"Master, morning." Su Li pulled over a chair, sat down naturally, and propped the broad-bladed greatsword in his hand against the table leg.
Talia slapped the guiding needle onto the table. "Morning my ass! The entire eastern district was like a boiling pot last night. The spirit pool destroyed seventeen sensors, and the Grand Elder called all of us in for a meeting in the middle of the night. I've been up until now."
Su Li took a bite of his meat pie. "What happened?"
"Someone broke through to the fourth tier." Talia rubbed her temples. "And the fluctuation was outrageously abnormal. The Grand Elder suspects it wasn't one person, but several. The entire merchant association is tightly suppressing the news now, terrified of offending those old monsters."
Su Li swallowed his meat pie and looked at her seriously.
"Forget the old monsters, Master. Teach me something new today."
Talia shot him an irritated glare. "Teach you what? You've memorized all the first- and second-tier circuits, and with that suicidal infusion method of yours, you can manage third-tier runes too. I've got nothing left to teach you."
"Teach me fourth-tier runes."
The workshop fell deathly silent.
Talia picked up a metal ruler from the table and smacked Su Li directly on the head.
"What kind of dream are you having in broad daylight?!"
Su Li covered his head and scooted half a meter back. "How is that dreaming? I learn fast."
"Is this a matter of learning fast?!" Talia shot to her feet, braced both hands on the tabletop, and stared at him with utmost gravity. "Fourth-tier runes aren't drawings! They need an enormous amount of extremely pure aether to support every turning point!"
She held out a finger and pointed it at Su Li.
"In the entire Free City-State,