Within the room, a deep crimson glow flowed like water, saturating every corner. Dorian slowly lifted his head, gazing at the full moon beyond the rounded window, his eyes remaining fixed for a long time, as though experiencing such a view for the first time. He exhaled softly, stood up, and entered the bathroom, turning on the tap, cupping a stream of cold, piercing water and splashing it vigorously onto his face. After a thorough rinse, he dried his face with a towel, returned to the living room, sat on the sofa, and lowered his head, speaking with reverence: "Hail, Sir Fool!" After finishing his prayer, he entered his study, took out paper and pen, and wrote a letter to his student, Folsom: “… Please convey to Mr. Germán Spalro that I have confirmed his commitment and hope he can find a better way to resolve the curse. I will gather the other family members to discuss whether to exchange one of the two 'Zero'-level sealing artifacts for the 'Box of the Ancient Days.' In the meantime, I would like to introduce Mr. Spalro to the two 'Zero'-level sealing artifacts, giving him sufficient time to consider which one he would prefer: One is called the 'Scroll of the Divine,' which appears to be a standard oil painting framed in bronze; however, the imagery depicted on it changes at irregular intervals. "When it manifests different locations, the holder can alter the surrounding area of the target, bringing the corresponding scene to life; When it manifests different characters, the holder can have each character launch an attack against the target, once per character; When it presents abstract, hard-to-understand images, various real-world effects emerge, though we have only recently uncovered a small fraction of the corresponding relationships; When it presents a series of doors, opening different 'doors' transports the holder to various locations—destinations that cannot be predicted in advance, making it an effective means of exiling the target; When it manifests dark underground realms or profound starry skies, it becomes extremely dangerous and must be sealed; If this painting is left unattended, unappreciated, the figures within will come to life, reaching out from the canvas and gradually entering the real world—this must be carefully considered during the sealing process!" "Once, when a branch of my family was responsible for preserving the 'Scroll of the Divine,' there was a lapse—there was a full minute when no one could appreciate it. At that moment, the painting depicted angels encircling a divine being. Then, that divine being came to life and stepped out of the painting. My family's branch was completely extinguished, leaving only a few members who became mentally unstable. The divine being vanished, though it left the painting behind. We worried for a long time, fearing that it would destroy the world. Fortunately, it has not reappeared since—perhaps it has been noticed and addressed by the Seven Deities. Of course, it's possible this story was invented by the mentally unstable members, but the fact that most of the members died suddenly and a significant number became ill speaks volumes. Another 'Class Zero' seal object is known as the 'Staff of the Stars,' which takes the form of a black staff adorned with gemstones." "When you hold it and a corresponding scene comes to mind—something that is truly real and still exists—the staff will carry you directly to your destination. But remember one crucial point: the mental image must be absolutely accurate, down to every single detail, without any deviation from the original. Otherwise, you will never know exactly where your destination will be. At that moment, within the ancient palace above the gray mist, Caine had watched Dorian write the letter in full, through the light of prayer. "I seem to have forgotten to mention that the relevant information could be passed on to Germain Spaulo via Mr. The Fool—this would be a nice perk for formal members of the Tarot Circle. If every devotee did this, leaving some 'spirit insects' behind in the Source Castle, I'd be utterly overwhelmed... Well, it would also help maintain Mr. The Fool's standing, ensuring the Abraham family doesn't look down upon him." Caine mumbled these thoughts and then turned his attention back to the two 'Level 0' seals. He once again confirmed that these 'Level 0' seals were indeed items with serious negative effects, not suitable for regular use. Of course, their powers and effects were both immensely strong and terrifying—fully deserving of their 'Level 0' designation. "Compared to the other option, the 'Staff of the Star' still feels more suitable for me... "It allows 'Justice' to gently hypnotize me beforehand, so that my subconscious thoughts manifest as ideas rather than visual images—my mind has to actively work to form scenes." "I'm not sure whether the citizens of Silver City, holding the 'Staff of the Star,' could directly visualize the streets of Beckland in their minds and thus escape the abandoned divine realm—especially since we can't hypnotize them in advance, and they haven't actually seen Beckland, even if we reconstruct the scenes for them. They'd find it difficult to accurately capture the details." "It's quite troublesome, but we can give it a try—selecting volunteers who aren't afraid of dying." "If we can secure the 'Staff of the Star,' we shouldn't rush to shatter it yet. Perhaps we can develop its unique properties over time, and who knows—maybe the promotion ceremony won't even be completed." "With the 'Staff of the Star,' we'll have a better chance of defeating the Umbral Wolf and escaping the divine realm while remaining undetected by the 'Dark Angel'." Kaine sighed, his decision already firmly settled in his At this moment, he noticed another fact: if any members of the Abraham family had adopted the "Magician" under Dorian's influence, then even if he returned the "Ancient Box" to them, borrowing it again in the future would be entirely straightforward. In other words, with regard to the three "Level 0" seals—the "Star Staff," the "Divine Scroll," and the "Ancient Box"—he now held full ownership of one and partial usage rights to the other two. "Growing a following truly makes a difference," he mused. "By then, the Abraham family would effectively become a subordinate force within the Tarot Society. Yet Dorian certainly wouldn't spread the 'Magician' faith quickly unless certain members were already teetering on the brink, unable to withstand the next full-moon curse." Unconsciously, Klein felt the Tarot Society's influence expanding. He seriously reflected on this, and found himself growing increasingly saddened by the prospect of having to respond to his followers' daily needs around the clock. Only by becoming an angel, truly mastering the "Source Fortress," and daring to place some "spirit insects" upon it can this challenge be resolved. "If all else fails, I'll just hire Arordes as an AI customer service representative..." Klein rubbed his temple and stepped out of the gray mist, returning to the abandoned divine realm. ........ The night seas around the Rothesde Islands. A massive sea creature swiftly swam to its destination. This was a helper obtained from Aljé's plea to the "Sea God" Cavituwa—being at the level of a "Sea Singer," he still couldn't command such a large creature. In fact, he could have swum from Bayam directly here, but that would have been too exhausting and left him vulnerable to unforeseen events. A few seconds later, the sea creature opened its mouth, and Aljé emerged, drifting toward a magnificent coral reef. After navigating several obstacles, Aljé's eyes suddenly shimmered with a deep blue hue. Through this deep blue, he saw a splendid palace composed entirely of coral. It was so real, yet no one could see it unless through a specific medium. Aljer gazed for a while, swam forward to the palace's entrance, and pushed open the door. The rippling water waves ceased, and Aljer, carried by the wind, passed through the barrier and landed on the ground. He looked around and noticed murals painted on either side. The scenes depicted were not unusual—ships, often with human faces of elves, battling storms and towering waves. However, Aljer noticed that the ships sailed not across the sea, but through a dense, unbroken "blackness." This reminded him of a single word: "the Abyss." It resembled the legendary "Abyss," though only somewhat, and there were no demons present. They seemed to rise from beneath the earth. Were these murals recording the history of the elven people? Yet it didn't quite align with the corresponding myth... "The World" said that each word in the Elvish language corresponded to one of the primal Elves. Aljer pondered, then walked toward the nine steps ahead. As he drew nearer, he saw two thrones and a deep, translucent coral. Branches of the coral shimmered with silver-white electric serpents that hissed and danced, illuminating the surroundings. Aljer held his breath, slowed his steps, and ascended the steps one by one, reaching the thrones. With solemnity, he extended his right hand and took the coral. A rustling sound followed, and the sea outside the palace surged and trembled. The coral, enveloped in a deep blue glow, gradually faded and merged into Aljer's body. One after another, electric flashes bloomed like petals.