"The recluse," Cadrya, controlled herself, not looking at the "World" Gerem, and spoke in a steady, calm tone: "To the northeast of the Galgas Islands, there is a safe channel that leads into that perilous sea region..." She began from the deep chasm separating the waters, describing the unlookable solar chariot, the nights that must be slept through to escape, the terrifying murmurs and dreams filling the entire ocean, and the projection of the "Kingdom of the Giants" on the opposite side of the mountain peaks. Throughout this narrative, she mentioned Gerem Sparo not once, deliberately keeping him in the background. As for other anomalies along the way, she only briefly noted a few—such as a stretch of sea still bearing the residual breath of the "Mother Earth," causing the hair to grow wild. Finally, she emphasized the underwater ruins where bodies lay dormant, and the explorer's vessel inscribed with blood letters reading "The Fountain of Youth." "This may signify that the Fountain of Youth lies within that ruin, and the bodies exhaling with great breath are the guardians." "The recluse" Gauthier, stating what is commonly speculated aboard the *Enterprise*, does not necessarily mean her judgment. "The Fountain of Youth"... the legendary Fountain of Youth among the six maritime treasures... "The Hangman" Aljere felt his heart stir, naturally beginning to consider the feasibility of exploring that site following Sequence 5. "Justice" Odile listened attentively and then slightly shook her head: "I don't believe the final meaning of the blood script is that the Fountain of Youth lies within that site." Pausing for a moment, she attempted a psychological analysis of the deceased: "A man facing a monster attack and about to die wouldn't make a specific mention of treasure. If he wanted to alert his companions or relatives who came to find him, he would instead write about the danger—or its source. If his intention was to inform passing ships about the presence of the 'Spring of Immortality,' he would lack the inner motivation to write such a thing at the moment of near-death, unless there was a hidden scheme at work—luring others to that ancient site in search of the 'Spring of Immortality,' a scheme that would ultimately save him himself." "Exactly," said Emlyn, the 'Moon.' "I wouldn't either. I wouldn't make a desperate effort to tell others about the treasure before I died. To me, what would that matter?" "Only hatred," she added, "only hatred deeply rooted in my bones, would drive me to write such things at the moment of death. Otherwise, I'd prefer to tell people how I want to be buried and what items should accompany my remains." "Finally," he sighed, shaking his head. Kaine gave a barely perceptible nod, manipulating "The World," and spoke in a low, steady tone: "'The Fountain of Youth' is a fraud." He used an absolute statement, without adding words like "perhaps," "might," or "should." "The Fountain of Youth" is a fraud... Gauthier glanced at "The World" and then returned her gaze, thoughtfully. This seemed to confirm certain intuitions and thoughts she had been holding within. "As for 'The Hanged Man' Alje," he frowned, listening intently. He didn't dispute "The World's" judgment, nor did he find "The Lady Justice" and "The Moon" entirely unconvincing—rather, he realized he had completely overlooked the possibility himself! To him, this was an error that should never have occurred. ...After all these years, I still find myself momentarily blinded by overwhelming interests. He remained silent for a few seconds, then sighed. After exchanging their experiences, the group began teaching the young "Sun," Horkhemitis, and learned from one another various secrets of esoteric knowledge. Time flew by swiftly. After the others had reached a mutual understanding and paused in unison, "The Fool" Kline glanced around and said, "That's enough." "In accordance with your will," "Justice" Odile rose immediately, gracefully lifting her skirt as a gesture of courtesy, while the other members followed suit almost in unison. As one by one, the blurred figures faded from view, Kline did not hurry to leave. He manifested a parchment and a round-bodied steel pen, writing a divinatory sentence: "My hope to advance to Sequence 4." After placing the pen down, Kline took the parchment and leaned back against the chair, closing his eyes and entering a meditative state, silently reciting the divinatory sentence. After seven repetitions, he fell into a deep sleep, entering the realm of dreams. The gray, hazy world split open, and he saw a majestic mountain rising high into the sky. At the summit of the mountain stands a palace that has collapsed and grown aged, its walls overgrown with weeds and moss, showing clear signs of rupture. In the main hall, at the highest position, there is a massive throne carved from stone, embedded with dull gold and stones,斑驳 and damaged in many places. This does not appear to be a throne designed for human use; instead, countless transparent maggot-like creatures have gathered in a dense cluster, intricately entwined and slowly蠕ating, continuously growing. Around the chair, whispers drifted through the long stretches of time and history, ethereal, elusive, echoing endlessly: “Hornachis… Freglara… Hornachis… Freglara… Hornachis… Freglara…” As the whispers reached his ears, Kline suddenly woke up, his face slightly furrowed: “Indeed, it’s at the main peak of the Hornachis Mountains—and clearer, more distinct than ever before.” This reminded him of the prophetic words spoken by the “Mysterious Queen” Bernadette: “Your fate lies at the main peak of the Hornachis Mountains.” Is this my fate? It’s so compelling, so irresistible—it’s as if I’m being urged to resist… Well, not absolutely—perhaps it depends on the circumstances. Kline sighed, then materialized the five “Wanted Notices” provided by Emlyn White. Combining existing information, he began using divination methods to trace the whereabouts of the five followers of the “Primordial Moon.” In the end, lacking sufficient information, he could only confirm two points: "Galiss Kevin, Wensley Bering, and Argos are all in Beckland. Dandy and Laura are one in Emat Port and the other in Priz Port." That was