As the messenger girl disappeared, Caine thought about which half-deity he could still reach in the near future, but found that none remained reachable. He therefore turned his attention back to the question of what to do next: "The city-wide 'broadcast' just now will surely cause 'Poseidon' Ayn Cortman to search for Helmsophyin while simultaneously diligently seeking out the traces of 'Poseidon' and his followers. Leaving the house at night will make him easily noticeable, so he must remain here and wait until dawn. The ship scheduled for tomorrow cannot be taken—should an attack occur en route, it might endanger the entire crew, and even without that, the journey itself would not be sufficiently concealed." "Um... summoning marine creatures, traveling on whale ships, resting and transferring at isolated islands and reefs along the way, until reaching the next port... Since 'Oriental Light' stated that close proximity is necessary to perceive that quality, even if we amplify the sensitivity of the 'Tree of Desire' through rituals or the devotion of believers, the range would still not exceed a single city—perhaps even just one neighborhood. This explains why I only encountered a trap in Oravi. 'Once we leave Bayam, I should be free from the 'gaze'...' As克莱恩's thoughts began to clarify, the radio receiver suddenly picked up another signal! He hurried over, quickly jotting down the transmission, then translating it into letters using the cipher book to form words. Soon, the message appeared on paper, the ink deep and dark: "I see you." I see you... Reading this sentence,克莱恩 felt a sudden chill rise in his heart. ……… In a modest residential building not far from the governor's office. In the spacious basement, candles burned steadily, casting a soft, yellow glow across the room. "Silver Coin Serpent" Odel had removed his long, hooded robe, his voice trembling slightly as he gazed at the middle-aged man across from him: "Senior, I have no idea why the true hiding place of Helmose has come to be known." Senior wore an old triangular hat, his eyes sunken and his complexion pale—so pale that he seemed more like a spirit than a human. He brushed his two streaks of black beard with a hand, his warm brown eyes coldly assessing Odel, causing the renowned adventurer to lower his head. Silently gazing at the other for several seconds, the "General Above the Blood," dressed in white trousers and a red coat, spoke in a low, resonant voice: "Less than three minutes after the telegram was sent, news spread throughout the city—part of the very content of the telegram. I suspect another power is now taking notice of radio communications and has obtained our cipher book from old Quin." "Indeed, yes, that must be it!" "Silver Coin Serpent" Odel eagerly agreed, hoping that the "General Above the Blood" wouldn't think he had failed in his duties, thereby allowing the great scientist Hermosin to lose the cipher book. He was well aware of how merciless the pirate general was toward his subordinates when they made mistakes! Senior glanced at Odel coldly and chuckled, "But in any case, you have failed. If it weren't for your many pleasures—both with me and with your mistress—I would have had you pull out your own intestines!" "Go send a telegram to that listener—perhaps real, perhaps not—who I've seen, and let him spend the evening in fear and uncertainty. That is the only thing you can do right now." Upon hearing this, Odel instantly exhaled in relief, gazed nervously at the "Lord of Blood" and the bloody altar behind him, and respectfully replied, "Yes, Sir!" He had just thought he would become part of the offering. When Odel stepped out of the basement, the "Lord of Blood," Senior, turned to the altar, heaped high with heads, organs, limbs, and blood, and spoke to him with a demeanor more respectful than Odel had shown earlier: "Lord Jex, has the rite been successful?" "It has been successful. Now we wait for the gods' response." A cold, emotionless voice emerged from within the curtains draped around the altar. Then, as if coming to life, the curtains rolled back and forth on either side, smoothly tied themselves into a knot, and settled gently at the center of the altar. A slightly translucent figure appeared beside the altar at some point, his skin a warm brown, deep furrows etched into his face, his white hair sparse as autumn leaves—seeming to have lived for many years, perhaps decades. With a humble gaze fixed on the candlelight, his brown-olive eyes remained still. "Lord of the Blood," Senior, could not speak further, stepping beside the great man Jex and waiting for the altar to change. Suddenly, the candlelight took on a variety of hues, each color corresponding to the different desires of the observer. The human heads, organs, limbs, and blood on the altar moved without wind, stacking one upon another in a state resembling melting wax. Soon, they formed a modest tree of flesh and bone, its surface uneven, like the shell of a hazelnut. Thump. Thump. Thump. Inside this tree of flesh, it seemed as though a heart was beating—strong, steady, and powerful. By the time Senyor could no longer bear the noise, the Tree of Flesh withered and turned to rotten mud, spreading out. Where it had once stood, a small, moist, sticky, pinkish sphere remained. Soon, limbs and a head grew from this sphere, forming a humanoid creature about the size of a palm. It had no eyes, no nose, no ears—only a mouth like a series of holes. From this mouth, gray-white mist emerged and then receded, repeating continuously without pause. The elder named Jekes chanted the "Mother Tree of Desire" with deep devotion and fervor, then reached out to grasp the strange little figure. The candlelight went out silently, yet this did not hinder the "ghosts," who possessed night vision, from seeing clearly. "The General of Blood," Senior, gazed at Jakes, hearing the elder speak in a low tone: "For this ritual, we have prepared for a long time, and the divine blessing enables us to sense the presence of our target over a broader area. Then, we can precisely locate him using the glasses made by the Life School members!" As he spoke, Jakes withdrew a single-lens pair of glasses from his inner pocket. It appeared no different from ordinary glasses, yet it shimmered with a soft, luminous glow in the dark. "Master Jakes, what shall we do next?" Senior asked respectfully. The deeply lined Jakes paused for a few seconds before responding: "After dawn, we will go in search of the target. If he has strong allies, we will monitor him closely to prevent him from falling out of our sensing range, and patiently await the arrival of the great Master Seara. If he has no protectors and is himself quite weak, then we will proceed to act directly." Upon hearing the name "Seara," Senyor's brow noticeably twitched, as though the mere name itself were enough to instill fear. He took a slow breath and replied, "Yes, Excellency, sir!" Immediately after speaking, Senyor instinctively touched the pendant hanging at his chest. The pendant appeared to be made of pure silver, with the pendant itself resembling an ancient coin. Birds chirped and insects crept through the forest, occasionally small wild animals darting past. Caine walked swiftly, his feet pressing firmly into the rich, decaying soil. Along the way, he spotted mushrooms that had sprouted after the rain, scattered cloth fragments and other waste left behind by villagers who had camped out—everything was so peaceful, bathed in the fresh morning air. A leaf drifted down, and Caine continued without pausing, easily stepping over it. Suddenly, the leaf accelerated dramatically, even turning sharply, and pressed itself against his nose and mouth. It seemed like an adult's palm, firmly sealing over his nose and lips, cutting off his breath entirely. Swish! Swish! Swish! Branches from the trees snapped off and shot like arrows toward Caine. Meanwhile, the fragments and papers left behind from the campfires also gained life, linking together to form a dense, impenetrable web that surged forward at him! PS: A bit stilted, with fewer words—posting first, then refining.