As Tris recited, the gemstones surrounding her began to crack, shattering into powders that floated upward. Radiating hues of red, blue, green, or shimmering flashes, they swiftly converged into a rushing tide, flowing toward the candles on the altar. At the same time, the strands of hair that had burned to ash in the large cauldron joined this flow. The flames surged and interwove, growing darker and more ethereal, as though forming a "veil gate" leading into other worlds. Tris then felt the temperature around her drop sharply, as if countless dangers were seeping out from within the mass of fire. A single phrase flashed into her mind—reminding her from Garmen Sparrow: "Be careful of the Gatekeeper." Indeed, someone of such refined stature as a messenger—his understanding of the Gatekeeper, his grasp of her intentions—might be deeper and more precise than I had imagined. Tris took a slow, steady breath and patiently awaited the unfolding of what came next. In the span of a blink, she felt the emptiness within the room grow thinner, many areas now hazy, as if countless, indescribable, strangely dangerous creatures lurked behind. The dim, expanding flames began to swirl, gradually forming a vast, deep vortex tinged with a subtle crimson. As the vortex spun, a faint yet piercing voice finally emerged from its base: "…Chik?" At the moment she heard that voice, Tris felt her temples pulse violently, as though thousands of steel needles had been driven into her skull and were now rapidly jabbing and swirling. Her black hair, rising without a single breeze, grew slightly thicker, and her facial skin became translucent, veins emerging in dense, intricate networks, like a web. After expending great effort, Tiris finally brought herself under control and chuckled softly at the voice—so potent that it would gradually drive most extraordinary beings mad. "It seems to be Chik's followers..." she said. "Back when we first witnessed the second 'Board of Desecration' and managed to surpass Sequence 1, and survive thus far—only Chik, the Craftsman, and I remain." Tiris paid no attention to the "Gate" gentleman's admiration, her expression still strained and distorted as she spoke. "Respected Sir Gate, I have a question I'd like to ask you." "Go on," he replied, his voice unchanged despite the slow, deep rotation of the profound vortex. "The years spent lost in darkness, trapped within the storm, have been rather monotonous. It's rare indeed that someone comes to share a conversation with me." Tiris's facial muscles subtly twitched, still finding it difficult to adapt to the voice—so alien, so divine, it sounded like a god's murmured riddle. She paused a few seconds before speaking: "I'd like to know if there's any unusual way to gain access to the nine secret tombs that Emperor Tuo originally constructed for his ascension to the rank of Black Emperor." The "Mr. Door," his voice drifting across the endless void, emitted a faint, wavering laugh: "Ah, so this is what you're after... This isn't difficult at all. I'll give you a symbol. Gather the blood of extraordinary beings from various sources, blend them together, and infuse them with your spiritual essence. Then, in the space before the tombs, trace out that symbol in the void—this will open a hidden passage within." As he spoke, the dark vortex gently released blossoms of flame, which rose into the air to form a complex and intricate symbol. It resembled a series of doors stacked upon one another in a seemingly random sequence, growing progressively smaller, with no clear end in sight. Tris endured the searing, ethereal pain, recorded the symbol, and then sought confirmation: "Must all twenty-two extraordinary paths be present? Does each path require only one drop of an extraordinary being's blood, regardless of their sequence? Approximately how much blood does each path need?" The gentleman known as "The Gate" still responded in his earlier, dreamy tone: "Yes... not much... just a small vial would suffice... enough to fully trace the symbol..." Though Tris's expression had been distorted by pain, the key information she had received caused her to lift the corner of her mouth, revealing a subtle smile. This contrast with her overall demeanor made her appear quite odd—almost mad. Having achieved her primary objective, Tris, in order to ensure a smooth continuation of her collaboration with Germaine Spalro, asked again: "The Abraham family would like to know how to break the ancient curse afflicting them." The dark vortex remained silent for several seconds, then sighed, saying, "To establish such a rite... with one