Akreli, within the imperial palace.
Preston stood solemnly in the grand hall, recounting every detail and every word of his meeting with Ang to the emperor seated upon the throne.
"Mm. You have worked hard. You may leave now." After listening quietly, the emperor showed not the slightest emotion and merely waved a hand.
"Yes, Father Emperor." Preston bowed, then slowly withdrew. His pace was unhurried, yet exceptionally steady.
Only after the palace doors slowly closed did the hall fall silent.
The emperor slowly raised a hand and stroked the throne's armrest. His gaze was profound, as though it had pierced through the heavy palace doors and fallen upon distant World City.
"Elijah," he said softly, his voice carrying a hint of probing, "do you think Marquis Ange... truly succeeded?"
Elijah, standing in attendance within the hall, bowed. "Your Majesty, I believe he truly did succeed."
"The reason Marquis Ange dared to risk forcibly breaking into the teleportation hall of the God-Demon Battlefield was precisely because he had obtained something that should have belonged to a Fourth-tier expert. Unless forced into a corner, he would never have gone that far."
"Tutatab..." The emperor softly repeated the unfamiliar, ancient name, his tone carrying a trace of emotion. "What an existence from the distant past."
Elijah raised his head, his eyes flickering as he lowered his voice. "Your Majesty, I know a little about Tutatab's origins."
"According to ancient rumors passed down in the God-Demon Battlefield, it was a fusion of fallen angels and Abyss Demons, a pawn planted by the Abyss Demons in their attempt to control Chaos Power."
The emperor's gaze sank slightly at those words. He slowly nodded. "If that is true, then the value of this thing is far beyond anything ordinary."
"However..." His tone shifted, and he