The half-god of the Lunon military, with golden eyes, nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it's very much like certain members of the Intis intelligence agency. "However, just a few seconds after he took the clump of soil, Pharaoh Thutmosis II's mummy had vanished—there wasn't enough time to complete the ritual." The lady in the formal evening gown glanced down at the thorny crown resting on her neck, her response slightly delayed: "Perhaps he, or they, have already carried out the other steps of the ritual; upon transmission back, they immediately place the soil on the altar, completing the final act. "Of course, it might not necessarily be a ritual—perhaps it's a seal that works through bodily fluids—there are simply too many possibilities in this regard. Although the primary effects and negative impacts of the seal generally follow the sequential characteristics of the 22 pathways, researchers can only make tentative guesses. Just as every person has a unique personality, the seal itself exhibits various odd and distinctive traits depending on the elements it incorporates, the environmental conditions at the time of formation, the presence of higher-tier beings' essences, or the original owner's curses—features that cannot be anticipated in advance without actual testing. The Golden-Eyed Half-God pulled out a chair and sat down, saying, "This aspect is difficult to investigate—we can set it aside for now. However, you did omit one direction for investigation. Do you remember that 'cyclone' sensation?" It lifted the mummy's sarcophagus of Thutmose II, causing the ritual materials inside—specifically the bodily fluids—to leak out and rolling the mummy out, thus achieving the conditions for animation. In short, this laid the foundation for what followed, and therefore, it is entirely certain that this was the work of that mysterious figure—or his assistant. The lady in the evening gown, her earlier sense of mental fog slightly clearing, slowly removed the thorny crown: "So you're saying the Storm Church holds the high-sequence formulas and most of the extraordinary traits of the 'Seafarer' path, and that extraordinary beings or magical items capable of generating a 'tornado' outside their control would be relatively rare—so we can follow this line of inquiry?" The half-divine with golden eyes nodded: "Moreover, I recall a case recently in the eastern district, where Mr. Aurora, of the Aurora Circle, was killed outright during a gathering he had convened, with both the 'Lightning Storm' and the 'Tornado' effects clearly demonstrated at the scene." "This has drawn the Storm Church's serious attention, as they have been actively seeking leads. Two non-official 'tornado' events occurring in the same region within a short timeframe are unlikely to be coincidental. I believe we can preliminarily establish an intrinsic connection—likely the same group responsible for both the murder of Mr. X and the theft of the mummy. We should jointly investigate with the Storm Church." The lady in the formal evening gown set down the thorned crown, paused, and added, "This is a promising direction. Moreover, analyzing their objectives and motivations reveals further insights. Someone who simply views the mummies as material for the undead would not have undertaken such a high-risk endeavor to steal them. I suspect that, for this group, the mummy of Tutankhamun holds an additional, significant meaning." "The key to the ritual?" "The Golden-Eyed Half-Deity paused and said, 'Based on the scene, the one who used a special object to draw the mummy after it was chasing—she must be the "Sorrow-Spirit," or perhaps someone with a corresponding magical item. Given her purpose and motivation, I have a hunch...' The lady in the evening gown nodded thoughtfully and exclaimed, 'The Moderator who defected from the Rose School?' 'Exactly,' said the Golden-Eyed Half-Deity, gently nodding. 'Although mummification practices have been influenced by the god of death's devotion to the sun and other factors, once the Rose School established dominance in the highlands and river valleys, they did not ban this burial tradition. This alone suggests that mummification must have served a certain purpose for them—perhaps as part of a specific ritual sequence.' He then chuckled lightly, with a touch of self-mockery: 'There's also another possibility—display and performance.'" "They might not have truly wanted the mummy—merely that they had the opportunity, and thus staged a grand performance. For certain pathways and sequences, this performance is key to absorbing the elixir." As a being half-god, half-human, he had witnessed countless things, and naturally, had thought of many possibilities. The lady in the evening gown paused, then spoke in a measured tone: "I suspect it's not a single possibility, but rather a confluence of several factors. "We will investigate from this point." ………… Beckland, in the Joewood district, near the Tassok River. "The Silent Ones" Mahams sat at a square table laid with tablecloth, gazing at the golden nails arranged upon it, and spoke in a low voice: "Zatwen, who do you think stole the Kaduf mummy?" Not far behind him, on the piano bench, a figure quickly took shape. The figure wore a black clerical robe, with a black glove on his left hand. His face was lean, with a slightly brown complexion, and his eyes sunken, as though dried out. His beard was black at the roots, turning white at the tips, extending from just beside his mouth to near his ears, though it was neither thick nor long, appearing scattered and sparse. Zatwen's eyes and skin tone were a light brown, giving him a priestly air, yet an eerie, cold, and unsettling presence—like someone who might grow unhinged in silence. After a moment's thought, he said: "Only a few people have expressed a desire to journey to the mummy of Kadav and risk their lives during a half-divine battle. Among them, only Sharon is hidden within Beckland. 