As Klein thought about solutions, a vivid image naturally formed in his mind: the sea of clouds between two mountain peaks surged violently, splitting sharply to either side, revealing a dark, bottomless fissure. The warm, golden-hued twilight light poured into this gap, solidifying into a tangible path. This was the scene the "Defiler" Amun created when entering the dream projection of the "King of Giants." Yet, just as Klein felt he lacked sufficient understanding of the corresponding ability and considered switching approaches, the red, green, blue, and transparent stones embedded in the "Staff of Stars" already began to glow softly, activating spontaneously. The still, gray-white mist also began to "boil," though less intensely. It rolled back and parted to either side, yet the expanse ahead remained endless and unbroken in its gray-white hue. Klein sighed inwardly, maintaining focus on his thoughts while attempting alternative methods. Within three minutes, he made at least ten attempts—seven of them voluntary, three instinctive responses—yet none succeeded in breaking through that invisible barrier. …..The usual methods clearly weren't working... With a sudden shake of his wrist, Kline caused the nearly exhausted "0–62" historical projection to vanish from the real world. He gazed silently at the silent, gray-white mist, motionless for several tens of seconds, as if he had turned into a statue in place. Finally, Kline closed his eyes, withdrew his gaze, and carried the lantern toward the human figures who had been observing from nearby. He no longer intended to make blind, futile attempts, as they were likely to fail. Instead, he planned to ask the ancient survivors who had remained steadfast in this area for two or three millennia—clearly familiar with this gray-white mist—whether they might draw inspiration from their accumulated, long-term experience. According to Klein's expectations, the humans would react more dramatically upon his approach, having already prepared the necessary capabilities to engage with him calmly. Yet, when he gazed across the dim glow of the lanterns, he found each human—some grotesque, some deformed—mouth slightly open, expressions of bewilderment and shock, as though momentarily losing their capacity for thought. Klein furrowed his brow slightly, and in the deep darkness, walked steadily to the ancient survivors, stopping about two to three meters away. "What do you know about this mist?" he asked in a low, resonant tone in the Giant tongue. This language, capable of moving natural forces, exhibited no significant regional differences—only slight variations in accent, as any substantial alienation from the original version would likely compromise its effectiveness in ritual magic. It wasn't until Germán Spáro posed a question that Adal seemed to regain his composure. His lips moved for a moment, and he began speaking at length, off-topic: "We... we have never caused the mist to change at all." The scene Germán Spáro had just created—making the mist surge like boiling water, parting toward both sides—had truly startled them. They had felt as though witnessing a miracle. The decades of collective efforts by the people of the Moon City over the course of a few thousand years paled in comparison to Germán Spáro's mere few hundred heartbeats of sustained effort with just a staff! This was precisely why they had abandoned resistance as soon as Germán Spáro approached. They instinctively believed that no matter how carefully they avoided him, nothing would change. Kline paused for two seconds and then asked, "Do you have any records of this?" This time, Adal finally grasped Germán Spáro's meaning. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded slowly, "Yes... though only the high priests regularly consult them." Klein, dressed in a black raincoat and wearing a half-high hat, paused and then reached out, suddenly drawing an object from the void. It was a cross, covered in verdigris and projecting several sharp spines—originating from the historical rift image of the "Eternal Sun God's" "Luminous Cross"! Holding the cross high, Klein directed it toward the group of ancient survivors. A pure, bright, and warm light burst forth, dispelling the surrounding darkness and illuminating Adal, Xin, and the others. Their combat experience prompted them to instinctively raise defensive stances, yet the innate comfort they felt caused their movements to falter midway, halting entirely. This light—this warmth—was nothing like that of a simple fire pit! In that moment, the remaining members of the Moon City hunting squad, gazing in wonder, recalled the descriptions in ancient texts and the accounts of the high priests of gods who radiated boundless light and endless warmth. Under the clear, radiant light, waves of ethereal black vapors—distorted, struggling, as if possessing their own vitality—rose from Adal, Xin, and the others, swiftly dissipating. The members of the Moon City Hunting Squad felt their bodies grow lighter, the pressure within their souls lifting. After purifying the accumulated pollution and illness within the targets, Klein's wrist trembled slightly, and the "Cross of No Darkness" faded from before him. Then, he reached out slightly toward the diagonal front, pulling a plain, ordinary wooden staff from the void. This was the former seal of the Silver City—the "Staff of Life!" Though Klein had already sacrificed it to the "Goddess of Night," anything once held by the "Ancient Scholar" always found a new way to accompany him. Holding the "Staff of Life," Klein stepped forward a few paces and tapped the leader of the Moon City Hunting Squad with the tip of the staff. The experience just now left no room for Adal to evade; the flesh tumor on his face began to crack, ooze, fade, contract, and finally vanish—leaving not even a trace of scar. Adal sensed his transformation in the eyes of his teammates, and with some hesitation and slowness, raised his right hand, running it over his face—from top to bottom, then bottom to top, several times over. Throughout this process, he realized he felt better than ever, even better than when he first came of age. Kline did not look at him; instead, he took a diagonal step and resumed treating the other ancient survivors with the "Staff of Life." Inspired by Adal's example, the others—though remaining vigilant—accepted the touch of the staff's tip, and in an indescribable sensation, experienced a rebirth. Among them, the two already emotionally volatile individuals with deformities could no longer hold back and began to weep. Alas, one cannot treat congenital defects... While mental illnesses can be cured, certain tendencies toward madness cannot be addressed... Klein withdrew his right hand, and the historical projection of the "Staff of Life" faded into nothingness. He walked to his original position, turned around, and gazed at the group of ancient survivors. "I have come not to destroy, but to spread the radiance of my master, to bring light and warmth. Go back and tell your leader that I am here. If he wishes, he may come himself." He did not attempt to inquire about the location of their settlement, nor did he intend to move directly there, for such actions would provoke the strongest resistance and alertness. Thus, yielding the initiative to them was the most appropriate course of action. Adal and Xin, along with the others, were increasingly struck by the miraculous feats of the missionary on the opposite side, Germain Sparo, who continuously produced astonishing objects from thin air. They now felt as though they were stepping into wonders, having received a baptism of divine light that restored their physical condition to its peak—and even surpassed it. "...Very well," Adal replied after a few seconds. As they turned to face the direction of the moon city, a few spots of light began to glow from the depths of darkness, swiftly drawing nearer. At the forefront was an elder draped in deep brown animal hide, his hair gray and loosely hanging, his face etched with genuine lines of deep grooves. "High Priest..." Xin exclaimed upon recognizing him. It was none other than Nym, the High Priest of the Moon City. Behind him came members of the hunting squad who had returned earlier, as well as several exceptional beings of higher rank. Nim nodded to Adal and Xin, and moved forward to the front of the group, facing the man who had introduced himself as the missionary, Germain Sparo. He crossed his hands and bowed. "Esteemed guest, I am Nim, High Priest of the Moon City. The Moon City once belonged to the vampires, but that civilization was destroyed long ago. Subsequently, we accepted the great Sun God, the Lord who created all things, and migrated here to guard this realm of gray and misty vapor, making every effort—despite the land being cursed and the Lord no longer responding to us—never abandoning our mission. To this day, it has been three thousand seven hundred and twenty-two years." P.S.: First delivered, then revised. P.S.2: This chapter is completely free. Yesterday, I mentioned using a longer chapter as compensation, because I thought readers might value that more. However, since there's been differing opinion, I'm opting instead to offer free chapters as repayment. This feels fairer, and it removes any concern about owing debts or needing to write long chapters (laughs).