This question arose from Casper's desire to understand more about the mysterious entity before him. Perhaps by learning the name, he could glean some insight.

Hearing the query, Keifer unexpectedly began to reminisce about his home world. It wasn't a longing but rather a resurfacing of memories triggered by the present events.

He smiled as various stories about miracles filled his mind. After a moment, he casually looked at the 'sky' and began, "From a distant place..."

But before he could continue, Casper interrupted with a booming command, "Cover your ears!"

At once, the guards, caught between awe and confusion, clamped their hands over their ears.

Unperturbed by their actions, Keifer continued, "A mysterious life that shouldn't exist..."

Casper, the only one without his hands over his ears, frowned deeply.

Keifer ignored his expression and went on, "A lonely being, destined to remain so..." He paused, deliberating for a moment, then added in a trailing tone, "Call me Christ Hermes."

Upon hearing this, Casper lowered his eyes, feeling a growing sense of calm. Knowing the name of the entity offered him a measure of comfort.

"And your name?" Keifer asked, compelled by the need to establish a connection.

After a moment of hesitation, Casper answered, "Casper Rivia."

Taking in the name, Keifer felt the pain in his chest intensify, a searing heat engulfing him. It was as if countless threads within him were being set aflame, all stemming from his heart.

Suddenly, he felt his surroundings beginning to push away from him, much like how he had vanished from his apartment and the shore. It was happening again!

Though it was slower this time, perhaps due to his exhaustion, it reinforced his original theory.

Realizing this, Keifer, still smiling, said, "I must be going now. But I believe I will return. Next time, I do hope for a warmer welcome."

Furrowing his brows, Casper found Hermes' sudden words strange, but he did not respond with hostility. Instead, he simply nodded.

In the next instant, Keifer's form seemed to fold in on itself and disappear. To Casper, it looked as if the very fabric of the world had wrapped around him.

Where Keifer had once sat, a white, illusory bird now perched on top of the boulder.

Staring at the white bird that gradually faded, Casper took a breath before turning back towards the stunned guards.

"Prepare this place. We need to be ready when he comes again. But next time, let a few citizens be present—about ten."

"What?" Fabian was immediately puzzled. He couldn't believe the Lord was actually considering welcoming that 'Thing.' Was he the only one thinking here? Couldn't they see they couldn't trust him?

After a wave of deep anger, Fabian finally steeled himself. Before the Lord destroys Wonderland with his gullibility, I will quickly complete the Penances and ascend to the same level as him. Then I can defeat him and take over the city. I must protect it—not these fools who blindly trust.

The guards moved mindlessly for a while, still grappling with the gravity of what had just happened. To some, the promised miracle had appeared only to vanish without fulfilling the prophecy. Did this mean the Glorious Light's words were meaningless?

To others, the being before them was a deity—a savior who came to bring salvation and worthy of their praise. These were mostly the followers of the School of Miracles.

As the guards continued their duties, some checked the perimeters for lurking monsters, while others took a moment to calm themselves. Casper stood silently, staring at the rainbow-starred sky, a question echoing within him:

A blessing or calamity?

...

Keifer found himself suspended once more in the sky of the dark gray world, surrounded by numerous shadowy entities. In the next moment, his room materialized around him!

Before he could compose himself, the familiar cold intrusion felt at the shores was abruptly expelled. An illusory, translucent figure bounced off his body and around the room, attempting to escape before finally crashing down in the center. The figure slowly became tangible and real.

A lady with wet black hair, dressed in a peasant dress, appeared.

She lay on the ground, unconscious, her body emanating faint white smoke as if scorched by something hot.

Standing just inches away from her, Keifer observed the woman, contemplating whether killing her was the wisest option.

Still reeling from the realization that she had somehow followed him, he managed to regain some control.

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She obviously has some strange powers, and it's possible that when she wakes up, she will be very angry and lash out. However, there's a chance she only attacked in self-defense. He carefully considered numerous factors.

Whatever she was doing there was clearly important, and my presence may have disrupted it or caused some failure. This means allowing her to wake up might be the best decision, possibly leading to useful benefits.

And even if that doesn't work, there's always the white light. The smoke on her body shows the light caused some damage. However, I can't rule out that it's simply a side effect of her power. And even if I'm relying on this power for survival, I still don't fully understand how it works. Perhaps it's autonomous.

If so, I might not even have any control over it. But from what I've observed, it seems to activate just after my chest heats up in pain. Though exhaustion seems to be a side effect.

Keifer placed his hands over his chest, his heartbeat silent to any pulse.

Keifer observed the unconscious woman with calculated detachment, the memory of her bizarre dance still vivid in his mind. Could she be a heretic, consorting with demons? The thought flickered across his mind, not entirely out of place given the strangeness of the situation.

He crouched beside her, the faint blue glow of the moonlight casting a spectral light on her features. Her black hair, damp and disheveled, partially obscured her face, but he could discern enough. She appeared to be in her early twenties, her skin pale, her jawline sharp, and her eyes possessing a double eyelid—a common trait among Canen citizens, except for the veiled woman who had visited the apartment.

