"Are you ready?" Colin asked, facing away from the window, his tone completely unremarkable. Dariq, who was wearing the "Stormaxe," slightly lowered his head. "I am ready." Over the past two months, through repeated patrol missions and dedicated practice, he had fully mastered the extraordinary abilities of the "Solar Oracle," and was now only a short distance from fully internalizing them. What he most hoped for now was to secure the potion formula for Sequence 6 of the "Sun" path during the next two to three Tarot gatherings, laying a solid foundation for his continued growth. — Lovaya, the "Shepherd," has been released, which has instilled a strong sense of urgency in him. He believes that only by reaching the same Sequence 5 can he effectively contain the other party and eliminate the potential crisis facing Silver City. However, in this place where the art of "performance" is well understood and where exceptional materials are not scarce, as long as one survives successive patrol and exploration missions and accumulates sufficient merit, Sequence 6 is absolutely achievable. Yet Sequence 5—requiring a specific ritual—remains notably difficult. Colin, with his disheveled white hair, nodded. "Within two days, I will lead an exploration team to the area near the Giants' Court to conduct a follow-up clearance of the afternoon town we previously discovered. Your abilities are particularly well-suited for such tasks." "Afternoon town..." Derrick, who has been feverishly immersing himself in mythological knowledge over the past few months, was no stranger to this term. It was the essential route when the Silver Kingdom journeyed to the Giant King's court—where humans and giants lived side by side in towns, clustered around the ancient gods' eternal dwellings, frozen in the golden hues of dusk, like the final gateway from the real world into myth. "Yes, Chief." Derrick found no reason to hesitate. Thus, he was tolerant toward the few pirates patrolling the streets and taverns, earning rewards, without attempting to hunt them down—lest it disrupt his plans to locate the mermaids. My spiritual intuition tells me that the "Slayer" Gilsheias, who arrived at noon, seems to have taken a keen interest in me... If he truly intends to deliver his message personally, I'm not too concerned—strategically indifferent, tactically attentive. Without summoning his "Trident of the Sea God" or his "Seed" gloves, I might only be slightly superior, thanks to my overall coherence and unexpected nature. Klein half-closed his eyes, visualizing countless glowing spheres, swiftly entering a meditative state to maintain his spiritual acuity. It wasn't clear how long he had remained in this state when suddenly, his inspiration stirred and his eyes snapped open. By then, the sun had settled in the west, its fiery hue blazing across the sea, and the long shadows of the curtain stretched across the room. Those shadows seemed to come alive—first swaying gently, then distorting and rising, casting themselves onto the walls. It was pitch black, as if forged from the thick, viscous malice at the very core of the human heart. Cain watched the scene without expression, lifting his left hand and slowly spreading his fingers before him. The shadow spoke with a rough voice, as though holding a cloth of sand against his lips, gazing at Cain and saying, "Germain Spalro! Do not interfere with what transpires this afternoon. This is the will of the King of the Immortals." As he spoke, the shadow flowed downward, dissolving into the darkness and returning to its original form. Cain paid no attention to the shadow's transformation, instead turning his gaze outward. He could sense that the person manipulating the shadow was stationed somewhere on the opposite street—there was no intention at all to engage the phantom. "Indeed, 'The Slayer' Gilsheis recognized me as the mad adventurer Germain Sparo, renowned for his passion for hunting pirates, and thus without hesitation turned around at noon. He may not have feared me personally, but there were other more powerful adventurers present at the time... His demonstrated abilities bear a striking resemblance to the 'Apex of Desire' from Beckland—more and more, he's taking on the qualities of an extraordinary being of the 'Demon' path... Hmph. Using the title of 'King of the Immortals' to intimidate me, thinking that would make me yield? I never intended to get involved at all. In fact, now I find myself rather curious. Well then, let's just focus on finding the mermaid—this is currently the most pressing matter. I mustn't create any unforeseen complications myself." Klein withdrew his gaze, muttering a few internal criticisms. He had initially considered whether to inform the War God Church of Nars about this matter, but after careful reflection, he realized it would likely make little difference. The Pantheon of the War God is the sole legitimate religion of the Fyodoran Empire. While the number of high-tier strongholds is indeed slightly greater than that of the Church of the Night Goddess, the difference is only slight. Even when including the half-gods from the imperial royal family and military, given the vast territory and numerous colonies, manpower remains stretched thin due to the need to protect so many critical locations. The Galgas Islands—located in a relatively ordinary geographical position, distant from the heart of the Empire—can only be ranked second-tier, without any Saint overseeing them. According to prior intelligence