West District, Elven Merchant Association headquarters.
Top-floor office.
Grand Elder Elvin stood by the window in his nightclothes. In his hand was a cracked crystal ball—the sensor for the Merchant Association's most vital "Spirit Pool." Just moments ago, the thing had snapped cleanly in two.
The door was pushed open.
Talia and Violet rushed in.
"Grand Elder!" Talia had not even changed out of her work uniform. "The Spirit Pool exploded!"
"I saw." Elvin tossed the crystal ball onto the desk.
"The people downstairs said a terrifying surge just came through and burned out the sensor's circuits directly." Violet stamped her foot anxiously. "Grand Elder, were you testing some new spell again?"
Elvin turned to look at the two Magic Forgers.
"Testing my ass! I haven't even touched the workbench these past few days!"
Talia froze.
"It wasn't you? Then who was it?"
In the entire Free City-State, Elvin was the only known fourth-rank.
"How the hell would I know?!" Elvin's beard practically stood on end. "That surge was incredibly brief. Even I only caught its tail end. But one thing is certain—someone has definitely broken through to the fourth rank!"
Talia and Violet exchanged a glance.
"Another fourth-rank?"
"And this surge is a little strange." Elvin pondered. "It doesn't feel like just one person."
"Then how many people was it?"
"Hard to say. It feels like three different auras were mixed into that aetheric fluctuation." Elvin waved a hand. "Impossible. Who could break through to the fourth rank three at a time? This isn't a market where you buy cabbages by the bunch."
"What direction?" Talia asked.
"East."
Talia thought for a moment.
"Ginkgo Alley is over there."
Elvin glanced at her.
"You mean Su Li? Impossible. He only just reached the peak of the third rank. Even with