Set the candles, Colin Iliad retrieved a piece of pure silver, picked up the chisel beside it, and in a swift motion, shaved off a charm carrier the size of a palm. Then, following Drik Berg’s description, he engraved the secret symbol representing "The Fool" on both the front and back of the silver plate. Throughout the process, he worked with remarkable speed—so fast that any onlooker would have struggled to catch the movements—yet the final product was flawless, as if meticulously crafted over several days. Next, Colin Iliad pulled out a vial of mercury and, through powerful spiritual guidance, guided the liquid to flow one thread at a time into the charm, filling every groove, while ensuring that the mercury on the lower surface did not sag under gravity. Repeating the process, he completed a second charm. Then, he placed both charms before the candles and positioned a small, transparent, segmented creature on each. Compared to when he first stood up from stillness, Colin now moved with steady, calm, and resolute grace—no hesitation at all, just as he had when facing the powerful creatures in the darkness. Having prepared the ritual, he stepped back two paces and removed the two straight swords hung diagonally on the wall, inserting them into the joints of the floor tiles at the door. As Colin closed his eyes and spoke softly, a pure, rich light gradually emerged from the surrounding void, enveloping the two swords with a sense of sacredness and glory. This light accumulated steadily, flowing like a stream along the cracks of the floor and walls, eventually forming a "prison" that separated the inner from the outer realm. As a seasoned "Hunter of Monsters," Colin Iliath didn't particularly want to make such precautionary gestures during the ritual, as it might anger the beings he was seeking to invoke and bring about even more dangerous changes. Yet he had to—no matter what, he had to ensure that even if the ritual failed, even if the "Fool" was an adversary with ill intentions, even if he perished on the altar itself, the entire city of Silver would not suffer significant harm. With all preparations complete, Colin Iliad used his desk as an altar, creating through spiritual focus a sacred, undisturbed environment, lighting three candles. The soft, trembling glow gently fell upon his eyes. He bowed his head, taking the plant powder and monster fur mentioned by Drik Berg, and either sprinkling it into the candle flames or igniting it and dropping it into the large cauldron, to please the hidden presence about to pray. Such rituals are not uncommon in Silver City—while publicly there are offerings to the Creator, privately, residents often encounter mysterious beings during patrols or explorations, and are drawn into various ceremonies. The latter is mostly passive, though a few instances involve active efforts. On one hand, accumulated despair over centuries of serving the Creator without response has driven some to mental breakdown, making them desperately seek alternative supports; on the other, the "Council of Six" established generations ago in the Silver City has long held the consensus that the Creator, who abandoned this land, is likely never returning again—thus, pursuing alternative paths must now become a priority. Yet, despite these efforts, the outcomes have consistently been either futile or fatal, never yielding a third result. Precisely because of this, no matter what difficulties arose or how many cities fell to the "Eldritch Gods," the Silver City has persevered in its explorations of surrounding regions and beyond. To Colin Iliad himself, Jack's discovery as an outsider brought an indescribable sense of surprise and hope. His experiences exploring the afternoon town, uncovering the kings' plots and the priests' prophecies, only intensified his sense of urgency, leaving him with no longer any expectation that the Creator would return. The convergence of these two factors—combined with the anomalies of Loviya and Deryk, and the prophecy of the apocalyptic disaster—forced the chief of the "Council of Six," the seasoned half-god, and the powerful "Hunter of Monsters" to dance on the edge of a blade, compelled to consider making a deal with hidden entities. Exhaling silently, Colin stepped back and recited in a voice tinged with a sense of weariness and time: "An fool of a time unbelonging; The mysterious sovereign above the gray mist; The King of Yellow and Black, who wields fortune; I beseech you, I beseech you for power drawn from mystery, for gifts of fortune, and I beseech you to cause the objects upon the altar to form a spell..." As Colin’s measured, rhythmic, and mystical voice fell, the altar before him instantly deepened into an aura of profound darkness, as though a divine essence beyond description was seeping forth from the single candle at its center. That candle leapt upward and grew brighter, yet failed to illuminate the surrounding space—instead, it deepened the sense of illusion, bringing into being countless translucent, seemingly intangible figures of varying forms, filling every corner, some sparse, others dense. High above this ethereal realm, seven discs of radiant, distinct colors hovered, as though holding infinite knowledge. Above these seven beams of purified light lies an endless expanse of gray-white mist, a grand, ancient palace gazing down upon all things. "The Hunter of Monsters" Colin momentarily forgot everything else, simply gazing