn't it? Such a transformation since knowing he wouldn't be transferred to me..." Caine quickly turned his gaze back to the letter, unfurling the paper and reading Azk's reply: "...The way to steal someone's extraordinary abilities is known as the 'Thief's Path.' In the Fourth Age, it belonged to the Amun family, the Zoroastrian family, and the Jacob family. After the 'War of the Four Emperors,' they have become rare, reportedly forming alliances and claiming to be the hidden seers of fate. I can't recall the rest of the details—perhaps you should begin with the descendants of these three families." Ah, so the 'Disregarders' refer to this path? The Jacob family is one of the five angelic dynasties of the Tudor dynasty, alongside Abraham, Amun, Antigonos, and Tamar. The Zoroastrian family is the dynasty of the Solomon Empire—the hidden ones, the ones of fate. Fate. The hidden ones. The thread lies within myself. Kline suddenly sat upright, recalling an object. It was a mysterious seal from Larnuus, bearing symbols precisely representing "fate" and "concealment!" PS: Recommend a novel written by a friend: *Leap to the End of the Wasteland*. With firearms, evolution, abilities, genes, companies, powers, and civilization, how does He Yingwu, a once-illustrious "pre-hermit of cultivation," survive on this land? This is the story of a "pre-hermit of cultivation" in the end-of-the-world wasteland—a tale of alternative cultivation and alternative evolution.