Eric became captain of the "Red Glove" during the later stages of the previous war and was promoted to Sequence 5 "Spirit-Witch." He has witnessed the deaths of both the immediate and prior captains, and knows that higher sequence does not guarantee safety—caution and vigilance truly do. For the elite "Red Glove" within the "Watchers," this is nearly a universally held principle, because ordinary "Watchers" may face only seemingly extraordinary events, occasional lapses, and often manage to turn the tide through their own exceptional abilities. In contrast, the "Red Glove" units, pursuing critical cases, are consistently targeting highly dangerous phenomena. At this very moment, Eric stands on the fourth floor of the apartment building at 14 Plaza Street, facing the closed, deep-brown wooden door, and surveys the room: "Two 'Watchers' have already gone missing here—there is absolutely no room for complacency." Initially, several residents of the building reported a foul odor emanating from Unit 403, and tenants in Unit 303 frequently heard heavy footsteps above them. The local police arrived only after two days of delay and then failed to leave Unit 403. Once the police confirmed the issue, they immediately transferred the case to the Night Church. However, the two "Night Watch" members dispatched to handle it likewise vanished, and the door to Unit 403 remained firmly shut. Based on this situation, the Bishop of the Night Church in the Sea County entrusted the matter to the Eric Team and authorized them to apply for a Level 1 Seal Item. "Yes, Captain," the members of the "Red Glove" team nodded or spoke in turn, responding promptly. Eric said nothing further, stood before the deeply brown, closed door of Unit 403, and raised his left hand, wearing a red glove, gently tapping his tooth with his fingers. A hazy figure suddenly appeared before him, as if it had no thickness and seeped into Room 403 through the door crack. Eric's expression was exceptionally focused, as though he were observing the room's interior through that blurred figure. It was a natural spirit he had summoned—moderately powerful but with unique abilities—normally residing on the left side of his upper tooth. Under the current circumstances, Eric believed he could not simply charge in; instead, he needed to conduct a reconnaissance first—despite his team's well-balanced capabilities and strong sealing aids, caution remained essential. If he could first gain a clear understanding of the situation inside, and then prepare accordingly, he was confident the outcome would be significantly easier. At that moment, one after another, fine blood vessels within Eric's eyes became prominent, some even bursting. As his vision turned vividly red, he heard a heavy creaking sound. The tightly closed, deep brown door suddenly swung open! Inside the room, there were six figures. Three wore police uniforms in a check pattern of black and white, seated in armchairs, on high stools, and on a sofa. Two wore half-high hats and black windbreakers—one standing by the door, the other positioned on the platform behind the bay window, his face pressed against the glass, as if gazing at the street below. A sixth figure sat on a high stool by the balcony edge, a refined astronomical telescope placed before them. First was the former Night Watchman standing by the door, and last was the man dressed in a plain cotton shirt seated behind the astronomical telescope, whose one clearly defined eye remained stuck to the lens, able only to sweep the outer courtyard with the remaining eye and the dark, hollow void where the other had gone. A faint, unpleasant odor seeped into Eric and his companions' nostrils, and an indescribable cold permeated the surroundings. Eric instinctively reached for his teeth, ready to tap them, releasing more spirits to then use his "Nightmare" ability to forcibly drag every target before him into dreams. Yet no spirits emerged—his connection to the "Spirits-Witch" ability seemed to have vanished entirely. At the same time, one of the "Nightmare" members in the "Red Glove" team also noticed with surprise that he could no longer drag anyone into dreams. For now, aside from the physical enhancements brought by the potion, all their extraordinary abilities had unexpectedly disappeared. Leave! Eric didn't hesitate; he issued the command quietly. This strange situation had never happened before—his only option was to have the team evacuate first, then proceed to selectively address the seals. Yet his own feet and those of his team members remained motionless, as if no longer responding to his conscious will. Instinctively, Eric bent down and looked at his lower body, where his two legs were already swollen, pressing against the seams of his pants, threatening to tear. He clearly felt his skin deteriorating, decaying, and oozing pus. Even before making direct contact with the target, he and his "Red Gloves" team were plunged into a vivid, lucid nightmare—watching themselves slowly die, swell, and rot—unable to break free. At that moment, the blood-filled eyes of Eric reflected a simple, ordinary palm, gripping the handle and gently pulling outward. Clunk! The deep brown door of Room 403 closed once again, severing Eric and his "Red Glove" team from the biological life within the