Inside the manor on the outskirts of Paz River Valley, Leyton, Bugs Bunny, and Crow Anu were enjoying a lavish dinner prepared by a circle of Wraiths.
These Wraiths, specially selected by Crow Anu, retained some of their instincts as chefs from their past lives, and through a mystical ritual, they also regained the knowledge they had lost from the Hidden Sage, becoming qualified chefs once more.
After eating his fill, Leyton put down his cutlery, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his temples. Suddenly, a dense gray fog emerged from his eyes, accompanied by Klein's low voice:
"Miss Sharron has agreed. She will send the specific information to you via messenger."
As the words fell, the gray fog swirling in his eyes quickly disappeared.
An angel going out to rob feels a bit embarrassing... Hmm... Can't say robbing, I'm going to reclaim the plundered wealth from the Southern Continent, that sounds much better.
Collecting his thoughts, Leyton raised his hand and rubbed Bugs Bunny's head, saying:
"What have those two Artisan cats been doing lately?"
Bugs Bunny put down the greenish fruit he was holding, patted his belly, and said:
"Burp~ Ritz seemed to say last time that they were developing a wireless telegraph that could directly transmit sound. No, it was called a wireless sound transmitter."
"They've already invented a machine that can record sound and play it back repeatedly, and also a machine that can display simple images."
Leyton raised an eyebrow slightly, saying, "That efficient?"
"Because many people from the Moses Ascetic Order have come here. They can make the knowledge instilled by the Hidden Sage somewhat directional through a large amount of repetitive, singular prayer."
"Hmm, that's what Miss Glenn and them said when they were communicating. They also said that the danger of 'Knowledge seeking humans' wouldn't decrease because of this, as it's the necessary price for gaining knowledge through shortcuts."
As he spoke, Bugs Bunny shook his head, looking like he was trying hard to recall.
Crow Anu took over, saying:
"Miss Glenn and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom people are experimenting with using the power of the Lightseeker to replace Steam engines and gas. Recently, Inpace has been filled with the aura of the Sun, and all the Wraiths that originally occupied the city have fled."
"Understood, I think I get it." Leyton nodded lightly, reached out and pinched Bugs Bunny's ear, and continued, "You go inform Miss Glenn tomorrow that I've found her a helper who's very skilled with machinery. Remember to fabricate an identity for the other party."
"Leave it to me." Bugs Bunny stood on the dining table, hands on his hips, speaking with an air of pride.
At night in Pritz Harbor, black metal gas streetlights emitted a dim yellow light, illuminating the bluestone paved roads below.
In the warehouse area, a distance from the Dock District, on the top floor of one warehouse, countless streams of information invisible to the naked eye surged from the Spirit World Depths, reconstructing Leyton's figure on the top floor of the warehouse filled with wooden crates.
His gaze turned towards the ventilation opening, where Maric, dressed in a white shirt and black vest, leaned against the wall, holding a telescope and observing the outside environment.
"Good evening, both of you."
Leyton nodded in greeting to Maric and the shadows nearby.
From the shadows, Sharron, wearing a black soft hat and a long court dress of the same color, slowly emerged. Her complexion appeared even paler than before, with a transparent, illusory quality, like a true Wraith phantom.
Sharron nodded to Leyton, her voice soft and restrained as she said:
"Good evening. What do you plan to do?"
Leyton's gaze pierced through the warehouse walls, looking towards the distant Dock District. His eyes easily penetrated the obstructions, seeing the steamships docked in the harbor, the surrounding Steam vehicles that resembled exaggerated mechanical Monsters, and soldiers with Steam backpacks and thick-barreled rifles standing on the tops of various nearby buildings.
After a simple observation of the surrounding situation, he said in a deep voice:
"I will create enough chaos to make those Mystical Items they transported back from the Southern Continent lose control and go berserk. Then, I'll exile that mummy in a targeted manner. As a Wraith, you can freely enter and exit the Spirit World, so you should be able to take that mummy away quite easily."
"Understood." Sharron nodded lightly.
Leyton raised his right hand, and specks of starlight spilled from his fingertips, condensing into a pair of cold, indifferent eyes veiled in starlight.
He flicked his fingers towards Sharron and Maric, and two pairs of twinkling starlight eyes flew over on their own, while he explained:
"These are Peeping Eyes. They can help you locate the items I've exiled in the Spirit World, and they can also be used as temporary Mystical Items. I've stored two 'Flashes' in them. Once used, they will disintegrate in a short time, whether used once or twice."
