One after another, the bean vines, winding and entwined as if weaving steps to heaven, descended and retreated into the soil. Whether it was the original persona of "The Black Saint" or the benevolent Leo Mastor, both had now vanished. Only "The Star General" Gardeleia stood at the summit of the great stone, gazing茫然ly around her. Had the "Mystic Queen" returned both the original and the kind-hearted personas of Leo Mastor to his own dreams? Or had she been drawn elsewhere, attempting to determine the precise location of the path leading to "The God-Abandoned Land"? "These two personalities seem unable to be separated into different dreams; otherwise, the 'Mysterious Queen' could have easily met separately with Leo Mastre's more benevolent aspect, offering him intelligence in exchange for his help in defeating the demon—there would have been no need for such complications. Of course, if one truly wished to erase the original personality of the 'Black Saint,' it would likely require entering the perilous ruins in the real world. Even the 'Mysterious Queen' would hesitate to attempt this, for it might result in the emergence of an 'Evil Queen'—one who acts at will and delights in causing harm." Kline paused thoughtfully and turned back, gazing toward the buildings near the entrance of the black monastery. There, behind the clean, bright floor-to-ceiling windows, the figure of Bernadette had already vanished. Klein didn't bother trying to track down the other's whereabouts or ascertain whether the "Mysterious Queen" had obtained additional intelligence from Leo Mastor, the benevolent one. He remembered the core persona of his identity: the devoted follower of the "Knight of the Fool!" The "Star General" was well aware that within the Tarot gatherings of the "Knight of the Fool," the "Sun" hailed from the Silver City of the "Land of the Divine Abandonment." It would be utterly unbelievable if the "Knight of the Fool" himself were unaware of how to reach that very land. Therefore, it was entirely logical that Germán Sparo, as a devoted follower, lacked the motivation to pursue deeper inquiry. So many things succeed and fail precisely because of their established personas—this is the very flaw of the "Faceless Man." Klein withdrew his gaze and once again gazed toward the projection of the "King of the Giants" on the opposite mountain peak, where the setting sun was gradually returning to the horizon. On this mountain, the massive stones remained steadfast, and the "Star General," Gauthier, slowly settled back down, resting her knees. ……… Day and night alternated three more times, yet only one external day had passed. The *Future* navigated past the hazardous ruins and debris, avoiding hidden perils scattered along the safe route, and finally approached the vicinity of the entrance to this sea. Klein and the others once again saw the ruins that had been half-submerged by seawater, the stacked gray stones and pillars rising into a peak, and the towering dome at the summit. Earlier, they had heard a deep, unmistakable breathing sound, and the *Bloodless* had even pointed out in pain that a corpse lay buried within the ruins! That corpse might very well have been the source of the breathing! Now, however, this once-threatening ruin no longer instilled fear in the crew of the *Future*—instead, it brought joy, for seeing it meant they were drawing closer to leaving this bizarre and terrifying sea. "Hold on—there's a ship!" Nina had already climbed to the high observation platform at some point, gazing at the ruins and speaking aloud. "Ship?" Klein circled around Anderson Hude, who had been blocking his way, and approached the ship's side, intently looking. Indeed, beyond the piled stone blocks and columns, a regular three-masted sailing ship was moored—due to the obstruction, it wasn't visible from a high vantage point or upon close inspection, making it difficult for the passengers on the "Future" to notice it unless they were paying close attention. The ship floated there, completely silent, with no sailors on deck, quiet enough to inspire a strange sense of dread. "It seems as though the ruins have swallowed it whole," Anderson remarked, shaking his head in resignation. "In this sea, one must never approach any ruin unless one has a deep familiarity with it." Someone who had dared to sketch the mural of the "Angel of Fate" had no right to say this... You, who prided yourselves on your experience, have ended up with only me left. Klein didn't turn his head; he muttered under his breath. At that moment, Gardeleia, the Star Above, also arrived on the deck, gazing toward the sailboat beside the ruins. Throughout the entire process, she never once glanced at Geremar Sparrow, as if he were entirely absent. After a brief silence, Gardeleia lifted her hand to remove her heavy spectacles resting on her nose. Deep purple hues slowly flowed within her eyes, as though tracing one complex symbol after another. Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared in the empty sailboat—ethereal, semi-transparent, deep purple! These eyes moved slowly, circling the deck before entering the ship's cabin. Such an extraordinary ability is truly useful… Speaking of it, based on the methods displayed by both the Enigmatic Queen and the Star Above, the extraordinary ability of the Seer bears a distinctly "fairy tale" quality! Gasp—does the Enigmatic Queen really have the power to turn people into frogs? And does the Seer's ability to perceive hidden things manifest precisely in this way—through these very eyes? "The eyes of the 'Star Above Commander' are a bit odd—need to pay more attention to that later..." Klein mused, waiting for Gardeleia's remote exploration to yield results. Eventually, the deep purple in her eyes faded. She rubbed her temples, adjusted her glasses, and addressed Anderson Hood and Frank Lee: "There's something wrong inside." As she spoke, she pulled out a handful of colorful powder from a hidden pocket of her classical wizard's robe and flung it outward. The powder settled gracefully, forming a vivid, lifelike colorfully painted scene. The background resembled a captain's cabin, with photos