At last, with the deal secured, Caine quietly exhaled, feeling a significant relief in his shoulders. Though the messenger had mentioned that the ten thousand ruun coins could be paid in installments, without specifying when repayment should begin, Caine still didn’t want to delay too long—he was afraid of upsetting Renette Tynecor. After all, she was a half-divine being from the spiritual realm; once truly incensed, even with a contract in place, she had countless ways to make life difficult for her employer. Moreover, the expenses of maintaining the façade of a wealthy man were simply overwhelming. While the salaries for twenty or so servants and their associated costs were only a small part of it, the costs of carriages, horses, wine, gifts for neighbors, event expenses, and investments to conceal his true identity kept mounting—each one more pressing than the last. Without a solid cash reserve, he truly feared he might collapse at any moment and be unable to continue. Ah, with the additional 6,500 pounds plus what he already had, would that be enough to get him through until his goals were clearly established? No. These recent experiences have taught me that never assume you know what a wealthy person's life is like—there's still a good deal more than five or six thousand pounds needed just to make ends meet. Klein really wanted to reach up and rub his temples, but ultimately held back. He composed himself, allowed the "world" to take another full sweep of the room, and croaked a dry laugh. "The second item is the 'Biological Toxin Vial'..." He described the brown, translucent glass vial that materialized with relatively concise language, emphasizing the characteristics of several toxins, their onset times, preventive measures, and the negative effects of carrying them constantly. "Justice" Odile found both her spine go cold and slightly embarrassed—first from the terrifying toxins that could cause one to tear off patches of skin and flesh, and then from the widespread, oddly stimulating effects. What a madly magical item this truly is... Well, it's one that must be prepared in advance to function effectively—quite demanding for ordinary "audiences," since observation and clairvoyance enable the lower-tier practitioners of this path to detect threats early and respond appropriately. But I don't need to do that. If I sense a threat, I can simply call upon my protectors. And furthermore, the effect isn't quite what I'd like—it often harms me instead! Odile, you're already a mature, rational extraordinary being; you shouldn't be wanting to purchase everything you see! Odile thought seriously for a few seconds and abandoned the idea of asking about the price. Seeing Miss Justice remain silent, Caine gently prompted Miss World to add: "Five thousand two hundred pounds." Odile lightly bit her inner lip and politely shook her head: "What I'm seeking is a more aggressive magical item." "The audience" is also a means that, in the early stages, lacks direct positive momentum, excelling instead at influencing and controlling its targets. "Five thousand two hundred pounds." The "Turner" Aljer, the "Magician" Fother, and the "Moon" Emlyn all quietly repeated the price, with not a single extra thought. "Five thousand two hundred pounds..." The "Wise One" Gardeleia paused noticeably, as though recalling something, then swiftly added, "For me, it's unnecessary." The "Wise One" seems to be afraid of something... The "Justice" Audrey perceptively sensed the atmosphere. At that very moment, Gauthier first felt that the "Biological Toxin Vial" and Frank Lee, the Toxin Specialist, were a perfect match—without excessive overlap in abilities, offering complementary strengths. She had even considered buying it for her first officer, since he had saved up quite a bit of money. But then, she immediately worried about what Frank Lee might do with the vial—what terrifying experiments he might conduct—feeling a sudden chill, and thus abandoned her initial thought. She didn’t want to see children growing up on the bridge of the *Pioneer*, still making cow-like sounds. After the gathering, she would write a letter to Miss Sharon, informing her that the necklace of the "Lord of Blood" had been sold, leaving only the "Biological Toxin Vial" behind. Caine concealed his disappointment and then suggested that the "World" speak: "I have a book titled *The Secret Book*, a mysterious esoteric work left behind by the 'Wizard King' Karalman of the Southern Continent. It is ideal for mid-tier extraordinary individuals with a solid foundation. Price: 1,000 pounds." "Knowledge is equal to money!" After being long taught by Mr. The Fool, Mr. The Hangover, and the other members of the Psychological Alchemy Circle, Audrey, representing Justice, was instantly convinced. She now possesses a solid foundation in esoteric studies and is eager to advance further. The Circle will certainly teach her some higher-level esoteric knowledge in the future, though it will likely remain limited to the realm of the mind. Audrey simply convinced herself of this, gave a slight nod and said, "This is exactly what I'm looking for." Folth, representing The Magician, was also very interested, but after considering the financial aspect, quietly closed his mouth again. As for the other members, they didn't lack similar knowledge either. Indeed, as a true representative of Justice, she had made no negotiation at all—my own minimum was only 800 pounds, no, actually, I had no bottom line at