The western horizon was beginning to turn less dark. The sky in the direction had shown reddish tinge. The sun would be up soon.

  Jack sighed. He needed to rest. His human incarnation needed to rest. Even if it was just an hour.

  Tomorrow... or technically later when the night was back, he would spy them and see who among the suspects showed strange behaviors.

  And if that wasn't enough, his still-amateur Demon Puppet incarnation would act. His bizarre puppet, Sloth, should be able to get them the required information. Without attracting too much suspicion.

  Well, that one... or using his [Mysterious Anomaly] power to bring them to dream world and slowly guide them to reveal what they knew.

  "Time to pull back." Jack decided.

  He flew through the thinning shadows. Heading toward the Sapphire Grand Hotel where he and Reina stayed. He slipped through the window of their suite. The glass on the window offered no resistance to his intangible specter form.

  Rune followed him. Phasing through the window. She was accompanying him in her wisp form as usual.

  Inside, the room was warm. The scent of lavender coming from expensive room freshener lingered in the air.

  Reina was sprawled across the large bed. Her long black hair fanned out across the white pillows like an ink spill. She looked peaceful and beautiful. A nice change compared to the ugly faces of cultists and spies... The ones Jack had just been cataloging.

  Jack shifted back to his human form. The transition was instant and flowing. As if he had done this thousands of times. Which was probably quite accurate.

  Rune simultaneously shifted to her mechanical fairy form. She perched on the nightstand. Her energy wings were folded. And she glowed a soft, rhythmic grey hue. It was... her version of self-charging sleep.

  Jack sat softly on the edge of the bed.

  Reina stirred instantly. She didn't wake up like a normal person. She went from deep sleep to total alertness in a second. Her hand reflexively reached for the handguns she kept under the pillow. But then she realized it was him.

  Jack ignored her reaction and took out his shoes. Before laying down on the bed. Without even bothering to change his clothes. He had used to Reina's alertness and never tried to change it.

  "Dear?" She whispered. Her voice was husky with sleepy tone. She didn't get up. The warm blanket slid down slightly from her bare shoulders. "You seemed bothered. Anything you want to share?"

  "Yeah. But not now. Just let me sleep for an hour or two, Love." Jack said. Resting his head on the bed pillow. "We'll talk afterward."

  Reina rested her head on his chest. "Another trouble?"

  "It can wait." Jack said. "Let's just sleep now." He pulled her closer. The warmth of her body grounding him.

  Outside, the first rays of the sun were hitting the colorful glass windows of Sapphire City's Townhall Tower. Making the city glow with a deceptive, beautiful light. One that accompanied the couple back to the realm of dream.

  ...

  Several hours later, it was time for breakfast...

  The aroma of fried fish and roasted root vegetables slightly lifted Jack's spirits. He was sitting at the hotel's restaurant. A relatively private corner.

  He recounted his findings from the night before in low voice. The cursed coin, its sinister purpose, and the unsettling number of unsavory individuals lurking in the city's shadows.

  "So, we have a real, threatening ghost ship; a cursed artifact; and a city crawling with cultists and spies." Reina summarized in similarly low voice.

  Rune, floating nearby, nodded enthusiastically. She emitted pale green light. Approving Reina's summary.

  Reina's usual calm demeanor was now tinged with a sharp focus. She took a sip of her tea. Her eyes met his over the rim of the cup. "The one from Night Salvation you described just now. I've heard about him."

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  She explained further. "He should be Duke Starlight. He is... an artifact thief, basically. A notorious collector of artifacts. If he is here, there must be a valuable artifact he is interested in. Is he the one who planted the coin? Unlikely. The coin should be an artifact. If it was in his hand, he would never take it out. Even if the organization orders him."

  "What about the others?" Jack asked.

  "Any of them could do that. All of them are suspicious." Reina replied helplessly.

  Jack sighed. "Well, I suppose we have to wait until the sun set. I'll probably need to use my specter form earlier tonight."

  "Why do you need to wait for nightfall to investigate further?"

  Jack shrugged. "It's safer and more effective that way."

  "Safer, perhaps." Reina conceded. "But it's not necessarily more effective, Dear. You encountered the Undeath Sect warlocks late at night right? Almost morning? And they were still awake?"

  He nodded.

  "They are nocturnal then. They'll sleep during the day." Reina concluded.

  "Or insomniac." Jack countered.

  Reina shrugged. "We can check that. In a city this crowded, a couple exploring the docks is less suspicious than a specter haunting the alleys after midnight."