intently at the image on the altar, as though a thing once only described in books and ancient scrolls had crossed the barrier between illusion and reality, and now stood before him in tangible form. If he remembered correctly, this should be the spirit realm's projection. Before the great disaster, before the Creator abandoned this land, the spirit realm had been easily observable and even accessible! Now, it existed only in the textbooks and records of the Silver City, and no one could reach it anymore. At that very moment, a faint, ethereal sound suddenly echoed—within the ancient palace overlooking the gray mist and the spirit realm, it seemed as though a great door had opened. Immediately afterward, Colin saw the formless incantations before the candle flame glow with a hazy radiance; their patterns lit up one by one, interweaving into a single, vivid and intense brilliance that enveloped the pure silver foil and the circular insect-like creature. The entire dim world on the altar momentarily distorted. Everything soon returned to normal, yet two unusual incantations, crafted from black crystals, now appeared on the altar—like the steady gaze of an eternal being observing the world. "Warrior of the Hunt," Colin paused, steadied his gaze, bowed his head, and spoke in a calm tone: "Thank you for your gift; Praise your presence." He did not delay, immediately concluding the ritual and lifting the seal. Having completed these tasks, the chief of the "Council of Six" of Silver City returned to his desk and picked up the two incantations made from the relics of Amun's duplicate. Until then, his mind still carried the image he had just witnessed: According to his esoteric knowledge, the seven lights located high in the spiritual realm were mentioned in certain ancient texts as beings of near-divine status. Yet all the available records failed to describe what lay beyond the seven lights—the meaning of the gray mist that enveloped them, or the ancient palace, nestled within the mist and overlooking the entire spiritual realm, which symbolized. Throughout the entire ritual, Colin Iliad felt his prayer recipient, the "Fool," to be profound, enigmatic, and elevated—unlike certain malevolent entities that often sought to display their power with ostentation and eagerness. This very demeanor was described in similar terms in the records of the Silver City—exactly as that of the Creator! Glancing at the scroll in his hands and checking his own condition, the "Hunter" Colin, whose hair had turned white, suddenly closed his eyes, as a series of figures flashed through his mind—those he had personally ended: his father, mother, brother, sister, eldest son, youngest son, daughter, and grandson. The seasoned chief, now somewhat elderly, remained silent for a while before softly sighing, "Two thousand five hundred and eighty-three years..." For two thousand five hundred and eighty-three years, Silver City had finally received a normal response. Most of these monsters can be found in the textbooks of Silver City, down to their very characteristics—though the notes contain numerous battle reflections and practical insights, which capture Delyk's interest and draw his careful attention. As he flips through the pages, he suddenly notices a creature known as the "Transformer." This creature lacks the intelligence to communicate directly but excels at setting traps, ambushing its targets, and successfully eliminating them by adopting the appearance of others, using methods that seem utterly extraordinary. The note's author describes it as strange and dangerous. This closely aligns with the World's own hypothesis about the characteristics of the magical and supernatural beings—could the "Transformer" be the very embodiment of such magical and supernatural creatures? Derek was pleased and quickly flipped back through the records, discovering that this creature lived in a more northern and distant city-ruin, where the monsters dwelling in the darkness were so powerful and terrifying that even the "Council of Six" could not always overcome them. As a result, after the first two attempts, exploration efforts near the Silver City had been temporarily suspended and had not resumed since. For similar reasons, the Silver City's textbooks had never included descriptions of these unique monsters. After reading the entries, Derek instinctively turned his notebook to the final page, seeking to learn who had personally experienced those two daring expeditions. Amid the rustling sound, he spotted a name: "Colin Iliad." ........... Dicen County, Eskenson Port. Kaine returned to the present world, rubbed his temple, and rushed straight to his bed, collapsing suddenly. To leave a better impression on the chief of Silver City and foster greater trust in the "Fool," he had just now actively enhanced the scene, deliberately showcasing the mysterious spatial presence—normally revealed only during the "Sacred Rite" and the "Rite of Sacrifice and Bestowal"—which appeared above the gray mist. This effort cost him considerable spiritual energy, leaving him more fatigued and eager to sleep. He would then wake up later to find food for the "Craving Hunger." For now, he simply wanted the "Craving Hunger" to rest peacefully above the gray mist. Clary drifted off into a drowsy state, sleeping from morning until afternoon, only to be awakened by the gentle rumbling of her stomach. PS: Starting today, weekends will feature only a single update.