Colin Iliad glanced at Loviya without immediately responding, and only after he lifted the two straight swords planted in the ground did he nod and say, "Very well." The group of five walked around the outer perimeter of the city of Noth, several times attempting to enter, only to be intimidated by the city's seemingly normal daily life—which was in fact utterly silent—prompting them to retreat without making any bold explorations. As the frequency of lightning in the sky gradually decreased and darkness began to dominate the world, Colin gazed deeply at the city for several seconds, then said, "We'll establish a small camp first, and then continue when daylight returns." By "daylight," he meant the periods when lightning was frequent and darkness was brief. The other members of the exploration team offered no objections and quickly set up a simple camp on a stone pile along the edge of the riverbed. At the far end of the camp, sheltered beneath a massive overhanging rock and protected from rain, a cluster of fires burned brightly, with various unusual animal remains piled nearby, occasionally being tossed in as kindling. Colin, Lovie, and the others sat around the flames, eating their carried dry rations and the monster carcasses that had been proven harmless. As the fat sizzled and popped, Colin, the leading figure of the "Council of Six," turned to Dric Berg and said: "We'll first inspect the camp and then exchange after they've finished dining." In past times, Dric would have had no further thoughts, but now, the very first thought that flashed through his mind was: The chief has something to say privately to me. "Agreed," Dric said, pushing the remaining piece of meat into his mouth and lifting the "Thor's Roar" that stood beside him. The meat, though fully cooked, still retained a sickly green hue. At the edge of the dimly lit camp, Colin, the Hunter of Monsters, spoke in a low, steady voice, without altering his tone: "Norst城 is more eerie and dangerous than I anticipated. What do you think about our next course of action?" I know little about this place, and my experience here is limited. How could the Chief be asking me for my opinion? Dariq was momentarily stunned, instinctively reaching up with his left hand to scratch behind his head. He then recalled their several conversations in Silver City, and remembered the Master of the "Hanged Man"’s analyses of the underlying implications in their exchanges—his mind suddenly clicked into place: "The Chief is hinting at me!" "He's saying that Norst City is more eerie and dangerous than expected, and that the hunt for the Shape-shifters will be far more difficult than anticipated. Perhaps we should reconsider our targets?" "He wants me to pray to the ' Fool' and seek a divine oracle—so that I may offer my own opinion?" "Ah, so it is. The 'World' gentleman truly is a wise man—he already informed me on the journey of how to more simply hunt the strange, ill-omened creatures, gather their blood. Well, in this situation, it seems applicable!" As his thoughts flashed, Drik responded sincerely: "Yes, Excellency, I have a few suggestions." Colin Iliath silently exhaled, swallowing the more direct words, and nodded gently: "Go on." "Since the city of Norst has changed, our entry will carry significant risk. Perhaps we could lure the Shapers out." Drik did not simply replicate the method of the 'World,' Germain Sparo, but adapted it to the current circumstances. The 'Hunter of Monsters,' Colin, did not immediately dismiss the idea, but asked it with careful caution: "Then, how shall we lure the Shapers out?" "Dirk spoke without hesitation: "I have an item that holds a strong allure for the Shapers. Simply placing it near the edge of Norst City—or even farther—will draw them out." Colin, with his pale, disheveled hair, showed no surprise at Dirk's words, merely nodded gently. "What item?" He had long known that Dirk Berg had been quietly conducting rituals of supplication during the night watches along the way! Had it not been for his careful concealment, the secret would surely have been discovered by Lovie, Rige, and Guna-Lun. Dirk himself could not quite name or describe it. He reached directly from within his garments and produced a square box of iron-black hue, distinctly different in style from the Silver City. He then removed the "Wall of Spirit" that covered its surface. Next, instead of lowering his head, he turned his gaze away, opening the box entirely by the feel of his hands. Inside the box is a humanoid form about the size of a palm. At first glance, one can notice that it is filled with transparent liquid, occasionally foaming and radiating a faint black glow. