Golden Palm Beach Club.

It was one of the most famous aristocratic clubs in the Bay Area.

While ordinary people might not know of it, it was extremely well-known among the nobility.

One had to pay a quarterly membership fee of 500 to 1,000 gold pounds just to become a member.

The information circulating among the aristocracy was also quite simple.

The Golden Palm Beach Club possessed an inconceivable Extraordinary Power.

Extraordinary Power was so rare that even nobles had to spend a fortune for a mere hope of obtaining it.

And recently, there was the "Rat Plague" incident in Ogrande City, caused by the Rat King deep underground.

Then there was the "Horror Evil Spirit" that drifted through the skies of Ogrande City.

All of this caused tales of the Extraordinary to grow more and more intense in Ogrande City.

And the despair and helplessness of ordinary people when faced with an Extraordinary disaster was plain to see.

This only made the nobles of Ogrande City all the more desperate to acquire the mysterious "Extraordinary Power."

Naturally, rumors of the "Golden Palm Beach Club" secretly harboring Extraordinary Power led to more and more nobles learning of it, and even joining.

But merely joining the club was not enough; one also had to demonstrate sufficient "piety."

By a window in the fifth-floor hall.

Sun Divine Mage Uriah Sisi looked out the window, his brow slightly furrowed.

Steam-powered automobiles and horse-drawn carriages passed by on the street from time to time.

The crowds were neither large nor small, and the attire of many passersby immediately marked them as gentlemen and ladies of high society.

The street was clean and tidy, with even police officers from the precinct maintaining order.

It was a scene befitting a high-end, affluent community—a picture of natural harmony.

But Uriah felt something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

"Lord Vice Bishop Uriah."

Just then, a clear voice rang out.

Uriah turned to see Evil Spirit Divine Mage Francis approaching.

Both of them were of the Divine Mage Sequence.

When Francis had first joined the Sun Church, Uriah had even mentored him for a time.

The two of them were on good terms.

Francis wore a gentle smile, exuding a sunny and cheerful disposition.

His golden hair and golden eyes, along with the radiant smile on his face, always gave off a positive and upbeat impression.

"Everyone is discussing fascinating tales of the sea. It’s very interesting."

"The love between a mermaid who learned human language and a castaway sailor, the beautiful songs of sea sirens rising and falling on the waves, the mysterious island at the center of the Earth where ancient humans lived... and if a suitable island is found, one could even start a plantation. Everything about the ocean is truly captivating."

"Also..."

He paused.

"I noticed you’ve been standing here for a long time. Are you pondering something?"

Uriah’s brow twitched slightly.

’Have I been here for a long time?’ he thought. ’I thought I’d only been standing here for a moment.’

Francis faltered for a second.

"It’s been almost an hour. Would you call that a short while?"

But he didn’t dwell on this minor point.

"I’ve been having some minor issues with casting my Divine Arts. I was hoping you could offer some guidance and advice."

Slightly agitated, Uriah ignored Francis’s question and instead pointed outside.

"Do you feel that something is off outside?"

"Off outside?"

Francis couldn’t help but look outside.

The street outside was clean, the sunlight was bright, and a few pedestrians ambled along the sidewalks. Everything seemed gentle and natural.

He thought carefully for a moment, then frowned slightly.

"Lord Uriah, it seems like... maybe there is, but maybe there isn’t."

Uriah took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"That’s precisely the problem."

"I can clearly feel that something is wrong, but..."

He moved closer to the glass, trying to draw the world outside into his pupils.

"I just can’t find it!"

Drawn in by his question, Francis looked out the window at the world beyond once more.

"Perhaps... it’s because it’s a little too quiet outside!"

Francis said casually.

Too quiet?

In an instant, a clap of thunder roared deep within the soul of Sun Divine Mage Uriah Sisi.

"Yes... too quiet. It’s too quiet outside!"

As he looked outside again,

Uriah’s heart trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale.

"Outside..."

His lips trembled as cold sweat streamed down his face.

"It’s terrifyingly quiet!"

"Also, the Sun... the Sun’s position is wrong!"

Although the scene outside remained as quiet and natural as ever,

in Uriah’s eyes, there was now only endless terror.

He stiffly turned his head away, wrenching his gaze from the distorted world outside.

"Go!"

He headed for the inner hall without looking back.

"Where are we going?"

Having not held his Sequence for long and lacking experience with brutal Extraordinary events, Francis had yet to realize the gravity of the situation.

But he followed nonetheless.

"To see Lord Bishop Yula!"

"But Lord Bishop Yula is not to be disturbed right now."

"That was before. Now it’s fine!"

Sun Divine Mage Uriah Sisi forcefully pushed open the doors to the inner hall.

"RUSTLE... RUSTLE..."

As soon as he entered, Uriah heard a strange sound, like insects Climbing on his eardrums.

When he saw the situation in the inner hall clearly,

he held his breath slightly and silently stepped to the side.

Following behind him, Francis’s gaze swept across the hall, his expression instantly turning much more solemn.