Glancing at the silent Gauthery, Caine suddenly felt a bit awkward. He didn’t speak further, turned, leapt down from the massive stone, and stepped into the black monastery through the half-opened gate. On the square enclosed by the dim towers and buildings, the embers of the battle still lingered in several clusters; great arrows stood upright in the ground, their tips gently swaying in the wind. Frank Lee was still digging trenches, planting things, though now instead of food beside his feet, there lay a thick, muddy mass of blood and flesh. "What experiments do you plan to conduct with these?" Caine asked as he passed by. Frank beamed with enthusiasm: "Many, many! For instance, a single cow can fully satisfy the meat needs of an entire ship—each time a portion is cut off, it regenerates perfectly!" ...Why cows again? Caine found himself momentarily at a loss for words, and could only silently sketch a crimson moon in his mind. Passing by Captain Otolov, seated on the ground reading a book, Nina, staggering with a drunken haze and seemingly about to undress, and His. Dole, quietly hiding in the shadow of a corner, Kline walked into the grand hall, its surface adorned with various murals. Anderson Hude had materialized a lounge chair at some point, lounging comfortably upon it, appreciating the deeply religiously solemn paintings on the ceiling. "Ah, finally, we're leaving this miserable sea! Just a few times now—midday to night shifts!" Upon seeing Germain Spalro enter, this "strongest hunter" sighed with genuine relief. "As long as we can successfully depart, I won't have to worry about any lingering issues anymore." Kline had originally intended to have the man stay silent, but since his remarks seemed to be directed solely at himself and not at others, he simply let it go and casually asked, "Are you from Intis?" "I'd say so, though my father is from Intis and my mother from Segal." "Anderson responded with great enthusiasm. Kline took a few steps forward and asked, 'So, do you believe in the 'Eternal Sun,' the 'God of Steam and Machinery,' or the 'God of Knowledge and Wisdom'?' Anderson's expression suddenly grew strange. 'I used to believe in the 'God of Knowledge and Wisdom,' but their priests were incredibly rude. Simply because my exam grades weren't up to par, they ignored my ordinary good looks, treating me like a fool. Pfft—I'm just a bit more specialized in certain areas. My intelligence isn't any lower! I've always excelled in art knowledge and drawing fundamentals. Honestly, before becoming a hunter, my dream was to become a painter. 'Of course, since arriving at sea, I've come to believe in the 'Lord of the Storm' to some extent.' Hearing Anderson's description, Kline suddenly thought of a joke—the priests of the 'God of Knowledge and Wisdom' might say: 'Didn't pass the exam?' "The kid's lost. Let's bury him." He was just about to steer the conversation toward Anderson's hunting career—after all, in this dream world, Anderson was the only one besides the "Mysterious Queen" who could talk to him normally—when suddenly, a sharp sound of the door creaking reached his ears. A loud creak of the door came from deep within the hall of murals! Anderson had just said a moment ago that as long as they could make it out of here...克莱恩 felt a sudden toothache, focusing intently on the direction of the sound. Then he saw a man in a linen short robe rushing swiftly from deep within the hall of murals, heading straight toward them. The man had sleek, dark hair, but his face was etched with deep lines, as though he had endured many hardships. "Saint Leo Mastre of the Black!"—the kind-hearted Leo Mastre!克莱恩 recognized him immediately, and then noticed a towering figure emerging from deep within the hall of murals. This figure wore a heavy, deep black full-body armor, with two bright red glows shining in the sockets of his eyes. He held a massive straight sword, wildly pursuing Leo Mastor. Tapping! Tapping! Tapping! The metallic soles of his boots struck the ground in crisp, rapid succession. Truly a Leo Mastor! The core essence of "The Saint of Black"! Kline instinctively leaned his body aside and stepped back as the two figures drew nearer. He collided against the wall of the mural hall, only to find that Anderson Hood had risen from his armchair at some point and now pressed himself against the mural on the opposite side. Noticing Garmen Sparrow's gaze, Anderson smiled, returning a look of "So did you." Who's like me? I'm not backing down—I'd have drawn out the "Rod of the Sea God" and the "Saint of Black" to fight eight hundred rounds, if not for you being here! I've been thinking constantly—what if, in the dream, the benevolent Leo Mastar were to kill the original self? Would there be corresponding changes in the real world? Well, outside, there's the crew of the "Future Ship." If Leo Mastar's original self truly goes mad, "The Enigmatic Queen" will surely step in. These two have come from their own dreams to be here—shouldn't that be no coincidence? Are they already very close in the real world? Or is someone guiding the benevolent Leo Mastar toward this place, to "The Enigmatic Queen"? A cascade of thoughts flashed through Caine's mind instantly. Leo Mastar, dressed in a linen robe, saw two people ahead. He had intended to call out for help, but in the blink of an eye, he noticed those two figures each drifting to the side edges of the