Indeed, it was a "teleportation" — truly luxurious. Aljer tightened his spirit, then relaxed, though his vigilance and alertness remained unchanged. Upon seeing Germain Spalro again, while the man's core characteristics hadn't changed much, there was an undeniable, unspoken strength in his every movement — deeper, more intimidating than before. No wonder he was the daring adventurer who had once single-handedly engaged a half-divine battle and managed to escape. Aljer's pride in having just reached Sequence 5 suddenly dissolved. With his lantern in hand, he walked slowly toward Germain Spalro, deliberately saying, "The traces you've left here might never fade — not for centuries, not for millennia." He was confirming whether the mountain's collapse was indeed linked to Germain Spalro. Kline glanced at the altered landscape, released his right hand from where it had been resting on his hat, and smiled with grace: "The greatest contribution came from 'Poseidon.'" "Phew! He actually triggered a half-divine war that could potentially destroy Bayam, with the 'Sea King' directly attacking this very place... And yet, he's still alive, and he's even brought away the 'Blood Above General'—it's utterly unimaginable, unbelievable! Aljere now begins to suspect that there's a Level 1 seal item on Germain Sparo's body—one equivalent to a half-divine artifact! He doesn't display any visible shock or astonishment, and hesitates to make further inquiries. Instead, he asks, 'Do you intend to head to that primordial island right now?' 'Of course,' Klein replies calmly. It's now midnight, the time when Doun Tanghates is asleep, so no one will disturb him. By day, however, he'll have to make an appearance. Of course, to guard against unforeseen incidents like fires, Klein also summons the 'Mirror' Arordes, ensuring it continuously monitors the mirror imagery here and provides timely responses when necessary." That is, the Night's Watch's "dream therapy" for the wealthy gentleman had come to an end—otherwise, I would have definitely postponed this mission... Klein sighed inwardly. Alje surveyed himself and realized he couldn't secure any particularly magical items in the short time available, so he produced a black iron ring with a sharp, projecting ridge and placed it on his left thumb. Enduring the throbbing headache, he gently nodded. "Well, cooperation is mutual," he said. Then, he noticed Germán Sparrow approaching with a composed expression, reaching out to grasp his shoulder. At that moment, Alje's first instinct was that Sparrow intended to attack him, so he instinctively inclined his body to evade—but he quickly recalled his earlier hypothesis, and in a swift mental flash, managed to suppress the reflexive movement, allowing the adventurous wanderer's hand to settle on his left shoulder. Then he noticed that Germán Spáro's left hand became transparent, as if bearing the reflection of the spirit realm; the darkness around him deepened further, the red moon grew more vivid, and the various colors became clearly distinct yet layered upon one another. An indeterminate number of nearly invisible figures retreated toward the "back" direction, and with Germán Spáro's assistance, Aljé swiftly moved through the spirit realm. The creeping hunger... "transportation"... that was how it worked. Just as the thought began to form, he saw his body plummet straight downward, the rich hues recede, and everything returned to normal. The beach, the rocks, the trees—this was an island. Aljé surveyed the surroundings, about to speak, when the color blocks once again thickened and layered distinctly. This time, when leaving the spirit realm, they were suspended in midair, below them lay a deep blue sea with rippling waves. Although Aljere had never fought alongside Germán Sparo in actual combat, his wealth of experience immediately enabled him to create a swirling gale of wind, lifting both of them into the air and keeping them suspended. Thus, the "journey" once again successfully activated, and Aljere and Germán Sparo's forms swiftly faded, becoming transparent and ultimately indistinct. When the surrounding scene resumed, they found themselves at the edge of a massive island, where mist accumulated in the air and the crimson moonlight only partially penetrated—far from dispelling the forest and mountain peaks' deep darkness, it instead imbued them with a certain eerie, blood-soaked atmosphere. "This is it," Aljere said, surveying the surroundings. Krain appeared casually indifferent, yet remained highly attentive to the environment, noting its profound stillness—so quiet that not even bird calls, wolf howls, or insect chirps could be heard, creating an atmosphere of complete stillness and silence. Seeming to sense his inner feelings, Aljer raised his lantern, illuminating the overgrown natural path ahead, dotted with numerous animal footprints, and began to speak: "During the day, this place is quite lively—you'd even be able to see birds that exist only in myth soaring through the forest canopy. But at night, the 'power' that governs this area seems to shift; many extraordinary creatures retreat, hiding until dawn. "The Inverted Man" has visited here more than once, with at least one experience of both day and night... Caine remained silent, nodding slightly without adding much. Aljer paused for a moment, then pointed ahead: "We will follow this path into the Black Forest, moving steadily forward until we reach that ancient site of unknown age. Along the way, the creatures we encounter—those capable of posing a challenge to us." Materials