Sunia Sea, Pasu Island. The "Azure Avengers" finally arrived at the Storm Church's headquarters and docked at one of its harbors. Aljer removed the cloth wrapped around his head and leaped directly from the side of the ship, landing steadily on the dock ground, guided by the wind. The "Wind-Keen" elixir he had recently consumed had now been fully absorbed, and he made this move deliberately to align his demeanor more closely with the other members of the Church, making them feel at ease. Years of experiences have taught Aljer that, most of the time, it's best to stay in sync with others, avoiding being too distinct—especially when one is concealing significant secrets! "Ha ha, Aljer, calm down your impatience," said a man who had already been waiting on the dock. He had soft, golden hair and wore a long robe embroidered with lightning patterns. Once a close partner of Algier's, he had later chosen to become the captain of a ghost ship, drifting ever on the seas, while Algier had returned to the clerical order. Algier smiled, raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and struck his left chest: "The storm is with you." "The storm is with you," the middle-aged man with golden hair echoed, smiling in the same gesture. He then lowered his voice: "I heard you've adapted well to the 'Wind-Keen' elixir?" "Yes, it's quite simple—just let yourself float each day, maintain a state of buoyancy, and use the wind to travel between places. Once you do that consistently, you adapt quickly. I've already sent a telegram back to report on this." Algier's eyebrows and corners of his eyes gleamed with pride. The man with golden hair glanced around, maintaining his previous tone: "That explains why you were called back." "I heard that due to the ongoing war and tight staffing across departments, the Cardinal Council has decided to organize a group of 'Wind-Keen' individuals to accelerate their promotion to Level 5. You should be part of this group—what a privilege! I just became a 'Wind-Keen' myself, and I haven't had the chance yet." Organizing a group of 'Wind-Keen' to swiftly advance... Given that the world war was anticipated from the outset, Aljer Wilson didn't find it surprising at all. A single word immediately came to mind: 'casualties!' In fact, based solely on his contributions during the Benshi Port incident, Aljer—then merely a 'Navigator'—could have smoothly progressed all the way to 'Ocean Singer' without any obstacles. Moreover, he had been consistently busy, completing numerous assignments. Yet, despite all this, he was only designated as a 'Wind-Keen,' having to wait in line for an opportunity to reach Level 5. Now, with nothing to do, he's suddenly placed on a reserve list and is expected to soon enter the ranks of the Church's senior leadership—something that naturally raises his questions. Indeed, once the all-out war begins, the very order that has long hindered our advancement starts to crack open... But above all, one must survive the war—only by surviving does any gain become meaningful. In an instant of thought, Aljer responded with genuine surprise: "Sains, really?" The yellow-haired man named Sains extended his hand and gently tapped Aljer's shoulder. Aljer subtly stepped aside, smiling in reply: "Certainly." After two days of waiting, Deric Berg finally received a notice from the Council of Six, inviting him to collect the alchemical recipe for the Classical Alchemist. This meant the upper echelons of Silver City had agreed to exchange the unusual mushrooms. "The promotion ceremony involves personally crafting a 'Stone of Life'... What exactly is a 'Stone of Life'? They didn't explain that here..." Deric glanced at the parchment in his hands and began preparing for the ceremony with a matter-of-fact air. He assumed that Sir Fool surely knew what a 'Stone of Life' was, so he needn't worry about Sir World. He set up the altar and then produced two slender metal tubes, each containing blood drawn from himself and one of Silver City's Dawn Knights. — The "Dawn Knight" had reached an age where his body could no longer withstand the toxins in most of the food, gradually approaching the end of his life as everyone had anticipated. Two days ago, his granddaughter drew the final sword upon him. Before this, Darien had secured the chief's approval and had taken some of the deceased's blood at an opportune moment. As for the demon blood required by the "World" gentleman, the current inventory at Silver City was insufficient; however, Chief Colin Iliad stated that as long as the mushrooms could meet Silver City's partial food demands, he would organize a small hunting party to explore the regions where demons were known to dwell. After placing two slender metal tubes and a sheepskin scroll upon the altar, Darien stepped back two paces, facing the lit candles, and began the ritual of sacrifice and bestowal. After a series of activities, the ethereal portal formed by the fusion of flame and spiritual materials finally opened heavily, taking away the offerings and leaving behind a lingering, dim glow. The glow gradually faded, and a multitude of mushrooms of various shapes appeared before Deric's eyes. As for whether their appearances were unusual, Deric never paused to consider—it was the only time he had ever seen mushrooms, and even then, they were abnormal, lacking sufficient reference points. Drawing on the "World" gentleman's descriptions of the different mushroom varieties and their functions, Deric quickly categorized them and placed each into separate leather pouches. Then, with growing excitement, he picked up the "Cross of No Shadow," preparing to head toward the Round Tower. But as his hand just touched the bronze-green cross, a slight warmth and sharp pain emerged, as if light seeped out from the rust and illuminated the mushrooms around it. "They are evil—they need purifying…" Deric felt puzzled, and ultimately decided to trust the "World" gentleman. He concealed the "Cross of No Shadow," took up the "Thunder's Roar," and made his way to the Round Tower, where he met Chief Colin Iliath. "That's what the mushrooms are?" asked Colin, the Hunter of Monsters, his eyes highlighting two complex墨green symbols as his gaze swept over the mushrooms—some pristine and full, others with a flesh-like texture. "Yes..." Daryl introduced them one by one. Once recovered, Colin remained silent for a few seconds before saying: "There's a sense of evil and impurity, but it's rare—tolerable. 