With a steady patter of sound, a translucent sheet of paper emerged from the radio receiver, inscribed in Roon script: "Most High, Most Great, Most Eternal Lord, your humble, devoted servant Arondes has come at your call! Do you know? The child of Dr. Allen Kres has been born last night." Thank goodness I reached out to the 'Mirror' in time... Caine nodded gently. "Now I know." Pattering again, the translucent sheet unfolded further: "By the principle of reciprocity, it is now your turn to ask questions." Klein had intended to ask Ins. Zangweil about the "0–08" and the red angel spirit, but upon reflecting on his own failed divination efforts above the gray mist, he realized that even the "magic mirror" Arodes likely couldn't see clearly—perhaps only offering more detailed information about the "0–08." In that case, once the gray mist was no longer obscuring his view, he would truly know about the "0–08," and thus, the same knowledge would inevitably reach the other party, undermining his position as an unseen director behind the scenes. After pausing for two seconds, he said, "Is there any way to absorb the potion more quickly?" "To perform better," the ethereal white page responded, with several black words appearing in a steady tap. Upon seeing the mirror's reply, Klein remained silent at first, then slowly exhaled. For him, Ins. Zangweil's appearance had come far too early. He still has nearly two months to fully absorb the "Master of the Hidden Spirits" potion. By then, having already gathered all the necessary materials, he will be able to stage a murder of the half-god Iness Zangwei—presenting both his sequence advancement and the fulfillment of his personal mission as a unified narrative—no longer needing to consider any fallback plans. Yet Iness Zangwei will not make his appearance only when all of his preparations are complete; he will not follow the very sequence that Kline originally envisioned. According to Kline's initial plan, intelligence gathering and tracking the half-god's movements should come first, with the strategy finalized around late August or early September. However, this approach proves impractical. Iness Zangwei holds the formidable seal known as "0–08." Unless afflicted by a malevolent spirit, he remains concealed. If Kline cannot leverage the half-god's current vulnerabilities during this period—such as his physical condition—then once Iness clears the spirits from within, he may well vanish completely, always missing him due to unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, if it truly were the malevolent spirit known as the "Red Angel," Klein still worried that by the time he and Leonard launched their revenge campaign, Sir Zangweil might have died unexpectedly—due to some hidden conspiracy or absurd reason—not because of anything he had done wrong. Considering these points, Klein tried to accelerate the absorption of the potion, hoping to complete it within a couple of weeks. But Arodus, the "Mirror," offered a response that left him disheartened, making him realize such things couldn't be forced. In just this brief span of半个月—perhaps even only a few days—how could he possibly create better opportunities for performance? Already, during that moment of silence, Klein had made up his mind: he would no longer force the two matters into a single narrative. From now on, he would prioritize his revenge against Sir Zangweil, as long as it carried a reasonable chance of success. He didn't want to miss this opportunity. Though it has been only about ten months—less than a year—since the events occurred at Black Thorns Security in Tinggen City, Klein feels as though it has been much longer, so long that he is unwilling to wait any further. Glancing at the rather eerie radio receiver, Klein thought for a moment, then his expression suddenly grew serious. With a steady voice, he asked, "Previously, using my 'Winner' persona, I examined myself and understood why the extraordinary beings on the Path of Fate reacted to me the way they did. Now, I would like to ask you—what do you see in me?" "Support, govern... what does that mean? Klein had wanted to ask further, but sensed that Arōdes likely wouldn't explain it clearly, given his own lack of knowledge. Seeing that if he delayed any longer, the 'Tree of Desire' would come for him, he nodded and said: "Alright. "That's all for today. You may now return." The rhythmic sound of the radio receiver suddenly brightened, and even the paper it emitted regained its pristine white hue: "Very well, Esteemed Lord. Goodbye~ My loyal servant Arōdes stands ready to serve you at all times." This time, the "Mirror" seemed to have forgotten to add a simple挥手 gesture. He's running quite briskly, then... Klein mumbled, immediately reversing four steps, stepping into the gray mist, and manifesting the "World" of Germán Spáro, informing the "Hermit" Gárdelíya that the mythical creature's blood she required was now prepared, and urging her to provide the young one with a brief restoration of strength as soon as possible. Not long after, "The Sovereign of the Stars" Cadellia arranged the ceremony, offering an object as a sacrifice to "The Fool," and requested that this great being deliver the item to "The World," informing him that the method was simply to activate the object—drawing a temporary portion of its power from the past, from the historical self! Perhaps it's a bit too complicated... This staff feels very familiar—it's so much like the crystal sphere that little 'Sun' once prayed to! Does it, too, correspond to a deep red star? Caine looked somewhat puzzled toward the ancient palace beyond, where the ethereal stars hung quietly in the endless gray mist, unchanged. Realizing that such objects were often one-time uses, like incantations, he abandoned his experimental plans and simply retrieved a physical sheet of paper from the clutter, carefully transcribing the intricate symbols and magical emblems on the staff's head. He then produced a talisman and softly recited an ancient Hermes word: "Crimson!" A deep red flame flickered and vanished, and with a gentle burst, the serene strength of Anru spread out. The attendant instantly fell asleep, leaning against the bedside and drifting into peaceful slumber. Klein chuckled, not lingering on the utterly meaningless topic of "the Serpent of Fate," and simply stated, "I've brought a method to restore a temporary boost of strength during the early, weak phase. You could give me a drop of your umbilical blood." Will. Angstine spread out his plump palm and said, "First, let me see it." "How do you know this method is an object?" Klein was both surprised and curious. Will. Angstine hummed, "Instinct of Fate." As if he hadn't said anything at all... Klein then brought his staff head from behind his back and offered it forward. The infant grasped it with some difficulty, glanced at it, and raised his voice, "This can only be used once!" "Yes, only once," Klein said, carefully, "Is there any issue with that? With your standing and capabilities, you could certainly replicate the symbolic signs and magical emblems, gather the appropriate materials, and perform the correct ritual—thus enabling repeated use." Will. Aunseit suddenly interrupted him: "Very well, I accept. 'Remember, those words were yours!' " ...Klein was momentarily puzzled, yet something seemed to dawn on him—there was a subtle sense that, though he had come to gain an advantage, he now found himself at a disadvantage, as though even a baby had outmaneuvered him. "Yes, it was me," he finally exhaled, giving a sincere nod. The baby's plump face brightened, and he spread out the other hand: "I've already prepared it. There are two drops— one drop is the item of exchange, and the other is your reward for facilitating the transaction." Another reward? Klein was astonished, quickly turning his gaze to Will. Aunseit's palm. There were two drops of silver blood there, each containing countless tiny, transcendent, ethereal circles in motion—interwoven into a long, flowing band that nearly connected end to end. Just by glancing at it, Careen felt as though his ability to think had vanished, with all his thoughts repeating endlessly. He quickly shook his head, took out the iron cigarette box that held the Azk copper whistle, and carefully transferred the two drops of clearly sealed, specially treated "Serpent of Fate" blood into it. "Thank you so much for your generosity," Careen said sincerely, then asked, "Can this be used to create spells?" The little infant sucked his fingers again and replied: "Of course, it can. The specific symbols you'll need are the ones you just saw—choose any combination you like, and the results will depend entirely on your luck." Careen nodded and then asked: "Then whom should I invoke? You're currently unable to respond to such a higher-level ritual, and invoking Ululius would be tantamount to challenging me... So, should I turn to the angels on the Path of Fate, Sequence 2? Though I'm not even sure of their names." Will Angstinn broke into a broad smile. "There's an even more convenient one." "Who?" Kline asked with delight. The little infant giggled and replied, "The Queen of Calamities and Fears."