In Tingen City, at Raphael Cemetery, the full moon hung high in the sky. The crimson moonlight bathed a gravestone, casting a brighter glow on Dunn's black-and-white photograph, where his slightly receding hairline was even more noticeable.
Daly stood in front of Dunn's grave, silently gazing at the image on the tombstone. Then, lowering her eyes, she softly read out the inscription:
"True Guardian;"
"Most Trusted Companion;"
"Eternal Captain."
I hope that only the past you carried is buried here… Goddess, please don't let my hopes be in vain!
Daly traced a crimson moon over her chest, tapping four times in a clockwise motion. Then, she reached into her bag, took out a bundle of bones, and tossed them onto the ground. Using her "Resurrection" ability, she summoned a skeleton and commanded it to dig up the grave.
As a Spirit Guide, Daly's "Resurrection" could temporarily awaken skeletons or zombies, but these reanimated beings had no real will or life. They could only perform physical labor… If not for the special treatment given to a Nighthawk's coffin, which prevented spirits from penetrating it, she wouldn't have needed to go through such trouble.
As the soil was unearthed and the thick iron nails fell from the coffin lid once more, what greeted Daly's eyes was… an empty coffin!
Her body trembled, her expression shifting between joy and disbelief. But regardless of her expression, tears uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks, one by one dripping into the pitch-black, vacant coffin.
She stood there in silence for a long time before finally tracing another crimson moon over her chest, wiping away her tears, and directing the skeleton to rebury the coffin and erase all traces.
By the time Nighthawk patrolman Frye passed by, Dunn's grave had already been restored to its original state.
—He had noticed Daly coming to pay respects to their captain earlier, so he had deliberately kept his distance, giving her space to be alone.
Seeing the lingering traces of tears on Daly's face, Frye hesitated before offering a few words of comfort. "Daly… Captain wouldn't want to see you this sad."
Daly forcibly suppressed the overwhelming excitement bubbling inside her—the desire to share this news with someone. Hiding her face beneath her hood, she replied in a low voice, "I won't cry again…" Not until I reunite with him.
But… where did he go? Why is he playing the role of Iron Man? And what connection does his resurrection have to that entity called the Fool?
"That's good…" Frye wasn't great with words and didn't know what else to say. In the end, he simply turned his gaze toward their captain's tombstone.
...
In Indor Port, aboard a steam-powered warship docked at a private pier belonging to the Church of the God of Combat, Siltana was suddenly awakened by someone shaking her. Annoyed, she swatted the hand away, but the next moment, an icy cold sensation spread from her neck through her entire body.
Shivering from the chill, Siltana instantly snapped awake.
She opened her eyes to see a mischievous young girl, no older than seventeen or eighteen, grinning wickedly as she slid her freezing fingers from Siltana 's collar down into her shirt.
The girl's name was Jenny, a new recruit in the Demon Hunter squad and a Sequence 9 Warrior who had joined this mission.
"Captain, Siltana -sis is awake!" Jenny, clearly afraid of retaliation, quickly withdrew her hand and darted toward their towering half-giant captain, who stood over two and a half meters tall.
Siltana , still groggy, struggled to process everything. She distinctly remembered drinking with a man who might have been one of her ancestors, seemingly exchanging words before losing consciousness… and now, she was back in her cabin.
So that was just a dream?
But was it really just an ordinary dream… or was it someone else's deliberate creation?
As her thoughts gradually fell into place, she moved to get up—only to suddenly realize that she was holding something in her hand. Lifting it for a closer look, she saw that it was an exquisitely crafted bottle of Sonia Blood Wine!
Wait… so that wasn't a dream? I really met my ancestor? And he even gave me a bottle of wine?
As Siltana stared in stunned silence, her captain's deep voice rumbled beside her. "So your gift from Iron Man or Doctor Strange was a bottle of Sonia Blood Wine? That's… definitely the most fitting present for you!"