obtained individually are fully awarded to the one who kills the creature alone. For cooperative kills, the materials are held by you until we leave this area, when they will be distributed through a rotating selection process—adjusted in priority and frequency according to each individual's specific contributions. He didn't rush to act but first clarified the route and distribution plan, so that both parties wouldn't disagree or clash during the exploration. "I'll manage the shared harvest..." "Mr. The Hangman is quite sincere." Klein raised his right hand, gently pressing the half-high silk hat, and offered a low, steady smile. "No issues at all." Aljer breathed a quiet sigh of relief and continued, "Our primary objective this time is to explore the ancient ruins. Any incidental gains along the way are secondary. Once the exploration is complete, we'd prefer to leave directly, without venturing into other regions or taking alternative routes. As for what comes next—when you'd like to come, and where you'd like to go—those are entirely up to you. It's your decision." Aljer emphasized this point out of concern that Germán Spalro might be overly greedy. After all, extraordinary beings are not perpetual motion machines—they will inevitably grow weary. Having completed this round of exploration, they are surely approaching their limits. If they continue to press on and hunt extraordinary creatures in other regions, the roles of hunter and hunted might very well reverse. Even the most daring adventurers, though strong and unafraid of such risks, may eventually succumb to symptoms of loss of vitality, leading to a breakdown in their spiritual balance. Do you really think I don’t share this concern? I’m also worried that you are too eager to gain more, blindly pushing deeper into the unknown. Klein chuckled. "I am a polite man." "Polite?" Aljer wasn’t quite grasping what Germán Spalro meant. Klein’s lips curled slightly, his expression in the darkness growing more solemn and even eerie: "It is considered impolite to stay too long during a first visit to someone’s home." "...His way of thinking and behavior logic is completely different from that of a normal person... Truly a mad adventurer. Aljer paused momentarily, then held up his lantern and stepped forward into the dim, flickering shadows: "Let's go." Kaine walked naturally beside Aljer, as if strolling on a countryside outing. Soon they entered the black forest where barely any moonlight penetrated. The trees there were thick and tall, with dense foliage—so much so that even the smallest ones could not be encircled by a single person. Their shared characteristic was that their bark was distinctly scaled, tightly interlocking in distinct plates, as though they might come alive at any moment, as though they might slowly ripple across their surfaces. Like a variant of dragon-wood trees—perhaps serpentine-wood trees? Kaine shifted his gaze, now paying close attention to the seemingly ordinary grasses at his feet. Neither he nor Alger spoke, maintaining an unusually quiet silence, neither eager to break the stillness or ease the awkwardness simply because the surroundings were so quiet and there was someone else present. As they walked on, the glow of the lantern revealed that the trees ahead had grown increasingly sparse. Thud! Thud! Thud! The deep, resonant sounds emanated from that area, growing clearer and more distinct as Alger and Germann drew closer. When they entered the open space, the lantern's light reached out and illuminated a series of hunched or crouched figures. Among them were humans, baboons, goats, and tigers, each wielding stones or using their claws and teeth, continuously shaping the accumulated trees and rocks as if constructing a palace. With the dense canopy no longer shielding them, a few streaks of crimson moonlight pierced through the lingering mist, falling upon these figures and giving them a faintly blood-toned hue. Were there humans? Klein's gaze sharpened, and his left fingers instantly spread open. Aljer slowed his steps, keeping his vocal cords ready to vibrate at a moment's notice. Suddenly, the figures seemed to sense something, halting their movements simultaneously and turning as one to face the two strangers. Some were pale, others had dry, withered fur, and still others showed signs of skin decay—none of them appeared to be alive. Corpse... were extraordinary beings moving these corpses to build a palace for themselves? Klein looked beyond them, toward the distance, and spotted a deep, slanting cavern extending into the earth. Around it, grass lay flattened, with several white feathers stained lightly with pale yellow oil scattered nearby. Feathers... corpses... Suddenly, Klein recalled the byproduct of the spiritual order's artificial god project, and the very breath that had infected him, causing his own feathers to grow. The region's lord was not weak—his judgment was calm and clear. At this point, after observing carefully for a few seconds, Aljere hesitated and proposed, "I've never seen anything like this before, and I'm not sure about the extraordinary being's level. Perhaps we should bypass it and choose targets that are more certain?" He instinctively felt that something extremely dangerous lay hidden within that dark underground cavern. "Exactly!" thought Klein, silently exhaling to maintain the Gérman-Sparo persona, and gave a soft exhalation. "Wouldn't that be rather impolite?" As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath them suddenly trembled, as if some creature had rolled over below!