all; knowledge isn't something that can only be sold once. Clary smiled contentedly and chuckled softly to The World, "Deal." "However, I must remind you absolutely not to pray to the 'Primordial Moon'—doing so will transform you into a writhing mass of flesh that endlessly interbreeds with beings of different species, giving birth to all manner of offspring. Likewise, you must avoid praying to any other hidden entities, as that too poses a serious danger." Audrey of Justice grew suddenly afraid and unconsciously shifted her posture. She soon composed herself and looked firmly toward the head of the bronze long table, declaring with conviction: "During secret rituals, I only pray to Mr. The Fool." Her words were sincere, devoid of any pretense. Audrey of Justice truly holds the Fool in deep admiration and unwavering faith... Klein felt a quiet sense of warmth and a touch of humility—after all, the domain of the 'Sea God's Staff' overlaps only partially with that of the 'Primordial Moon,' and thus, for certain rituals, he can only offer a limited return of strength drawn from the subtle energies of this mysterious realm above the gray mist. Then, as the Fool himself, he expressed his stance: "Excellent." "At the same time, having initially achieved his goal, he casually mentioned to the 'World': 'I still have one exceptional trait of the 'Interrogator'—just 1,200 pounds.' How many items does he actually have? Even the 'Magician' Firth was astonished. Considering that Hugh still lacked sufficient funds and the necessary recipes, she could only look away, as if she hadn't heard. As for the 'Interrogator' trait from the underlings of the 'Emperor,' she didn't believe they would hold onto it for so long. Seeing no response, the 'World' cleared his throat and said: 'I have no further transactions.' Immediately upon speaking, the 'Tentative' Alje turned to 'The Hermit' Cadell and asked: 'I'd like to know where there are Obunis sea monsters that are not part of the Storm Church.' Are there Obunis sea monsters outside the Storm Church? Isn't Alje actually a member of the Storm Church himself?" Cadricia, the recluse, furrowed her brows slightly, then smoothed them out: "I'll look into it. I'll give you a definite lead before discussing the price." "Good," Aljer breathed silently. The atmosphere remained still for a few seconds. "Moon" Emlyn, observing the pause, turned to "The Magician" Folshe and said: "The 100-pound lead fee—I'll pay you today." "Thank you," "The Magician" Folshe replied, with a rather subdued tone. The transactions made by "The World" gentleman had all been in thousands and tens of thousands of pounds, leaving her somewhat numb. "Moon" Emlyn then turned to "Sun" Deryck: "I have the root crystals of the Elder Tree and the accompanying materials you requested." "Send me a list of the monsters and resources in the vicinity of Silver City. I'll select a few items of comparable value." "Alright," Deryck replied. "They total 2,000 pounds, plus my fee of 200 pounds—making a total of 2,200 pounds." At this moment, Emlin only wanted to exchange for items that could be quickly sold, or else he would have no money left. "Good, um, thank you, Mr. Moon," said Drik, of "The Sun," who was pleasantly surprised and suddenly found Mr. Moon not so unpleasant after all. He swiftly materialized the corresponding list and handed it to Emlin, the man of "The Moon." Emlin casually flipped through the papers, but as he did, he began to feel something was off. After all, the list itself was of high value, offering detailed information about the surrounding region and its resources of Silver City! He remembered that they had apparently viewed the list without even being paid for it. Emlin glanced briefly at Aljer, of "The Tower," and Gadeleia, of "The Hermit." In that instant, he seemed to understand something. When they looked again at "The Sun," Emlin felt both a renewed sense of superiority and an indelible sense of hesitation, clearing his throat and saying, "This, this, and this..." "Daylight" Derek took careful notes, confirming that he did not need to return to Silver City, as he could gather all these items within the surrounding area of the town by afternoon. Next, "Justice" Odile inquired about the whereabouts of the dream-bell tree fruit, receiving an answer that left her disappointed. The transaction concluded without needing "The Fool" Kline to announce it—both parties had already willingly entered the free exchange phase. "The Hanged Man" Aljer turned his head to the younger "Sun" and asked, "Are you still in the town by afternoon?" "Yes, though I'm about to return to Silver City—today's new exploration team has already arrived." Not only did "The Sun" Derek answer "The Hanged Man" Mr. Aljer's question thoughtfully, but he also proactively mentioned, "I've already informed the 'Chief' that during my efforts to clear the monsters from the town by afternoon, I've obtained the 'Notary's' potion recipe." "The Hangings" nodded gently. "What was his attitude?" "He only said, 'Very good.'" "Sun" Deric recalled the scene carefully. "Heard that," said "The Hangings" Aljer, chuckling softly. "You can be reasonably confident now—your 'Chief' is delighted to see you grow. He's more cautious about the 'Shepherd' elder, though." He didn't pursue the point further, but instead shared a new update with all members: "Recently, several pirates have visited Bansi Port and found it completely destroyed. Even if they rebuild it, it will take several years."