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that the form is composed of long, worm-like strands intertwined together, with intricate, formless patterns at the fine details representing various abstract concepts. Colin studied it for a few seconds, then looked away. "It should work. Close the lid, and don't add the 'Wall of Spirit'—just carry it as is. See if it can draw them toward the camp." "Them?" Deric asked instinctively. Colin's face, marked by several old scars, softened into a smile. "Did you think there was only one Shifter in Nos?" "If this item weren't still at the lower rank, I'd have worried about something even more terrifying." Deric felt a wave of embarrassment, rubbed his scalp, and as instructed by the chief, closed the dark, iron-black square box and tucked it into the inner pocket of his clothing. Throughout the subsequent patrol, he remained on high alert, but no Shifter attacks came. Eventually, Loviya, Rige, and Gunauren took over their duties, and Deric settled back by the warm fire. At that very moment, a series of sharp, echoing cries rang out, and seven or eight crows with black feathers and bright red eyes swooped down and circled above. This evoked an indescribable sense of terror. Colin Iliad drew his straight sword and looked up. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he quickly turned his gaze toward Deric Berg's position. Across the fire, two tall boys—nearly one and ninety centimeters in height, with warm, youthful brown hair—stood motionless, gazing at each other in astonishment. Colin narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Illuminate!" One of the boys blinked, then suddenly understood, and began radiating pure, warm sunlight from within. A flash of movement passed through the air, and Colin's straight sword cleaved through the false Deric. The figure that emerged was a shadow—faint, translucent! At the same time, a crow with red eyes from above suddenly descended, its body expanding and transforming into a solid, dark silhouette. Above this shadow stood a translucent single eye, glowing with a hint of deep blue, surrounded by a series of smaller eyes, each sharing the same distinctive features. A Transformer! A Transformer capable of mimicking a crow! As the dark shadow descended, Drik’s head instantly went numb, his body petrified, rendering him immobile—able only to watch as the Transformer surged toward him. Crash! The Transformer struck against an invisible wall, halting its advance. At the edge of the fire, Colin Iliad drove his straight sword into the ground and then drew forth the second sword he had been carrying. Instantly, the area brightened, as if the dawn of legend had broken upon this abandoned land, unleashing an endless surge of morning light that formed a shimmering ocean, rising upward and engulfing the dark shadow and all the crows within. At the entrance of the camp, a phantom knight, exceeding five meters in height and clad in silver armor, also emerged behind the shepherd, Loviya. At the knight's eyes, twin flames of deep red burned, instantly locking onto a specific point. "He" surged forward, appearing in a flash hundreds of meters away. A cascade of sharp silver beams erupted, slicing everything in the vicinity into neat fragments—encompassing the various monsters hidden there, including the变形者 who had escaped the "Hunter of Monsters'" fatal strike and relocated to this spot. The monster still lived, shifting once again to its true form, yet the pure, clear dawn once more descended, submerging a vast area completely. When morning light began to fade, the figure of Colin Iliath, dressed in a brown coat and wielding two straight swords, appeared there, calmly observing as scattered glimmers of light gradually coalesced across the cracked ground, and the once-black, crimson blood, now mostly evaporated, slowly seeped out. Success! Deryck was overjoyed and immediately used his "Wall of Spirit" to seal the iron-black square box once again. Colin immediately drove both swords into the ground, then produced three metal bottles that had been filled with the potion, and transferred the blood from the ground into them. While waiting for the materials to solidify, he calmly remarked to Luvia and the others: "The materials left behind by the Transformers are useful to me. I'd like to exchange them directly for their equivalent value." In Silver City, the harvests gathered during exploration are typically handled in one of two ways: either they are brought back to the city and assigned to the community, converted into corresponding contributions, and then distributed according to the level of effort, or if they are not particularly significant and a member has a specific interest, they can be exchanged on-site for equivalent goods or contributions. "I have no objection," both Rige and Gunauren said at the same time. Luvia remained silent, indicating her agreement. After the ethereal silver knight returned, she turned her head slightly and glanced coldly at Deric Berg by the fire. ………… East Baylan, the temporary office of the "Red Gloves" team. Xost surveyed the team and said to all of them, "Madam Goddess's Eye has assigned us to investigate the sales of exceptional materials through the 'Hunters' channels in this region and surrounding cities, as well as to check whether any exceptional beings have gone missing or died. She agrees with Dail's hypothesis and suspects that the spy from Intis may have been taken by an evil spirit of the 'Hunters'. Of course, we cannot overlook other anomalies either—after all, that remains a possibility. Moreover, there's one more point: we are only to gather intelligence and do nothing more—no deep investigation—this is exactly what Madam Goddess's Eye has ordered. Did you catch that?" "Yes, we did!" the others replied. Xost glanced at Leonard and Dail, then looked away, and said firmly, "Let's move!"