Bang! The iron-black revolver, slightly longer in barrel, recoiled slightly, and a streak of pale gold shot out, aimed directly at the point where the target was about to arrive. Yet, the ethereal cluster of black lines suddenly halted, as if observing something. From his demeanor, it appeared he had not sensed the imminent danger—his attention was simply drawn by something else. A gray-white rabbit leapt out from the dense grass and dashed off toward the distance. As the sound of the gunshot echoed, the large tree ahead, just at its height, suddenly collapsed. At the height of the tree, massive, irregular holes appeared in the trunk, filled with pure, intense streams of pale gold flame, causing the trunk to snap completely in two. The impact of "The Bell of Doom" was as powerful as a light artillery shell, with even greater penetrating force! The dense, ethereal cluster of black lines was visibly startled and instinctively vanished, reappearing on the surface of a shallow pond or shallow depression nearby. His figure inevitably came into focus: a man with a pale complexion, deep-set eyes, and light brown gaze, around forty, sporting a pair of dark mustaches, wearing an old triangular hat. This man's appearance was not unfamiliar to Caine—his reward notices had always appeared before him, accumulating into a clear impression: "The General of Blood," Senior! Within the realm of Roon alone, his reward stood at 42,000 pounds! He had already infiltrated Bayam! Was he coming to retrieve Turani von Hermosin? After the great scientist was discovered and died, had he joined the Rose Academy's mission targeting me? I now seem to have a new vulnerability—but I still can't quite pinpoint what it is… As this thought flashed through him, Caine watched Senior's figure vanish once more. Yet the presence of this "General above the Blood" remained unmistakable; to Cline, the ethereal black thread corresponding to him shimmered like fireflies in the night, easily recognizable. The thread darted swiftly around him, leaping from morning dewdrops, glass fragments, and inexplicably frozen puddles, closing the distance between the two parties with remarkable speed. Cline did not remain still, instead making small, agile movements to avoid being accidentally struck by the half-deity of the Rose School mid-battle. Senior's performance revealed one clear truth: for a "spirit of resentment" to take possession of a target and directly manipulate their body, it must first enter a certain range. Although the half-deity of the Rose School had previously managed such feats from a greater distance, perhaps out of underestimation or fear of unforeseen complications, they had not done so. It was certain—Senior was indeed a Sequence 5 "spirit of resentment." Klein continuously shifted his position, waiting for the distance to become more favorable. As the "Blood Above the Field" slightly slowed down, preparing to project himself onto the target, Klein's left glove suddenly deepened into a profound, deep black, as if composed of one layer upon another of pure, granular elements. A foul-sounding demonic word erupted from his mouth: "Slow!" Senior had a sense of it coming and, before Klein could fully utter it, swiftly changed his position—yet the entire area within seven to eight meters momentarily froze, and his evasive maneuver failed to take effect. This was a range-based influence! Senior's form suddenly stalled, once again solidifying within the real world. Klein raised his right iron-black revolver, pulled back the hammer, and brought the target squarely into his aiming circle. Through the lens of the "Hourglass" revolver, he observed that the target's body was filled with various hues, with the pale, weak points not located on the head, but slightly above the Adam's apple. Without hesitation, without delay, Caine pulled the trigger. A deadly strike! At that very moment, a shimmering black thread drifted to Senior's side and gently pulled him aside. "The Blood General" instantly leaned sideways, and the golden bullets skimmed past his neck, striking a distant rock and shattering it. Golden flames erupted on Senior's neck, burning so fiercely that he lifted his head and opened his mouth. A sharp, piercing cry burst forth, flooding into Caine's ears and making his head hum with resonance, causing his body to momentarily stall. Invisible spirit forms, which had been dancing around Senior since earlier, now surged forth, driven by a cold wind, rushing toward the enemy from the sky, from the ground, and from all directions. In Caine's two eyes, two pale figures—wearing triangular hats and red coats—rapidly materialized, taking shape and nearing completion. *Crack!* Klein snapped his fingers, and his body was instantly engulfed by a surge of bright red flame. Before the "ghostly spirits" could fully attach themselves to him, he vanished from sight! Below just ten meters away, the trees and wild grass caught fire, flames swelling and rising into the sky. Klein gracefully leapt out of the midst of the blaze, raised his left-hand revolver—the "Hourglass" once more, and aimed precisely at where he had stood before, channeling more than double the usual spiritual energy into the weapon. "Massacre!" With a sharp crack, he pulled the trigger. The pale golden bullet shattered into countless fragments, each carrying a sacred flame, sweeping across the area in front of the gun. The intangible spectral beings, like they had been struck by a solar storm, screamed in agony and were instantly consumed by the flames, offering no resistance. The attempt for Senior to fully manifest failed, and he immediately sensed an impending counterattack. He instantly materialized within a fragment of glass nearby, attempting to evade