What kind of divine seal should I choose? Darien Berg unconsciously assessed his own needs. Since the "Sun" path has a certain advantage over the dark creatures and also possesses the "Thunder's Roar," he wasn't particularly eager for seals focused on attack or support. His experiences of being knocked around and bruised while making friends, however, naturally led him to seek a powerful defensive magical item. In an instant, Darien suddenly realized the essence of his question wasn't what kind of divine seal he wanted, but rather which divine seal he could use to trade with the Sir "The Fool" for the Creator's Cross. After a moment's hesitation, he asked frankly, "Lord Chief, do you have any suggestions?" Colin glanced at him, then stepped away from his original spot, walked slowly to the window, and turned back to face him. "There are four seals that would be particularly well-suited for you." The first is known as the "Sunlight Silver Sword," bequeathed by a senior monk who passed away over a thousand years ago. Holding this straight sword enables one to conceal personal malice and certain actions, effectively disrupting divination and prophecy, amplifying one's strength, and bringing forth a dawn-like radiance that combats evil and decay in the surrounding area. It can also summon powerful light storms capable of causing significant destruction, while generating an invisible yet impenetrable defensive wall around the wielder. Whenever the sword is in contact with the earth, its protective power becomes unshakable. At the tip of its hilt stands a colossal, living statue with a single eye—resembling a human head. By feeding specific herbs, essential oils, or medicinal preparations to this statue, the "Sunlight Silver Sword" can produce diverse effects, such as lightning strikes, freezing, purification, combustion, decay, or spiritual cleansing. "This sword has strict usage conditions: anyone under 180 centimeters in height simply cannot lift it. Those below 200 centimeters will struggle to fully harness its power. Moreover, the human-headed statue at the sword's hilt—its one-eyed, massive mouth—loves to speak and is constantly chattering. If the holder fails to respond to it, the 'Sunlight Silver Sword' might suddenly lose its resolve at a critical moment, even turning to attack the owner. Should the holder choose to engage in conversation with this statue, they will remain on the brink of madness." This is exactly what I seek—a defensive sealant, skilled in protection. Darien murmured this to himself, without interrupting the chief's narration, and listened quietly as he continued to be introduced to the sealants: "The second is the 'Dusk Mask.' This mask was brought by the previous chief. Crafted from a skull, it conceals malice, intentions, and behavioral tendencies, making the wearer appear as though they are a thoughtless deceased." "As long as the mask is worn, the wearer shall possess true giant-like strength and dominion over the undead. Any living being who meets the wearer's gaze directly shall die instantly, even if that being is divine, suffering severe wounds. Those whose eyes are captured by the wearer—without direct eye contact—shall gradually fade and perish, as though passing through a river of death, one step at a time. The wearer can also summon a dreadful 'Twilight Storm.' Any entity touched by this dim light shall decay, rot, wither, and die, losing all sense of vitality. Most attacks other than purification prove ineffective against the wearer of the 'Twilight Mask,' much like no one can kill a being who has already passed into the realm of the dead." "This 'Dusk Mask' is incredibly powerful, yet extremely dangerous—even if it does nothing but simply remain in place, people around it will gradually, unexpectedly, and suddenly begin to die. Therefore, a proper sealing method must be established... Whichever person wears this mask, a constant, piercing cry and roar emanating from the depths of the Underworld will echo in their ears—this is a mental assault so potent that it can drive one mad and strip them of reason. Moreover, once someone wears the mask for more than five minutes, they will inevitably become its slave. This sealing artifact is almost unusable—though powerful, it can only seal... well, only someone truly great, like Mr. The Fool, can withstand its negative effects. Drik opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to speak." Colin Iliad reviewed the records and continued, "The third item is called the 'Staff of Life.' It can command exceptionally intelligent beings, temporarily reducing their madness. Using fragmented spirits and various materials, it achieves an extraordinary 'Life Forging' process—capable of creating enduring ordinary humans, or crafting diverse humanoid figures for combat and various purposes, including stone, earth, and steel statues. 'Any living being struck by this staff will develop a heightened tendency toward madness and loss of control, and with a certain probability, undergo bodily mutations—growing things such as watermelons, mushrooms, or wheat—though these are inedible and will cause contamination. 