A dreadful intuition—though he hadn't noticed that the figure before him, "Germán Sparrow," was merely a stand-in, he still felt something was off. Inside the distant house, Klein breathed a sharp sigh in his mind, his thoughts racing, quickly forming a strategy. He guided the "spirit" Senyor, having the puppet speak in a low, resonant tone: "I'm also uneasy. Once the 'door' is opened, if you go first, when I step out, you could easily hide behind me outside—no need even to conceal yourself, just wait. I believe I should go first. Before that, you must return my flesh and hair to me. Then, you can position yourself closer to the 'door,' giving you ample time to drift along the 'spirit line' all the way to the church's peak through that 'escape door.' " The "Despair Maiden" Panatia listened silently, then asked, "Then, how shall I guard against you disrupting the 'escape door' once I've gone?" "That's precisely my concern." "In a manner reminiscent of Germain Spalro, the mysterious figure responded with equal determination, "Once I obtain that particular symbol, I'll show it to you. Even if I close the 'Gate of Escape,' you'll be able to reopen it yourself." Pannatia closed her mouth again, as though pondering the details, yet her demeanor remained restless and agitated, as if overwhelmed by a surge of intense, unbridled madness. After a few seconds, she spoke once more: "I believe a pure curse may not necessarily harm you. The 'Seers' have numerous strategies to avoid injury—much like the 'paper man stand-ins' you employed earlier." Truly, no weaknesses at all—thankfully, the person before you is entirely fabricated... Klein muttered to himself while instructing the 'spirit' Senior to pull out one after another from his clothing pockets, presenting them all to the 'Despair Witch' and burning each one. "I'm not certain whether there's one more hidden among you." "Panatia still hesitated nervously." Germann Sparo remained expressionless, tugging at his lips. "You can divinate, can't you? Isn't that precisely what the 'witch' is best at?" Panatia sighed, growing impatient. "The connection to the spirit realm is severed here, and my own spiritual essence—" She paused, her gaze growing increasingly sharp. Klein understood fully what the 'Witch of Despair' meant—he knew her spiritual vitality had been compromised and even disrupted by her six-month period of 'feeding,' now chaotic and frenzied, unable to provide reliable answers, especially when facing the very adept at divination among the extraordinary beings. They stood frozen, unable to resolve how to establish trust. At that moment, a faint, indistinct voice came from the roof on the left side: "I can help you witness this." "Germán Sparo" and Panatia turned their heads simultaneously, and there, emerging from the shadows, was Mr. A—his long cloak, hooded, now streaked with blood red. "How exactly do you 'witness'?" asked Caine to the "spirit haunting" Senior. Mr. A pulled down his hood and chuckled softly: "I employ 'blood-matter magic,' entering your body to monitor your condition. As soon as you cease manipulating the 'spirit threads' or intend to use a 'paper man stand-in,' I issue an alert or attempt to intervene. Once the 'door of escape' you mentioned opens, I will then detach from your body and enter the doorway before the 'spirit threads' are disrupted." Are you making "Germán Sparo" sound foolish?" Caine let his secret figure give a subtle smile. "As far as I know, the Rose Bishop can indeed enter another body, but when he emerges, the host dies instantly." "No, using that method was meant to evade detection, so it was necessary to fuse with the host's flesh. This time, however, that is unnecessary—I will remain quietly within your stomach." Mr. A explained in considerable detail. No, not my stomach—Senior's stomach... Caine asked "Germán Sparo" to produce a coin and pretended to attempt a divination. The "mad adventurer" murmured continuously, and the coin began to leap through the gaps of his fingers. With a crisp sound, the coin soared into the air and then settled back into his palm. "Germán Sparo" studied it carefully and said, "It appears he has not been lying. However, you must leave my body before I present that special symbol to the 'Lady of Despair.'" Otherwise, "Germán Sparo" might very well have been murdered by the two of them in collaboration. If Panatia had secured the "Symbol of Entry" and held onto the obsidian slab, and if she had sufficient time—without worrying about the transformation of the "Luminous Thread"—she could very well have operated independently of "Germán Sparo." The presence of Mr. A would have prevented the use of the "paper man stand-in." Should Mr. A have appeared earlier, "Germán Sparo" would no longer have had to fear that Panatia, upon learning of the "Symbol of Entry," might turn against him. In that case, he could rely on the "paper man stand-in" to escape a certain death, while Panatia would not pursue him within the church, as over time she would inevitably be suspended and would thus have to act swiftly