Above the gray mist, Caine at the position of the Fool raised his hand and summoned the "Cross of No Darkness." The bronze-green cross was fastened to a seemingly ordinary button, upon which a layer of crystalline, translucent particles had formed—clear and luminous, yet conveying a sense of weight and solemnity. This was the "Judge" button of the "Watcher" Gauthier, originally reserved for the "Judgment" session at a price of 3,500 pounds. Thus, the "Star Above" had preemptively offered it as a sacrifice to Mr. the Fool, asking this great being to have his angels assist in shattering it. At the Monday Tarot gathering, the "Judgment" session had further reserved the "Judge" potion formula at a price of 2,000 pounds. — By agreement, everything gained from the exploration of *The Grollese Travels* is shared only with the justice Odile, who offers only unpaid assistance for her prior role in killing Herwin Lambis. As for the star Leonard, he holds the authority to sell the potion recipes and historical knowledge, yet clearly, the judge Hov trusts the world Germain Sparo more. "Almost fully crystallized now—this gives me confidence to hand over the 'Cross of No Shadow' to the young 'Sun.' After that, whenever similar needs arise, they'll certainly prefer to trade directly with the young 'Sun' rather than ask the 'Fool' gentleman for assistance. No one dares to frequently disturb a hidden presence unless absolutely necessary... Once the young 'Sun' has the opportunity to become a half-deity and transform the 'Cross of No Shadow' into an extraordinary trait, I'll also gain access to Sequence 3, enabling me to draw upon even greater powers from the mysterious space above the Gray Mist—powers sufficient to directly shatter the seals. After the 'disinfection' process through the Gray Mist, Adam should no longer be able to use the 'Cross of No Shadow' to lock onto the young 'Sun.' Even if he manages to locate him through this means, it wouldn't be a serious matter—his brother Amun has long known of the connection between the young 'Sun' and the 'Fool' gentleman. Hmm, Amun seems able to move freely within the 'Abandoned Lands.' I wonder if Adam can do the same..." Klein gently separated the 'Cross of No ……… The City of Silver, within the Round Tower. Darien Berg had arranged the ritual, watching a figure formed from black earth approach, holding a plain, unremarkable staff of original wood, and place it upon the altar. After a careful prayer and a series of diligent preparations, the portal of sacrifice and bestowal materialized, taking away the "Staff of Life," and leaving behind a crucifix covered in verdigris and adorned with sharp spines. At the same time, Darien's mind suddenly revealed the name, method of use, and negative effects of this crucifix. He suppressed his excitement, first expressing gratitude to the "Knight of Fools," before concluding the ritual and walking to the front of the altar, taking up the "Crucifix of No Shadow" to examine it closely. After tidying up the scene, Darien left the room and proceeded to the opposite side, knocking on the door of the chief's chamber. "Enter," came the deep voice of Colin Iliath. Derek turned the handle, pushed open the door, and stepped inside, calmly displaying the bronze-green cross: "Your Excellency, this is the relic I mentioned earlier—the 'Cross of No Shadow.' Its use is to have the thorns on it soak up the bearer's blood." This time, he deliberately referred to it as a relic rather than a mere artifact. Colin, whose hair was white, had already been eyeing the cross the moment Derek presented it. After hearing the description, he moved with a slightly heavier step, approaching directly, took the object, and examined it carefully from all angles. Finally, Colin Iliad pressed his thumb firmly onto one of the thorns, allowing a steady stream of fresh blood to flow. The weathered bronze-green began to peel away, revealing the solid form of the 'Cross of No Shadow' composed of pure light, banishing every trace of shadow from the entire room. A sacred significance beyond words filled the surrounding area. Colin released his fingers and sighed, saying, "Indeed, these are the Lord's possessions..." Though he had been born over two thousand years after the city of Silver had been 'abandoned'—a time when he had never personally felt the presence of the divine—many items used in worship of the Creator remained in the city. Each time the black-faced grass ripened, these items were brought forth and incorporated into the rituals. By comparing them with these objects, Colin Iliat was nearly certain of the origin of the cross now in his hands. Deryck had intended to respond, yet the profound weight of the chief's words suddenly pressed upon him, silencing his voice. Colin Iliat said nothing further, simply holding the "Cross of No Shadow," standing in quiet silence. After a few dozen seconds, the Senior of Silver City finally broke the silence, speaking in a slightly hoarse voice: "The return of the Master's relics is a sign—signifying that we shall welcome the dawn. 