Under the tranquil shade of the tall trees, a small boat glides peacefully on the water's surface, where the lake reflects the sky and tree shadows, resembling a beautiful and vibrant green amber.

A few leaves float across the water's surface, and occasionally, flying birds skim the water, snatching small fish, the process tranquil and natural.

Continuously descending through the clear lake water, at a depth of more than ten meters, a grand banquet hall separated by a transparent dome is brightly lit, with beautiful waiters weaving among the guests, serving the distinguished visitors gathered there.

Beside this underwater building, resembling a large sleeping lotus, there are interconnected auxiliary buildings, artfully arranged at the lake's bottom, like carefully set gemstones in the water.

At this moment, in one of these small flower bud buildings, various differently dressed logistics staff hurriedly bustle, busy preparing all kinds of delicious delicacies, as well as various drinks separately ordered by the guests. In a small room beside the corridor, two middle-aged men are currently altering their appearances rapidly in front of a mirror. Clearly looking like they were in their forties or fifties just a few minutes ago, they quickly transform into young men in their twenties with the help of various magical tools.

"I haven't used this technique for almost 20 years, and today it feels a bit rusty." The man with black hair applies a special foundation under his eyes, finishing his makeup to align the complexion of his face, neck, and hands without being too conspicuous.

"Prince, you're definitely getting old, now you can only disguise yourself as a young man around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. Any younger, and those High Rank Extraordinary Ones wouldn't be fooled." The man next to him, doing the same, teased.

"I remember it was our fourth collaboration; you dressed as a suave seventeen-year-old Magician, charming countless young ladies at the banquet. I was so envious then. Now, you probably can't resume that status." They spoke of past events.

"You have no right to judge me. Also, this name you chose, 'Adam Emi,' where did it even come from?" After dealing with his face and hands, the black-haired man began tidying the items in front of him.

"It's not from some unlucky fellow, but rather the alias I've been using within this organization for sixteen years now."

"Sixteen years can accomplish many things. I'm surprised; haven't you uncovered their true nature in these sixteen years?" Prince believed that his companion, once a top-notch agency operative, had dealt with countless sensational cases, infiltrating a gray area organization should be no problem for him.

After finishing the disguise, the man gazed at the handsome youth in his twenties in the mirror, slightly smoothing his chestnut short hair, then replied, "You know, there are many extraordinary abilities in this world that can't be concealed simply through technical means."

"As I've told you before, this church organization is extremely secretive, far exceeding other underground dark forces. They even forego using electronic networks for communication and data storage to maintain confidentiality."

"In the past sixteen years, I tried to uncover the truth behind that test tube, following the thread to make contact with them, and then spent a ton of energy and time reluctantly joining them as an outer circle member."

"This isn't a simple church. Their hierarchy possesses mind reading abilities similar to a Songstress, rendering lies useless in their presence. Furthermore, this church is extremely skilled in psychological research, with numerous hypnotists and professionals internally. Their true core members are all personally groomed from a young age and don't recruit outsiders for promotions."

"During these sixteen years, I've also experienced several dangerous situations, almost being discovered by some members. Later, I barely got by using some 'treasures' left from the past."

"Now, I can't rashly test anymore, so I need your cooperation."

"According to my speculation, even the elite from the Court of Judgment would find it challenging to locate the real core within this mysterious organization."

"Their core members are exceptionally devout, one could say they possess a spirit of self-sacrifice, and they're not zealots blinded by fanaticism but are extraordinarily rational. If science were a religion, they'd probably be members of a sect."

"Why do you consider such an organization the culprit behind the destruction of civilization? How do they possess such capacity, and how do they guide the world towards the demise you speak of?" Prince finished sorting out at this point.

"There's too much complexity to explain." The man beside sighed.

"Like a butterfly flapping its wings lightly upstream in time, causing a great storm downstream."

"They are a well-disciplined organization, capable of dedicating several generations' effort and time to a single objective, and the successors won't forget the mission left by their predecessors, still committing to it."

"This makes their actions like deep-undercurrent movements at the bottommost layer, slowly and incredibly patiently guiding world changes."

"If you still can't understand, let me explain further."

"Suppose you know a girl who will become a Songstress in the future, and you want her to work for you. The best method isn't to entice or coerce after she's famous, but rather to subtly shape her thoughts and perspectives towards your expectations through various tangible and intangible events from her youth. This way, even after she's grown up, if you never contact her again or lose connection, the influence still exists and effortlessly aligns her actions with your goals, fulfilling your expectations."

"Tsk-tsk, such a method strangely agrees with my taste, unfortunately, I'm just one person, unable to complete such grand layouts and influences."

"So, did they control a Songstress, then? That should be quite a challenging task, since before awakening, no one knows a Songstress' talent, and once awakened, she's surrounded by Judgment's spies and Patrol Officers, mechanisms specifically left by Emuralin to safeguard the Songstresses."

"Indeed, controlling a Songstress is difficult, but influencing certain established high-ranking individuals is much easier."

"A politician's children often tread similar paths, as long as their offspring can be influenced."

"Besides, when a Songstress becomes famous and matures, do you think she still stays at the grassroots and lives among ordinary people?"

"Hardly ever. They inevitably come into contact with heirs of various large groups or political aristocracy. Although not a firsthand influence, people tend to assimilate naturally when mingling with certain groups for extended periods."

"Hold on, are you sure this is feasible? With even a rudimentary understanding of mathematics, you'd know the enormous scale and manpower required; it's not something a gray organization could conceal so easily."

"Moreover, even when influencing thoughts in childhood, they can't contradict their real-life experiences as humans change, and the variability introduced by different experiences is enormous." Prince shook his head; being a psychology expert, he understood the difficulty involved.

"Influencing everyone isn't necessary, Prince, just addressing several critical points and identifying breakthroughs is enough, and as I mentioned, they have many skilled in telepathy and hypnosis internally."

"This world is vast, but the number of people who truly determine its direction is few, and Songstresses are among those at the very top. Their ultimate goal is to utilize Songstresses to achieve hidden objectives."

"Sounds quite sinister." Prince headed towards the exit, ready to enter the busy kitchen corridor.

"But they consider themselves truly kind and particularly noble and grand." The companion also finished wiping the water stains from the table.

"Evil, or rather selfishness and greed, is hard to transcend life and death's terror, so the power generated by it often has limits."

"But goodness isn't, the loftier and grander the ideal, the more it appeals to those genuinely devout and fearless, carrying the most beautiful intentions to accomplish undertakings beyond common comprehension."

"Yet, who defines 'goodness,' who guides it, thus, this so-called 'goodness' eventually becomes an accomplice to certain despairing scenes."

"It took me many years to comprehend the meaning behind that prophecy, which is also why I regret now."

"One day, you'll understand me, Prince, and also—" he softly murmured that name.

"Tilan"