the onslaught. Yet the wide-reaching storm of bullets unleashed by the "Massacre" completely enveloped the glass fragment. Amid the great roar, several golden flames struck the glass beside it, failing to hit directly but inflicting scorching damage. Senyor leapt once more across the "mirror" surface and materialized upon the surface of a droplet of dew far away, bearing numerous wounds from the purifying forces—though not severe. How lucky indeed! It was confirmed—Senyor possessed a magical item that brought him fortune. Only three purification bullets remained... Caine's brow furrowed slightly, and he swiftly began to run, as if eager to catch up. Knowing he would face a member of the Rose Academy, he had already exchanged all the extraordinary bullets in his revolver for purification bullets targeting wraith-living corpses, totaling six. Now, he had fired three shots. At the first shot, Senyor was saved by a rabbit that suddenly burst into the scene; at the second, he was pulled by a half-deity from the Rose School who happened to arrive right beside him; at the third, during the storm of slaughter, he found himself precisely in the gap between fragments, sustaining only minor injuries—his luck was simply beyond what Caine could accept! Yet Caine did not grow discouraged. Instead, he reverted his appearance and physique to that of Germain Sparo, preparing to immediately unleash a cascade of "Poseidon" domain seals should any unforeseen circumstances arise, creating sufficient ripples so that the "King of the Sea," Ayn Cortman, in Bayam City, would be keenly aware of the disturbance. As a Sequence 3 half-deity, if he arrives, faced with a half-deity from the Rose School, a hostile pirate general, and an adventurer whose background remains mysterious yet who has ties to the military, it will be clear which side he will prioritize—there is no doubt about it. As for the messenger, Caine is confident she will promptly retreat into the spiritual realm, free to choose whether to join the fray or simply to withdraw. After receiving the telegram last night, Caine didn't flee in the middle of the night because the "King of the Sea" offered him a sense of security. If he went out alone, he would surely be noticed and captured by the Storm Church, interrogated about his background, and the subsequent events would be unpredictable. But if he remained in the room, waiting for the one who would "see himself" to arrive, he would have a chance to struggle all the way to the street, where the "King of the Sea" could spot him. Facing a powerful evil figure of at least half-divine status and a relatively junior adventurer—only a Sequence 5 with ties to the military—Ayn Cortman would undoubtedly prioritize eliminating the Rose School's members. As a Cardinal of the Storm Church and a senior steward of the "Penitent," he could deploy the various seals and protections of the diocese, even holding off against angels for a while, and would also receive military reinforcements. Amid the chaos, Caine would then have the opportunity to escape to the coast and board a whale ship, making his way out. To his regret, after the telegram, the night was unusually calm, and by day, "King Neptune" found it difficult to monitor the entire city. Pop! Caine snapped his fingers again, and the trees and grass around him burst into flames—much as if blossoms of ceremony were unfolding around him, creating an unexpected sense of elegance. He had chosen to walk through the forest toward the cliff edge precisely because this setting was ideal for a magician's performance. His figure danced and shimmered among the flames, moving gracefully around Senior, the "Blood Above," evading his approaches and manipulations. Having learned from earlier experiences, Senior understood that Caine possessed both range attacks and lethal capabilities, so he avoided lingering too close. When his attacks missed, he either swiftly pulled away or emitted mournful wails to disrupt Caine, or used his pale, sickly-green fingers like rifles to precisely aim at him. Yet, despite these efforts, the latter only managed to extinguish flames and dry out the vegetation—unable to secure a steady lock on Caine himself. Seeing those flame clusters—offered as a ceremonial tribute—now stand as the greatest obstacle to his own advance, Senio halted, then unleashed a piercing shriek so intense it could rupture human eardrums and reach even the ethereal realm. Amidst the shriek, a ring of icy blue light rapidly expanded beneath his feet, swiftly enveloping the ground soil, scattered grass, and scattered stones in a layer of white ice. The flame clusters responded with hissing sounds, rising faint mist before being completely extinguished within the frost. Cain, affected by the spectral shrieks, delayed his "Flame Leap" by half a beat and suffered a failure, his form emerging mid-motion, his footing momentarily unsteady. Then, he saw a translucent, ghostly skull veiled in dark mist rushing toward him, bearing a heavy sense of mortality—like an envoy dispatched from the Underworld! At that instant, it seemed as though Cain could no longer evade. Yet, suddenly, a pale blue flame, radiating a scent of sulfur, materialized before him. His gloves remained deep and profoundly black, still in the state of demonic transformation. With a puff, the fireball went out, and the ethereal, misty skull, veiled in black vapor, blurred and shattered, scattering to the ground, leaving behind a series of lifeless patches. Immediately, Caine steadied himself, pulled out a wrought-iron cigarette box from his pocket, and threw it toward Senyor, the "Lord of Corruption," while his gloves had, at some point, grown both noble and eerie. "Lord of Corruption!" "Corruption!"