Sea nymph? A surge of joy flooded Klein's heart, bringing back a long-forgotten excitement. After nearly four months away from Beckland, having gone through numerous events, he had finally reached the destination of this journey—fulfilling the final requirement for the fifth rank in the Ascension Sequence, "Master of Secret Figures"! The restlessness and anxiety that had built up in him over the course of his wait had been steadily intensifying since he entered this sea region. The seemingly absurd yet deeply unsettling events that unfolded aboard the "Future" ship, combined with the distinct dangers and mysteries hidden within the three states—night, noon, and dreams—of this divine war sanctuary, had kept him constantly on edge, making every hour and every minute a source of enduring strain. Now, at last, these emotions and pressures could finally find an outlet! He exhaled slowly, then returned directly to his cabin and entered his own room. Without panic, without losing composure, he proceeded according to his prearranged sequence, presenting Azk’s copper whistle and Willy O’Shea’s paper crane to disrupt any potential "Mystic Queen" surveillance. He removed from the luggage compartment the residual spirit of the ancient spirit, the eyes of the six-winged statue, the bark of the dragon-veined tree, and the metal bottle containing Sunia’s golden spring water, spreading them out on the desk behind him. Then he entered the bathroom, locked the bedroom door, and skillfully set up the ritual of invocation. Once the ritual was complete, he did not immediately respond to the summons above the gray mist; instead, he added an extra ritual—his own summoning of his own ritual! Taking four steps backward, reciting a spell, Caine reached the gray mist, responded to the summoning ritual, and thus arrived in the physical world as a spirit, returning the "seed" gloves to that mysterious realm. After completing these preparatory steps, Caine remained vigilant, moved to the position of the Fool, materialized paper and pen, and swiftly wrote a divinatory phrase: "The one singing ahead is a mermaid." Removed the yellow crystal pendant, he used divination to confirm the situation: "The singing美人fish ahead was indeed the mermaid!" Calming himself, Caine waved his hand, and the iron cigarette box soared out of the clutter, landing gently upon the weathered, ancient bronze table. With a soft click, he opened the lid and saw the "Eye of Pure Black," devoid of pupils, still quietly resting inside—its profound madness and danger subtly palpable, yet as if in deep slumber. After silently gazing for two seconds, Caine picked up the "Seed" gloves and slowly placed them on his right hand. Once everything was done, Caine didn't hesitate. He extended his right hand forward and fully opened his fingers. Before him, a variety of luminous orbs suddenly materialized—gray-white, copper-green, deep red, and dark black—forming the dominant hues of this mysterious space. Within the "Eye of Pure Black," however, the swirling, agitated waves of iron-black light were tightly entwined with and enveloping all the other colors. No need to rely on his own spiritual intuition, merely on his understanding of the matter, Caine clearly recognized that the iron-black light was embodying the spiritual pollution of the True Creator! With heightened alertness, he closed his fingers, grasping the target, then twisted his wrist. The iron-black light was instantly drawn away and absorbed into the "Seed" gauntlets, whereupon the ethereal, malevolent, terrifying, familiar, and indescribable roar resumed in his ears—continuously assaulting his thoughts, eroding his spirit, and bringing a pain akin to his mind about to burst. Yet it was swiftly subdued by the strength of the mist, settling completely into stillness. Caine could not afford to think further; he simply followed the pre-established plan and executed the well-practiced sequence of movements, using his left hand to grasp the "Seed" gauntlets and remove them, then setting them down upon the grand palace's stone floor. Next, Caine, now somewhat numb, picked up the "Eye of Pure Black" that no longer posed any issues, swiftly performed the ritual requested for the granting, and transmitted through the ethereal gateway the extraordinary trait bequeathed by the Master of Secret Figures to the altar inside the bathroom. He dared not delay, merely glanced at the "Seed" gloves now stained with iron black, their fingers twisted, palms torn, exuding an eerie presence, and then, enveloped himself in spirit, simulating the sensation of a rapid descent, returning to the real world. If the "Crawling Hunger" were to witness the entire ordeal of the "Seed" gloves—both their fate and outcome—what thoughts might it have? As Caine opened his eyes, grasped the "Eye of Pure Black" from the altar, and headed toward the outer room, a thought naturally arose in his mind. Standing before the desk, he reached from the side for the steel milk pot originally belonging to the kitchen of the "Future Ship," pouring in 80 milliliters of the golden spring water from Sunya. A pale golden liquid swayed gently, clear and transparent, naturally making one feel as though their mouth had grown dry, eager to take a deep, satisfying sip to quench the thirst. The bark of the Dragon-veined Tree, the eyes of the six-winged Stone Ghouls, and the residual spiritual essence of the ancient spirits of grievance were one by one placed into the pot, each triggering distinct reactions. Ultimately, the base of the potion took on a deep golden hue, yet it felt light and weightless. At this crucial moment, Caine grew unusually calm and steady, lifting the black eye devoid of pupils and submerging it fully into the base. He now knew with certainty that the spiritual contamination from the "True Maker" could not penetrate the gray mist and return to the "All-Black Eye." This outcome was entirely predictable. The "All-Black Eye" was instantly engulfed by the deep golden liquid, and bubbles began to rise from the surface. As each bubble burst, the potion darkened slightly; after a few seconds, the transformation ceased entirely. Inside the milk pot, the potion took shape, appearing entirely black, with countless tiny creatures—too fine to be seen clearly—swimming rapidly within. Cain withdrew a gold coin and swiftly performed a divination to confirm. Upon receiving a successful indication, he exhaled in relief, pouring the "Master of Secret Figures" potion into a pre-prepared metal bottle and slipping it into his coat pocket. He remained calm and composed, following the