Gift?What does this have to do with Iron Man and Doctor Strange?
Confused, Siltana turned to look at her captain, who had just entered the cabin with the rest of the squad.
"According to the compiled reports, every Beyonder and even ordinary people who witnessed the life stories of Iron Man and Doctor Strange in that dream-realm ruin received a gift from them.
"The nature of these gifts varied. Some received Goldhorns, some gained knowledge, others obtained intelligence, and some, like you, got something they deeply desired... In short, everyone received what they needed.
"Lord Oken suspects that the ruin was actually part of Iron Man or Doctor Strange's advancement ritual. They deliberately spread the news to attract numerous Beyonders into it, using them to achieve some kind of goal...
"As for these gifts, they were either part of the ritual itself or a gesture of gratitude for our 'help'...
"But either way, it means that all the Beyonders involved—including us Hunters—were used! This is a disgrace!
"Lord Oken has decided to put a bounty on Iron Man and Doctor Strange."
Hearing this, Siltana felt a bit guilty. She hadn't seen the two men her captain was talking about, and the Sonia Blood Wine in her hands most likely wasn't their gift but something from her own ancestor.
She had joined the Hunter squad entirely because of her captain's protection; her faith in the God of Combat was just so-so. So, after hesitating for a moment, she chose not to confess and instead glanced around before asking,
"Where's Ksenia?"
"Who's Ksenia?" The captain and the other members looked at her in confusion.
"She's a member of our squad... She was just—" Mid-sentence, Siltana suddenly choked. She couldn't recall when Ksenia had joined their squad, and even her memories of the woman were becoming vague.
The half-giant captain gave her a strange look, then patted her shoulder and said earnestly, "You didn't drink too much in your dream, did you?"
Even if I did... I clearly remember... Siltana pursed her lips but didn't argue. She decided to pretend she was just confused and would report this privately to the captain later.
"By the way, this isn't related to us, but it's something you've been following... I just received an update." The half-giant captain seemed to recall something and spoke again.
"What is it?" Siltana asked curiously.
"Old Belov's hot spring inn was sold more than an hour ago," the captain replied.
"So quickly? It's only... nine in the morning? Since when have City Hall and the trade association become so efficient?" Siltana asked in surprise.
Normally, even with professional lawyers and brokers, processing the paperwork would take three to four days.
"It was bought by Countess Laus," the captain answered.
Countess Laus? That wealthy widow from a powerful noble family?
It was said she had a good reputation, kept to herself, and rarely socialized... Why would she suddenly come to Indore to acquire property?
...
At the Tamik Mountains hot spring inn, Nasali watched as her teacher finalized the property transfer through her public identity. Her face paled slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she asked,
"Teacher, you're not planning to make me stay here and soak in the hot springs until someone takes the bait, are you?"
That would be terrifying!
Lady "Greed" shook her head with a smile. "This has nothing to do with you... I bought this place under the countess's name for another reason."
The Jacob family had been entrenched in Feysac for over a thousand years, long enough to change their names and integrate into the nobility. As a half-god, even though she wasn't on the Marauder pathway, she had still been "assigned" a countess title.
As for the so-called widow status, that was just part of the persona she used to avoid marriage. In reality, she had never had a husband.
"That's a relief..." Nasali sighed in relief. Using her Audience abilities, she observed her teacher's expression and couldn't help but exclaim happily, "Teacher, you've finally freed yourself from that mask's influence?"
Freed? Yes, but now... The effects of the hypnosis stopped her from thinking any further. Lady Greed simply smiled and said, "I'm fine now... Sorry for worrying you before."
...
At the Indore Port district villa, Closfia, who was having breakfast at the dining table with Ebner, Dunn, and the others, suddenly curled her lips into a smile. Then, glancing at Ebner, she said,
"The extra reward I promised you has been taken care of!"
After that, she turned to Dunn, raised three fingers, and continued, "As for yours... I have three options for you."