Gulain, in a hotel room. Cain sat in an armchair, reaching out to accept the lemon-infused tea brought by Enzo, the "Winner." On the other side, Ludewil, the "General of Hell," wore a mask and carried a stabbing sword, standing straight as if the most loyal guard. Only now, having fully calmed down, did Klein have the mental clarity to analyze what had transpired within the House of the Dead God, particularly focusing on which individual had stepped in at the crucial moment to rescue Mr. Azkarr and offered him three options: "First, the female voice; Second, this matter must have been advantageous to 'her,' otherwise no one would have traveled such a great distance to offer assistance—surely, if they had merely happened to pass by out of goodwill and offered a helping hand out of kindness, that would be understandable and acceptable. Yet the problem lies in the fact that the House of the Dead God is a product of the convergence of the divine power, its inherent nature, the remains of the gods, and the natural environment at the time of the god's fall. Without the corresponding 'key,' even the gods themselves would be unable to detect it or open the door—how could anyone have simply happened upon it by chance?" "Once again, Mr. Azk's actions were remarkably sudden—he didn't first go to inquire of the members of the Spiritual Order who were involved in the artificial Death God plan, but instead directly followed the call, arriving at the Stormy Sea and entering the 'Treasury of the Death God.' Without the ability to pinpoint either myself or him, or possessing a powerful foresight, few beings could have arrived so swiftly and timely. Finally, the one who returned from within Mr. Azk's body—Saringle—was almost certainly the Fourth Age Death God, the one who had declared, 'I have gone mad, yet I have grown stronger.' That female voice even directly addressed His name, with no hint of reverence. 'Now...,' carefully analyzing, Kline suddenly formed a conjecture, yet found himself unable to look away from the possibility." As far as he knows, the three exceptional paths—Night, Death, and Giants—belong to a single group and can be exchanged among higher sequences. The Goddess, however, holds only partial authority over "Moon," either through her prestigious title of "Master of Crimson" or possibly through a specific, existing "Level 0" seal, and additionally possesses the title of "Lord of Sleep and Silence," which clearly points toward the Underworld and the domain of Death. The experience in the Misty Town, coupled with his personal act of making a vow under the witness of the Goddess during his time in Tinggen City, and the clear indication that the Goddess also wields authority over fate, has led Caine to believe that he may now be on her "special watch list"—much like how he once used the "Staff of the Sea God" to mark certain followers. "Make bold assumptions, but verify carefully. If indeed she is a goddess, then almost every question can be answered: 'As one of the Seven Principal Deities and as a victor of the final triumph of the Pale Age, She possesses the stature and rank to directly address the Name of the God of Death... 'The one I have been marked by Her—whenever I undergo a transformation, such as entering the peculiar realm of the God of Death's Treasury—She will surely detect it, respond to it, and act accordingly. Given that such occurrences follow a predictable cycle, She could not have arrived in time to intervene at the very beginning... 'For Her, the artificial God of Death, or the initial activation of the 'Path of the God of Death,' would significantly strengthen Her authority over 'Serenity and Stillness,' even allowing Her to directly erode the Domain of the God of Death, much like the Tree of Desire did to the Bound God... 'When the God of Death falls, the three Sequence-1 fragments should actively separate themselves, and be taken by someone. Should the Goddess collect them, Her title might then include such honors as 'Ruler of the Ancient Underworld and Sovereign of All the Dead'... 'Mr. He was quite devout—at least, outwardly so—lifting his right hand to his chest and making four clockwise gestures, drawing a crimson moon, while murmuring, "Praise the goddess." This reminded him of the response he'd received when he first consulted the high-level magic recipe of the seer, Willem Onsaitin, about the "Fated Serpent": "…only find the mad Chalatu, or go to the Hornachis Mountains. If you're a favored of the night, then disregard the rest of what I've said." After the events in the Misty Town, Caine had come to realize that visiting the Hornachis Mountains and seeking out Chalatu were one and the same option—so too was the trip to the underground of Saint Semen's Church to steal the Antigonous family's notes—yet only today did he begin to see that the latter part of that remark might not have been mere idle talk. He raised his hand, running his fingers over his chin, murmuring silently, "Perhaps, maybe, possibly—I truly am a favored one of the night..." Klein wasn't particularly resistant to this idea. On one hand, during his earliest years in this world, he had served as a night watchman in the Night Court of Tingen, enjoying a close-knit team of colleagues and a relatively warm, stable life, with a set of values that resonated deeply with him. Even now, he often recalls those days. While he might not speak of a deep faith in the goddess of night, he holds her in the highest regard. On the other hand, so far, the goddess of night has shown no malice—instead, she has bestowed upon him certain gifts. Since he has already been marked in a special way and will likely remain so for some time, he realized he could only learn to accept and make the most of it. Of course, vigilance is absolutely