In Audrey's view, Mr. World's current state doesn't yet constitute a mental illness that would lead to loss of control. Rather, it stems from a collapse of his life goals and sense of existence, creating certain psychological obstacles. As long as these could be guided and he helped to establish short- and medium-term objectives, step by step rebuilding his sense of purpose, the issues would gradually resolve. Amid the quiet stillness filled with calm darkness, Audrey heard from the other side of the wall, Germaine Spaulo's low, steady response: "No." Indeed, no such thing—Audrey wasn't surprised. She then asked naturally: "Has he gone in search of his family's last words? Has he visited their graves? Has he made any efforts to understand the cause of their sleep?" For a few seconds, the spirit seemed to fade from the other side of the wall, silent and motionless. Only after a while did the hoarse voice speak slowly: "Not yet. Not yet." Not yet... which means there will be a future possibility, won't there? Audrey felt a sudden lift in her spirits, as she could clearly sense that Germaine Spaloff’s emotional state—once so somber and listless, as though disinterested in everything—had now gained a certain momentum, a mild sense of urgency, though still somewhat unclear and uncertain. Seizing the opportunity, Audrey used her soothing approach once again, and this time the effect was significantly better—at least in her judgment—because the "World" gentleman had clearly begun to emerge from the ever-descending depths of his depression, returning to the more typical state of a person experiencing a mild downturn. Next, Audrey didn’t pursue a discussion about tracing the traces or investigating the causes, as that might have provoked resistance. Instead, she nodded naturally in the dark confessional room: “Yes, there’s still so much to do, so many things to make up for! Perhaps we’ll still have the chance to meet someone of the same bloodline? Maybe his family hasn’t passed away due to old age—perhaps they’ve lived on, for some reason, until now?” Life is meaningful precisely because of its infinite possibilities. "While seeking, one must also pay attention to the scenery around—life isn't just a single broad path; there are countless side roads and alleys as well. If there were only the former, how monotonous it would be! One must learn to engage, to experience, to discover..." Audrey, recalling various suitable phrases from books, suddenly remembered something, and her voice softened slightly: "Also, don't wear that thick mask." "The lighter, more transparent kind of relationship, however, wasn't really relevant, since in human interactions, no one is entirely free of masks—no one truly likes to reveal their more private or less favorable aspects directly. It's both a form of self-protection and a gesture of respect toward others... 'Once the 'World' gentleman has built a certain circle of friends, life naturally takes on a new meaning...' Audrey silently added a few more thoughts in her mind, but ultimately didn't voice them, as she felt they were too direct and might even have an adverse effect. As she had anticipated, Germán Spáro remained silent, still somewhat uncertain. After a few seconds, a voice that was no longer so hoarse came through: 'Thank you for your insight and healing.' 'No,' Audrey replied earnestly, 'this all stems from your inner strength.' She concluded with one more act of reassurance, ensuring that the 'World' gentleman's mental state stabilized and remained steady, without any recurrence." She then heard Germaine Spalro say, "Shall we conclude for today?" Audrey adjusted her tone, light and cheerful, responding, "Of course, this isn't a serious issue. We can schedule a follow-up next week when you're free. Also, if possible, could you prescribe some remedies to stabilize her mental state—take them for seven consecutive days: 10 grams of chamomile powder, 5 grams of rosemary powder, and 10 milliliters of lemon balm extract... During this time, please don't reduce her intake of sweets, and try to relax a bit." "If the psychological alchemy could provide the materials as well, well…" She gave a subtle upward curve to her lips. "When you return from the southern continent to Beckland, remember to bring me a local specialty gift." A luxury, lightweight, eight-person-hauled portable coffin? Unaccountably, Kline on the other side of the wall felt a wave of exasperation rising, and then stood up smoothly, returning the "Justice" lady to the real world. After waving away the confessional chamber, he returned to the bronze long table and took his seat at the position reserved for the "Fool." Before him, on the table, the cards of the "Black Emperor," "The Tyrant," and "Red Priest"—the cards of desecration—were arranged on the right, while on the left stood "The Hunger That Crawls," delivered by Leonard Mitchell through the messenger girl Renette Tynecor. "Another ten thousand gold coins owed to the messenger girl..." Kline shifted his gaze, lifting his right hand to rub his temple. To prevent Ins. Zangwiel from fleeing through the spiritual realm, he had previously communicated with Renette Tynicol, assigning her responsibility for expelling the spiritual beings in the vicinity of the Resurrection Plaza, at a cost of another 10,000 gold coins. What surprised him most was that "0–08" proved far more formidable than anticipated. Even under the weight of the "Divine Curse" and further weakened by the Angel King Adam, the unknown entity