"This place is too close to Backlund. If a more serious disturbance occurs, it's very likely to attract the attention of the two angels from the Augustus Family."
After Sharron nodded slightly, her figure rapidly faded, blending into the dim surroundings.
Leyton nodded towards Maric, and his figure quickly disintegrated into complex and pure knowledge, surging into the Spirit World like a torrent.
On the pier, which was under martial law, a hybrid power vessel with a chimney and sails slowed down, gradually coming to a stop.
Not long after, a gangway was lowered from the ship, and the crew began to disembark.
Walking at the front were Sailors carrying wooden crates, followed by a major holding a crystal box. His expression was quite solemn, surrounded by several crew members, each holding a lantern, illuminating the crystal box from various directions.
Within the Spirit World, a faint purple flashed in Leyton's eyes, and his gaze became deep and obscure.
His gaze lingered for a while on the human skull inside the crystal box, which had no flesh or blood remaining, then looked towards the large iron barrel carried by a man in a black suit behind him.
The iron barrel was filled with chilling ice, and in the middle of the ice was an arm made of pure gold!
The man holding the iron barrel walked very quickly, sweat constantly dripping from his forehead, and the ice inside the iron barrel he carried was melting at an abnormally fast rate.
Behind him, another middle-aged man in a formal suit descended from the ship, carrying a golden box adorned with symbols representing the domains of Sun, light, and Purification.
On Leyton's right hand, which was clasped to his chest, the bronze mechanical glove split open like a mouth, emitting a sharp, hoarse voice:
"Great Master, the arm placed in the ice is an item from the Sun Pathway, probably Sequence 5 or Sequence 6. Its negative effect is to keep the surroundings in a terribly hot environment, evaporating moisture from the air and igniting flesh."
"The skull placed in the crystal box seems to be a combination of a Spirit Guide and a Nightmare. It will affect the minds of surrounding creatures, causing them to die little by little in their sleep."
"What's in that golden box seems to be a Moon Emissary. That box is too obstructive, I can't be very certain, but there's a Moon aura inside."
"I can't see more clearly unless I can get closer to them."
"That's enough." Leyton nodded gently in response, paused for half a second, then continued, "Can you make them all active?"
"If I can get close, I can inject souls into these items, making them come alive, chaotic, and wonderful."
"Without touching them, I can only affect them by destroying the seals on them."
The mechanical glove tapped its fingers twice, its voice becoming somewhat low.
Leyton nodded lightly, no longer speaking, quietly observing the Loen Military transporting items from the ship in the Spirit World.
After about ten minutes, four "Knights" in black full body armor appeared on the deck of the Steam-and-sail hybrid ship. They carried a golden coffin, their every step thudding on the deck.
The surface of the golden coffin was engraved with patterns of strange birds, Feathered Serpents, masks, and other designs, appearing ancient and mysterious, with a strong highland style.
They used a pre-rigged pulley system to hoist the heavy coffin, moving it towards a carriage with its roof removed, located outside the pier.
As the coffin was hoisted by steel cables, the "Knight" in black full body armor in the front right suddenly grunted and collapsed without warning.
Clang!
The "Knight's" helmet fell off, revealing a sunken eye socket and a rotten, shriveled head beneath. Dark red blood flowed from the seams of his armor.
This scene seemed to stimulate the already fragile minds of the other three "Knights." They screamed in collapse, tearing off their full body armor and rushing to the ship's rail, jumping down regardless of anything.
Outside the pier, the four "Knights" in black full body armor who were preparing to receive the golden coffin, upon witnessing this bizarre and terrifying scene, felt panic and fear take root and spread rapidly, infecting them.
The seeds of Mental Plague, utilizing the surrounding Sea of Collective Subconscious, transmitted various mental illnesses and extreme madness. Unbeknownst to them, the entire pier was already filled with "contagious mental illnesses."
Deep within the Spirit World, Leyton's eyes turned into pale gold vertical pupils, and his gaze became deep and obscure.
A grayish-white light illuminated the mechanical glove on his right hand, outlining complex and three-dimensional mystical symbols that extended into the surrounding void, as if communicating with something that did not belong to the real world.
In the dark and deep Sea of Collective Subconscious, several Virtual Personas identical to Leyton appeared, each with distinct emotions on their faces: anger, joy, sorrow...
They transformed some of their thoughts into mental storms that swept the surroundings, causing the "celestial phenomena" to change rapidly, severely interfering with spiritual perception of the surroundings, and effectively destroying mental barriers.