essential... Moreover, there are already so many adversaries—the Desire Mother Tree, the True Creator, the Primordial Witch, the Original Moon, the渎神者 Amun, the Fate Angel Ul琉us—and some of them may catch wind of my movements at any moment, never mind holding onto my leg. The future will truly become very difficult! Having faced so many challenges, Caine quickly adjusted his mindset. To him, as long as the goddess marked him as having entered into her vow through the alliance with the Holy Sword, rather than earlier, and not as someone constantly under surveillance, he could accept that. At least, considering the marking bestowed upon special devotees by the "Staff of the Sea God," the idea of continuous monitoring doesn't quite hold up... Well, Mr. Azk has remained in a state of deep slumber for a long time, and the goddess isn't simply able to "descend from heaven" whenever she wishes—there must inevitably be obstacles and difficulties. Otherwise, by now the Seven Principal Deities would have already descended all over the world, resolving countless issues. Therefore, I need to remain more subdued and grounded on the Southern Continent, relying less on external factors. Klein reminded himself several times, then turned his attention to the new Companion, Ludewil, the "General of Hell." Honestly, he has always been curious about the face concealed beneath that silver-white mask. However, recalling the disturbances caused when Ludewil removed his mask during their last battle, he had held off on pursuing this curiosity, deciding instead to leave the city and enter the jungle, venturing into uncharted, remote regions before making any further attempts. After a series of busy activities, Klein had now gained a preliminary understanding of the new Companion's sequence and abilities. Ludewell is a Sequence 5 "Gatekeeper" of the "Death" path, and is not a typical human. The corresponding Sequence 9 are the "Burial Crew"—Klein had already learned about them during his time in Tingenthal, knowing they possess certain corpse-like traits, appearing notably somber with a lower body temperature, which protects them from being attacked by unintelligent spirits. They also have enhanced physical strength, enabling them to withstand decay, cold, and the atmosphere of death, naturally possessing spiritual sight and a deep understanding of the characteristics and vulnerabilities of various immaterial beings. The Sequence 8 are the "Morticians"—those who have advanced to this level of "Burial Crew" exhibit even greater physical strength, sharper spiritual sight, and greater agility, allowing them to initially communicate with a small number of nearby spirits for assistance. Beyond this, even when facing unfamiliar immaterial or undead beings, the "Morticians" can quickly identify their weaknesses through mere observation—a gift known as the "Eye of Death." Sequence 7, "The Seers," marks a transformative phase. Exceptional individuals master various esoteric rituals related to the spiritual realm, enabling direct communication with the natural spirits of the physical world and the lingering spirits of the departed. For them, contacts are everywhere. They can harness different spirits to perform magic and generate a wide range of supernatural phenomena, demonstrating a comprehensive ability. In contrast, Sequences 6, "The Necromancers," and 5, "The Gatekeepers," experience only incremental developments in scope: "The Necromancers" begin to engage with the spirit world, capable of independently recruiting messengers and securing assistance from certain spirit beings; "The Gatekeepers" can sense the entrances to the afterlife, summon the spirits within, and effectively guard the threshold between life and death. Starting from the "Seer," with each successive advancement in the sequence, the number and quality of natural spirits, immortals, and spirit-beings that extraordinary beings can command and manipulate grow exponentially. The "Death Mentor" further acquires the "Language of the Dead," which enables communication that transcends the protective barriers of flesh, elevating it from mere interaction to actual command and even subjugation. The "Gatekeeper" can, to a limited extent, utilize the mysterious threshold between life and death—opening the gateway to the Underworld! "Had it not been for the natural affinity of the Azk copper horn against the 'Bierbearer' path's control over spirits, I might never have had the qualification to face off against the 'Duke of Hell.' Even now, without the safety net of 'Travel,' even with abilities at the level of a half-god, I would likely still be unable to overcome Ludewil. When I seek revenge against Inz. Zanggwell in the future, I must keep this in mind—he once held the title of 'Gatekeeper.'" Kline nodded gently, then lifted his cup and sipped his红茶. As for Lutherville's weapon, known as the "Harris Lance," it originates from an ancient prince of the Southern Continent. It doesn't directly correspond to any specific path or sequence, but rather resembles the kind of product that gathers similar properties in an irregular manner—much like the "King of the North" Yurisahn. It possesses only one extraordinary ability: it brings absolute destruction to whatever it pierces. As the highest-paid pirate general, Lutherville has several magical items, though unfortunately, his most precious Death's Ring was taken by Azk. The silver-white mask he wears on his face remains difficult for Kline to remove and study in the short term. "And, he truly doesn't care about money—he has no need for it at all," Kline said, setting down his cup and shifting his gaze. Deciding that the time was still early, he resolved to leave the city of Gularin and head elsewhere, waiting for Daniz to complete his investigation.