Thanks to the prior exploration of the Silver City, Caine knew exactly where the dangers lay and how to avoid them, and in no time at all, he followed the narrow path through the "Waning Forest," the "Desolate Tunnel," and the ancient elevator to reach the settlement where the Keepers lived. After waiting a while, until the gray mist above split into two, revealing the "Mysterious Servant" extraordinary trait, Caine then reached out and pulled out his past self. ——He wasn't certain whether other divine realms would isolate the historical haze, but at least, wherever the "Giants' Court" had been maintained, it hadn't obstructed his efforts. "Unfortunately, this matter involves too high a level of complexity; the divination failed to yield results. Otherwise, I would have felt more at ease..." Caine shook his head, murmuring softly to himself. He didn't immediately plunge into the historical haze, but instead first retrieved two items from his cloak and presented them to his own projection. One of them was a deep black wooden casket containing the ashes of Groser, the "Guardian of the Giants." Cain had never forgotten his promise. He had originally intended to wait until the young "Sun" made his second exploration of the "Kingdom of the Giants," then hand over Groser's ashes to him, asking him to assist with the burial. But due to various circumstances, Cain himself ended up directly arriving at the abandoned divine realm and entering the "Kingdom of the Giants." As for the ashes of the austere monk Snowman, Cain planned to scatter them into the golden-hued sea when he departed from the abandoned land—there, the waves shimmered with the divine blood of the ancient Sun God. After presenting the casket and the black iron key from the "General of the Ice Mountain," Cain followed protocol, leapt into the mist, and rushed toward the fragment of light predating the First Age, allowing his consciousness to naturally transfer onto the projection summoned there. The projection was not holding the "Staff of the Star," but rather wearing the "Crawling Hunger," since there was still a considerable distance between here and the palace where the King of Giants resided, with numerous colossal statues blocking the way; Klein couldn't guarantee he would reach his destination within five minutes. Immediately afterward, he made the glove on his left hand transparent, and in an instant, his entire form vanished. The very next second, Klein appeared outside the guard's residence, still not having traveled far by teleportation. "Hmm, within the 'Kingdom of the Giants,' most of the power has clearly diminished—only the guards recognized by the Divine Realm can maintain a relatively normal level of performance?" Well, the extraordinary ability similar to 'teleportation' has been further suppressed, and I can only 'phase' within a more limited range... So it seems, even if I summon the 'Staff of Stars,' I won't be able to materialize directly outside the Giant King's palace through the mental image I've formed in my mind. Truly, a legacy of the ancient divine realm. Kline carefully assessed the impact of the environment. After forming an initial judgment, he turned and walked back into the interior of the guard residence, opening the wooden box in his right hand, solemnly scattering Grossel's ashes to every corner. According to the scenes he had witnessed in Grossel's dreams, this residence had been the long-standing home and place of daily life for the giant—his most vivid and cherished 'home.' One can imagine that in those ancient times, generations upon generations of rational "Giant Guardians" like Grolser rested here, played, exchanged stories, discussed music, and experimented with delightful games—free from worries about food or illness, living each day with contentment and joy. As Klein's hands trembled, dust drifted and settled upon the walls, floors, bedsides, tables, chairs, and stone pillars. The warm orange light outside remained steady, casting a serene atmosphere over everything. When Klein scattered the final remnants of his ashes, the evening light deepened slightly, weaving the dust particles into the orange hue and integrating them into the very fabric of the divine realm. Klein closed his eyes, as though sensing Grolser's delight. A wanderer who had been separated from his homeland for over three thousand years finally returned to the place he had longed for day and night. The evening light softened, and Klein felt the sense of alienation gradually ease. "Hmm… essentially acknowledged, becoming a partially accepted guard." Kline radiated spiritual energy, assessing the changes. He didn't linger, instead leveraging the "craving hunger" and the paths previously mapped out by the Silver City exploration team, continuously "phasing" through—occasionally detouring, occasionally dragging the "Cross of No Darkness"—and smoothly navigating the hall of intrigue to reach the palace of the King of Giants, where he observed a row of massive stone pillars forming a balustrade, beyond which flowed a diffused orange-red mist and a gently surging deep blue sea. Taking a deep breath, Kline retreated back into the hall where he had first emerged, reaching out to pull forth his own secret companion, Enyuni—the one that had never been "infused" by Amon. Even with historical projections, he didn't want to personally open the door himself! Looking at Enyuni, who seemed slightly dazed, Cline handed him the massive black iron key tucked under his arm, guiding him away from the hall and along the stone pillars that formed a balustrade, all the way to the most towering and magnificent building within the "Kingdom of the Giants." The golden hour light there seemed tangible, enveloping the palace surface and evoking a strong sense of decline, as if all things in the world were drawing to a close. To the palace's sides, one side featured spires and the other round