Crash! The rolling gold coins landed into Caine's hands, yet he didn't pause to check whether they were heads or tails, for his mind had already fixed upon a vivid image: towering trees rising among the underbrush, the thin high clouds failing to obscure the numerous stars scattered across the "black velvet" sky, while the chorus of insect hums echoed quietly through the night, mingling with the bustling noise of the Deer Manor following its two recent explosions. Caine swiftly used his astrological knowledge to roughly pinpoint the specific area corresponding to this scene, then moved with a sudden step, appearing beside Enyuni—resembling Germain Spalro, the "winner"—and grasping his shoulder. During this movement, Caine retrieved the transparent worms implanted within the mouse and insect figurines, and severed the bi-directional "spiritual thread" connection. In just a few seconds, he and Enyuni vanished into the growing panic and commotion of the Deer Manor, materializing in the region symbolized by the image in his mind. Here, just as克莱恩 had received insights earlier, it was extremely quiet—so quiet that one could even hear the wind rustling through the leaves and bushes. One by one, ethereal black threads emerged in克莱恩's eyes, representing all the spiritually attuned beings in this area. There were so many—far beyond what a few could convey. For克莱恩 to locate each one and identify the one that was amiss would certainly not be achievable within a short period. Yet he didn't rush, because at least he could be certain of one thing: as long as the "Thief" pathway half-divinity hadn't taken any particularly high-level items from the semi-gods, his divination results would be accurate. Since becoming a "Weird Mage," not only had his abilities improved, but the force of gray mist seeping into reality had also grown stronger. Together, these enhancements made his divination skills exceptionally strong—even without traveling to the realm of the gray mist—placing him on par with or even surpassing other semi-gods of the same tier who follow the "Fate" pathway. Given that the "Thief" pathway half-divinity himself was in a precarious condition, with his strength now at a low ebb, Klein believed the opponent was concealed within this small thicket of bushes and had not fled farther. For this reason, he believed that patience was the best course of action: the "thief" who had passed through the half-divine state was already quite frail, with an unstable condition nearing collapse. After having abandoned the mouse body following that intense battle, his condition would only worsen, not improve in the slightest. Under such circumstances, if he did not receive replenishment or recovery, he would inevitably face problems—thus, while Cline could wait, he himself could not. "Why are you pushing me?" "Why are *you* pushing me!" The voice, sharp with resentment, caused the bark of the great tree to peel away rapidly, revealing the inner wood. On the wood, one after another, holes cracked open, from which emerged strange, segmented creatures—each with seven or eight segments. The transparent parts of these creatures floated with intricate, three-dimensional patterns, while the segments themselves seemed to carry the passage of time. In an instant, Caine lost all his thoughts, lost his extraordinary abilities—the "air cannon" and the "paper man substitute"—lost his belt, his coat, his hat. For a brief moment, he stood as if a living statue. Yet for a Mysterious Puppet, this was not a serious matter. After all, he didn't need to think much, and his lost abilities could simply be regained by replacing the "worms." Indeed, at the very moment he heard the breath of the others, Caine had exchanged places with his opponent, Enyuni, the "Winner." And such a "winner" need not worry about the pants slipping down or any such mishap once the belt is gone—his waist rapidly expands under the influence of the "Faceless" ability, securing the trousers firmly. New secret companions—creatures like insects and mice—emerge from various points, encircling the tree undergoing transformation. At that moment, a voice, carrying a gentle smile, seems to come from somewhere unseen: "Do not grow anxious. Do not become angry. Everything will work out." This voice carries a compelling strength, and as a result, the tree's transformation suddenly slows down, and the newly emerged insect segments gradually retract. "Indeed?" Within the tree, now shedding its outer layer, the earlier voice of resentment and fury settles into calm, tinged with bewilderment, as though it is beginning to be convinced. At the same time, Caine finds himself deeply convinced by that very statement, reflecting on why he had pushed a half-god to the point of losing control. He faintly felt as though he had forgotten something—something about the main purpose of his visit—yet couldn't quite recall it. Then, he saw a figure stepping into view from beyond the shrubbery, and chuckled warmly, saying, "Relax. I can stop your unraveling if you simply follow my instructions." The figure wore a long, flowing black coat, paired with black trousers and black leather shoes. With a broad forehead, a lean face, a high-crowned hat, and distinctive single-crystal spectacles, he appeared exceptionally refined. Klein's gaze suddenly froze, and a single word exploded in his mind: "Amun!" This man was Amun—the "Defiler," Amun, the "Hourly Angel," Amun, the King of Angels, the Son of the Creator! Though he knew the visitor was only a duplicate, Klein didn't hesitate. He simply followed his inner impulse, drawing upon the "Crawling Hunger," and swiftly made his body transparent. During this process, "The Winner" Enyuni snapped his fingers, igniting the matches in his coat pocket and the fallen leaves afar, and through the "flame leap," materialized beside Kline. Kline seized him firmly, and together they vanished into the spot where they had stood. According to Kline's plan, if Amun had made any resistance or if "The Winner" Enyuni hadn't returned swiftly enough, he would have immediately abandoned the spectral companion and embarked on a journey to distant lands. In such a scenario, sacrificing one companion to save himself would be nothing short of a stroke of brilliance. Fortunately, Amun's duplicated attention remained primarily focused on the tree with its peeling bark, and he neither intervened nor managed to resist in time. Only after Kline and the spectral companion had disappeared did Amun pause, glanced briefly at where they had stood, and then nodded thoughtfully before exhaling, "Ah, the 'Sorcerer of Illusions' from the House of Night." He immediately turned his gaze back to the large tree that had partially transformed, smiling and asking, "A descendant of Jacob's lineage?" "Yes, yes," replied the mouse semi-god within the tree, speaking in a tone as if someone had just surfaced from underwater, clutching a floating plank. "Do you know my ancestor?" Amun raised his hand, gently touching his chin, and gave a barely perceptible nod. "Of course. Their flavors are quite excellent." The descendant of Jacob's lineage within the tree fell silent, and after several seconds, cried out with growing fear, "You—you are Amun, the 'Disregarder of the Gods'!" The segmented creatures crawling out from the holes in the tree began to move again, but soon stiffened, becoming rigid and frozen in place. Amun pressed gently on the top and bottom ends of his single-crystal spectacles, smiling. "Too late, isn't it? If you had resisted and struggled from the very beginning, there might have been some effect. But now—wouldn't you think I came alone?" As he spoke, the surrounding shrubs swayed gently, leaves on different trees trembling softly, birds taking flight to perched on branches, emitting crisp, clear sounds—adding an indescribable quality even to the night breeze passing through. "Y-you—" The descendant of the Jacob family, nestled within the partially transformed great tree, had just begun to speak when he stopped abruptly. Amun inserted both hands into the pockets of his windbreaker and smiled calmly. "I've heard that your family has broken into a series of small, loosely connected households, fearing I might catch one and then uncover an entire group, haven't I? Ah, yes—have you formed a secret network with the descendants of Zoroastre, and with other extraordinary beings who've reached their status through the 'Theft' path, calling yourselves the 'Hidden Ones' of Fate?" "Are you one of them?" he asked. "I'll try to assume your identity and blend into that organization—ah, a secret network of 'Hidden Ones' designed to protect themselves from Amun, yet now involving Amun himself. That's quite an interesting twist, isn't it?" "Speaking of that, he glanced at the partially mutated great tree, now swaying violently, and continued, 'Unfortunately, I reviewed your fate. You haven't received a strong foundation in mysticism—impossible to be a member of that organization. Is it truly the case that among the descendants of the Jacob lineage, you are the only one remaining?' Thinking of Beckett coming to seek the secret treasure left behind by the Jacob family, only to suffer such a severe injury and be sealed away? 'Ah! You have traces of a parasitic presence living within ordinary animals, yet have remained silent and disconnected from human society for a long time... Isn't it puzzling that when you ascended to Level 4 in the hierarchy, the knowledge you gained from the elixir and the subtle voices you heard, didn't include any such 'reminders'? Yes, I've removed those.' 'No!' A sharp, resentful voice erupted, filled with an indescribable pain. The great tree swayed more violently before settling down. Gradually, streams of light emerged from within and flowed into Amun's body." Amon produced a piece of silk, removed his single-lens spectacles, and while wiping them, murmured: "How foolish! I said it too late—she simply believed me. The biggest flaw of someone nearly out of control is lack of thinking, easily deceived. As long as one takes a moment to reflect, how could one fail to grasp the issue? If I can swiftly resolve her, take away her fate, why do I still need to speak so much, so many words? My presence is merely a division of myself..." When Amon reattached his spectacles, the flowing light emerging from the partially transformed great tree had been fully absorbed. At that moment, a figure passed through the shrubbery—sea-Elur, now dressed in hunting attire. She seemed to sense something, instinctively turning her head toward Amon and spotting him. Then, she smiled with delight: "Teacher, you've improved! Someone has noticed your issues—better that you seek refuge elsewhere!" Amen listened quietly and a gentle smile began to curl at the corner of his mouth: "Alright."