Thud—

Anthony couldn't help but swallow hard.

It's the second time he's seen Costate take action, the previous instance being during their escape from the Frank Manor.

Twice in a row!

Miss Costate is demonstrating increasingly powerful abilities.

If he barely understood her strength back at the manor, this time is entirely different.

Near-perfect magic concealment, quickly summoning a storm of unimaginable power, and meticulous spell control.

Especially now!

The strong wind that had just effortlessly destroyed the ship was now carrying seven people unharmed. Just what kind of training has honed such precise control over power?

Anthony found it difficult to comprehend this reality.

Even if she was an absolute powerhouse from [Grid], this far exceeded his understanding of the mystical side.

As for those captured by Costate.

They felt even more despair.

For those still conscious, the sense of helplessness in the storm was fresh in their minds. Exhausted as they were, they dared not even entertain the thought of struggling.

"Sir, I've captured them all." Costate stepped forward, bowing as usual.

"Well done." Ronald didn't stint on encouraging the maid.

Costate couldn't help but smile as she released the air constraints, placing the members of the [Nine Commandments Meetup] on the ground.

Ronald remained motionless.

But the pitch-black fog of Hell was already crawling from the ground, winding around the seven people, forming ropes that tightly bound their skin.

Judging by the fog's density, it certainly couldn't restrict people's movements.

But for these [Nine Commandments Meetup] casters...

"Hell, Hell's black mist!"

"Ronald, it's Ronald Adler of history!"

"How could you appear here, it's impossible!"

Someone instantly recognized the spell from the "Divine Comedy" and thus deduced Ronald's identity.

Compared to the southern continent's casters' ignorance of Ronald.

Ronald Adler's name is absolutely renowned within the [Nine Commandments Meetup]. Just seeing the signature spell made them recognize Ronald's identity.

Seeing this, Ronald straightforwardly removed his disguise and revealed his true face:

"Since you know this, there's no need for further explanation."

"..."

Ronald made just a tiny gesture.

But to the [Nine Commandments Meetup], it brought immense fear.

They had merely imagined the worst-case scenario, but when the man in disguise peeled off, it truly was Ronald.

The shock was too intense!

Yet even so, these [Nine Commandments Meetup] casters dared not move.

They knew from internal intelligence about Ronald's powerful fog magic.

At this moment, forget resisting physically, even a thought would instantly meet the spell's criteria and lead to death.

The casters of [Nine Commandments Meetup] wore solemn expressions.

They desperately controlled their emotions, hoping the entwining black mist wouldn't claim their lives.

"..."

"Heh—"

Seeing this group in front of him in awe, Ronald chuckled softly.

This reaction indicated they understood the power of his Hell's black mist.

Moreover, in terms of emotional control, they were indeed quite exceptional, not inferior to those professionally trained.

But they didn't know that Ronald had completed the "Divine Comedy" and could now interfere with human emotions.

As long as he mobilized the original sin to interfere.

No matter how much they controlled themselves, they would ultimately lose control and fulfill the attack requirements of the "Divine Comedy - Hell Chapter." If Ronald manipulated precisely, he could even customize a specific ability for them.

With a subtle emotion, Ronald began to ask:

"Tell me, what's the deal with this relic, why do you value it so much?"

Ronald skipped the threats and other procedures.

For the [Nine Commandments Meetup] people, it was indeed unnecessary; they were long-standing foes who understood each other well.

Thus, after Ronald spoke, the several people glanced at each other.

Eventually, a middle-aged man was forced to speak:

"We can't possibly answer—ah!"

A pitch-black blade pierced through the man's chest.

Ronald had drawn the Sword of Saint Catherine, directly piercing the man's chest.

Without any delay, he followed Catherine's teachings, locking the mind-controlling power onto another conscious caster from the [Nine Commandments Meetup].

"..."

The sage's bestowed power crushed human sanity.

The man with the pierced chest fell to the ground, while the controlled man's eyes instantly emptied, answering Ronald's questions:

"We've found a church ruin here."

"Before the Dark Age, it was an important church location, which vanished amid the confrontation with casters."

"Upon investigation, this place remained well-preserved due to spell protection, containing a large amount of highly valuable resources, including original texts from both sides of the battle back then."

Ronald had previously learned about this history in [Grid].

Before the mystical side took the lead, the church also had a history of ruling the world, during which casters were even persecuted and lived miserable lives.

The island relic before him was surprisingly a church site from that era.

Indeed, it holds significant value beyond expectations.

Ronald's demeanor turned more serious as he continued to inquire:

"What have you found in the relic, and what is the status?"

The caster, controlled by the sage's bestowed power, straightforwardly said:

"Three original texts, plenty of magical weapons and items, and deep-level spell research materials. Most have been transported to the continent; here, there's one original text and varying quantities of resources."

This matched the intelligence provided by the Frank Manor; the man's answers were correct.

Ronald analyzed briefly, then continued to press:

"What's the specific personnel arrangement below? How much do you know about them?"

The caster from the [Nine Commandments Meetup] continued to answer honestly:

"The president sent seven original text holders to explore the relic below."

"My identity is ordinary, and I can't ascertain their actual capabilities. But during the boat ride to the island, I learned that Mr. Yalek's original text has close ties with the sea."

An original text holder whose abilities are linked to the sea.

Ronald stood up, gazing around—an island far from the mainland, surrounded by sea water.

If the opponent fully masters an original text related to sea water, it would certainly cause him considerable trouble.

This is an inevitable result brought about by the combination of timing and location.

"..."

"Do they have measures to monitor the ground?"

After asking, Ronald heard a rather unwelcome result—

"Lord Yalek's spells can sense the changes in the sea water; he will be here soon."