'She must have received assistance from Renette Tynicol, otherwise she wouldn't have succeeded.'" Mahams picked up a golden nail etched with fine patterns, and after a pause, said: "Who is the one skilled in teleportation? 'Not quite Garmen Sparrow... perhaps someone else Sharon has brought in?' 'Maybe so.'" Zatwen cleared his throat twice, his face pale with a faint blue tinge, and said, "I believe we need to make a prayer to the Mother Tree—it should offer us some insight." Mahams nodded gently, pressing the golden pin between his lips, driving it through both upper and lower lips. Seeing this, Zatwen covered his mouth and rose slowly, struggling to reach the first floor, where he prepared to leave and return to his hidden quarters. On the first floor, he observed the dim lighting and the shimmering candlelight, with the aroma of food drifting from various directions, filling the air—the buildings along the street were connected row houses, with ground-level storefronts serving as shops. The Rose School's liaison point, though, appeared as a restaurant specializing in southern continent cuisine. Due to injuries sustained during previous operations, Zatwen didn't wish to remain in a constant state of spectral being, which had become a significant burden for him at present. Thus, he stepped carefully, one pace at a time, toward the door, wearing his black clerical robe. At that moment, a customer entered the restaurant through the main door. This customer wore a black suit, black trousers, and black oxfords, with dark eyes and a lean face. His forehead was broad, and he wore single-lens spectacles and a high-crowned hat. As he casually glanced around, his gaze settled on Zatwen. Upon noticing the black gloves on Zatwen's left hand, the customer gave a slight, subtle curve to his lips, shook his head with a quiet expression of mild disappointment. Then he stepped into the restaurant, passing by Zatwen who returned his gaze with a sharp, hostile stare. Zatwen didn't pay much attention and continued on, heading out onto the street. Under the glow of the gas streetlights, the evening breeze brushed against him, and suddenly, the rose-pantheon half-god shivered. Zatwen recognized this as a sign of inspiration stirred within him, and his heart tightened. He quickly looked down at his hands, only to be startled to find that the black glove on his left hand had vanished! Gone! As a being half-god, half-human, Zatwen had no idea when the seal he wore on his hands had disappeared! He suddenly turned around, gazing into the dining room, and instantly conjured up the image of the man he had just seen. Soon, he locked onto the man's presence, finding him still within the dining room, even ordering a menu from the waiter. Zatwen had intended to simply "mirror-step" and materialize beside him, but for some reason, his hands began to tremble involuntarily, and he sensed, faintly, that hidden all around him were numerous dangerous, terrifying foes that were nearly imperceptible. A thought flashed through him, and instinctively, he took a step to the side, moving toward the end of the street—as if nothing had happened at all. He rubbed his golden short hair gently and said, "When I came back, I noticed the Nine Department's visiting insignia—quite urgent." "What's this time?" Fothering asked, setting down the magazine with interest. "An extension of the case involving Mr. X's murder," said Xu, as he bent down to put on his house slippers. Fothering's expression paused slightly, his eyes shifting slightly. "Any leads?" "Not exactly leads," he added. "At the scene, there was a presence of semi-divine 'tornado' energy—something uncommon outside the Storm Church. Earlier tonight, a small-scale 'tornado' struck a dock in Prizel Port, and during the chaos, a Pharaoh's mummy was stolen." He explained briefly. "The Nine Department suspects these two incidents are linked, so they're urging us field agents to gather more intelligence and pursue further clues." "...There's still a 'Tornado' entry in my 'Leymann Travel Notes'... Mr. Germain Sparo? What could he possibly be doing with the Pharaoh's mummy...? Fores sighed and smiled brightly, 'Perhaps it was the storm that did it?' Hughes glanced at her and hurried into the kitchen, searching for food. ... At the same time, he unexpectedly felt that the pile of gold coins was somewhat familiar, though he didn't pay it much attention, since he found all the gold coins familiar.