first managed to breach Renette Tynicol's defenses and reach the plaza—without Dely Simonis establishing a spiritual connection and forging a pact, Ins. Zangwiel would likely have escaped unscathed. Of course, despite his successful escape, carrying the "Divine Curse," Ins. Zangwiel would almost certainly face further misfortunes afterward—such as being cast into a more perilous location by the unknown entity or directly subjected to harm—though these developments now lie beyond Klein's control. Thinking again about the debt of ten thousand gold coins, Caine felt a headache, yet his mental state had improved considerably. ——After ascending the Luminous Staircase to the Gray Clouds, witnessing the "Gate of Light" and the "Silk Cocoon," he experienced a profound mental shock, as though a flood had breached its banks. All his expectations crumbled, and his established worldview, life philosophy, and values collapsed, leaving him bewildered and lifeless, like a living corpse. Fortunately, he still possessed a strong survival instinct and promptly sought treatment from his private psychologist, Miss Audrey, the "Justice." Hmph… Caine exhaled, forcing his thoughts back to those "silk cocoons." The instant he saw the scene, his instinct was clear: at the same time, either a highly evolved entity or a powerful seal had, through different means, drawn a large number of people from Earth—some via the transportation ritual, others by purchasing unusual silver cards, and still others whose smartphones had contracted strange viruses. Then, the souls of these travelers were sealed within the "silk cocoons," suspended above the "light gates," awaiting a specific moment to be transferred into the bodies of individuals in the real world. According to Caine's observations, the "light gates" currently lack intelligence—they operate purely by instinct. That is, as soon as the conditions are met, they automatically catalyze a "silk cocoon," transporting the soul within it into the body of a designated recipient. As far as currently stands, Caine speculates there are probably two conditions that need to be met: first, no other travelers have arrived before, or the one who did has been declared a failure or has died; second, a certain thing, object, or ritual must "call" — much like the black divination Caine Moretti performed according to the Antigonos family's notes. As for whether there are any others, that remains unknown unless the relevant entries are found in the Great Emperor Roscel's diary. Based on the available information, I believe my current hypothesis is very close to the truth. This explains why I and the Emperor were contemporaries on Earth, differing by no more than a year, yet our arrivals were separated by nearly two centuries — we both arrived at the same time, but were "deposited" into our respective eras. Before entering the real world, both I and the Emperor had been asleep for countless years. My neighbor across the street? Klein leaned back against the chair back, his gaze flickering slightly before settling into a deep, somber stillness. This was his preliminary judgment—based on the state of the "light gate," his own condition, and the Emperor's journal. Of course, this didn't rule out other possibilities; merely, at this moment, Klein couldn't find any other evidence to support them. For instance, a "silken cocoon" might symbolize the life of one traveler, yet this contradicts both his growing difficulty in recovering physically and the fact that his spiritual essence has remained unchanged. If his assessment is close to the truth, then it means he has been away from Earth, having crossed over, for at least two centuries—perhaps even several millennia. Even if he now discovers the path and means to return to Earth, he will never be able to reclaim the inner sense of home. Time, more than space, proves far more devastating. This is precisely why Klein's mental state collapses so suddenly—"returning home" has always been his ultimate goal. "Miss Justice is right—we still have many issues to resolve, many things to explore... What is the significance of so many travelers suspended before this 'light gate'? What is its purpose? Who originally set everything in motion, drawing so many people here? And where are they now? Where is Fu Sheng Xuan Huang, the Heavenly Sovereign?" Kline struggled to enter a state of focused thought, striving to rediscover his sense of direction and purpose for the future. Unfortunately, at present, he could only approach the 'light gate'—not touch it, not grasp it, not even clearly see it—lacking the capacity to conduct in-depth research or obtain the most direct insights. "Perhaps we should seek clues from the real world. Moreover, since we've reached Sequence 4, we can now ascend to the gray clouds and observe the 'light gate' closely. When we reach Sequence 2 and experience another fundamental transformation—will that enable us to gain a certain degree of control over the gate, to finally understand its origins?" "Heh, infected by Seven Light, the goddess, and Arordes' attitudes, I almost thought I was truly the master of the Gray Mist, a great sovereign above the spiritual realm. Now it seems I'm just a randomly selected 'subject' assigned for this experiment—should I fail, another traveler will step in..." Klein murmured silently, lightly tapping the edge of the bronze long table. He also wondered: the three broken 'cocoon' fragments—one representing himself, one representing the Emperor—what about the third?"