Within the greeting of the "Justice" lady, the "Keeper" Galadriya maintained her calm, detached demeanor as before—neither overly engaged nor deeply involved, still appearing as an observer from the sidelines of the gathering. She watched as both the "Justice" lady and the "Magician" lady each produced the Roscel diary to settle the debts they had incurred earlier. Then, with a careful, hesitant glance at the " Fool" gentleman—avoiding direct eye contact—she still could not penetrate the peculiar gray mist to see beyond it. Within her deep violet eyes, only the clearly materialized garments of the "Fool" were visible. "Unless he has been granted the 'Magician's Blessing' by a particularly powerful and unique mage, temporarily becoming a woman..." Klein murmured to himself, with genuine interest, scanning the bronze long table. Hmm, the "Hermit" lady's curiosity is quite different from that of the "Justice" lady—she seems especially attentive to the matter of Rosel's journal? Klein shifted his gaze, noted down this observation, and then casually began reading the yellow-brown vellum in his hands: "April 22nd: We prepared to enter there, to explore the depths." "April 23rd: We sailed along the dark sea, piercing through the liquid mist, reaching a mountain that seemed like a monster; behind it stretched an endless expanse of black mist, as though covering an entire continent." "Yet, if you look toward the base of the mountain, it seems endless, boundless. I jokingly told Edwards that if I jumped off this cliff and committed suicide here, I might never reach the ground—always falling, never landing." Upon reading this, Caine nearly raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe that Rosel, upon witnessing the abyss, had dared to organize his knights and sailors to explore the frontier regions. "Did he not fear death? It's said to corrode everything, to bring all living beings to ruin! Rosel must not yet have reached Sequence 4—he's no half-god, at most Sequence 5, perhaps even below that. If it were me, I'd immediately turn the ship around and report to the Church..." At this moment, Caine once again deeply recognized the immense gap between himself and Rosel. Moreover, Roscel's description of the "abyss" boundary reminded Klein of the mysterious stone door within the Amon's tomb, which displayed a similar scene when touched by the "puppet" of the Steam and Mechanism Archbishop Horamik. He wondered what Roscel would discover there... At least, Roscel had not perished during this expedition—he had lived on to enjoy a vibrant continuation of his journey. Klein lowered his gaze and began reading the remaining entries in this journal entry: "April 24: We descended the mountain, striving to go deeper. The thick black mist was cool and slick, as if it could seep into flesh and soul. Fortunately, certain items aboard the Black Throne proved effective in resisting this corrosion; otherwise, I suspect both I and my Apocalyptic Knights would have become members of the French Folies ensemble. (Note 1) It was very quiet here—nothing remarkable was found. April 25: We encountered demons, though they were reduced to mere decaying corpses." Behind the rugged black stone cliffs, beneath the mud that can hardly be called a road, there lie the bodies of demons—each in a place that is either ordinary or utterly unimaginable. "They seem to have died simultaneously, as if struck by the same fate." "On April 26th, either the bodies or silence—there is always an endlessness ahead." "The items from the Black Throne ship have begun to show signs of corrosion." "I have rarely felt afraid in recent years, yet here, this unfamiliar dread presses down on my heart like an invisible hand." "I must leave! I must return! I cannot stay any longer!" What happened afterward? Did Emperor Roscel successfully escape the depths' boundary, or did he face something else? What does this transformation signify? A fierce war? Klein flipped to the second page with an instinctive sense of anticipation, only to find little connection between the entries: "On the eighth of May, my dear Bernadette is approaching her second birthday—she's growing more endearing by the day, truly a lovely child who inherits the best traits from both me and her mother. Hearing her clear, cheerful voice calling 'Dad,' watching her lively movements, I suddenly felt a deep sense of fulfillment. Since my arrival in this world, I've accomplished many things—some of which, I must admit, have been quite private. Yet I've never felt ashamed of them, nor have I regretted them. This is partly because I am someone whose personal desires are hard to suppress and who is easily influenced by my surroundings. Indeed, I'm grateful to fate that I've never encountered a 'Demon Path' 'Devout of Desire'—otherwise, according to the records, I would have been severely constrained by this sequence of extraordinary beings, possibly even eliminated outright." "On the other hand, I still feel a sense of detachment from this world. My parents in this life have been kind to me, and I've made every effort to make them proud. Yet, I know my feelings toward them are rather distant—just as I feel toward Matilda: more possessiveness than genuine affection. "I must admit, my mindset is akin to playing a virtual