established sequence with swift precision—attending to the altar in the bathroom, retrieving the Azk copper whistle and the Wil. Oncetin paper crane. Only then did he move with a slightly quicker pace, stepping out of the cabin and onto the deck. At this moment, the symbolic emblems, magical insignias, and unusual patterns aboard the *Future* illuminated in distinct layers, forming a radiant ocean of stars that effectively dampened the merfolk's song to its fullest extent. —It was said that the merfolk's song could drive humans mad, causing them to lose their senses and leap overboard, becoming food for the merfolk. Klein instinctively lifted his head and looked toward the window corresponding to the captain's cabin. There, "The One Above the Stars" stood, starlight shimmering around them, gazing back with a complex expression. Was this a memory of words spoken in his dreams, or a reflection of the demeanor he had shown? Klein muttered under his breath, his expression indifferently calm. "I need a small boat." "It's ready," Gathelira indicated, pointing toward the ship's side. When Gorman Sparrow hired the *Future*, he had already mentioned his purpose—seeking the mermaids! Soon after, Klein stepped off the *Future*, stepping out of the protective embrace of the shimmering starry sea, onto the small vessel and into the vast ocean. The song drifted faintly, seeming to seep directly into his spirit, making him feel tingling all over, unable to stop yearning to hear more. For Klein, this was still far from sufficient. His spiritual intuition told him that he needed to get closer—closer so that the song could become clearer—before the ritual could be fully fulfilled. "Storm!" Klein produced a charm made of white tin, summoning a controlled breeze that pushed the small boat forward. After an indeterminate length of time, the mermaids' song suddenly grew louder, clear and distinct as though softly humming directly into Klein's ears—each note resonating with the ethereal, each melody drawing him in and filling him with longing. Klein was momentarily disoriented, nearly leaping into the sea to follow the source of the beauty. He steadied himself, noticing several rocky outcrops ahead, with figures seated at their edges, singing softly and in unison. These beings had human heads, with pure features tinged with a certain grace and beauty; their chests were covered in dark red scales, and their lower bodies were large fish tails, gently striking the rocks in rhythmic patterns. Each mermaid possessed a unique appearance and a distinct color of scales on her tail, presenting a striking, unfamiliar elegance to human eyes. Klein released his hold on the boat and raised his right hand, reaching into his coat to retrieve the magic potion. At that moment, one after another, the mermaids sensed his approach and turned to look. Then, these beings known as sea nymphs, suddenly panicked, stopped singing, and leapt into the water with a series of soft splashes. Don't go! Klein weakly reached out and grasped the air with his right hand. Didn't they say they'd attract humans to be their food through song? Now that humans have arrived, why are you all fleeing? I'm not even a bad person—I just wanted to hear a song. At this moment, Klein was filled with sheer disbelief. He soon realized that the mermaids' singing had not completely ceased; at a distance from the rocks, a few of them faced away from him, undisturbed by the others' retreat, still boldly singing in the backdrop of the wind and waves. Klein felt a surge of renewed hope, paused to think, and then drew out another charm. This was the charm granted by the "Sea God" domain, which made aquatic creatures grow more亲近 to the user! "Storm!" Within the incantation, a vibrant cyan flame enveloped the thin sheet of white tin, causing it to vanish seamlessly into the real world. Upon observing that the remaining "mermaid" figures, though aware of him, no longer hesitated or fled, Caine immediately produced the metal bottle containing the "Master of Secret Figures" potion, and opened the lid. Seizing the moment, for fear of unforeseen complications! The potion, slightly bitter and carrying a sense of age, flowed into Caine's mouth, sliding down his esophagus and directly into his stomach. Suddenly, Caine found himself unusually stiff, as though returning to Tinggen, to the state when he had been manipulated by the peculiar puppet known as "2–049." He tried to move his joints, yet they felt as though filled with liquid lead. At the same time, he sensed tiny creatures crawling into every cell of his body, penetrating even into his spiritual essence. His thoughts began to slow, and his ability to perceive his own internal state within his mind gradually faded. The mermaid's song flowed gently, stirring that yearning, gathering fervor and obsession, allowing Kline to preserve his final emotions and gradually ease out of his stiff, sluggish state. Before him, a calm gray-white mist swiftly rose, while in his ears, a faint, dreamlike whisper echoed: "Hornachis... Freglar... Hornachis... Freglar..." Compared to when he had ascended to the ranks of "Seer," "Clown," and "Magician," this murmuring now broke off more frequently, as though being disrupted and filtered out by something. Unlike during his time as the "Faceless One," the murmurs had grown stronger, intermittently breaking through the barrier where the mist intertwined with reality. His thought processes were returning! Kline felt a surge of joy and attempted to raise his arm. The stiffness at the joints remained, but it was gradually diminishing. At the same time, Crane "saw" himself as he was now: his skin a warm, yellowish hue, like that of a figure wrapped in old bandages, long buried and preserved; beneath the surface, tiny flesh buds pulsed, separated, and merged. Immediately, Crane mentally sketched countless spheres of light, using "meditation" to calm this state. Throughout this process, the mermaid's song continued to echo in his ears, causing subtle tremors in his joints and muscles, gradually easing their stiffness. After an indeterminate length of time, Crane opened his eyes—his body now fully restored. He took a deep breath and silently remarked: "Finally... Finally, Sequence 5! Finally, the Master of Secret Figures!" PS: The Master of Secret Figures, Xiao Ke, is requesting monthly support! Also, thank you all—just over one and a half days, we've gathered 25,000 blessings. This isn't just the number of messages or the count of individuals—it's a pure number of people. Truly impressive! We're all going to be proud and stand on our toes.