on the desk and portraits on the walls—all depicting the same person: a sturdy-shouldered, light-yellow-haired, blue-eyed Fascan! This… Caine first felt a sense of familiarity, then recalled where he had seen him before: During his time in Nars, an adventurer had been pursued by Gilshias, the second-in-command of the "King of the Immortals," and had rushed into the "Lodar" tavern, seeking assistance from members of the "Adventurers' Guild." At that moment, among the strong figures who stood up to offer protection, there was a towering Falsac man—over two meters tall—whose presence gave Caine the impression of considerable strength, likely already at Sequence 6. How had this man's ship suddenly entered this region and, so boldly, begun exploring the perilous ruins? Caine remained puzzled, now observing the supernatural tapestry on the deck with greater attention. This time, he noticed a pool of blood on the floor, beside which were several Falsac words: "The Spring of Immortality…" The final syllable of the word was followed by a slight bend and elongation of the blood trail, clearly leading to a distinct drag mark that connected to the doorway. In Klein’s mind, the scene seemed already restored—he could almost see the sequence-6 Falsack giant suddenly attacked, severely wounded and falling to the ground, desperately trying to write down the source of his entire ordeal. Yet, just as he had begun to compose his account, he was abruptly lifted by his legs or his head and dragged away—by something unseen. Given that the blood-stained words remained untouched, Klein suspected the person who had dragged the adventurer wasn’t a living being. It must have been the corpse from the ruins… he thought, wincing slightly at the toothache. “‘The Fountain of Youth’? Are they here seeking ‘The Fountain of Youth’?” Anderson Hude asked with genuine excitement. “Clearly, they haven’t found it,” Frank Lee replied, shaking his head with evident disappointment. He, too, had long admired the fountain, believing it would transform the outcomes of his various experiments. "The Fountain of Youth"... At the time, the young adventurers were pursued by Gilshias the Slayer, the second-in-command of the King of the Immortals. It was rumored that the King of the Immortals had once drunk from the waters of this Fountain. Gilshias had also warned me, and had warned Germain Sparo, that they should not interfere in the affairs of the young adventurers—this, he said, was the will of the King of the Immortals. Based on various pieces of information, Caine managed to piece together the truth: the young adventurers had either obtained or stolen the secret of the Fountain of Youth from a trusted associate of the King of the Immortals, and thus had been ruthlessly hunted down. With the protection of several near-elite members of the Guild of Adventurers, they had managed to escape Gilshias the Slayer. Subsequently, driven both by the need to evade the King of the Immortals and by their quest for the Fountain of Youth, they had chosen to venture into this sea region. Yet, in the end, they were wiped out right here, amidst the ruins. Could it be that the Fountain of Youth lies deep within these very ruins? Klein once again gazed upon the towering stacks of gray stones and stone pillars, and faintly formed a conjecture. Since his idea remained unverified and he still didn't know who the corpse buried beneath the ruins had been before death, he lacked the urge to explore or venture forth. Reason drew back his gaze. He could always return and ask Willy Osnard or "The Mirror" Araldus... Ah, perhaps the so-called "Spring of Immortality" was simply the pus that had seeped from the decaying body of this corpse—Klein imagined the worst. At that moment, the "Starborne General" Gardeleth, listening to the conversation between Anderson and Frank, mused: "If the person had perished while seeking the 'Spring of Immortality,' I don't think the subject of the portrait or the photograph would have had the motivation to leave accurate information for the successors before passing away. After all, the ones who had found their way here were likely not family members." "That makes sense... If it were me, encountering a monster during the quest and about to die, I wouldn't even think to leave any message for the people behind. Klein gave a barely perceptible shake of his head, momentarily unable to think of any other reason. Gauthier glanced at Anderson and Frank, both full of eager anticipation, and said: "Successful adventures usually stem from thorough intelligence and adequate preparation—neither of which we currently possess." Her voice suddenly grew louder, echoing throughout every corner of the ship: "Keep sailing! "Leave this sea area!" "Yes, Captain!" Nina on the observation deck murmured, taking a sip of wine. A few minutes later, the illogical phenomenon of falling and then rising occurred once again, but the crew of the 'Future' had now, thanks to their preparation, no longer fumbled as they had when they first arrived, handling the thrilling experience of plummeting and being thrown into the air with ease and grace. Soon, the 'Future' settled onto the blue sea, with a massive storm looming overhead, veiling the sky. Not far away, another ship hung motionless in the air, stretching nearly two hundred meters with its bow and stern rising high, like a crescent moon. Gazing at the sails adorned with black tombstones, a name flashed through Caine's mind: "The Ship of Finality!"—the flagship of the Immortal King, Agarith. At this moment, Caine felt no fear or dread, but rather excitement and exhilaration: "The Enigmatic Queen" was aboard, and this time, she didn't need to hide. With him, the Star General, Anderson Hood, and the crew of the "Future," they now had a full opportunity to annihilate the Immortal King's fleet! The food for "The Hunger That Crawls" had been found! The chosen puppets were now in place! Suddenly, the "Ship of Finality" turned sharply and swiftly receded, pulling away at an unprecedented pace. Run! Run! Caine stood momentarily stunned. Soon, the "Ship of Finality" vanished from his sight. ps: First publish, then revise.