That strange afternoon—the one when the town of reality was invaded—had begun to make sense to Derek. He had a general sense of why such a thing had happened. He suspected that when the "Knight of the Fool" had pulled him out of that strange afternoon town, he had disrupted the balance there, allowing forces to seep through. This also explained why, after "The Hunter of Monsters" Colin Iliad had repeated his attempt, he hadn't vanished instantly. As Derek pondered what changes this might bring, the "Chief" Colin of the Six-Party Council had already drawn out a shimmering dust from one of the hidden compartments in his belt and scattered it into the air. The dust suddenly exploded upward, radiating a bright silvery glow that stood out vividly against the otherwise gray and shadowed atmosphere. Derek, Joshua, and Heinm all understood the signal clearly: stay put, remain alert, and prepare for possible attacks—wait for rescue. Undoubtedly, this was directed at the exploration teams scattered throughout the rest of the town in the afternoon! Between the flashes of lightning, "The Hunter" Colin released three consecutive signals, then leaned aside to address Deryck and the others: "We'll meet them one by one, starting from the nearest and moving outward. Stay alert on the way." "Affirmative, Chief!" Deryck had already forgotten his earlier frustration; all he wanted was to assist his companions as quickly as possible. As instructed by Colin, he walked on the left flank of the group, while Joshua, wearing red gloves and wielding a black iron straight sword, took the right side. The stronger "Dawn Knight" Heinrem trailed behind, maintaining a distance of about three steps from the one directly ahead—the "Hunter." The lightning in the sky alternated rapidly, casting the afternoon town between bright and gray. The candle flames reflected through the windows swayed gently, creating a calm and serene atmosphere. Derek was no longer the greenhorn he once was. Though tense now, his palms remained steady as he gripped the "Stormaxe," his eyes smoothly scanning back and forth, alert for any monsters that might burst from the buildings on either side. A lightning strike passed, plunging the world into darkness once more. The candles in the town lit up like scattered stars, as if waiting for travelers to find a place to rest. Heinum’s leather lantern emitted a dim, diffused glow, yet its light faltered at a distance—still insufficient compared to Derek’s night vision. Its only apparent function seemed to be dispelling the thick darkness around him. Suddenly, Derek felt a coolness rise along his neck, though no breeze had blown. Without immediately turning, he instinctively took a step sideways, half-rotated, and glanced over his shoulder. There, Heinum, nearly two meters and three, stood with a stern expression, his broad, heavy straight sword descending in a powerful strike! Thud! Derek rolled into a tight somersault, evading the blow, and the sound of the rushing wind still echoed in his ears. Then he heard the voice of the "Chief": "What's wrong?" "Heinm attacked me!" Deric rolled and rose, facing the "Hunter of Monsters" Colin. "Me?" Heinm held a leather lantern in one hand and a large straight sword in the other, looking puzzled. Colin glanced at Deric: "I didn't notice any unusual behavior from him." As he spoke, two symbols in green ink appeared clearly in his eyes. He looked around: "Can the attacker transform into Heinm's appearance?" Before he finished speaking, the silver straight sword clenched tightly in his right hand suddenly drove back sharply! Pfft! Amid the quiet clashing sounds, a figure emerged from the dim, gloomy atmosphere—his hair white and disheveled, deep lines etched across his forehead, and eyes of a weathered, profound blue. He held a silver straight sword coated in a pale gray oil, nearly identical to Colin the Hunter's, save that his expression was somber and his complexion pale. Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! The two silver swords collided in midair, sparking flames. At the same time, Colin Iliad called out firmly: "Light!" Light? Without thinking, Deryck raised both hands, clasping them before his mouth and nose. In that instant, he noticed three figures stepping forward from the darkness—Heinm, tall and robust; Joshua, wearing red-gloved hands; and himself, Deryck, of average height, still bearing a touch of youthful freshness. Deryck remained calm, following the instructions of the Chief, allowing one after another streams of clearer, brighter light to radiate from within him. Those three figures seemed deeply afraid, lifting their hands to shield their faces while trying to retreat sideways. Yet how could their speed compare to that of light? The clear radiance illuminated the surrounding area, completely engulfing the three figures. They opened their mouths to emit silent, wailing cries, which soon faded and dissolved. The surge of light also swept both of the two "hunters" engaged in combat into its bright realm; one of them instantly grew stiff and sluggish, then lost all color, turning entirely dark. *Plink!