After a long while, the spatial blades that had raged within the protective barrier gradually receded. Eventually, everything returned to a state of calm, balanced by the spatial equilibrium, revealing a devastated landscape.
Scars of the sharp blades marred the ground everywhere, and even a slight proximity allowed one to faintly perceive a subtle ripple of spatial energy.
Ao Yu glanced at Li Jia, who remained motionless, cross-legged in the center. ‘Had she fainted?’
The surging magic within her was like a rebellious child. The more one tried to control it, the more fiercely it would resist, but now, freed from restraint, it had naturally quieted down.
It seemed this young girl would be unable to leave this place until she had complete mastery over the magic within her. This was for her own good, and for the safety of the populace.
He pulled out his phone, then… tucked it back away. ‘I forgot there’s no signal down here. I’ll deal with it once I’m outside.’
****
In the heart of Magic City, Aya Tone and Aya Jiu stared blankly at the dense throng of people, instinctively turning away, unwilling to face such a purgatory. ‘Isn’t it the weekend today?’ Aya Tone grumbled inwardly. ‘Why are there still so many people…’
“Daddy, there are so many people! You absolutely mustn’t let go!” Her small hands gripped Aya Tone’s neck tightly, refusing to loosen her hold for anything. ‘With this many people, if I fall, I’ll be swept away!’
“Heh, Daddy’s scared too,” Aya Tone said, licking his slightly dry lips.
He risked another glance. ‘Oh my god, my trypophobia is acting up.’ Everywhere his gaze landed, a surging sea of heads stretched into the distance. ‘So scary.’
Aya Tone buried his face deep into his daughter’s small chest.
Big White: “…”
‘Didn’t you say you wanted to come and experience the prosperity of Magic City?’ Big White mused. ‘Now that you’re here, you’re unhappy. Truly difficult to please.’
Nonetheless, Big White offered a reminder, “Master, not far from here is the Azure Dragon Guild. Shall we go?”
“Huh!?” Aya Tone abruptly lifted his head. “No,” he declared. ‘He was just an ordinary person now; what business did he have at an adventurer’s guild?’
But it was clear that Aya Jiu, nestled in his arms, didn’t share his sentiment. “Guild? Good, good, good! I want to go play!” Her large eyes sparkled with excitement, making her forget the panic from moments before, and her small hands cupped Aya Tone’s face. Their eyes met. ‘Go, go!’ In the blink of an eye, Aya Tone surrendered.
“Yes, yes, yes, we’ll go together.”
“Yay~!”
Gazing at his excited daughter, Aya Tone, filled with unspoken bitterness, could only glare fiercely back at Big White. ‘This is what you get for suggesting such a terrible idea.’
Big White, however, was unfazed. It prioritized the Young Master’s feelings over the Master’s. ‘The Master? Not really acquainted.’
****
Having ascertained Li Jia’s condition, Ao Yu swiftly departed the underground training space. With the spatial protective barrier in place, even if Li Jia were to awaken and her magic went wild again, it wouldn’t cause significant damage. It would merely consume a few more magic crystals, which he could simply collect from Fire Finch later.
The Azure Dragon Armor he wore allowed him to immediately understand Li Jia’s physical condition. For the time being, Li Jia would be unable to control the magic within her. Naturally, he couldn’t remain guarding her indefinitely during this period. As the Guild Master, countless matters required his decisive judgment.
The output of dungeons, casualties among personnel, and the allocation of staff needed for newly emerging dungeons—all required his review as Guild Master.
Compared to Fire Finch, Ao Yu truly embodied the qualities of a Guild Master.
Within Yan’an City, Fire Finch was sitting in the Guild Master’s office, a freshly ordered snack in her hand. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, as if someone were secretly slandering her behind her back.
She slightly shifted her posture, then continued binge-watching her show.
****
“Wow! Daddy, look! Such a huge wall, and it’s a screen!”
As Ao Yu stepped out of the elevator, he heard a familiar voice. ‘No way…’ With a flicker of uncertainty, he followed the sound, and indeed, in front of the quest board, he spotted a little cutie.
“Hm?” Aya Jiu, sensing something, instinctively turned her head. Their eyes met instantly. Her large eyes blinked, and her small canine teeth peeked out slightly.
“Wow! It’s Uncle Ao!” Seeing the uncle from this morning, Aya Jiu exclaimed in delighted surprise.
Ao Yu’s steps faltered, and then he spotted Aya Tone not far away.
‘Why did you bring your daughter here?’
Receiving his brother’s questioning gaze, Aya Tone shrugged helplessly. ‘His daughter insisted on coming; what else could he do?’
****
In the lounge. “Thank you,” Aya Tone said, accepting the drink from the service attendant with a customary thanks. His gaze then settled on Ao Yu, who sat directly opposite him.
“How is the situation?”
Ao Yu naturally understood what he was referring to. “With me there, of course, there were no issues. She perfectly absorbed the energy from the fruit and successfully underwent her transformation. It’s just… she might need some time to adapt.” He then detailed the unstable state of Li Jia’s internal magic.
“That’s good,” Aya Tone sighed in relief.
Having never experienced an ability transformation himself, he couldn’t offer Li Jia much assistance in this regard. Uncontrolled magic was a minor issue, one he understood intimately. When activating the power of the heart, if the magic within his body couldn’t be released, the sensation of his body swelling was indeed unpleasant. However, if she could tame that sudden surge of magic and make it her own, it would be no less than a second transformation for Li Jia.
“Then I’ll go back and inform the Guild Master. I’ll leave Li Jia in your care, big brother.”
Ao Yu waved a dismissive hand. “No need to be so polite.”
“I haven’t really suffered any loss,” Ao Yu continued, “in fact, I’ve gained quite a bit. That fruit wasn’t of much use to me anyway. After collecting it, I would have had to hand it over to the state, then it would be given to a suitable person to consume. The back-and-forth would have been my responsibility. How troublesome. Like this, giving the item to my younger brother as a favor, and the young girl turned out to be exceptionally promising. An S-rank spatial ability user was undoubtedly a strategic talent. Even if those old fogeys knew I had arbitrarily given away an S-rank fruit, they would have to acknowledge it.”
“Sigh, with Li Jia’s promotion to S-rank, who knows where she’ll be assigned?” Aya Tone mused. “My useful little subordinate is gone.” The thought of Li Jia no longer being able to accompany him on dungeon crawls left Aya Tone feeling a little dejected.
“Speaking of which, I have an idea.” Ao Yu sat up straight, his gaze sweeping around the room, yet he still felt uneasy. He lightly tapped the table with his finger, and a layer of spatial ripples enveloped the two of them, gently undulating before merging back into the space, restoring tranquility. To outsiders, everything appeared as before. In reality, the space they occupied had detached from reality.
“I plan to hide that girl away,” Ao Yu explained. “An S-rank spatial ability user operating in the shadows is far more intimidating than one openly visible.”
The recent discovery of spies compelled him to act with utmost caution. If not for their increasingly reckless behavior, it would have been truly difficult to uncover their tracks. After all, no one would ever suspect that ‘leaders’ who held high positions in daily life, seemingly without any combat prowess, could hide so profoundly.
Aya Tone understood this point as well. “But many people saw us go in together last night; it’s hard not to arouse suspicion.”
“You can rest assured about that,” Ao Yu replied. “They are all my people and will absolutely not utter a single word they shouldn’t.” Those entrusted with guarding S-rank dungeons were, naturally, completely trustworthy confidantes.