The MI9 office is located at Belotto Street in the western district, a modest three-story building that appears unremarkable. It has no signage identifying it as such, merely a simple plaque reading "9." The building's core is underground, while the upper floors are occupied primarily by administrative staff. Of course, most of the extraordinary individuals affiliated with MI9 rarely descend to the underground levels—there, the environment is less than ideal, the atmosphere oppressive, and accidents are ever-present due to the risk of mishandling the contained artifacts. Currently, Hux has served as deputy head of the "Domestic Security and Counter-Spying Division," directly overseeing a sizable team of extraordinary individuals responsible for handling espionage cases involving the region of Beckland and Intis. "There's a task," said her superior, Major General Pantek, Deputy Director of MI9 and Head of the "Domestic Security and Counter-Spying Division," as he took a document and passed it toward the desk across from her. "Is it urgent?" Hux reached out, carefully asking. Admiral Pantek is a typical old man from Roon, with a noticeably receding hairline. He lifted a white porcelain coffee cup, took a gentle sip, and said, "Not urgent, low risk. In fact, this task will be distributed to all members, with the hope that someone will succeed by sheer luck." This description came as a surprise to Xue, but she didn't open the file folder right away; instead, she simply replied, "I'll let my team members know." After leaving Admiral Pantek's office, Xue returned to her own room. Once she sat down, she seemed to disappear into herself. After quickly scanning through the documents, Xue understood why the Deputy Director had spoken that way: the utopia under investigation appeared nowhere on either the northern or southern continents, nor among the known islands of the Five Seas. Over the past two weeks, several people have entered what is known as Utopia, each arriving through distinctly different means and at varied locations: some reached it during a terrifying storm in the turbulent seas near Sunia; others were stranded in the midsection of the railway linking Dici Bay to Bekeland due to heavy rainfall; others found themselves there after getting lost in the western region of Velas. So far, no one has sustained physical injury or experienced any lasting psychological effects upon entering Utopia—no wonder Deputy Director Pantek has described the risk as low. Moreover, the current cases lack a clear pattern, making it difficult to pinpoint Utopia's true location, and thus, no targeted teams have been dispatched to investigate. Indeed, the only course available is to inform all members of the specific circumstances, hoping that among them someone will happen upon Utopia, enter it cautiously and discreetly, and gather intelligence. He set down his documents, rose with a slight sense of disappointment, and prepared to relay the information to the extraordinary members below. She felt regretful because the difficulty of this task was extremely high, with little to no hope in sight, which made it impossible for her to accumulate further merits. Over the past several months, in response to the looming apocalypse, Rest had been constantly busy, managing the affairs of the Ninth Office while also completing various tasks assigned by the "Fool" gentleman—accumulating contributions on both fronts in preparation for exchanging the "Lawcaster" magic formula and exceptional traits to fulfill her aspiration of becoming a half-god. Yet, as of now, she still fell short on both counts, especially within the Ninth Office itself. Without a major breakthrough in contributions, she saw little prospect of success. If it weren't for the substantial salary and comprehensive benefits she received from the Ninth Office, her standing and status granting her access to vast amounts of intelligence that helped her fulfill the tasks given by the "Fool," she would have considered resigning outright and returning to being a freelance bounty hunter, where she could enjoy greater freedom in her time. Next time at the tarot meeting, you might ask about this case—perhaps the "World" gentlemen will have some useful clues... While thinking this, Hugh pushed open the door leading to the room where the team members were. After assigning the task to Utopia, Hugh specifically added, "If things don't seem right, even if there's an opportunity to enter Utopia, feel free to simply walk away. The town's uncertain authenticity might simply be due to a lack of stimulation so far." After a busy period, Hugh finally concluded his day's work and returned home before 7:30, sharing dinner with his mother, brother, and Folsom, enjoying a limited moment of relaxation. At nightfall, after her morning routine, she walked to the window of her bedroom, grasped the curtain, and prepared to draw it closed. As she did, her gaze naturally