"Try it yourselves," said Kline, offering the long, iron-black stylus to other residents of the Moon City. The people hesitated, their throats moving slightly as they unconsciously swallowed more saliva, but did not immediately respond. Instead, their eyes turned toward the High Priest Nym, waiting for his approval. From within the animal-skin garments wrapped around him, Nym produced an object—seeming to be a magnifying lens with a handle. At first glance, Kline almost mistook it for a single pair of glasses, his heart momentarily skipping a beat; fortunately, he regained composure and confirmed the details. Nym held the metal handle and positioned the glass lens just in front of his right eye, examining Rous through the lens for several seconds. After a brief silence, he set the object down and gently nodded to the other residents. Finally, people other than Rous reached out, carefully and in orderly fashion, each taking a mushroom from the long, iron-black stylus and placing it in their mouths. The clean, fresh taste—free of any unpleasant odors or impurities—immediately enchanted them. Ignoring the slight burn in their mouths, they quickly devoured the mushrooms in small handfuls, instinctively reaching out to take another. However, by the time they finished, all the mushrooms on the long, dark stalks had been claimed. Nim shifted his gaze from the dark stalks, waiting for Germaine Sparrow to continue with his story and the teachings of the "Fool." Cain surveyed the crowd, repeating what he had said earlier: "The mushrooms around you may be picked freely, except for the pure black ones. Also, they must be fully cooked before eating; otherwise, you will face a curse." The residents of the Moon City no longer hesitated—they immediately rose and chose the mushrooms they had long admired. Cain glanced at them again and added: "The white mushrooms tend to crack and release liquid when fully baked. You will need to prepare some containers or drink promptly." "Before Rus and the others could respond, he picked up the topic he had previously interrupted and continued speaking until he heard the voice of the 'Fool' resonating through the pale mist. Noticing that High Priest Nymd had grown deeply engrossed and visibly moved, Cline carefully remarked: 'There are indeed several ways to provoke a response from the pale mist, but all of them are connected to our Lord.' This was a reasonable assumption, since not only were there multiple individuals suspended, but also multiple means of entering the misty veil; if Emperor Rosel were to arrive here with his replica of the mysterious silver plaque, he would likely cause the intangible barrier to change—though, of course, this would depend on the Emperor belonging to one of the three paths: the Seer, the Apprentice, or the Thief. Seeing that Nym and the others did not raise any questions, Cline spoke warmly: 'Based on my observations, the extraordinary paths of 'Lunaria' are not singular.' " Nim, with his gray-white hair, didn't hesitate to reveal: "Yes, when we were chosen for the Lunar City, the Divine Messenger deliberately ensured that all exceptional pathways were fully established. Unfortunately, over these many years—through one disaster after another—many of the magical potion recipes and exceptional materials have been lost." "Which pathway are you from?" asked Kline casually, watching the Lunar City residents roast mushrooms over the bones of monsters, as if merely commenting. "I am from the 'Night Watch' pathway," Nim replied with ease. "The 'Night Watch' pathway, sequence 4? Kline nodded slightly, then asked: "Have there been any unusual occurrences near this gray-white mist?" Nim, with lines of wrinkles across his face, thought for about ten seconds. "Yes." Kline's expression stirred slightly, and he remained calm, steering the conversation with: "What kind of unusual occurrences?" Nim glanced at the mushrooms releasing fragrant aromas and carefully said, "A small hill suddenly vanished, leaving behind only a deep depression. There's no sign of explosion, and no soil scattered around." What a strange occurrence... While克莱恩 tossed the mushroom roots into the fire to serve as fuel, his expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Have you conducted any further investigations?" "Yes," said Nim, the High Priest of the Moon City, nodding. "A field team there encountered a magical wolf—not one that had decayed or mutated, but a wolf of the original kind." A magical wolf?克莱恩 hadn't expected to hear such news, and his eyes slightly widened as he asked, "What did the wolf look like?" Nim unconsciously drew in a breath: "It's just like the magical wolves described in ancient texts, but much larger—when all eight feet touch the ground, it's as tall as several people standing together. The fur isn't pure black; it has a deep, shadowy quality. Its eyes are unusual—most of them are pupils, dark ones—and there's a tuft of gray-white short fur on its head..." This... this is exactly the Uadun Magi-Wolf, Kotal? It's actually come all the way to the easternmost part of the abandoned divine realm, connected to some kind of upheaval? If the force that could cause the disappearance of the Western Continent truly originates from 'The Source Fortress,' then it makes sense that it would draw in mythical creatures associated with the 'Miracle Masters.' Klein's brow slightly furrowed—subtly—he deliberately used 'it' instead of 'It,' to avoid startling the people of the Moon City. In his estimation, extinguishing a small investigative team of the Umbral Wolf Kotal and transforming the Lunar City into his "secret puppet realm" should have been a rather effortless task, requiring little cost—yet the mythical