After a while, Leonard cleared his throat, a natural smile forming, and spoke softly, "Old man, regarding Caine's proposal—well, it seems quite promising. It's very feasible, and the results should be satisfactory as well. Would you consider it? You mentioned earlier that you'd do your best to support me in matters of vengeance, didn't you? 'Hah,' I thought the 'Chrono-Beetle' would only serve as a mere duplicate, handling auxiliary tasks..." He fumbled slightly with his words, while Palis Soloyasda remained silent for a long time, finally sighing gently, "Right now, I can offer you at most two 'Chrono-Beetles.' Without waiting for Leonard to speak, he added, "When seeking vengeance against a half-deity who holds a Tier-0 seal, the most crucial factors are your own level and strength. Otherwise, even with advanced incantations, you simply won't have the opportunity to use them." Leonard smoothed out his smile and nodded seriously, "I've been steadily working to absorb and understand all of this." "If the digestion process hasn't accumulated sufficient contributions by the time it's complete, I'll gather the extraordinary materials myself for the 'Spirit Witches.' Regarding the fact that there are only two 'Time Beings' available, he shows no disappointment—indeed, in his view, this is an added bonus. Having one is already a win; with two, he and Caine can split them equally, each receiving one 'Steward of Fortune' seal. After making his position clear, he asks with genuine curiosity: 'Old man, do you think Caine has already turned the earlier 'Time Being' into a seal?'" He remembered clearly that, at the time, in order to determine exactly who Emlyn White was serving, the elder had embedded a "Chrono-creature" within the "Seed" glove—only to lose contact afterward, with the creature proving completely ineffective. Now, upon revisiting the matter, he could easily deduce the truth simply from the close relationship between Emlyn White and Sherlock Moriarty: the "Chrono-creature" must have been eliminated by the senior leadership of that secret organization—possibly even by their revered "Fool" itself—and there was a strong likelihood it had been bestowed upon Caine. Otherwise, Emlyn would hardly have known of the creature's existence. "Having finished speaking, he didn't give Leonard a chance to ask questions right then and there. Instead, he expanded his spiritual presence, forming a luminous orb that floated high within Leonard's mind, adopting a silent, composed posture. Leonard reflexively chuckled, then returned his focus to the letter sent by Klein Moretti, reading it carefully and repeatedly: "Haunted by spirits... the origin of the spirits and their primary objectives... "I simply don't have enough understanding of these spirits—my thoughts are completely blank." After a few minutes of contemplation, Leonard produced a box of matches, burned the letter, and then left his temporary resting room assigned by the 'Night Watch,' walking across the street to the building opposite. He tapped lightly on the door. Not long after, Dailie Simonne, still wearing her blue eyeshadow and corresponding blush, opened the door, raised an eyebrow: "When did the 'Night Watch' find the courage to knock on a lady's door at a time that naturally suggests bedtime?" "Ah, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you." "Leonard couldn't even take up Dely's words—he straightway stated his purpose. Dely studied him closely, then chuckled, "I'm not responsible for guiding the psychologically immature through their growth." As she spoke, she stepped aside to let Leonard enter the room. Not daring to look around, he casually pulled a round stool and sat down, then launched into his point: "Madam, I'd like to learn more about the spirits of malice. As a Sequence 5 from the 'Death' path, with higher authority than mine, you should know quite a bit." "Why are you asking this?" Dely said, her hands braced against the table edge. Before Leonard could respond, she continued: "Most spirits of malice arise after the death of high-sequence strong individuals. A smaller number, however, are restless souls who have broken free of their limitations through various opportunities." "The first scenario is more common: when powerful beings at a high sequence consume divine elixirs and attain divinity, their spiritual bodies undergo a fundamental transformation. This means that even after their physical strength fades and they die, their spiritual bodies leave behind residual traces, exhibiting numerous divine qualities—remarkably formidable. The essence of the second scenario is no different. "Typically, malevolent spirits gradually weaken over time until they eventually vanish. Yet, they can assimilate the region where they originated, blending the spiritual and even the underworld realms, drawing strength from this fusion to sustain their existence. "Thus, many malevolent spirits possess their own 'territories' and areas of activity—not because they don't wish to leave, but because they cannot. Unless they accumulate sufficient power to undergo a fundamental transformation of their very existence." Leonard habitually rested his right foot on his left leg, thoughtfully asking, "Can malevolent spirits leave their 'territories' by attaching themselves to a human host?" "Yes, but ordinary people and most extraordinary beings simply