gathered by Klein, the Galgas Archbishop of the Pantheon of the War God is merely a Sequence 5 "Guardian." Together with one executioner from the Court of Judges, one baron from the royal family, and one major general from the military, these four constitute the region's top-tier extraordinary forces. Of course, the existence of the seals is crucial to maintaining this region's dominance. Caine suspects that Nas's War God Church possesses at least one "Level 1" seal—only then can it coordinate effectively with the fleet and the extraordinary beings, ensuring that the whale oil production industry and the "gray amber" export trade remain under control and not seized by pirates, safeguarding the region from becoming a vassal of one of the Four Kings, and enabling it to withstand sudden attacks until reinforcements arrive. Precisely for this reason, the official forces on the Gargash Islands have consistently maintained a posture of contraction and defense, allowing pirates to move freely and operate without interference unless they cause significant disruptions. The communication efforts have proven futile—indeed, it's no surprise that this place is known as the Pirates' Paradise, nor that Bilt has established the Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association. Caine sighed, abandoning his earlier plans. After dinner and a period of rest, he produced his gold-case pocket watch and opened it to check the time. At seven, he began the ceremony, summoning himself and responding to himself, moving in and out of the gray mist with different items, adjusting his gear. Since he would be sailing aboard the "Future" on a sea adventure, the "Fishman's Sleeve Pin" and various divine incantations from the sea gods were essential, so Klein left the "Seed" gloves and the "Sun Brooch" behind in the gray mist, focusing on the "Craving Hunger," accompanied by the "Biological Toxin Flask" and his revolver loaded with different extraordinary cartridges—he still had 7 "Purification Cartridges," 13 "Monster-Hunting Cartridges," and 2 "Evil-Driving Cartridges." Donning his coat, he placed the bronze Azk horn resting on the table and the money folder containing only fifty pounds in cash into the inner pocket of his coat, then bundled together his silver-white Adventurer's harmonica and the various talismans. After completing all this, he ran his hand along his gun at the armpit, gently brushed the blue cuff pin on his left wrist, fastened the buttons of his double-breasted formal suit, donned his half-high silk hat, lifted the black suitcase containing only his laundry and a few personal items, opened the door, stepped out of the hotel, and took a carriage straight toward the port district. After waiting a while at the sixth wharf, he spotted a massive sailboat slowly emerging in the distance. Based on his limited knowledge of ships, Klein knew that a vessel of this length was unscientific—but this did not prevent the ship from sailing smoothly across the dark sea, heading steadily toward the luminous lighthouse. As the sailboat drew nearer, its flags grew clearer, and under the faint, crimson moonlight, the port residents saw ten equally sized white stars on its hull, arranged around a cold, expressionless eye. "The Commander of the Stars!" "The Future!" The pirates and sailors on watch gasped, and the entire port area came alive with restless energy. A few seconds later, the coastal artillery on both mountain sides adjusted their positions with evident tension, aiming steadily at the massive ship that had made no attempt to conceal itself. Ticking! Ticking! Ticking! The distant church bell rang with a clear, ethereal tone, marking exactly 8 o'clock. As the sense of urgency in the port area grew stronger, the "Future" came to a halt. A lady dressed in a black classical robe appeared at the ship's bow without anyone noticing when—her garments adorned with various symbols and magical emblems, much like a powerful wizard from ancient legend. Under the crimson moonlight, a radiant glow suddenly emerged before her, and a cascade of shimmering starlight settled down, forming a transparent bridge that stretched steadily forward and landed firmly on Dock No. 6. Quite impressive... No wonder he's one of the Seven Admiral-Generals, and even more distinguished than the "Ice Mountain" and "Disease"—true Admirals, you see. While marveling, Caine found himself reaching for his face. He didn't want anyone to know that the daring adventurer Germaine Sparrow had collaborated with the "Star Admiral" Gauthier. By now, he could only maintain the image—once he'd absorbed everything, once he returned to the North Continent, Germaine Sparrow would simply cease to exist. Caine stepped out of the shadow, adjusted the half-high silk hat resting on his head, and walked steadily across the long bridge formed by coalesced starlight. Solid, unyielding, his back straight, he moved with measured grace under the steady gaze of the coastal artillery batteries and the enigmatic glances of those watching. The bridge beneath his feet shimmered transparently, the deep blue-black waters gently swaying, making those with acrophobia feel their bodies grow weak. Fortunately, I've already been a clown—have even performed on the clock tower... Klein walked the final dozen meters with a composed expression, stepping onto the deck of the Future. Facing Gardeleia, the "Star General" with dark, purple-tinged eyes, he showed no signs of tension. He removed his hat and bowed. "Good evening, madam."