'This should be the residue left after the monsters' flesh was consumed." He paused and added: "Let's first test their reproductive capacity." At once, the staff of Silver City, who had been ready to welcome the mushrooms, carried several monster corpses into the chief's chamber and gently scattered different types of mushrooms onto each. As soon as the mushrooms touched the flesh, fine mycelial threads immediately sprouted and penetrated deep into the tissue. After about twenty to thirty seconds, they began to swell rapidly and burst forth with spores. After a while, mushrooms covered the monster corpses densely. Yet the mushrooms continued to grow, rising upward, until some had even surpassed Daryl Berg in height, gazing down upon him with an air of superiority. ... "The World" hadn't mentioned they'd grow this large... and the pace of their proliferation is indeed astonishing. Daryl watched in mild bewilderment, yet didn't find it particularly problematic. Colin Iliad's expression remained unchanged, and only after the monsters were left with nothing but skeletons and remnants did he survey the scene and say, "Better than I anticipated. Now, who would like to try the culinary effects?" Daryl stepped forward without hesitation. "Esteemed Chief, I'll take the first bite." As the one he had introduced, he naturally wanted to personally verify the safety of the mushrooms. Colin Iliad gave a gentle nod. "Very well." He then turned to another resident of Silver City and said, "Please have Elder Lovira come over in case of any unforeseen events." As an extraordinary being who commands flesh, Loviea can address most mutations rooted in the human body. Of course, whether the mutated individuals survive is another matter altogether. The group waited for several minutes until Loviea, the "shepherd" dressed in deep violet robes, arrived at the chief's chamber. As she stepped through the door, her pale gray eyes briefly narrowed, instinctively fixing on the mushroom colonies that occupied most of the space. After gazing at them for a while, Loviea gently nodded to Colin Iliat, a slight motion indicating that she was ready to begin the rescue. Derek Berg no longer hesitated—he selected a mushroom with a black base, adorned with blood-colored filaments and fat streaks, towering half his height, severed the mycelial threads winding around its stalk, and instantly kindled a fire, beginning to roast it. Gradually, fragrances began to rise, rich and penetrating—so intense they seemed to seep directly into the stomach—aromas the citizens of Silver City had never before encountered. Their throats moved instinctively, and they swallowed a small amount of saliva. A hissing sound came from the cluster of flames, and then the aroma grew richer and more intense. This was not some unusual, almost ethereal scent that stirred the soul’s deepest longings—this was a familiar type, one that naturally arose when the people of Silver City, after a long absence of black-leafed food, returned to their homes. As the hissing grew denser and the light from the flames brightened, they felt as though a hand had reached out from within their stomachs, reaching to grasp the food and pull it back. Unaware of this shift, other residents of Silver City, who had been engaged in other tasks inside the circular tower, followed the scent and came to gather at the entrance. Derek struggled hard to refrain from sampling the mushroom midway, holding it until its outer layer turned golden-brown before returning it, and then blew gently on it. At that very moment, everyone’s gaze turned to him—including Colin Iliath and the "Shepherd" Loviea. With faith in the "World" and the " Fool," Deric said nothing, lowered his head, and took a bite of the mushroom. "Ooh—" he emitted, his voice tinged with the heat of the mushroom, then chewed vigorously, swallowing large mouthfuls with a series of satisfying gulps. Only when the mushroom supply had nearly halved did Deric lift his head slightly, his cheeks flushed, his mouth glistening with oil, and speak in a somewhat muffled tone: "It's quite strange... the texture... it keeps making me want to keep eating..." Colin Iliad studied Deric for several seconds, then tilted his head toward "The Shepherd" Loviya. Loviya shook her head slowly. "Everything's fine." The citizens of Silver City immediately erupted into cheers, flocking forward to surround Deric—some eager to share a piece, others asking about the preparation of the other mushrooms. Seeing this, "The Hunter" Colin's expression gradually softened, and he slowly closed his eyes, lifting his chin slightly. He drew in a deep, deep breath of the scent filling the room. Could it be that Silver City was holding a mushroom festival? That seemed a bit unusual... And what exactly was the "Stone of Life"? Well, the people of the Earth Mother's Church would certainly know—Frank would too. While listening to the latest report from the little "Sun," Caine opened the vellum scrolls he had received earlier but hadn't yet had time to examine. He had rushed back to the real world immediately after the offering and bestowal ceremony because the hospital horror legends from several newspapers had reached their peak, resulting in a steady stream of feedback—just as he was at the crucial moment when the "Witch-Physician's" potion was being absorbed. Now, he had completed this step. He was ready for his promotion to "Ancient Scholar."