essentially no progress at all... Caine shook his head and returned to reality. Having promised the young "Sun" a formula for the "Notary" magic potion within three days, he donned his coat and hat, ready to set out in search of his targets. As he opened the door and reached the staircase, Caine noticed Anderson Hood gently turning his hunting cap, humming a country tune, stepping up one step at a time. What a strong psychological resilience he has! Just this morning, he'd been scolded by a half-god, forced to apologize and make concessions—yet now there was not a trace of any lingering shadow. It was no wonder he had risen to become a Sequence 5 strength; simply by virtue of this mental fortitude, he rarely lost his composure. Caine glanced at him and gave a gentle nod, offering a polite greeting. "Good afternoon, Gelmann." Anderson smiled and waved. "I've collected the bounty and the character fees—I'll settle the final payment right away." He pulled out banknotes of varying thicknesses from different pockets. "It went pretty smoothly," Kline remarked, without any emotional inflection. Anderson immediately chuckled. "Indeed! Much smoother than I anticipated. Those people who were supposed to be as stiff as granite turned out to be remarkably pleasant, efficient, and courteous. I'm starting to wonder if I've been blessed by the goddess of fortune!" "There's no such goddess," Kline promptly dispelled the illusion. "Just relax, life doesn't demand that much seriousness—relax, relax." Anderson handed over the final payment of 1,200 pounds. "I actually know exactly what's going on. It's simply that the gentleman didn't want me to waste my time, so he subtly instructed those people." Klein glanced at the bills, held them between his fingers, and casually asked, "Have you confirmed which pirates caused the issues?" He was referring to the prey that had drawn the "Master of Manipulation" last night. "We haven't been able to confirm that," Anderson chuckled, "Do you think I didn't check beforehand? I may appear indifferent to you right now, but in truth, I've investigated the backgrounds and circumstances of the prey to avoid upsetting people I shouldn't. Unfortunately... well, it all comes down to bad luck." ...He's far more cautious than I expected. Of course—he was the 'Conspirator' in the previous sequence. Klein paused thoughtfully for a few seconds, then asked with a neutral tone, "Who here should be eliminated?" Anderson was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled, "Even our most enthusiastic adventurers now plan to launch a hunting campaign? "Still, you need to think carefully—I don't want to discover you're a fellow companion when I've just completed the half-god's task." "Rest assured, we're different. I'm a seer, and I've got all sorts of ways to conceal my circumstances—no one will ever find me. Moreover, this is a half-god from the 'audience' path, who isn't particularly skilled in divination or prophecy...克莱恩保持着格尔曼特有的冷峻姿态说道："You needn't worry." Anderson immediately raised his thumb in admiration: "Your madness is truly inspiring!" He paused, then added, "The one who should be eliminated is Mosonar of the 'New Roon Party.' He's one of the pirates' closest allies, and he controls a highly addictive drug derived from hemp or some other plant, which enables him to influence many officials in the Toskata government and police force—making him the most powerful underworld figure here. He's handled numerous cases and eliminated several people, but mostly through the pirates' efforts, with no visible issues on his record. "Hah! He himself isn't an extraordinary one. The challenge in killing him lies in the complications—yes, complications!" "He always has between three and five extraordinary individuals from different pirate crews providing protection—on the roof, in the rooms, beneath the windows—his people everywhere. To eliminate him, one would have to force a direct assault and kill most of the staff. 'I can certainly do that, but it's quite cumbersome and comes with a certain level of risk. Afterward, I'd likely become a wanted fugitive. So, instead of targeting him directly, I focused on his safe.' The safe... the way he frames theft as so fresh and refined... well, it was previously reported that Toscana thrived on plantation-based economies and pirate black-market trade, which in turn boosted the bars, brothels, and casinos. I hadn't expected there to be a new type of drug involved. But Monsone is just an ordinary person—not an extraordinary one. Ah, precisely—'the creeping hunger' lacks food. Klein nodded, signaling Anderson to elaborate further. ... By late afternoon, inside 'The Oak Bar.' A boxing match was about to begin on the main stage, and many wine-drinkers had gathered around, holding their glasses." The sharks, as if smelling blood, were placing bets and shouting "Kill him! Kill him!" The boxing match hosted at the property of Mossona, the head of the "New Roon Party," had a unique feature unlike others—death was permitted. Mossona deeply cherished this nearly ancient gladiatorial spectacle and often came to watch several matches. Now, he sat on the second floor, overlooking the ring. Around him, numerous bodyguards were stationed, vigilant at every point—front, back, left, right, and above—among whom were exceptional figures sent by his pirate partners and seasoned adventurers hired at great expense. These guards faced or turned their backs to Mossona, encircling him and preventing anyone from approaching, their revolvers, rifles, and hunting guns prominently displayed, creating an imposing presence throughout the venue. Upon confirming the situation, Caine pressed his hat and entered the bar, immediately spotting Mossona smoking a cigar. This mob boss has a highly distinctive face—whether it's his prominent nose or his sparse eyebrows, both are very striking. Cain withdrew his gaze, ordered a four-pence local barley beer at the bar, then squeezed himself beneath the second-floor railing. Though he wasn't directly beneath Mossona—where he was under tight protection—he was now only a short distance away. "Within five meters..." Cain murmured silently, holding his glass and gazing toward the boxing ring. PS: Early update at midnight.