As the gaps in the overhead canopies were blocked, night fell over Hope Island, casting the main streets into shadows. The dimly lit streets looked dim and deserted, with few people venturing out onto the broad, straight paths.0

Charles sped through the darkness and eventually stopped before a villa painted in a dark hue. The expansive front yard was filled with a variety of flora, and some of them thrived with unusual vigor.0

Charles neither rang the bell nor knocked on the door. Bypassing conventional entry methods, he vaulted over the wall.0

"Bandages," Charles called out.0

He had only called his first mate's name when the ground next to his feet stirred, and Bandages poked his head out of the soil.1

"What's… the matter?"2

Charles' voice was laced with anxiety as he asked, "Are there any Fhtagnists' rituals that...0