to escape. Meanwhile, the obsidian slab could not be carried away, thus providing "Germán Sparo" with a viable path for eventual escape. Although the plan still has some minor flaws, it thoroughly considers the positions of all three parties. "Panatia, the 'Desperate Witch,' gently brushed a strand of hair that had slipped from her shoulder. Suddenly she asked, "What if I escape first—won't you be afraid of being ambushed?" This was precisely the concern Germaine Sparrow had previously harbored. The wind surged, and Mr. A plummeted down, landing near "Germán Sparo." His body, along with his garments, rapidly dissolved into a thick, viscous mass of flesh. Immediately, this mass overlapped and compressed itself, forming a slender stream—thick as an arm—that flowed toward "Germán Sparo." Inside the distant house, Caine gagged slightly, feeling a touch of nausea, then instructed "Germán Sparo" to open his mouth. The "flesh stream" then climbed up the figure's body, winding into his mouth, where its slightly warm, smooth sensation traveled down the esophagus and into the stomach. Heavy indeed—but Mr. A's flesh was gently supporting the stomach, preventing it from sagging too much. Caine checked on the figure, had him raise his head to gaze upward at the crimson moon partially veiled by mist, and then addressed the "Magistra of Despair," Panatia: "Begin now." "Very well." Pannatia, already unable to endure her inner impulses, hurried eagerly toward the church door. Kline had "Germán Sparo" follow behind him, first casually pulling out a lock of hair, then causing two flesh buds to grow on his arm before tearing them off, leaving him bloodied. If anyone here knew me well, they would surely notice the issue—I simply cannot be as decisive in harming my own body as I am now... Well, in the eyes of others, Germán Sparo, the bold adventurer, should be able to accomplish such feats effortlessly. As Kline observed the issue and reflected on it, he asked Germán to hand over the hair and flesh to "The Magician of Despair," Pannatia, as they crossed the ancient church's half-closed doorway. Pannatia slowed her pace, producing a clumsy wooden puppet of palm size, spreading the blood and flesh upon it, and then winding the hair around its slender neck. Holding the cursed puppet in one hand, she finally crossed the church's great doors. At once, Caine had "Germán Sparrow" take charge of the "spirit threads" connecting both parties. As for Mr. A, due to the overlap with the secret puppet, no such complexity was needed. Hmm, with the abilities displayed by Zarathustra, He could certainly assist non-Seers in maintaining control of their spirit threads within the church—thus, as soon as He managed to have the "Despairing Woman" enter, the doors could have been opened already. Yet, why didn't He do so? If He couldn't communicate with the outside of the church, and even his use of power was limited to the dark altar's vicinity, then couldn't any Seer of rank above "Secret Puppet Master" reach Him at all? Caine, using the secret puppet's senses, analyzed the situation from a distance. Inside the church, the bodies remained suspended in midair, heads bowed, eyes white, gently swaying in the breeze that blew from time to time, whispering softly, "Hornachis... Fregrala..." Upon seeing this scene, Panatia, the "Widow of Despair," felt her body stiffen momentarily, but soon composed herself and walked alongside "Germán Sparo," passing beneath the gaze of the suspended figures. Not long afterward, they reached the dark altar and the statues of the ancient gods' descendants. Zaratustra still sat slightly behind the statue, wearing a hood, his face bearded and white. Only when "Germán Sparo" and Panatia approached did He slowly lift his head, chuckling warmly: "Excellent," He said, "the extraordinary ones who have come through the path of the Seer must learn to use their minds—not merely to fight." He seemed to have already anticipated that the paper figure of "Germán Sparo" would be nearly completely destroyed, and with a dry, withered hand, reached forward, grasping a yellow-brown sheepskin parchment, a quill pen stained with ink, and a bottle of ink. This caught Pannatia, the "Despair Mage," barely blinking. Charathu took the quill, brushed swiftly upon the parchment, writing out words and symbols, then rolled it up and handed it to "Germán Sparo": "The 'door-opening' symbol and the 'Mystic Mage' potion recipe you requested. They will only last for three quarters of an hour—once you leave, they will vanish." Klein stepped aside from the "Despair Mage," unrolled the parchment, so that both the potion recipe and the 'door-opening' symbol came into clear view. Suddenly, his gaze narrowed slightly, as though frozen. The "opening" symbol aligns broadly with the complex symbols from the Antigonid family's notes, particularly those provided by the "fateful puppet," forming a vertical eye composed of numerous enigmatic patterns and hidden symbols. However, there is a subtle difference: the crescent motif and the zigzag mark have exchanged positions!