Hearing Will. Oncetin's "complaint," Caine simply didn't know what expression to adopt, so he remained expressionless. Only when the infant wrapped in silver silk had calmed down did he speak with a touch of puzzlement: "Even if I'd mentioned it earlier, it wouldn't have made any difference. When I first met you, you'd already undergone your 'reboot.' " "No," the plump infant wiped away tears, "at that time I was still Will. Oncetin—without the surname Cris. I had been 'rebooted' for a long time already. Though I still had years before I reached adulthood, as long as I was willing to accept a certain level of risk, I could manage. With the luck I've accumulated, such risks were manageable. But now, the gap is too wide—there's simply no way to make up for it." Caine thought for a moment, then said carefully: "Perhaps we could find an angel of the 'Theft' path who could steal your time, allowing you to grow up sooner." Will. Aunseit still choked slightly, shaking his head. "It's useless... They couldn't possibly steal my 'childhood' and 'youth' with precision. Simply surviving doesn't make me grow—it only reduces the lifespan that was originally destined for me. Then, Will. Aunseit. Cris would die, born in June 1350, passing away in October 1350, at just four months old." "But I've seen cases where time theft caused accelerated aging," Kline recalled, remembering the instances he had witnessed within the tomb of Amun. The chubby infant still shook his head: "No, that's merely a symbolic representation. If it affects me, then the infant will begin to develop wrinkles, and his hair will start turning white... I truly wish to steal 'childhood' and 'youth' precisely—only Amun can do that, and it must be His very essence that comes personally." As he spoke, both the infant wrapped in silver silk and Caine fell into silence, and no one spoke for a long time. Should Amun be summoned, what might be stolen might not only be 'childhood' and 'youth,' but perhaps even more. After a while, Caine sighed openly: "Then we can set this aside for now. Still, I'd like to find out where one might obtain a means to accommodate 'uniqueness.' If the opportunity arises, I won't miss it—perhaps it will prove useful at some point in the future." Will Angstain, wiping a tear from his palm and sniffing, said, "I've actually already secured it—all I needed to do was know. But what I knew, I simply couldn't act upon. Otherwise, wouldn't you think my role as the Leader of the Life School were merely pretend?" "...” Kline asked, both surprised and curious, "Why couldn't you act?" Will Angstain pulled the blanket from the baby carriage. "There are three ways to accommodate 'uniqueness.' First, it's present at birth—akin to the activation of 'uniqueness,' blending it with human nature. Second, you activate 'uniqueness' to a certain degree and then forcibly incorporate it into the body, using the Creator's power to suppress it, gradually wearing it down over a long period, allowing time for adaptation and achieving balance. Third, you harmonize 'uniqueness' into an incomplete elixir, and consume it alongside a simplified version of the divine ritual." "The first point is self-evident—it's where the brothers are envied. The second point has never been achieved since the ancient Sun God's陨落; and the third point is currently the only viable option, though for the Sequence 1 of the 'Fate' path, it can only depend on how Fate arranges itself. The first point was mentioned in the Emperor Rosel's diary—it was the 'Gate'先生 who pointed it out... As for the second point, does it imply that when the ancient Sun God initially held multiple powers, he actually surpassed today's true gods by at least half a level, or even a full level—perhaps even reaching the status of a Creator? Cline pondered, asking, 'What does it mean to be solely dependent on Fate's arrangement? How does this relate to my earlier suggestion of helping you accommodate the 'Uniqueness'? Will. Ongestin's round, infant-like face expressed a sense of reflection. 'The divine ascension ritual of the 'Fate' path might be the simplest, or perhaps the most difficult. All we need to do is find the right moment within the flow of Fate, and then directly consume the elixir to attempt our promotion.'" "The problem is that the precise moment—this exact turning point—cannot be divined, cannot be foreseen, cannot be pinned down with any method. All one can do is eliminate certain distractions and patiently go through the experience, seeking it out. I've already restarted this process countless times, enduring incredibly long periods of time, yet still, still, I haven't managed to meet it...” As she spoke, the infant's tears began to fall steadily. It sounded simple, yet in reality, it all depended entirely on fate, on mere intuition—on the way one looked... Klein felt a deep sense of reflection and asked with growing clarity, "When I mentioned helping you embrace 'uniqueness,' did you sense that turning point at all?" The plump infant cried even more deeply, "Though I haven't fully found it yet, I already have a certain feeling, a sense of anticipation..." Ah, so it was. When Willy. Oncetin first approached me, beyond his desire for the 'repetition of the past,' was he not also being guided by fortune? Really a charlatan... Caine said, "Hmm. Well, then, I suppose there's nothing we can do..." "You'll have to give me several of those scrolls!" Wil. Aunseit nodded emphatically. "Alright," Caine replied without hesitation, adding, "you'll also have to fold me a few thousand paper cranes." With that, both the infant wrapped in silver silk and Caine fell into silence simultaneously. ........ Inside the rental apartment, Caine woke up from a dream, sat up, and walked over to the room outside. He took out paper and pen, beginning to write a letter to Leonard: "...I've obtained some scrolls from the high sequence of the 'Seer' path, which allow a person to draw upon the strength of their past selves..." Caine didn't mention whether Leonard needed anything—his description seemed purely observational. After folding the letter, he produced a gold coin and a rectangular, diamond-shaped scroll, and blew a tune on his adventurer's flute. Renette Tynicol, dressed in a gloomy, elaborate gown, stepped forth from the void, carrying four golden-haired, red-eyed heads, all eyes now fixed upon the "reverberation of yesterday" sigil. One by one, the heads spoke: "This time..." "we need to..." "target..." "who..." …Caine managed a smile, saying, "No problem, though it will take one to two weeks." First, he had recently separated numerous "spirit insects" and cast many "renewed yesterday" incantations, which made him feel he was nearing his limit and needed a period of rest. Second, he believed that within one to two weeks, with the publication of the "Magician" lady's new book, he would be able to fully absorb the "mystic" potion and attempt his promotion to "Ancient Scholar"—at which point, he might find a simpler, more manageable path. The four heads of Rynette Tynecor wavered up and down, bobbing in response, indicating agreement. Caine then pointed to the letter and the gold coins, saying, "Drop them into the mailbox at 7 Prestwick Street." He had previously consulted his oracle and learned that Leonard was not at home, but had gone to the southern district of the bridge. One of the Rynette Tynecor heads swayed gently, drawing the letter, the gold coins, and the "renewed yesterday" incantation into its mouth. Watching the messenger girl step into the void and vanish into the room, Caine contemplated for several tens of seconds before beginning to arrange the sacrifice and bestowal rituals. Since the "Weird Wizard's" potion was nearing complete assimilation, he was certain he needed to prepare in advance for all the materials required by the "Ancient Scholar." The絮ized heart of the Mist Wolf and the White Frost Crystals, in particular, seemed obtainable from the Night Goddess. With the絮ized heart of the Mist Wolf, he could then journey to the Spirit Realm to retrieve the Fugitive Dog. After a flurry of activity, Caine set up the altar and stepped back two paces to survey the surroundings. "It's still fairly clean... with the 'Wall of Spirit' sealing it in, the conditions meet the ritual requirements... Yet, having made no recent contributions, how shall I now appeal for bestowal?" Could it be sacrilegious to tell the goddess that I intend to take out a credit loan, to repay it in installments...? Well, let's try offering something of value—should the goddess accept, she will then bestow her own gifts. "Something of value..." As he pondered this, his thoughts drifted upward to the cluttered pile atop the gray mist. He longed to pack and offer to the goddess items currently useless and temporarily unsellable—such as the vials of biological toxins, the "Inquisitor" extraordinary trait, the "Madman" extraordinary trait, the murmuring aura, the blood of the Multifaceted Hunter, the six-winged Stone Giant's eyes, and the dust of the Spirit-Stealer—in exchange for the materials needed to achieve the "Ancient Scholar" title. Yet, he feared it might make the goddess seem like a collector of second-hand goods, and so he abandoned this idea. "Something of roughly equivalent value... The *Grosel Travelogue* won't do—there's quite a bit hidden within it, possibly of immense significance. Indeed, when the little 'Sun' and his companions next explore the 'King of Giants' court, we can present Grosel's ashes to them. For now, however, it's unclear how far they'll go; I'm concerned they might return before truly entering the heart of the court. The *Trident of the Sea God*? That's even more crucial—not only is it currently my most powerful seal, but it also involves the followers of the Sea God. It will serve as my anchor for the foreseeable future. Once I have other, stronger anchors, I can then offer it to the Sir of the *Hanged Man*. Hewen Lambis' exceptional qualities... that has already been pledged to the *Justice* lady." After careful consideration, Caine realized his options were limited: either the *Staff of Life*, or the *Flame of the Day* sigil, the *Steward of the Unseen* sigil, the *Reappearance of Yesterday* sigil, and the spirit-controlling bullets. The rest are all disposable items—even when combined, their actual value doesn't quite match that of the primary materials from Sequence 3 potions... Moreover, once my ability to "transfer wounds" improves again, I'll be able to handle part of the functions of the "Life Staff"... After some hesitation, Caine finally made his decision.