The first rays of morning sun pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the ruins of East City’s East District.
Rubble, bloodstains, and scorched craters.
The five bodies had already been cleared away, leaving only dark red stains on the ground that glinted like rust in the morning light.
The patrol team kept their distance, surrounding the area with a cordon. No one dared to approach.
The lingering traces of a dark purple Curse still sizzled in the cracks between the stone slabs, occasionally erupting in a tiny burst of black flame.
"Last night, here..."
A young guard swallowed hard, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword.
"Several High Level Wizards died!"
The old captain crouched down, rubbed his fingertip on a scorched mark, and brought it to his nose.
The faint smell of sulfur mixed with the stench of decaying blood.
He stood up and gazed toward the distant Time Trace Tower, the wrinkles on his face deepening.
"It’s always like this during the family succession. I just hope... it doesn’t spill over to us small folk."
***
At the same moment.
In the west of the city, at Edwin’s private estate.
BANG!
A crystal cup smashed violently against the wall, sending shards and amber-colored liquid flying everywhere.
"Useless!"
Edwin’s chest heaved violently. The collar of his dark red Long Robe was torn open, revealing a hideous scar beneath.
He glared at Grover, who was kneeling before him, his eyes shot with blood.
"Seven men, and five of them are dead. How dare you show your face and run back here?!"
Grover was on one knee, his left arm wrapped in thick bandages from which blood seeped through.
He kept his head down, his voice hoarse.
"Young Master, it wasn’t just Aidele... She had two Level Two Bloodline Refining Body Wizards with her."
He paused, his throat dry.
"The bloodline fluctuations from those two... were identical to Aidele’s."
Edwin’s breath caught. "Identical?"
He slowly turned and walked to the window, his fingers digging into the frame.
The wooden window frame groaned as if it were about to break.
’This is... a stably produced Tier Two Bloodline Potion?’
His voice was low, as if squeezed through his teeth.
He knew all too well what this meant.
Behind him, Grover continued his report, each word punctuated by a heavy gasp.
"Last night, Morris also escaped, but he was heavily injured. He used his last Shadow Escape Blood Talisman."
"The Potions Delia was retrieving... we couldn’t intercept them."
Edwin closed his eyes, feeling as if magma was churning in his chest.
Seven Level Two Wizards, all his men. Two of them were core assets he had cultivated for decades.
In a single night, he had lost five.
What was more terrifying... Aidele’s strength had far exceeded everyone’s expectations.
"She hid it too well... No, it’s that damned Magic Potion Alchemist."
Edwin’s eyes snapped open, lightning flashing in their depths.
"Go contact our third brother."
He turned around, all the rage on his face gone, replaced by an icy killing intent.
"Tell him, the previous conditions... I accept."
Grover looked up, astonishment flashing in his eyes.
"Young Master, you mean..."
"A full alliance."
Edwin cut him off, his voice terrifyingly calm.
"Before she can fully mature... we have to crush her. Otherwise, in two years, it will be our turn to die."
***
In the East District, at Adrian’s Potion Workshop.
In the underground chamber, the smell of medicinal herbs was thick and choking.
Morris lay on a stone slab, his chest wrapped in bandages soaked with a medicinal liquid.
His face was ashen, and every breath came with a wet, rattling sound, like a worn-out bellows.
Adrian stood by the stone slab, his slender fingers holding a dark purple Potion.
The liquid flowed slowly inside the tube, and tiny, worm-like shadows could be seen squirming in its depths.
"Ever since that Magic Potion Alchemist showed up... Xiaoqi’s power has changed drastically."
Morris began to speak, his voice so hoarse it was nearly inaudible.
"The Bloodline Potions he’s Refining... the purity is too high."
He started coughing, and bloody foam seeped from beneath his bandages.
"Those two with Aidele... are definitely not ordinary Tier Two Bloodlines."
Adrian said nothing, simply injecting the Potion slowly into Morris’s vein.
As the Potion entered his body, Morris shuddered, and dark purple patterns appeared on the surface of his skin.
The patterns spread like a spiderweb, finally converging on his chest and slowly enveloping the gruesome fist-shaped imprint there.
"I saw it with my own eyes. They are indeed not ordinary."
Adrian withdrew his hand, took out a silk handkerchief, and began wiping his fingers with deliberate slowness.
His movements were elegant, but his eyes were as cold as frost.
"Which is why... we can’t let her develop any further."
The chamber door was pushed open, and a Steward in a gray robe hurried in. He bowed and presented an encrypted letter.
Adrian took it and swiped his fingertip lightly across the sealing Rune.
The parchment unrolled, revealing only a single line of text.
"Tomorrow at noon, the usual place. --Edwin"
He stared at the line of text for three seconds, and the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.
"Finally... couldn’t sit still any longer, could he?"
’Last night, he had only sent Morris to participate in the ambush. His losses weren’t significant.’
’If Edwin wants to be the one in charge, he shouldn’t come crying when he takes a loss.’
He held the parchment to a candle flame. The fire flared, and the paper turned to Ashes.
The Ashes drifted down, settling in a thin layer on the Stone Slab.
...