hall, as if they had seen nothing and cared nothing at all. "...," he strained, and ran hard, finally bursting out of the hall of murals. The Leo-Master, clad in black armor, had his deep red gaze intensify even further, pressing relentlessly forward, completely ignoring the murals on either side where Klein and Anderson stood. Once they had left the hall, Klein, who had been pondering, immediately set off without hesitation, moving with the swift grace of a leopard to follow closely behind. "..." Anderson raised his right hand, gesturing briefly, but failed to timely stop Germán Sparrow. "He was quite composed just a moment ago—what changed? What did he discover? It's truly intriguing." Anderson glanced out toward the square outside, hesitated for a few seconds, and then decided to join them. Following the black monastery all the way to the area where the "Star General" was located, Caine saw Leo Mastar, dressed in a linen tunic, circling the massive stone, evading his master's presence, and seizing every opportunity to gaze toward the projection of the "Kingdom of the Giants" on the opposite mountain peak, whispering in ancient Hermes tongue: "O Lord who creates all things; You are the All-knowing, the All-powerful..." After completing another circuit, the kindly Leo Mastar continued his invocation: "You are the origin of all greatness, the beginning and the end; You are the God of the Gods, the Ruler of the Vast Star Realm!" As this title concluded, the sea of clouds separating the two mountain peaks suddenly trembled, slowly parting to reveal a deep, bottomless fissure. The projection of the "Kingdom of the Giants" on the opposite side instantly drew in the distant, frozen twilight! Yet, nothing further transpired. Klein had a general sense of understanding. He turned his head and looked upward toward the buildings near the black monastery's main gate, where a "mysterious queen," Bernadette—beautiful in appearance yet distant and approachable—stood quietly observing everything unfolding below. Indeed, it was she who had guided Leo Mastre, the one inclined toward kindness, out of his own dreams and brought him here. If the "Listeners" of the Aurora Order could carry young Jack into the "Land of the Forgotten Gods," then the "Black Saint" had no reason to hesitate. When the path ahead vanished and the projection of the "Kingdom of the Giants" appeared, the personality of Leo Mastre that had split off would inevitably seek refuge within it, thus demonstrating for the unseen observers exactly how to enter the "Land of the Forgotten Gods." Klein was confident in this sequence and withdrew his gaze with certainty. As for why Leo Mastre's inclination toward kindness had not succeeded, his judgment was simple: the location was wrong. Must one delve deeply into this sea, locate a specific spot surrounded by peril and strangeness, and then, during the dreams brought by night, recite the sacred name of the Maker of the City of Silver to activate the hidden passage concealed within the "Kingdom of the Giants" projection? Then, using the dream-based entry, guide both body and vessel through the mist where reality and illusion intertwine, to reach the seashore of the "Abandoned by the Gods" land? Kline mused thoughtfully. To him, the question of how to enter the "Abandoned by the Gods" land wasn't particularly pressing—once he reached Sequence 4, truly attaining a certain divinity, he could simply summon the small "Sun" to perform a descent or bestow a ritual and arrive directly! Yet, if he could reverse-engineer the path to exit the "Abandoned by the Gods" land, that would undoubtedly be a significant gain—indeed, of incalculable value to the City of Silver! It now appears that the key to leaving the "Land Spurned by God" lies indeed within the "King's Hall of Giants," though the exact nature of this key remains uncertain... As Clary's thoughts raced, pea vines rapidly surged upward from the soil, instantly transforming the area outside the black monastery into a green forest and forcibly separating the original personality of the "Saint of Black" from its benevolent counterpart. Then, through the gaps in the vines, Clary saw Gardeleia, the "Starborne Commander," rise from the stone, no longer sitting with her knees drawn up. After a series of battles, Deric had discovered that whatever their individual traits, the monsters seeping into the town from the afternoons all shared a common fear of bright light. This experience had kept him unharmed and saved the lives of many members of the exploration teams. Eventually, after "The Hunter" Colin eliminated the strongest of the monsters, the town settled into quiet, and all the candles had gone out. The head of the six-member council looked around, sighed, and said: "First rest, then establish camp." At this moment, the gathering exploration teams had lost nearly one-third of their members, now numbering six! Colin Iliad's true objective is actually the "Kingdom of the Giants," but his experience at the town in the afternoon has made him realize that exploration must not be rushed, as the "Kingdom of the Giants" may harbor profound secrets about a great disaster, posing unimaginable dangers. Therefore, it will be essential to prepare for half a year, a year, or even two years, with repeated preliminary explorations, before attempting to open the way. PS: Third update—bonus update for 20,000 monthly tickets!