JINGLE!
The brass wind chime hanging in the upper-right corner of the doorway let out a soft sound!
After pushing open the main door, Hu Qi walked off into the distance.
Before long, the bustling street swallowed him whole, his figure vanishing at the far end of the road.
Inside the restaurant.
After Hu Qi’s figure had completely disappeared, a strange glint flashed through Lilia’s eyes.
She rose from her seat, smoothed out her skirt, and prepared to leave.
However.
As she reached the restaurant’s entrance, a male employee in a uniform suddenly blocked her path.
"Miss."
The employee wrung his hands, looking away awkwardly.
Lilia’s brow furrowed.
She followed the employee’s indicated gaze.
It was the same table by the wall where the two of them had just been sitting.
A half-finished glass of red wine still sat on the table, gleaming with a deep red luster under the light.
At the same time.
The employee’s voice reached her.
"Your table just now... the gentleman by the corner... he hasn’t paid the bill..."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Lilia pulled out her money, her face expressionless.
When Lilia finally stepped out of the restaurant,
a hazy drizzle had begun to fall from the sky.
The street vendors skillfully raised their awnings.
This kind of weather was perfectly normal in Cold Rain City.
She was long used to it.
She walked briskly through the maze-like alleys.
The sound of her soles striking the stone-paved road was especially crisp against the curtain of rain.
After turning the seventh corner, she stopped in front of a courtyard overgrown with vines.
She pushed open the gate.
A figure standing silently in the courtyard slowly turned around.
He was a man, also with blond hair. A closer look revealed a strong resemblance to Lilia.
However.
His eyes were different from Lilia’s.
They were black and white.
What was strange was that,
the black irises of the man’s eyes were larger than the whites.
At a glance, it was rather unsettling.
"How did it go?"
the man asked.
"The transaction went smoothly enough."
Lilia pulled the rolled-up parchment from her pocket and tossed it to the blond man.
The man caught it, unrolled it, and his gaze swept over it.
A faint blue light seemed to flicker within his pupils.
He was following the Arcanist Professional pathway.
It was a major branch stemming from the pathway of Alcaron, the God of Wisdom, one of the Seven Great Gods.
It granted the Ability to create Magic and identify pathways.
By studying ancient texts, exploring ruins, or defeating enemies, they could acquire new Magic, giving them enormous potential for growth.
For Professionals who walked the Arcanist pathway, knowledge was power.
The power of an Arcanist was extensive, adaptable to any combat scenario, and they particularly excelled at battles of attrition and team support.
However, it also had certain weaknesses.
Namely, their physical fortitude was lower than that of typical Professional pathways, making them overly reliant on defensive Magic.
"Not bad. This is a complete Merfolk pathway, with no issues from Sequence Nine Half-Demon all the way to Sequence Seven Deep Sea Priest."
After a moment, the blue light in his eyes receded.
Lilia remained noncommittal.
Looking at the man, she changed the subject.
"What have you found out about that guy I asked you to investigate?"
"It’s done. This fellow who calls himself ’Rhode’ isn’t a Professional from Cold Rain City. He likely comes from somewhere else, most probably Night Crow Harbor. I’ve heard rumors before that the ’Mermaid King’s Treasure’ in Night Crow Harbor contains a pathway that goes directly to Sequence Five."
the man said.
He paused here before continuing.
"Of course, this is just my personal speculation. After all, with what happened in Night Crow Harbor recently, even two powerful Sequence Five beings fell.
Logically, with his level of strength, it’s unlikely he could have gotten anything out of that situation.
However.
If this person really is from Night Crow Harbor, then it’s highly likely he still has the advancement information for Sequence Five of the Merfolk pathway!"
At this.
His tone unconsciously carried a hint of excitement.
Sequence Five.
A Lord Level existence.
The power it possessed was self-evident.
With that kind of strength, one would be considered absolute top brass, even within the Church or the Federation.
If he could obtain and analyze it, his gains would undoubtedly be immense.
It might even allow him to advance directly and become a Sequence Seven Elemental Master.
But then, a thought seemed to strike him.
He took a deep breath.
His gaze turned to Lilia.
"Sister, are you thinking of making a move on him?
Judging by the methods he’s displayed, he’s very likely a Sequence Seven existence. For the two of us, wouldn’t that be a bit dangerous?"
Hearing this.
Lilia chuckled softly.
"While it’s not bad to be cautious, being overly cautious can make us miss certain opportunities.
Besides, unless it’s absolutely necessary, we don’t need to confront him directly.
We just need to secretly investigate whether he’s connected to that... thing..."
At her words.
A strange look flashed in the blond man’s eyes.
"You mean... a Giant Dragon?"
"Exactly!"
Lilia nodded.
"Sub-Dragon Blood is rare, but it’s generally used for the advancement rituals of Low Tier Professionals or as an ingredient in Magic Potions.
For a Sequence Seven Professional, it isn’t very useful—certainly not valuable enough to trade for a Professional pathway that goes all the way to Sequence Six. Unless, that is, there are greater interests involved... for example, using some special ritual or method to find the trail of a Giant Dragon!"
The value of something like a Giant Dragon is so high,
it’s unimaginable. The two can’t even be mentioned in the same breath.
Even an ordinary Sequence Five, a Lord Level Professional, would be tempted.
If they were to discover the trail of a Giant Dragon, even if they couldn’t hunt it themselves, they could sell the information for a massive profit.