What kind of thing would interest a "Snake of Fate"? Caine slowly sat up, taking a pillow to prop himself against the back. After a moment's thought, he decided to set this aside for now—after all, at least a month still separated him from Willy Aunseit's birth, and he could always delegate the matter to the "Seer" Gauthieria or even to the "Mysterious Queen" Bernadette behind her, letting them worry about it. Of course, Caine couldn't rule out the possibility that Willy Aunseit might suddenly change his mind and decide to come early. He gradually shifted his focus to crafting the "Chrono-Insect" sigil, according to Willy Aunseit's own description, he already possessed nearly all the necessary qualities—only lacking the corresponding symbolic emblem. Ask the " Fool" for assistance, drawing upon the power of the mysterious space above the gray mist... I'm not sure whether the symbolic sign corresponding to the "Thief" path will work... even if it does, I don't know for certain—unless I can bring a Thief into the space above the gray mist, so that the pattern appears behind the appropriate high-backed chair. While pondering the details, Caine suddenly had an idea: Why not try the symbolic sign behind the chair of the "Fool"? A unique symbol composed of half a "Eye without Pupils," representing secrecy, and half a "Twisted Line," symbolizing transformation! "I'm not sure if it will work—divination can't rely solely on elimination—but I can predict whether the attempt will go smoothly. Even if it fails, it shouldn't matter much, since we're essentially asking for our own benefit. Any materials lost during the experiment will simply be absorbed into the space above the gray mist and won't be gone." With this thought, Caine suddenly became enthusiastic, leaping out of bed and preparing to conduct the experiment tonight! The "Chrono-Insect" material originates from the "Thief" half-deity of the Amun persona, who has passed away but whose essence and depth remain intact. Even if various challenges prevent the incantations crafted from it from reaching angelic rank, they will still approach the pinnacle of the saintly tier—representing the highest level of saintly power. Should Caine succeed, he will gain a crucial reserve card, potentially securing him an additional life in critical moments. How could he not be excited and eager? I can only draw upon a modest portion of the mysterious space above the gray mist. The layers of the "Chrono-Beetle" seal should still diminish a bit, though regardless, it will surely surpass the "Ninth Law" granted to me by General Émeryl. If I could invoke the "Whisperer's breath" to craft an advanced seal for the Demon Realm, it would be comparable to the Ninth Law—alas, I am too hesitant to seek it from the "Cosmic Umbral Face." Cain, dressed in pajamas and barefoot, walked backward four steps on the soft, thick carpet, murmuring incantations, and entered the space above the gray mist. Seated at the head of the bronze long table in the position of the "Fool," he manifested a dark-red, round-bodied steel pen and a tan, sheepskin parchment, writing down the corresponding divinatory phrases: "My upcoming seal-making process will proceed smoothly." Unfastening the spirit pendulum from his sleeve, Cain held it in his left hand and began meditating. After reciting the divinatory phrases seven times, he opened his eyes and looked ahead—there, the yellow crystal pendant rotated slowly This means it will proceed smoothly... but the issue is whether the smooth progress verifies that the symbolic sign is effective, or merely confirms that it is ineffective. The seasoned astrologer, Klein, attempted to interpret the message, yet could not arrive at a definitive answer. Consequently, he decided to conduct an experiment, as otherwise he could not rule out error. Immediately thereafter, Klein wrote a new astrological statement: "The operation to assassinate Mr. X on this Friday carries risk." This time, the yellow crystal pendant continued to rotate clockwise, but at a faster speed and with greater amplitude. There's a significant risk, but not yet at the level requiring the involvement of a half-divine being, let alone the King of Angels... If such a powerful entity were truly drawn in, He would certainly sense my divination and mount a counteraction... So it seems the "Angel of Fate," Uloiruus, will soon be summoned to Bekkanth... This means the danger primarily centers on Mr. X and his associates—within my capacity to manage... As long as I don't make a mistake, the chances are very good. Caine reached a conclusion, set down his pen and paper, and returned to the real world. As a frequent practitioner of magical incantations and a specialist in esoteric studies, he had ample access to common materials. He immediately retrieved candles, lit them on his desk, and, under the fading light of dusk, arranged a simple altar. With a chisel, he inscribed the composite symbol representing "The Fool" on the silver foil. Since Klein himself didn't know exactly which spiritual number or magical sigil corresponded to "The Fool," he simply kept the front and back consistent—according to the spellbooks he had read, this adhered to mystical principles, though it came at the cost of reduced potency and increased failure probability, as the entity you were invoking might perceive your devotion as insufficient or your reverence as lacking. Of course, this posed no issue for Klein, who never felt self-conscious about his own devotion. After completing the initial incision, he retrieved a small metal vial, guided the mercury within it out using spiritual resonance and poured it into the engraved traces on a thin