towers; the main entrance, with a gray-blue base, was adorned with symmetrical, enigmatic symbols, rising far above ten meters in height. At a height of three to four meters on the left side of the doorway, there was a dark hole—about the size of an adult's palm. Enyuni gazed at it for several seconds, then lifted the black iron key, resembling a seven-stringed lyre, and brought it close to the deep, dark opening. They fit perfectly, with no gap remaining. As the massive black iron key sank into the deep opening, Caine in the nearby hall held his breath, ready at any moment to dissolve into nothingness. A firm *tap* echoed as the black iron key in Enyuni's hands touched the base. It suddenly softened, as if merging with the opening, and radiated one after another waves of gray-blue light. The various symbols, markings, and patterns on the great door came to life, glowing clearly. These radiances swiftly intertwined, pressing inward with weight, slowly opening the gray-blue palace doors. The gap widened steadily, and suddenly, Enyuni's eyes reflected a vast, surging ocean—dark, viscous, ethereal and tumultuous. Unsettling… Caine felt a sudden shift in his mind, a strong sense of impending danger rising. Without hesitation, his consciousness returned to his physical form, severing the connection with the image of his historical rift. The next instant, his vision darkened, and a sharp, searing pain surged through his left head, as though someone had driven a red-hot iron spike into it and continuously stirred it. At the same time, indistinct murmurs swirled in his ears—voices that seemed to come from a time older than antiquity. Clain's expression instantly contorted, becoming fiercely grim. He could still hold onto his sense of reason, but had no strength left to remain within the fragments of history. In silence, Clain settled back into the dwelling of the guardian of the "King's Court." With a mere thought, he resolved to ascend into the gray mist—undoubtedly, before making such a perilous move, he had once again found reasons and excuses to arrange for the members of the Tarot Circle to pray, thus awakening the "Source Castle's" autonomous "summoning" ability, so that in times of crisis, he need not reverse four steps and recite incantations to return to the gray mist. Yet, as Klein's spirit just sighted the gray-white mist and heard the familiar roar, it immediately sensed the "Source Keep" repelling it—without knowing what command it had received, the "Source Keep" now actively blocked Klein's entry. This... Klein was astonished to see a shadow pass over him, heading straight for the "Source Keep!" It wasn't Amun—it was a shadow whose essence perfectly matched his own! Involuntarily, Klein reversed his influence on the "Source Keep," sending out a clear intent of refusal. And then, success came—the shadow too was halted within the gray-white mist. Immediately afterward, both Klein and the shadow simultaneously fell back into the physical world. As his spirit returned to his body, Klein bent double in pain, his posture curving like that of a shrimp. Clunk—the half-high silk hat atop his head landed on the ground. After several seconds, Klein finally regained his composure, slowly straightening up, and turned his gaze toward a glass window crafted from orange gemstone. The window blurred into a reflection of his current form: on the bridge of his nose, his right face remained as usual, while an endless procession of things crawled in and out of his left. Klein's eyes instantly narrowed slightly. He quickly took a deep breath, steadying himself and regaining his control as the clown. In his mind, a clear image of himself emerged: dressed in a black coat, with dark hair and brown eyes, the right side of his face—sharp-featured and unaltered—remained as it always was, while the left had become semi-transparent, woven together by a series of twisted, writhing worms. Moving downward, his neck was in a similar state, and the rest of his body, concealed by his clothing, was likewise affected. The edge of collapse... ah, the intense drive toward madness needed to be resisted... Why? Suddenly, a sense stirred within Klein, and instinctively he lowered his head, gazing toward the floor. There, the space was empty—his shadow was missing: the warm, orange-hued twilight light streaming in from the window failed to cast even a single shadow beside him. "Ha ha, I see now," said Cline, bowing his back and laughing uncontrollably. He suspected that the "seawater" surging from the Giant King's palace not only had submerged his secret figures and historical projections, but had also, through them, sliced away his own shadow—thus disrupting the integrity of his spirit and preventing him from fully suppressing his growing instability. That shadow, being only a fraction of himself, could likewise influence the "Source Keep," which explained why neither side could reach the misty upper realm. Once that shadow was eliminated, the problem would be solved. As Cline's right temple twitched, he straightened up. At that moment, the orange-red light streaming in from outside turned golden and brightened considerably, as if the entire "Giant King's Court" had been transported from dusk back to noon. Klein's mind stirred, and his gaze shifted toward the window, where a scene began to take shape in his thoughts: Before the most towering and magnificent building of the "Kingdom of Giants," Enyuni stood, facing the open doorway. Inside, the hall was dark, completely indistinct—nothing could be seen. Suddenly, Enyuni turned, gazing down upon the space below. A shadow covered his face, his hair deepened to a rich black and flowed down to his shoulders, slightly curled. A series of ethereal, dark wings unfolded behind him. In the nearby hall, a pure shadow detached itself from the stone floor, its lower body adhering to the bricks while its upper body rose straight and fluidly.