  Jack considered her words. She was right. Her logic was sound. There was no need to wait. They could investigate anytime. With his [Mysterious Anomaly] power and Reina's illusion magic, day or night didn't actually matter.

  "Alright, Love." He decided. "One breakfast and a quick bath, then we go on the offensive."

  ...

  Jack, Reina, and Rune had reached their destination. The tavern near the docks, called the 'Salty Siren'.

  However, it was closed and silent.

  Jack used his enhanced senses. He could smell the salty tang of the sea mingled with the stale odor of cheap ale. But that was not the highlight. The interesting thing was that his enhanced hearing picked up the faint, rhythmic breathing of a single person within.

  There was only a single person inside. And that someone was asleep upstairs.

  "Someone is asleep upstairs." Jack murmured in a low hum. One that only Reina next to him could truly perceive. "Let's see if that one could give us information. Cover us with your illusion, Love."

  As Reina made use of her illusion power, Jack focused the telekinetic tendril of his [Mysterious Anomaly] power onto the back door's lock. Under the telekinetic power. it wasn't that hard. The lock clicked open easily. Unable to hinder the supernatural invasion.

  "After you, Love..." Jack said. A faint smile was on his lips as he gestured for her to enter. Daytime trespassing outside his specter form was quite... exciting for him.

  Inside, the air was thick and still. They moved with practiced silence. The sound of their footsteps seemed to be absorbed by the worn floorboards and staircase.

  Upstairs, a lone figure snored softly. The sound echoed faintly in the cramped room. It was the tavern owner. A portly man with a greasy apron carelessly draped over his sleeping form.

  Jack quickly made a decision. He used his [Incarnation Shift]. Transforming into a small figure no taller than a child's doll. With a carved pumpkin head, a pointed wizard hat, and a high-collared mantle. He was now Jack Lantern, the Devil Puppet.

  As he transformed, Rune also shifted her form. She was no longer a mechanical fairy now. She had completely turned into a floating tiny lantern.

  Reina looked at the two with amusement in her face. The puppet and its lantern seemed more 'cute and cuddly' than scary after all.

  Jack focused on his plan. In this form, his class was the Bizarre Puppeteer. A class that allowed him to summon and manipulate the bizarre puppets he had created.

  "Sloth!" Jack called with a whisper. The words resonated with an odd, hollow quality.

  A black, polished pearl appeared out of nowhere. It formed a shimmering distortion in the air. Then, it transformed into a creature that looked like a plush toy.

  It was a plump, round baby panda. Its fur was a bizarre mix of dark crimson and vibrant yellow. It was Sloth, Jack's bizarre puppet specializing in sleep-related abilities.

  Jack weaved an unseen mental command. Sloth, in its sleepy characteristics, trundled across the floor. Its soft paws made no sound. It moved unsteadily and positioned itself near the sleeping man's head.

  Jack instructed it mentally to activate [Drowsy Aura]. The panda puppet's eyes began to glow with a faint, pulsating indigo light. A wave of strange energy washed over the tavern owner. Deepening his slumber. His snores grew less frequent. His breathing becoming even more profound.

  Next, Jack activated Sloth's other peculiar ability... [Dreamy Truth]. The panda's eyes glowed brighter. In light purple color this time. And a soft, melodic hum emanated from it.

  The tavern owner began to murmur in his sleep. His words were slurring and incoherent.

  "The two men." Jack floated closer and prompted. His pumpkin head tilting. "Your customers. The two sitting in the corner. The thin skinny man with flat nose and the heavy set man with weird goatee. The ones who smell like a dead body. Where do they go when they aren't drinking in your tavern?"

  The bartender's voice was a monotone mumble. "The... Gray Goose Motel. Room four and five. They pay Old Goose too much. They tell him to shut the doors and keep the watchmen away. They're waiting for the green fog. They say the queen is coming."

  Jack got more than he asked for. "What queen?"

  "They say the lonely queen. They are delusional. They say the city will burn in ghost fire so the souls can be harvested."

  ...

  "Bartender is indeed a gold mine of information." Jack muttered.

  He manipulated Sloth's aura. Granting the bartender a nice, deep sleep for his information. So deep that he wouldn't wake up for at least another six hours.

  Jack floated back to Reina. "The Gray Goose. I remember that place. It's just a few blocks away from here." Jack said.

  Reina grabbed him and hugged him as if he was a real plushie. "Just stay like this for now, Dear. I'll carry you there like this."

  "I'm not a doll, Love." Jack grunted.

  "I know. But you're too cute like this." Reina grinned. Her arms were still hugging him tightly. "I'll handle what people would see. Let's go, Dear."