Loviya’s response only heightened Joshua’s alertness. He glanced at the other exploration team members and urgently asked, “Have any of you heard unusual footfalls?” Deric, holding the great hammer “Thor’s Roar” and his straight, broadsword, recalled for a few seconds before shaking his head in negation. Heinm, holding the “Cross of No Shadow,” observed the seal’s unaltered glow and replied, “Perhaps it’s just your imagination?” “No,” Joshua, with his red-gloved hands, furrowed his brow, expressing his conviction. Upon hearing this, Colyn, the leading “Hunter of Monsters,” half-turned and calmly instructed, “Heinm, Antilena, check on Joshua’s condition.” “Yes, Chief.” Heinm immediately moved to stand before Joshua and placed the “Cross of No Shadow,” composed of pure light, against his teammate’s forehead. The seal remained unchanged. Next, the female warrior with wine-red hair, Antilena, arrived at Joshua's side and raised her left hand. A delicate golden bracelet adorned her wrist, with three small bells covered in golden scales dangling from it. The soft chimes rang out, resonating throughout the space and calming Joshua's mind, easing the tension and restlessness within him. "No problem," Antilena said, her gaze turning to Chief Colin Iliat. Two complex symbols of deep green shimmered in Colin's eyes. After glancing at Joshua for a few seconds, he nodded. "It may not be a mere illusion, but you must remain vigilant for any unusual sensations within yourself." Seeing the chief's support, Joshua quietly exhaled. "Understood." Temporarily setting aside his doubts, the Silver City exploration team continued descending the vast staircase bathed in golden twilight light, floor by floor. Suddenly, everyone heard a low exhalation. Derek Berg, glancing over his shoulder, saw Joshua lift his hands and tightly clamp them around his own neck. As a "Dawn Knight," Joshua possessed extraordinary strength; barely a gasp escaped him before his hands snapped his cervical bones with a crisp sound. Joshua collapsed, his expression dark and contorted, eyes filled with disbelief—having been killed by himself! Though Derek and the others hadn't immediately reacted to what had just happened, years of training and experience navigating the darkness had instinctively drawn them into a battle formation, alert to potential follow-up attacks. Then, another low groan echoed. It came from Elder Loviya, the "Shepherd." The woman with silver-gray hair saw her facial muscles tighten, visibly twitch and ripple, as though a second face were emerging. She sank to her knees with a soft thud on the broad staircase, her pain unmistakable. Her hands rose slowly, yet with an unstoppable force, clutching her throat. As Loviya was about to exert herself, two straight swords, coated in a silvery-gray ointment, extended and gently lifted her palms aside. The prepared "Hunter of Monsters," Colin, responded promptly. Loviya convulsed once, her head lowering further, her mouth opening to expel one after another fragments of torn flesh and incomplete organs. She exhaled, as if finally regaining her composure, then propped herself on her elbows, crawled forward a step, and with humble reverence, swallowed each piece of bloodied flesh and organ one by one. The "Hunter of Monsters" Colin, whose face bore several old scars, watched silently, without intervening. At last, Loviya lifted her head, her pale gray eyes unfocused, and said: "It is fall. It is the fall each of us will experience." "Can you remedy it?" Colin asked, his tone unchanged. Lovianna nodded without hesitation. "Yes." As soon as she spoke, she grasped her left index finger with her right hand, snapped it with a crisp sound, and pulled it free—pressing the bone and blood into her mouth, chewing while softly murmuring: "The Lord who creates all things; "The Sovereign behind the Veil of Shadows; "The fallen nature of all beings... "The True Creator." It's hard to be unfamiliar, as my life in the first half of my post-transcendence years has been spent interacting with Him—His divine son, His messengers, His chosen vessel for incarnation, the relics left behind by His faithful, His ecstatic murmurs, the various murals depicting His presence... At this very moment, Caine is certain that the one now gazing upon the Silver City exploration team is the true Creator. To be frank, when Loviya began chanting that being's sacred name, Caine almost wanted to unleash a "Lightning Storm" right then and there, eradicating the issue before it even arose. Yet he held back, for he wasn't sure he could decisively defeat that "shepherd"—Loviya's very own malignant spirit, which, though already deceased, still held the strength of a Tier 3 entity. Even now, with its combined power at Tier 4, it could withstand the near-angelic "Lightning Storm" for a while. And once the "Fool" cannot simply and decisively kill Lovira with ease and understatement, it will be seen as a sign of weakness in Colin the Hunter's eyes. Moreover, Caine believes that Colin Iliad relishes seeing the "Shepherd" elder Lovira recite the sacred name of the "True Maker." He intends to use this act to counterbalance the "Fool" and achieve a certain equilibrium. Though this behavior appears disrespectful to the divine beings and often provokes the great entities, Colin Iliad cannot simply believe in the "Fool" and the "True Maker" at face value—he can only strive to maintain the balance, carefully testing his position at the edge of the cliff. Only in this way will Silver City avoid sudden