Once he brought the plain, unremarkable walking stick—originally suspended in the gray mist—back into the tangible world, Caine immediately began the ritual. He lit the candles, burned the corresponding essential oils and herb powders, stepped back two paces, and recited the goddess’s name with practiced fluency. Finally, he said: “I offer this stick, imbued with life force, to you. May you bestow your favor upon me.” He did not directly mention the fibrillated heart of the mist wolf or the white frost crystals, thus framing the gesture as an equivalent exchange rather than a sacrifice in pursuit of grace. — While the finer details of the ritual could be less precise, Caine considered this fundamental attitudinal matter worth attending to. As Caine’s words concluded, two of the three candle flames suddenly expanded and intertwined, forming a shimmering, dark, mysterious portal. The portal slowly unfolded, drawing a strong, intangible breeze with it. They rolled the "Staff of Life" through the fissure of the ethereal gate, where it vanished into the scene resembling an endless starry expanse. Then, with a flash of light, two objects passed through the barrier, settling silently upon the altar without a sound. One was a strange heart formed by wisps of white mist, the other a crystalline formation radiating a cold aura.克莱恩 felt a surge of joy and promptly bowed, expressing his gratitude to the goddess. When he lifted his head again, the dark, mysterious gate had already closed and was rapidly fading, the altar area returning to its normal state. Relief washing over him,克莱恩 exhaled, took a few steps forward, and carefully collected the fibrillated heart of the Mist Wolf and the white frost crystal. At this moment, as he relaxed, a few thoughts that he absolutely couldn't voice slipped through his mind: "Given how smoothly everything has gone, perhaps I didn't necessarily have to use the 'Staff of Life' after all. With all these belongings of mine, maybe they'd even be sufficient. Perhaps I'd need make no sacrifices at all, and the goddess would still bestow her gifts—this very situation suggests that she herself supports my becoming an 'Ancient Scholar.' Of course, in that case, I'd receive an abundance of gifts, and I'd have no idea what sacrifices might come later. It would feel more secure to exchange them for the 'Staff of Life.' Well, then, it seems that during my progression to Level 2, before attaining the rank of Angel, the goddess will continue to favor me. Beyond that, however, the course of events and future developments remain uncertain." With these reflections settled, Caine gathered his thoughts, concluded the ritual, and tidied up the altar. Then, he began to plan how to deal with the so-called 'Guardian of the Source Fortress'—the 'Dog of Fugon.' The magician never performs without preparation. ………… Nan District, Rose Street. Leonard donned a police uniform in black and white checks, wearing his "red gloves," leading his team members and actual police officers to the only church of the Great Mother Goddess Church in Beckett. His shoulder insignia indicated a Senior Inspector, though in reality, given his rank and position as队长 of the "Red Gloves" unit, he should be equivalent to a Superintendent—or even a Chief Superintendent. Yet officers at that level rarely undertake such assignments, and wearing the appropriate insignia to attend a church might raise public suspicion. As he passed through the main doors, Leonard surveyed the scene and found it empty, save for two figures: one seated in the front row, deeply engaged in prayer, a towering figure—Fusak, the Bishop; and the other, a handsome man in a priest's robe, with black hair and bright eyes, carefully clearing the floor. Emlin White… Leonard nodded to himself, and walked down the aisle toward the side of Bishop Utravsky. He cleared his throat lightly, prompting the half-giant bishop to open his eyes and look at him. "I'm Senior Inspector Leonard from the Beckland Police Department," he said, producing his credentials. "We'd like you to return and assist with an investigation." Father Utrovaski rose slowly, speaking with calm composure and a measured tone. "What exactly?" "Several neighbors have reported your conduct as unusual," Leonard said, delivering the pre-prepared rationale. "They suspect you might be a spy for either Vosak or Feneport." In the meantime, he had already prepared to forcibly draw the bishop into a dream—should the latter resist, he would swiftly secure control of the beloved one. With the configuration of the "Red Glove" team, even facing a custodian of a sacred relic, they would have a solid chance of securing a hold, provided they did not encounter a true half-god. Moreover, before departing, Leonard had requested a Level 1 Seal Item—an action that had delayed his initiative until today. Father Utravski paused for two seconds, turning his head toward Emlyn White, who stood by the candlestand. Emlyn's slightly complicated expression instantly froze; he opened his mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say. Father Utravski then looked back, gave a slight nod. "Very good." ...Such cooperation? I had expected a rather intense confrontation, something that would require great care to avoid casualties... Leonard paused, then smiled. "Thank you for your cooperation." If any actual combat had resulted in injuries to the children of the Earth Mother, Leonard suspected the already tense situation would have changed dramatically. Through the ancient history learned from *The Travels of Grolle*, the secrets uncovered at the Tarot gathering, and the corresponding explanations from the old man, Palès, he understood that the current relationship between the Mother Earth Church and the Church of Night was like dry timber—only a single spark was needed to ignite it. At that moment, history would record today’s events thus: *The spark that ignited the war from local to full-scale conflict!* Leonard Mitchell had set off the religious powder keg! Huffing—seeing that Father Utravsky had not resisted but had instead accepted the "detention protection," Emlyn White also breathed a quiet sigh of relief, satisfied with his own performance at the Tarot gathering. At that moment, Cindy, a member of the Red Glove team, glanced at Emlyn—soft under the moonlight, less robust—and whispered, "Team, I mean, leader—there's another priest. Should we take him too? By the way, perhaps we could close the Harvest Church for a while just in case." "...Emlyn." "...Leonard." After a few seconds, after careful consideration, Leonard finally spoke: "If the spy case involves Feneport, he also has significant嫌疑. Please have him join us back for further investigation." Emlin stood there, unsure of what expression to adopt. Vorth's expression twisted slightly, and he closed his eyes, saying, "I hope so..." Thus, without knowing how long it had been, Kline's sense of impending danger suddenly stirred, and in his mind he swiftly sketched out a scene: amid the rich, layered hues of red, black, white, and blue, a slender figure emerged abruptly, standing out in stark contrast. It resembled a hound, covered in short, sleek black fur, with two glowing, deep crimson flames set in its eye sockets. The flame extended from its mouth all the way to the back of its head. Though it existed physically in that space, it seemed somehow ethereal, not quite solid. It was the Dog of Fugō! Kline immediately turned and faced that direction. At the same time, he released two secret figures, allowing them to drift off in different directions. In an instant, the Dog of Fugō appeared. This creature, neither grotesque nor entirely ordinary, but profoundly unsettling, turned its two dark crimson flames toward Kline. Then, its form grew increasingly translucent, and it vanished entirely—seeming to have been merely a projection from history. "...And then it just walked away?" Klein was stunned in mind, growing even more vigilant against the possibility of a sudden assault. A few seconds later, where the spot had been, two figures simultaneously emerged—both were the Fugō no Inu, their coats dark, their eyes blazing with fire, their mouths split all the way to the crown of their heads. Yet at the eyes of these two creatures, only smudges of dark red flame remained, while the other flames now clung to their paws. Before Klein could react, the two Fugō no Inu lowered themselves into the ethereal space of the spiritual realm and began to wag their tails. Waggling their tails. "…", Klein's mouth hung open, doubting he was dreaming.