* The silver straight sword, coated with a pale gray ointment, pierced the monster, yet seemed to have struck only at invisible air, inflicting no damage. At that moment, the deep-black monster suddenly began to burn, splitting into a series of twisted shadows that melted gradually, inch by inch, within the light and flames. "Hunter" Colin drew back his silver sword and turned to look at Deric and the others. "This monster is our own shadow." "Their weakness is that bright light!" As he spoke, the "chief" of the six-member council radiated a pure, holy dawn, illuminating the entire street as if it were just breaking morning. This was an extraordinary ability attainable at the "Dawn Knight" stage of the "Warrior" path. Colyn the "Hunter" had initially chosen not to use it because the effect was so striking—he wasn't sure what unexpected consequences it might bring. Now, he had clearly identified the vulnerabilities of the monsters in the town during the afternoon. The dawn radiance created a domain-like presence, and Heinm gave up on using similar extraordinary abilities, continuing to carry his leather lantern, walking alongside Drik and Joshua, following behind Colyn Iliat. In no time, the four of them reached a church that had collapsed in half. The church originally featured a tall tower and was constructed with classical stone columns and brick arches, heavy and dimly lit. Through the vast doors that even the giants would have found spacious, Deric and his companions followed the "Chief" to the prayer hall, where they saw the divine statues lay in ruins, yet the candles on the altar were lit by some unseen hand. Before the altar, a figure in a simple white robe knelt, praying softly—so quietly that no one could hear. "Not one of ours," Heinem noted, his night vision enabling him to spot the anomaly immediately, thanks to his height. This indicated that the creature was not formed from the shadows of their own team members... Deric silently conveyed this subtle implication in his mind. Thus, the unknown—always a sign of great danger! "There should have been an exploration team here originally," Colin gently contracted the scope of his dawn light, careful not to disturb the figure in white. Heinem, Joshua, and Deric fell silent at once—such a scene, with the exploration team failing to appear promptly, suggested that their fate was not promising. As their thoughts turned, two men in tight, dark garments stepped out from the door on the right side of the hall—they were the second members of the church exploration team. "Chief, those shadows! Those shadows are wrong! Laroia has been swallowed by his own shadow!" one of the exploration team members exclaimed, his eyes immediately scanning toward the "hunter," Colin, his voice filled with both excitement and fear. Has anyone already fallen...? Deryck, weighed down by solemnity, noticed the morning light spreading outward, now encompassing the two exploration team members. Suddenly, their expressions grew fierce, yet their bodies rapidly dimmed, and within just two seconds, they vanished completely—like shadows illuminated by light. Bones and clumps of flesh fell one after another from their bodies, striking the floor with a soft patter. Gentle glimmers were slowly seeping out from within these remnants. Colin turned his gaze away, spoke without expression: "Go to the cleric beside him and listen to what he is praying." Daryl and the others nodded silently, advancing step by step toward the fallen statue. After a dozen paces, they caught a clear view of the white-robed figure—a middle-aged man with a deeply etched face, weeping. His face was nearly pressed against the floor tiles, murmuring softly: "Almighty Lord, I repent—how I have tempted Sasriel, the kings, who so frequently gather in the palace at twilight to plot secretly. "The people of this town have changed in some way; they have established hidden altars, performed strange rites, and carried out actions that you have forbidden. "I have discovered all this, yet it is too late. The fall, the blood, the darkness, the decay, the slaughter, the filth, and the shadows have already flowed and submerged this land. "A great disaster will begin here!" These words were repeated again and again, as if a prophet, speaking in a low, resonant voice, were recounting the inevitable, tragic fate that lay ahead. Would the great disaster begin here? Was it here that the "Lord who created all" had first abandoned this land? And who had seduced the "Dark Angel" Salsir? This priest should have spoken it—the moment after saying "I repent," there was a brief pause just long enough to name someone. He had said it, yet the name vanished on its own—erased by whom? The priest had only appeared here after the balance had been disrupted that strange afternoon in the town; otherwise, he would have been discovered during the previous expedition. Deryck flashed through numerous thoughts in a short span. At that moment, he saw the "Chief" take a step forward and approach the priest dressed in a simple white robe. ………… Cain awoke from his dream, his eyes closing briefly as the bright noon sunlight streamed through the window. He rolled out of bed and made his way slowly to the pirate restaurant. Frank Lee saw him approaching and immediately waved him over: "Germain, I've discovered something new!" Man, what now?... Klein's heart immediately leapt into his throat. "Your new invention?" "No," Frank excitedly shook his head. "I originally intended to study the fish in this region—surely they dream! I went out to fish a moment ago, and instead, I caught something strange." PS: First chapter uploaded—please support with a monthly subscription!