destruction, like those other cities already buried deep in darkness, cloaked in the dust of history. Alas, if I had the "Cross of No Dark" in my hands at this moment, and had fully mobilized the mysterious spatial forces above the gray mist to support me, there was a real chance of instantly eliminating that silver knight spirit—this was a natural synergy, a built-in advantage. Klein sighed silently, accepting this course of events. ——He hadn't noticed anything unusual about Joshua until this warrior of the Silver City, wearing crimson gloves, tightened his own neck, at which point he saw the spirit of the man grow gray and somber. As the elder "Shepherd" had said, this was a form of personal "falling," not much different from losing oneself to wealth or beauty, and thus difficult to detect by external forces. "That staircase should represent the residual divine power of 'fallen' nature, subtly integrated into the environment—difficult to detect, difficult to resist... The earlier stone figures lacked wisdom and spirit, yet remained unaffected... From the title itself, 'True Creator' holds dominion over the fallen essence; merely by gazing upon it, the corresponding forces can be brought to stillness." Kline stabilized his mindset and continued observing the unfolding events. At that moment, Loviya, the "shepherd," had risen, and her missing left index finger was slowly growing back. She turned to Chief Colyn Iliat and said, "This area is no longer falling apart." This meant the steps were no longer particularly dangerous. Normally, the exploration team would not pause to attend to Joshua's body—whether advancing or retreating—they could not afford to waste time lingering in such hazardous zones, as prolonged exposure would risk injuries to other members. However, since Elder Loviya of the "Six-Party Council" had clearly stated that the area was secure, they could now take a moment to rest and attend to the matter. Deric set down Heim's broadsword, walked to Joshua's side, gazed for several seconds, then bent down to pick up his crimson glove and placed it on his left hand. He still remembers how Joshua always boasted about this magical item acquired during their explorations. He can clearly recall that, when they first left the afternoon town camp, Joshua had announced that this expedition would end with a forced marriage—though he had no idea who his wife would be—and just one hour later, his teammate had turned into a cold, lifeless corpse. To the people of Silver City, this was simply everyday life—no one wept or collapsed, only a deep, resilient emotion had seeped into their bones and blood, a blend of weight and sorrow. They watched Deric raise his left hand, palm facing Joshua’s body. A fierce flame erupted, engulfing the teammate they had just fought side by side. After the burning, "The Hunter" Colin withdrew his extraordinary traits, while each of the other members gathered a handful of ashes and tucked them into the hidden pockets of their clothes. In silence, they continued descending until they reached the base of the staircase, where a majestic palace stood bathed in the golden light of dusk, with corridors and staircases leading to other areas behind it. The palace doors were open, yet inside it was completely dark—no light penetrated at all. "Hunter of Monsters" Colin observed carefully before saying, "Just as it was outside." By this, he meant that they should make every effort to maintain illumination and avoid being plunged into absolute darkness. Thus, Heinrich activated the radiance of the "Cross of No Darkness," casting it over all his teammates, while Antilena lit a lantern and carried it aloft, ready to ensure the cross would not suddenly fail. The group entered the palace and walked through a vast, seemingly empty hall; their footsteps echoed far and wide, with no echo returning. As they walked, Deric suddenly felt his eyelids grow heavy, and a strong sense of drowsiness settled over him. At that moment, he heard the chief's deep roar: "Do not fall asleep!" Derek jolted awake, breaking free from the profound fatigue that had made it impossible to open his eyes. At that moment, a female warrior collapsed to the ground, as if she had fallen into deep sleep—then simply vanished, appearing to disappear right before everyone's eyes. "The Hunter" Colin and "The Shepherd" Lovira each examined her carefully, shook their heads, and then led the group forward. Throughout the journey, they continually injured themselves, using pain to regain clarity. Eventually, they passed through one arch after another, and what had once been an unyielding darkness now began to fade. With the light carried by the group, they discovered a vast hall adorned with countless murals. At its center stood a long table of deep red, surrounded by intricately carved high-backed chairs. This... Derek found it strangely familiar. He suddenly realized—it bore a striking resemblance to the scene of the Tarot gatherings! Suddenly, clusters of light flared up, and whispers began to rise around them. Along the stone pillars standing around the hall—though not supporting the vaulted ceiling—red flames were ignited one after another, casting a magnificent glow across the surroundings. The whispers grew louder, as if finally reaching their destination after a long and distant journey, transforming the hall into a bustling gathering. Around the deep crimson tables, eleven faint, ethereal figures suddenly materialized, seating themselves in different high-backed chairs.