can't withstand the extraction by the malevolent spirits—they quickly lose their spiritual vitality and body heat and can't sustain it for long." Daili said, then raised her finger toward herself. "The best solution is to rely on extraordinary beings from the 'Death' path—ideally, at least Sequence 5. From the 'Gatekeeper' level onward, we each carry within us our own little prison of the dead, which we might also call a miniature Underworld. This provides an ideal environment for the spirits to thrive. Once you become a 'Spirit-Witch,' you'll develop similar abilities, though these will be more focused on containment and dormancy rather than establishing your own personal Underworld. Honestly, the natural spirits and vengeful ghosts coming and going are quite a hassle." Ins. Zanggeweil's own Sequence 5 is precisely the 'Gatekeeper' rank... That explains why the malevolent spirit has been lingering with him for so long—perhaps even that it's the result of his repeated attempts to subdue the spirit? Leonard's thoughts suddenly snapped into clarity, and everything now made perfect sense. He paused for a few seconds and asked again, "What does a malevolent spirit seek?" "Seek? Singing? Dancing? Writing poetry? Men? Women? The stars and the sea?" Daili asked with a smile. Lennard realized then that his wording was a bit off, and awkwardly rubbed his hair. "I mean, what does a malevolent spirit long for?" "Ultimately, it depends on what they longed for in life. Generally, the residual spirit inherits their original fixation, without rational balance to temper it. If it were you, that spirit might keep trying to write poetry, imprisoning a group of people to watch, seeking recognition, or acting with great prominence—like the protagonist of a drama," Daili added casually. "But regardless of their former lives, once they become spirits of malice, they always yearn for two things." "What two things?" Lennard perked up. Dai Li glanced at him and said, "First, they feed on the souls of living beings, which brings them joy—this joy stems from the innate pleasure of sustaining their own existence. With a large number of souls, they can partially escape the limitations of their territory and range of movement, drawing power instead from the realm of spirits or the realm of the dead. Second, they seek extraordinary materials from the lives of the deceased, establishing a second foundation for their own existence. To this extent, evil spirits no longer need to draw power from the realms of spirits or the dead, and thus escape the constraints of territory and range of movement—effectively, they transform into special beings of the spirit realm." Leonard vaguely grasped the point and thought for a moment, then asked, "So, in other words, evil spirits can consume sequence-level potions?" "No, sequence potions were developed specifically for humans, as they effectively reduce the risk of loss of control. For many extraordinary beings, however, this is actually unnecessary—many can simply consume the materials directly. Especially the spirits of malice, who are rigid, cruel, and fierce, with a strong predilection for souls. In fact, they are already half-mad, requiring no additional harmonization. As immaterial entities, they absorb the materials directly, integrating them gradually." Daili corrected Leonard's explanation. "That makes sense—each time this spirit of Inz. Zangweil takes control, it manipulates the body to gather the extraordinary materials from the person's life path!" Leonard was first stunned, then suddenly inspired, speaking with a touch of surprise, "I see now. Thank you for the clarification." "After speaking, he hesitated for a few seconds, carefully adding, 'Madam, I believe we not only need to investigate the purpose behind Zangewell's meeting with the semi-divine members of the Order of the Holy Light, but also need to trace his movements from Beckland all the way to East Bayland—determine exactly what he did along the way, what items he collected. This might yield valuable leads.' Dailie suddenly went silent, and after a long pause, raised an eyebrow. 'That's quite accurate,' she said. 'But how does this connect to the spirits of malice?' 'Well, actually, there's no direct connection. I simply thought that since we're investigating the Order of the Holy Light, we might encounter the spirits of malice along the way, so I wanted to ask now in advance to make some preparations. The rest of my suggestion—that I'd like to discuss it with you earlier—came up after I had planned to rest, and I wanted to bring it up ahead of time.' Leonard's thoughts raced, and he slowed his pace, on the spot crafting an explanation. Dailie listened quietly, then chuckled. 'If you can be this diligent in crafting stories when meeting other women, "Unfortunately, I'm not the girl who knows nothing at all. Then, no need to explain—go ahead." Leonard hesitated and rose, no longer trying to emphasize anything, and walked toward the door. Just as he reached for the handle, a slightly distant voice from behind suddenly spoke: "I don't know what secrets you might be hiding, nor what you're capable of—none of that matters. But whenever you need help or cooperation regarding the matter of Inns Zangwei, feel free to come to me." Leonard paused for a moment, his mouth moving slightly, then suddenly pushed open the door and stepped out.