half-god from each path—the Seer, the Apprentice, and the Thief—as offerings... until I break free from the storm and pierce through the darkness... then the curse shall vanish." Tris had no interest in how the Abraham family had escaped the ancient curse; once she received the answer, she could no longer endure, thanking the "Gatekeeper" gentleman and beginning to terminate the ritual. The "Gatekeeper" made no attempts at persuasion, threat, or contamination. When the dark flame vortex finally dissolved and the ritual concluded, Tris began meditating, taking nearly an hour to restore herself from the effects of the "Gatekeeper's" murmurs. Afterward, she retrieved paper and pen, replicated the symbol provided by the "Gatekeeper," and detailed the answers to the two questions. She knew that "The Holy Maiden" Catharina was tracking her, and that there seemed to be even more terrifying hunters waiting behind her—making it difficult to gather blood samples from exceptional beings through various channels in a timely manner. Therefore, she decided to entrust this matter to Germain Spalro. Moreover, she believed that even if George III and his allies considered the secret tomb secure and sufficient in safety, with only a modest number of guards stationed there, there would surely be essential defenses in place that she, at most a Sequence 4, could not swiftly breach—thus allowing the reinforcements to intercept her and depriving her of the optimal opportunity. Germain Spalro, who himself held the rank of Messenger of the Angels, commanded an organization whose strength was truly formidable. They were capable of decisively disrupting the tomb at a critical moment, thereby ensuring the failure of the "Black Emperor" ritual. Tasks she could not accomplish herself—naturally, she needed to enlist someone capable of doing so. After depositing the letter into the mailbox of the nearby street, Trish, dressed in a black dress over a black coat with her lustrous black hair flowing gently, walked slowly along the quiet, cold, and dimly lit path, pausing to smile to herself with a touch of self-mockery: "For a little bit of stubbornness, I've ended up all the way here... "You're fortunate—you still have me to avenge your cause..." "But if I should die, few will remember me except those who hate me..." ........ After receiving Trish's letter from the messenger girl, Caine sat in his chair and read it over and over again. Before assessing the authenticity of the "Gate"先生's method, he subconsciously considered how quickly he could gather blood samples from twenty-two extraordinary pathways: "This symbol is very similar to the one behind the 'Magician' lady's chair... The 'Oracle' could use her own... Her apprentice could go to the 'Magician' lady, offering her some writing pressure in the process... For the 'Thief' pathway, there are three options: transform a mosquito to bite Hae-Yur; obtain it from the 'Ice Mountain General' named 'Bow Tie'; or request the old man of Leonard to provide it... For the 'Audience' pathway, the 'Justice' lady... For the 'Praiser' pathway, the young 'Sun'... For the 'Storm' pathway, the 'Hanged Man' gentleman... For the 'Reader' pathway, either the 'Ice Mountain General' or the half-god named Luca... For the 'Seer' pathway, the second-in-command of the 'Hermit' lady, 'Hes Dore' the bloodless one... For the 'Corpse-Bearer' pathway, Patrick Bryan of the Spirit Order... For the 'Night-Watcher' pathway, his poetry classmate... He immediately gathered his scattered thoughts and carefully considered the ritual for the "Gate"先生's liberation: "We must consecrate one half-god each from the 'Thief,' the 'Apprentice,' and the 'Seer'—these are three interchangeable paths... Is the "Gate"先生 relying on a temporary synthesis of these three paths, using a clever method to open the channel back to his origin? "These half-gods aren't exactly easy to secure—during the peak of the Abraham family's prosperity, it might have been possible, but after the high-ranking members perished in the 'Four Kings' War and its aftermath, prospects became slim. "If the 'Gate'先生 could simply exercise patience and allow the descendants more time to grow, there was still hope. Yet why does He keep calling for help, calling one promising heir after another to their end? "Has He gone mad? A madman who appears perfectly normal in outward appearance?" The insights he received were: the method to access the secret tomb was genuine, and the return ritual of the "Gate" gentleman was also genuine. Gazing at the pendulum in his hands, Kline sat silently in the high-back chair for a while.