Rising to his feet, Keifer surveyed his surroundings, methodically formulating a plan. Time slipped by in silence, the only sound the soft hum of the blue moonlight streaming through the window, bathing the room and the woman's prone form in an eerie luminescence.

Suddenly, she jerked awake, her eyes wide with confusion as they adjusted to the unfamiliar room. Her gaze landed on Keifer, a shadowy silhouette a few feet away, illuminated by the oriel window's blue light.

Before she could react, a wave of searing heat coursed through her body, causing her to stagger and collapse. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she struggled against an invisible force, her movements labored as if pressed by hot, constricting walls.

Through her pain, she glared at Keifer, venom in her voice. "You pig! How dare you use salt against me."

Keifer remained silent, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he let out a faint sigh, his voice calm and measured. "You should mind your tone with me..."

The woman, veins bulging with the strain of her ordeal, shot him a defiant look, a dark smile curling on her lips. "You ant! Who do you think you're messing with? You have no power. You're nothing but a mortal! Don't kid yourself!"

Keifer's eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts turning inward. Don't try the same thing twice; not everyone is predictable. Rising from his chair, he approached the woman, his face now clearly visible, etched with a solemn, detached interest.

"Who makes a one-part plan?" he began his tone even. "I suspected you had some means of sensing me, but that wasn't the point. I needed to confirm if any other anomalies existed. And now I have... You mentioned something about salt weakening you. Which means there's something here suppressing you. Do you know what this means?"

He stood and returned to his chair, his posture relaxed but vigilant. "It means you are essentially my prisoner. So, why don't we talk?"

The woman's eyes narrowed to slits, her gaze piercing. She gritted her teeth, spitting her words with fury. "You... You destroyed my penance! It took me a year to find the right sacred relic that could help me. Do you know what you have done?"

Keifer regarded her for a moment before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a silver pendant shaped like a bird. He held it up to the light, observing its intricate details.

"Is this it?" he asked, his voice betraying no emotion as he held the pendant at eye level.

Her eyes twitched, and she bit her lip hard. "So what? Keep it. It won't matter. You'll be dead soon enough. I don't accept being captured, especially not by a mere mortal."

Keifer's expression remained unchanged. He slowly placed the pendant on the table behind him and returned his gaze to her.

"I see," he said in a slow, passive tone. "So, the pendant must be what helps you heal your bones when they break."

This conclusion did not arise from a mere guess. Keifer had pondered numerous factors, questioning why a powerful woman would need another 'Relic.' Then, it struck him—she needed it to complete the 'Penance.'

With that insight, Keifer realized he only needed to uncover the nature of this 'Penance.' Understanding its purpose would provide him with leverage. Even if his initial assumption was wrong, it would likely provoke the woman to correct him.

The lady remained silent, composing herself, not responding to his words.

Noticing this, Keifer exhaled softly and asked, "What is your name? You can choose not to answer, but the more you resist, the more shame you bring upon yourself. I don't think a being of your stature would want to be known for being captured by a mere mortal. How humiliating would that be?"

The woman stiffened, her eyes narrowing as she clicked her tongue. "Call me Clarice. But it doesn't matter if you know my name. I'll soon tear it from your tongue."

Nodding, Keifer crossed his legs and greeted her with a cold expression. "Nice to meet you, Miss Clarice. I have a question, or rather, I need something from you before I can let you go."

Clarice scoffed, glaring at him. "You? I'd sooner have your head than give you anything, human."

Keifer waited for her to calm down before continuing. "You must have great faith in your power, but remember, I stopped your penance, brought you here against your will, and trapped you. Aren't you even a little bit curious about what else I can do?"

She bit down on her lip and leaned back. "What? Or how about a deal? I answer your question, and you take away the salt." Though her voice was soft, her expression was tinged with murderous intent.

Keifer didn't rush to respond. Instead, he pressed his palm to his chest before saying, "Answer my question first."

Clarice tilted her head, her expression stern. "Is that a deal?"

Keifer tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair before replying, "Answer some of my questions first. Then, we can discuss a deal."

"Fine. Ask. It's the best you'll get before I inevitably kill you."

Keifer nodded and posed his first question, "What are you?"

Clarice scoffed. "That's a question with two answers. Be specific."

I see.

Recalibrating his words, he asked again, "In that case, tell me how I can attain power like yours."

Clarice flashed a mischievous grin. "What makes you think you can?"

"Quit stalling," Keifer demanded, his expression cold and solemn. "If you don't answer my next question, I will kill you. Your delay is already eating into my resting time, a deviation I do not tolerate." He had a domineering voice.

A shudder ran through Clarice's body. For a moment, her eyes twitched, and a flicker of fear gnawed at her heart. Damn this! I can't let myself feel this way. It's the salt suppression!

Taking a sharp breath, she answered the initial question. "The only 'safe' way to gain powers is to complete the penance! But even if you manage to become one, you'll be hunted down by the government and branded as a heretic."