reality role-playing game, where my parents, my wife, my siblings, and my friends are all mere NPCs. I can invest some emotional warmth in them, but I never truly place my heart into their lives. Thus, I can attend various decadent gatherings without guilt, and treat former acquaintances with coldness—much like, in the early days of the game, I could have sacrificed an entire village just to slaughter a single chicken. "But since Bernard was born, I've noticed that I've developed a stronger sense of belonging, no longer feeling so detached. "This is my child—my living, breathing child. "Perhaps that's what maturity truly means?" "There's no way a child can truly grasp this feeling—not even a girlfriend. Still, I need to remain vigilant about the mindset mentioned in the Grand Duke's journal. What may not exist now might emerge later. The higher the sequence, the more divine qualities overshadow human ones. Kline silently mused, flipping to the third page of the journal: "January 6th, a new year, a fresh beginning. Now that I've been promoted to 'Craftsman,' I finally have the capability to undertake that task! That is, to create the enigmatic silver plaque I remember—most likely it was this very plaque that transported me across dimensions. In fact, since becoming a 'Universal Scholar,' I've fully recalled its appearance, including the unique symbols and patterns on its surface. Yet, at that time, I could clearly sense that I was unable to replicate such an object myself. January 9th, after several failed attempts, I finally succeeded. Holding the silver plaque adorned with these strange symbols and patterns, I poured my spirit into it, striving to awaken its essence." "My vision seemed to be filled with an endless expanse of gray and white mist, yet nothing else happened afterward. 'Was it due to the material itself, or perhaps the absence of the necessary steps?' On the tenth day of the month, I carefully recreated the state I remembered from before the journey, believing I no longer lacked anything essential. Yet the enigmatic silver plaque still only allowed me to see that strange gray mist—unable to assist me in any way. If that's the case, then how did I successfully cross over in the beginning? I temporarily abandoned my efforts and destroyed the plaque I had crafted. Perhaps when I become a high-tier powerhouse, a half-god, I will be able to decipher the patterns and symbols, and finally unravel the mystery of the journey. 'Indeed, I'm certain I'll become a half-god! I'm the protagonist of this era!' The gray and white mist? When the Emperor replicated the mysterious silver plaque from Earth, he too saw an endless expanse of gray and white mist! Klein's eyes widened as he read the journal. Right beneath his feet lay an endless expanse of gray mist, timeless and unchanging! Could it be that both my journey and the Emperor's transcendence were somehow linked to this mysterious realm? Yet why couldn't the Emperor enter, while I could? According to his final journal entries, he must have failed to unlock the secret of the silver plaque—otherwise, during his most desperate and frenzied moments, he would surely have thought of this place, would have made it his last refuge. Klein lifted his head and his gaze settled upon the outer reaches of the ancient palace. He remembered that deep within this mysterious space, there stood a luminous staircase resembling a path to heaven, subtly corresponding to his own sequence. That staircase seemed built for giants, its destination a layer of pale gray mist floating in midair, as if supporting something. Was the secret of both my journey and the Emperor's transcendence hidden there? Klein let his journal vanish from his hands, leaned back against the chair, and spoke calmly: "Begin, then." "Sol" Deric had originally intended to purchase the Sequence 6 potion recipes that followed the "Solar Priest" early, but after Elder Loviea was released, he temporarily set aside this plan and became eager to share the entire story, hoping to receive the necessary guidance. Now that they were in the transaction phase, he forcibly restrained his impatience and remained silent, continuing to wait. The young "Sol" seemed to have something on his mind... had there been an incident in Silver City? "Justice" Odile pondered quietly, equally remaining silent and not making any requests. At this moment, "The Turner" Aljer surveyed the room and spoke up: "I need the potion recipes from the 'Sea Singer'." Indeed, he already possesses Sequence 6, being a 'Wind-Attuned'... isn't he part of the Storm Church? Then why is he seeking the 'Sea Singer's' recipes outside? The difficulty of obtaining them internally should be much lower. Perhaps he has something to conceal from the Storm Church, or perhaps he has been feigning his identity as a member of the Storm Church all along? The recluse, Gauthier, instantly had several thoughts. She nodded gently, saying, "I can keep an eye out for you." Seeing the recluse respond, Aljer then asked, "Madam, what would you like to have?" "I can gather early clues so they can be used later in exchange for potion recipes." Note: A reference from the game Dark Souls 3, referring to the knightly order stationed at the depths, which is slowly being corrupted by the abyss.