'In contrast, any being touched by the staff's tip—regardless of the severity of their injuries—will recover fully, except in cases where they have already begun to lose control." "This staff will infuse the surrounding area with vitality, enabling plants and animals to flourish and reproduce rapidly. Unfortunately, it proves ineffective on our cursed land. Carriers of the 'Life Staff' are likely to experience significant bodily transformations—over time, the longer they hold it, the more probable these changes become. This may result in organs being replaced by various plants, either in addition or in reduction. It sounds quite eerie... Darien unexpectedly feels a growing sense of fear and finally can't hold back, asking: 'What is the fourth seal?' 'It came from a devil I hunted—one that had lost control. I call it the 'Fallen Flute.' It appears to be an ordinary silver flute. Yet, once someone plays it, life around them inevitably falls into a state of enchantment. Their emotions and desires—anger, sorrow, pain, greed, vanity, pride, melancholy—expand rapidly, either exploding their minds, shattering their sense of reason, or driving them into complete chaos." "Near this 'Fallen Flute,' all beings other than its holder will experience a significant decline in their cognitive abilities, prone to errors. At the same time, the holder will become exceptionally attuned to danger, sometimes even foreseeing potential threats that could endanger their life up to one or two days in advance. In the region where this 'Fallen Flute' resides, the human heart will gradually deteriorate, with desires supplanting beliefs and emotional depth being gradually eroded. The holder themselves will grow increasingly detached, losing touch with normal emotions—this effect deepens with each use and the longer it is carried. This evolution may even conflict with the holder's inherent path or their role, increasing the risk of eventual loss of control." "Indeed, it's something very important to you, and we can't make a hasty decision." Colin nodded gently. "We'll be departing for the Afternoon Town Camp in three days. Please let me know your decision before then, and allow time for you to become familiar with the seal." "Yes, Chief." Deric bowed formally and exited the room where the Chief was. He didn't rush home immediately. Instead, he prayed to the "Knight of the Fool" and intended to head over to the training grounds to refine his various "Sun" domain spells.—this was a habit deeply ingrained in every citizen of Silver City; only those who were disciplined and persistent could survive long in the barren, dark lands. …… In a dimly lit alleyway within the Beckland Bridge district, Rest encountered once again the military intelligence officer wearing a golden mask, who had shown him clear kindness. "The 'Judge's' potion formula may still take a little more time," the man with the golden mask said. This is because although the investigation into Hui has not been continued, it has not been officially concluded either. Hui pressed her lips together, nodded, and in a manner that seemed to finally resolve her determination, said, "I no longer want that formula." "You're giving it up?" the man with the golden mask was both surprised and delighted. Hui didn't answer directly; instead, she glanced at the person beside her and said, "I'd like to exchange all my accumulated merits for pounds." Hearing her response, the man with the golden mask nodded with satisfaction. "It's the best thing you could have done. Let go of the past—your mother and your younger brother will have a fresh, beautiful future ahead of you. "Yes, if you exchange your accumulated merits for pounds, that would be about two thousand pounds. I'll help you secure a bit more. After that, you can continue serving as an outside liaison with MI9, which will be very useful for wild extraordinary individuals." Hui remained silent for a few seconds, her lips moving slightly. "Thank you." She could feel the kindness of the person before her clearly, so her thanks earlier had been genuine. Yet she would not give up. She had chosen pounds specifically because she had already reserved the "Judge" potion formula with "World" Germaine Sparrow—this adventurous wanderer had even claimed to have a follow-up "Chastising Knight" potion formula. At the same time, her apparent willingness to yield would help ease the suspicions of the Ninth Office. After briefly updating him on the progress of her previous assignments, Hugh bid farewell to the man with the golden mask and left the alley. Vorst didn’t rush to read the materials; instead, he directed his gaze straight at the portrait. A man in a black robe, not quite forty, stood there—his brown, slightly wavy hair gave off a sense of firmness, and his deep, dark eyes seemed to hold countless stories. This was the "Saint of Secrets"... Vorst gently rubbed his fingers, using the ability of the "Master of Illusions" to burn the portrait to ash. "Indeed, very cautious," Dorian nodded appreciatively. He then picked up his suitcase and turned to Vorst: "I need to return to Prizh. Staying in Beckland too long would raise suspicion." Vorst knew that Beckland’s situation had recently grown tense, and she had longed for her teacher to leave as soon as possible, so she didn’t try to detain him—she simply watched him step out of the room. Then, she used "Opening the Door" to make her way all the way to the alley behind the inn. As she just began to orient herself and turned into a street, she suddenly spotted a man in a black coat approaching. He glanced at her and then naturally turned away, while Furse's back muscles suddenly tightened. In her eyes, the figure appeared: under forty, with wavy brown hair, seemingly firm and resilient, deep black eyes that seemed to hold countless stories.