No. 12 Golden Oak Street.
A faint smell of blood and the fresh scent of herbs filled the underground Laboratory.
Delia was leaning back in a soft chair by the lab bench, the wound on her shoulder freshly bandaged.
Beneath the bandage, a light green ointment was slowly seeping into her flesh, repairing the damaged meridians.
Her face was still pale, but her breathing had stabilized.
Aidele stood before her, holding the wooden box she had brought back from the Old Lane.
The box was open, revealing twenty milky-white Neutralizing Potions arranged in neat rows.
They glowed with a soft, gentle light under the Crystal Stone Lamp.
"Was it worth it?" Delia suddenly asked, her voice soft.
Aidele’s fingers paused. She looked up. "What?"
"For these Potions, you exposed Carl and Coraline."
Delia looked at her, her dark brown eyes filled with worry.
"Those two... they were supposed to be your final trump card."
Aidele was silent for a moment, then held one of the Potions up to her eyes.
Through the wall of the Crystal Tube, she could see tiny silver specks deep within the liquid, like a miniature galaxy sealed inside.
"A trump card is a trump card..."
she said softly, her voice echoing in the Laboratory.
"...because it can deliver a fatal blow at the most critical moment."
She put the Potion down and turned to look out the window.
The morning light had now fully illuminated the sky. The Crystal Ball atop the Time Trace Tower actually looked dim in the daylight.
"In last night’s battle, we killed five and heavily injured two. Both Grover and Morris... had to use their life-saving trump cards to escape."
She paused, her fingers unconsciously tracing the cold edge of the lab bench.
"From this day on, my second and third brothers might truly join forces, or... they might go their separate ways."
"If they team up, they will mobilize every resource they can to attack us from all sides."
Delia pressed her lips together. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she just sighed.
"Miss, we..."
"Last night was the best time to strike, and we won."
Aidele cut her off and turned around, silver patterns flowing deep within her dark cyan eyes.
"Although we revealed some things, last night’s battle... made one thing clear to everyone."
She walked over to Delia, crouched down, and took her cold hand.
"I, Adelle Justice, am no longer the seventh-in-line who can be pushed around at will."
"I have fangs, and I have the confidence... to tear apart any enemy and reclaim the Clan Leader position that belongs to my father."
Delia looked at the almost searing light in her eyes, and a sudden warmth surged in her chest.
She nodded firmly, tightening her grip on Aidele’s hand.
"I will always support you."
The Laboratory door was pushed open, and Naseng strode in.
His expression was grave, and he clutched a roll of Parchment in his hand.
"Miss, a message just arrived."
He handed the Parchment over. The edges of the paper still held the residual warmth of the sealing Magic Power.
Aidele took it and unrolled it. A few short lines were written on it: The Elder Council has intervened. All successive heirs must be present in the Ancestral Hall Conference Room at 12:45 PM.
She stared at the message for a long time, her fingers slowly tightening.
The edges of the Parchment crumpled under her grip.
"Hah! So they’re finally... stepping in."
...
The noon bell tolled, its sound piercing the mist and echoing over East City.
The Ancestral Hall Conference Room was located in the deepest part of the family castle, a building constructed entirely from massive, dark cyan stones.
It had no windows, only a single, heavy, black iron door.
Intricate Time Trace patterns were carved into the door, each line flowing with a faint golden light.
When Aidele arrived at the door, several other figures were already waiting.
Edmund was gathered with a few younger figures.
They were the competitors at the bottom of the hierarchy, cautiously making conversation with their nominal "big brother."
Edwin stood to the side, dressed in a dark red Long Robe trimmed with gold. A Thunder Eagle was perched quietly on his shoulder.
But the crimson in the eagle’s eyes was more piercing than ever.
Adrian was dressed in his usual ink-green attire, his long, slender fingers slowly peeling a grape.
His movements were elegant, but his gaze was as cold as a blade.
Ashia stood alone, looking utterly isolated.
Suddenly, everyone turned their heads in unison to look at the approaching Aidele.
For the instant their gazes met, the air seemed to freeze.
"Seventh Sister."
Edwin grinned, revealing a set of stark white teeth.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
Aidele remained expressionless, merely giving a slight nod.
"Thank you for your concern, Second Brother. It was fine."
Adrian popped the grape into his mouth, chewing it slowly and deliberately.
"I hear the East District Old Lane... was quite lively last night."
He lifted his eyes, the dark purple patterns of a Curse swirling slowly in their depths.
"Quite a few people died, you know."
Aidele met his gaze. In the depths of her dark cyan eyes, a Dark Gold vein flashed and vanished.
"Your information network is quite impressive, Third Brother."
She paused, her voice calm.
"But... it’s best to stay away from some festivities. Lest you... get burned playing with fire."
The smile on Adrian’s face froze, and his fingers tightened unconsciously.
Grape juice seeped from between his fingers, staining his pale skin red.
Just then, CREAK—
The heavy, black iron door slowly swung inward.
Behind the door was a profound darkness, with only a few faint points of candlelight visible in the far distance.
An ancient voice drifted out from the darkness—level, yet carrying an authority that could not be questioned.
"Enter."