creature seemed to have spared the Lunar City entirely. Had it not been for Caine having previously examined the "spirit lines" of Nim, Rous, and others, confirming their condition, he would have doubted at this very moment that the beings speaking to him were anything but secret puppets. "No, it departed rather hurriedly," said the Grand High Priest of the Lunar City, Nim, truthfully. This did not align with the Umbral Wolf's typically cautious and suspicious nature—what could have prompted such a sudden, hasty departure, leaving even its own witnesses unharmed? Indeed, it seemed as though the people of the Lunar City, protected by an ancient solar deity's mandate, held a special status, such that the Umbral Wolf would refrain from attacking them unless absolutely necessary. Caine continued his inquiry with no change in pace: "Did it leave any traces behind?" "No." "Nim nodded firmly." "Besides the hills turning into deep depressions, we've noticed nothing unusual." Kline's thoughts flashed instantly, and he tried to approach the question from a different angle. "When did this happen?" The more he understood about a past event or object, the clearer the historical fog became. Nim recalled: "Two years, two months, and ten days ago." He added immediately: "There weren't many noteworthy events to record, so it stands out clearly in my memory." Two years, two months, and ten days ago... Given the current date of September 8, 1351, that would place it on June 28, 1349... That... Kline's right hand suddenly trembled slightly. His pupils and expression remained steady—this was a deliberate, intentional control by the 'Clown'. He remembered clearly: June 28, 1349, was the day he "transferred" into this world, becoming Caine Moretti, the day he truly entered the "Spire" through the repeated performance of the transfer ritual. How could the anomalies here—the dimming of the magical wolf, its sudden departure—be directly linked to me? A great wave of emotion surged through Caine's mind. At first, he couldn't find an explanation and simply brushed it off, as if nothing had happened. Then he thought, "Have there been similar occurrences over the past two or three thousand years?" "No," Nim replied with great certainty. "What about specifically two hundred and eight years ago?" Caine asked. That was the year the Emperor Roscel was "transferred" to this world. Nim hesitated for two seconds before responding, "I cannot give you an exact answer at this time—I will need to return and consult the relevant records. Fortunately, the documents and records from the past three centuries have not been damaged." "With that, he added, 'Based on my limited recollections, I'd say there's nothing particularly unusual.' If indeed that's the case, then perhaps the source of this upheaval—what has brought the Umbran Wolf to life—lies in my entering the gray mist and establishing a bond between myself and the 'Source Keep'? Klein nodded gently, without further questions, simply saying, 'Tell me where that deep pit is.' By the time the High Priest Nym provided his answer, the mushroom dishes prepared by the residents of the Moon City were ready to be served. Some lightly bit into the pale mushrooms, only to be scorched by the milk inside, yet unwilling to let go; others chewed repeatedly, savoring the subtle sweetness; still others kept eating without pause, their mouths never ceasing. Nym was momentarily struck, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing—the Moon City people each seemed to embody a contradiction between hunger and satisfaction, their expressions slightly distorted yet radiating pure joy. 'High Priest, would you like to try some?' Rus, whose two eyes were close together, offered Nim a mushroom covered in golden patches, emitting a peculiar sweet aroma. Nim hesitated, first carefully examining it with the "magnifying glass" before taking it and placing it in his mouth. The very next second, his expression softened slightly, and he slowly half-closed his eyes. He had once detected similar flavors in certain mutated tree roots, but none had been as pure or as lingering as this. After an indeterminate length of time, Nim turned to Germain Sparo, whose demeanor remained composed, and spoke to him with unusual sincerity: "Your Grace, we would like to hear the teachings of the 'Fool.' " I hadn't quite thought of this yet... Nevertheless, as I draw closer to the rank of Angel, such matters are beginning to take shape... The anchor needs to be prepared in advance... As克莱恩's thoughts raced, he recalled the words he had once used—no, transformed—to persuade and reshape the followers of the 'Sea God.' His expression quickly grew solemn. He lifted his right hand and reached out toward the void, dragging forth a cross covered in verdigris, adorned with sharp spines. Klein then pressed the tip of his right thumb firmly against one of the thorns, allowing blood to seep into the "Cross of No Darkness." The verdigris on the surface of the "Cross of No Darkness" rapidly peeled away, revealing its pure, sun-born essence. "God said…" Klein opened his mouth, speaking in a low, resonant tone, and raised the luminous cross high above him. A warm, bright, and clear glow surged forth like a tide, instantly filling the surrounding area. The accumulated darkness and discomfort within Nim, Rous, and the others began to dissolve swiftly, as though their bodies and spirits were being purified. They felt slightly dazed, hearing the divine messenger—holding the radiant cross and radiating a sacred aura—speak with solemnity: "God said… "First Commandment: No human sacrifice shall be made; no person shall be offered as a victim. "Second Commandment: Do not misuse my name."