silver sheet. This time, he only completed the front side and then summoned himself, responding to himself, bringing back the small creature with twelve transparent rings and placing it gently upon the silver sheet. Having completed all this, Caine adjusted the altar slightly, stepped back two paces, and began in ancient Hermes: "O fool of a time unbound..." Following the prescribed sequence, he executed the corresponding gestures, then reversed his steps four paces, entering the gray mist above, where he positioned the "Black Emperor" card and used his own spiritual essence to gently draw upon the subtle forces of the mysterious space above, fulfilling the plea. As the surging power flowed into the luminous circle, Caine immediately returned to the real world, observing the altar now deep and dark, as though holding countless secrets, while the silver thin sheet had risen, partially fused with the body of the "Chronos Insect." Caine took two steps forward, flipped the silver sheet over, and poured mercury into the symbolic patterns on its reverse. One by one, the lines glowed, radiating a pale, misty light. Caine swiftly withdrew his hand, watching the light grow richer and more intense, until the silver sheet and the body of the "Chronos Insect" were fully enveloped within it. Suddenly, the deep, profound darkness of the altar warped, as if the entire space had gone awry. This change flickered and passed, and a scroll adorned with strange patterns slowly settled onto the desk surface. It was translucent, deep black in hue, resembling a small card crafted from special crystal—like the gaze of some being, watching the world. Success! Indeed, it had worked! Clain was overjoyed and hurried forward to pick up the scroll, feeling its cool touch, as though he were touching snow. Regardless of the final effect, its formation meant success! Clain now possessed another high-level, semi-divine scroll! He then busied himself, bringing the finished scroll into the gray mist, and using the technique of "dream divination" to roughly determine its function: This scroll, resembling a black crystal card, had a singular yet powerful effect—stealing another's fate. More precisely, it was about fusing destinies, transferring the target's fate over a certain period of time onto its own. The simplest case is when the enemy is about to kill me—I use this talisman, and I successfully steal his life-preserving fate, transferring my own impending death to him. Then, astonishingly, he survives while he himself perishes. This perfectly embodies the consistent hallmark of the "Thief" path, yet it is even more eerie and terrifying. It's not just stealing money anymore—it's now stealing fate itself. If the "Chrono-Beings" were alive and I could fully harness the mysterious forces above the gray mist, this talisman might even point toward the realm of time. While pondering these thoughts, Kline felt a deep sense of relief: Without the gray mist acting as a barrier and undergoing "disinfection," without the slight assistance of the mysterious space, he simply couldn't have managed any of the "Chrono-Beings" at all! Now, it's mine. It can no longer be called a "Chrono-Being"—let's call it the "Fate-Stealer." Kline once again became busy, bringing the "Fate-Stealer" talisman back into the real world. Attending to the remnants of the ceremony, he solemnly placed the high-level talisman into the iron cigarette box, setting it alongside Azk's copper whistle and Senior's gold coin, and sealed it off with a spiritual barrier. With a relaxed mind, Caine found himself unable to fall asleep. He swiftly pulled the curtains aside, allowing the soft crimson moonlight to stream in, casting a sense of calm and stillness throughout the room. As he admired the view, he suddenly noticed a figure emerging from the office of Member Mahert, moving along the shadows toward this area. It was Hayour Mahert, who once again arrived at the sewer entrance, pushed aside the manhole cover, descended, and carefully restored it. Why does she always head down to the sewers? It wouldn’t make sense to head off to other regions from here, playing the superhero of the mysterious world. After all, unless there’s exceptionally strong intelligence support, it’s hard to accomplish much within less than an hour—and the official organizations would easily catch up to them. Combined with the images displayed by Arōdes, the “Magic Mirror,” she seems more like someone searching for something specific. Hmm. Exploring deeper into the sewer system this way would surely bring risks. Kline stood in the gap of the curtains, observing the various discoveries unfolding beneath the tranquil night sky. He hadn’t attempted to warn Hēyōr or directly use a “spectral haunting” to convey the dangers of the extraordinary world. First, his subjective judgment—rooted in his limited understanding of the mystical realm and his own sense of superiority—hadn’t yet solidified. Second, he wasn’t certain why Hēyōr possessed such extraordinary abilities or magical artifacts. Offering a timely reminder, as a gesture of gratitude for her previous kindness, might only draw unnecessary attention—or even cause complications. After a night of peaceful rest, Caine returned to bed and slept soundly until dawn. Before Richardson arrived, he had transformed into the likeness of Gervase Sparrow and prayed to the "Fool": "…I can take on this mission, but regardless of success or failure, I shall need one stone from your bracelet and temporary rights to use your magic book. If I succeed, all the spoils shall be mine—you may keep only the head of the target. Should it be necessary, you shall also provide additional support."