room. Instantly regaining control over their bodies, they felt their legs wounded—difficult to lift or bend, whether stepping or flexing the knees. Eric didn't pause to examine his own injuries; instead, he turned his gaze to the hand that had closed the door and its owner. A young man in a classical hat and black robe, with ordinary features that made it easy to forget upon turning one's attention elsewhere. "I sincerely recommend that you return now and entrust the matter to the Archbishop or the senior deacons," said Caine, tirelessly persuading everyone to make a wish upon him. "Of course, you have another option—make a wish upon me. I am a wandering magician named Merlin Hermes, renowned for fulfilling others' desires." Earlier, when he saw the face of decay on the protruding window, he suddenly felt an unwelcome sense of foreboding and came over specifically to confirm what had actually happened. Fulfilling a wish... Eric suddenly recalled the training he had received at the sanctuary: sometimes, high-tier extraordinary beings are held in confinement or sealed away, and they may pose as magical items that fulfill wishes in order to guide you toward freeing them. Examples include the lamp that grants three wishes and the wishing pond... Is this a high-tier extraordinary being? Yet he doesn't seem to be in a state of imprisonment or sealing at all. Eric glanced around, paused for a few seconds, and then cautiously asked, "If we don't make a wish for you, will you not resolve the anomaly in the room?" As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed the wandering magician, who had introduced himself as Merlin Hermes, deep in thought, slightly troubled. A few seconds later, Crane raised his hand, brushing his high hat gently, half-smiling, half-sighing. "Even if you don't make a wish, I will still try to resolve it." "…Do we need to recite your full name or true name to make a wish?" Eric asked the team members, exchanging glances. Crane shook his head. "No, simply state your wish." This wouldn't create any esoteric connection... Eric试探ly added, in a light-hearted tone. "Then I wish for the anomalies within this room to be resolved and no longer affect the surroundings." Crane smiled gently and gave a light clap of his hands. "Your wish shall be fulfilled." Before Eric could respond, he smiled and continued, "The anomalies can suppress extraordinary abilities, rendering them ineffective—but this is not absolute." "Generally, when I encounter this situation, my recommendation is..." As he spoke, Klein grasped the glass orb with his left hand and, with his right palm, turned the handle to slightly open the door. Through the gap, he then tossed the glass orb into the interior of Room 403. As it flew, the orb continuously absorbed the ambient light, radiating a brilliant, pure, and intense sunlight—like a miniature sun. The very next moment, Klein gave a gentle motion with his right palm, closing the door to protect Eric and the others from the overwhelming brightness. "My recommendation is to use a Level 1 sealant from the 'Sun' domain for comprehensive purification." As he finished speaking, Klein recalled the 'Mutated Sun Holy Emblem' behind the Charnes Gate in Tinggen City—though it was only a Level 3 sealant, given enough time, it too could effectively eliminate the decaying organisms within. Eric was about to say that the seal they had brought was similar, but didn't get a chance to use it, when he saw Mr. Merlin Hermes reopening the door to Room 403. The six figures inside had vanished into thin air, their distinct extraordinary qualities slowly coalescing, and the original cold, foul odor had been completely replaced by a warm, pleasant atmosphere. "Resolved?" Eric asked hesitantly. Klein shook his head with a smile. "Not yet. The root of the problem remains." "Have you conducted any identity verification on the host of this place?" Eric replied immediately. "He identifies himself as John, a passionate astronomy enthusiast who enjoys studying the stars at night using a dedicated telescope." Studying the stars... Klein moved silently into the room and casually instructed, "Search this area for any possible clues." For some reason, Eric suddenly felt that Mr. Merlin Hermes resembled his own team leader when he had just joined the Night Watch—professional, composed, and trustworthy. He nodded to his team members, indicating that they should carry out the instructions, while he himself remained close behind Caine, both offering support and maintaining a necessary watchfulness. Caine didn’t pay him any attention; instead, he glanced around and approached the elegant astronomical telescope, then bent down, positioning his eyes to the viewing port. There might be danger here… Eric had intended to offer a warning, but recalling Caine’s evident stature and grace, he decided to keep quiet. At that moment, through the telescope, Caine saw a magnificent, dreamlike expanse of deep night sky, where each star shimmered gently. Suddenly, his field of vision was taken up by a vast, eye-like presence. This eye seemed as if it had been pressed directly against the lens at the far end of an astronomical telescope, with a gray-white background and a pale yellow iris; within, its blood vessels swelled and oozed out a nauseating, semi-transparent pus.