turned outward, and she noticed that the high-altitude crimson moon had grown full and larger, its hue deepening noticeably—almost as though it were flowing like blood. "The Blood Moon"... Houx suddenly turned her head, concernedly glancing toward the adjacent room, somewhat worried about her friend's condition. However, she soon recalled that Folshe was already a half-god of Sequence 4, no longer afraid of the effects of the "Full Moon Rhapsody." "If most Sequence 3 lives weren't long enough to reach beyond 500 years, I'd say there wouldn't be many Seers motivated to advance into the rank of Angel..." "Agreed," Vorths nodded repeatedly, indicating she had understood. At the same time, she subtly yawned, her temple slightly twitching—a quiet sign of the growing discomfort she had come to endure from speaking directly with the 'Gatekeeper.' The 'Gatekeeper' continued: "The Sequence 3 path known as 'Wanderer' means that the spiritual realm can no longer hold you. You may enter the stars, journey across star realms, visit different planets, and witness true stillness, true desolation, true grandeur, and civilizations entirely unlike those of your native world. Only by experiencing these firsthand can you truly grasp how small and ordinary your own world appears..." The 'Gatekeeper' briefly shared his own experiences to illustrate the magnificence of the cosmos and the depth and allure of diverse civilizations. This made Folvith listen with growing absorption; were it not for the sharp, recurring pains in her head reminding her, she might have entirely forgotten that the speaker was a dangerous King of Angels. "As long as you help me free myself, I will give you the recipe for the 'Wanderer's' potion and its exceptional properties, and assist you in completing the ritual—of course, all of this can be paid in advance," the concluding note of "Full Moon Whispers," the "Gate" gentleman once again offered. "It truly is something one longs for," Folvith sincerely remarked. When the "Gate" gentleman's voice gradually faded and disappeared, Folvith suddenly pulled the pillow from beneath her waist and lay down. Within less than three minutes, she fell asleep peacefully. To her, the vast expanse of the night sky indeed held great appeal, yet it also carried a risk—merely becoming acquainted with it could taint her own sense of wonder, and she had no real motivation to explore it further. "I'll consider it after I've toured every corner of the northern and southern continents and all five great oceans," Folvith murmured almost silently in her sleep. At this moment, the blood-red moon outside had already faded, returning to a paler crimson and no longer complete. ........ A massive blood-colored full moon hung at the edge of the cliff, illuminating the marsh below. The marsh was a deep red, continuously bubbling with bubbles, as if magma beneath was gently boiling everything. From a glance, it appeared boundless, like an endless ocean. Plink! A stone fell from the cliff's edge and plunged into the marsh. The next instant, a bubble rose, broke silently, and gave birth to a newborn covered in blood. The infant wobbled, drifted toward the cliff wall, and tried to climb upward. Plink! A stone beneath Emlyn White shattered beneath his feet, and he tumbled off the cliff, falling into the marsh. The noble count of the bloodline jolted awake from his dream, startled and bewildered, gazing around him. Once he had confirmed this was his own room, surrounded by numerous, familiar doll figures of various sizes, Emlin exhaled slowly, his expression serious as he murmured: "That dream wasn't ordinary." As a "King of Wizards," he had deep insight into the realm of dreams. Could this be what they called a "divine revelation"? Yet I've received no such inspiration... Emlin thought for several seconds, unable to find an answer, and then decided to set the matter aside, intending to ask Father Utrofsky later when he had the time. Aljere furrowed his brow. He clearly understood what "Banshi" meant, yet he had no idea why Verdou wished to go there. There should be nothing left there! No—even if the Church had razed Banshi, certain anomalies would still remain, and in fact, the Church had never fully uncovered the nature of the problems hidden within Banshi. As a cardinal, Aljere had access to certain confidential documents, including the Church's records of its actions against Banshi. Moreover, he had learned more from the "Fool" and from "World" Germain Spalro. After a moment's reflection, Aljere quickly made up his mind: he would arrange for Verdou to be transported aboard a pirate vessel through his shadow guards. Aljere knew many key figures in this regard and did not need to personally intervene or act under his own name. Of course, on the Isle of Rosted, smuggling vessels were often equivalent to pirate ships. P.S.: Didn't notice the update—turns out it was a timing mismatch in the schedule.