'The Cross of No Darkness' has been with me for half a day now. I must convene all the elders currently in the city, present this relic to them, and discuss its significance. "He chuckled. "Even I cannot arbitrarily handle a holy-level sealing artifact. Since we've lost the 'Staff of Life,' I must explain the situation to the other elders and seek their reprimand. You must remember: as a Senior, you must possess both the decisiveness to act swiftly in the moment and the courage to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. You cannot simply assume that what you believe is best for Silver City means you can evade accountability. Perhaps this time you are right, but you cannot guarantee that you'll always be right. "Rest assured, the 'Cross of No Darkness' will ultimately return to your hands. "The chief spoke so profoundly... Next Tarot gathering, please have Mr. The Hangman give a lecture... Derek instinctively reached for his right hand, brushing his scalp, but ultimately restrained himself, conveying the negative impact of the 'Invisible Cross' to Colin Ilyat. This act of placing the seer figures into the "refrigerator" feels rather odd... I'm not even playing a horror film. Still, it does fit well with the title "Mystic Magician"—well, both Chalatou and the angel from the Antigonus family hang their seer figures to "dry," and I'm actually doing better than them! Kline ran his fingers over his chin, then carefully inserted the plain, oak-handled staff into a specially crafted staff he had purchased through the "Judgment" lady. ——This staff is hollow and can accommodate a fairly wide longsword, which is exactly where Kline intends to conceal his "Life Staff." After finishing these tasks, he asked his personal servant—whose outward appearance is Enyuni, but who is actually Chounas—to take the staff and returned to the adjacent room, where he then washed up, got into bed, and settled into the blankets. In the relaxed comfort of a peaceful sleep, Kline's inspiration suddenly stirred, causing him to leap out of bed and sit upright, his gaze fixed on the secondary balcony. The curtains there were not fully drawn, allowing a clear view of the outside scene. Outside, everything was a deep green, vines sprawling, flowers densely clustered, layer upon layer, to the point that Caine began to suspect he had been transported deep into the forest. "This..." Caine drew a faint smile, vaguely guessing what had happened. He rolled out of bed and hurried to the balcony, swiftly pulling the curtains completely open. What met his eyes was no longer the garden of the D'Artagnan estate, but a lush, thriving forest. "Is this what gives the surrounding area such vibrant life—where animals and plants flourish and reproduce rapidly? Isn't this a bit too fast?" Caine's expression grew momentarily stunned. When he had previously consulted his divination to confirm the corresponding abilities and negative effects of the "Staff of Life," he had indeed seen similar scenes. However, the insights he received indicated that such growth and reproduction posed no significant threat. Thus, he had assumed that the process unfolded over a long period, one that could be effectively managed and allowed to unfold gradually—only to find himself now confronted with this very scene. In an instant, Caine observed all the "spirit lines" in the surrounding area and noticed that humans had been unaffected—only mice and cockroaches had increased noticeably. This result eased his mind, and he silently remarked upon the window view of the "forest": "Indeed, there's no real harm—just a bit exaggerated. Still, most of the time, we have to keep them elevated above the gray mist..." A few seconds later, one after another, figures emerged within the "forest." Some were thin, others thicker, all dressed in black coats, with flat faces—no eyebrows, no eyes, no nose, no mouth. These figures either crouched or stood, busy during the quiet night, burning weeds, cutting vines, and removing excess blooms. The next morning, as usual, the butler Walter rose early and opened the window. The garden outside was draped in morning mist, with droplets of dew gathering, releasing an unusually fresh scent. "Better than yesterday..." Walter nodded slightly, offering his appreciation to the two gardeners. The vibrant scene stirred a sense of restlessness within him, unexpectedly bringing to mind his wife. He then left the room, made his way around the premises, attended to various matters, and finally settled at the entrance to the dining room. Not long after, his employer, Dow Thomas, accompanied by his personal male servant, Enjuni, descended from the third floor. Walter bowed and outlined the day's schedule, then spontaneously added, "Mr. Thomas, I would like to use one day of my vacation this month." As he spoke, he suddenly noticed a crack in Enjuni's neck, revealing a black eye on the side of his employer's back. Walter was startled, nearly stepping back, but upon blinking, he found that Enjuni's neck bore no unusual eye at all. It must have been a restless night, filled with odd dreams, causing a momentary lapse in concentration and a fleeting illusion... Walter quickly steadied his thoughts and slightly lowered his head. Klein offered a quiet apology in his heart and gently nodded, saying, "No problem—enjoy a wonderful day with your family." PS: Monday request for a recommendation on monthly passes! PS2: Recommend a book—《Sealing the Gods: A New Perspective》—unrelated to the "Primordial Stream" genre; it's a completely reimagined version of the Sealing the Gods tale.