The woman called Imora sat down with a look of disdain directed at Elise.
In fact, she was Elise’s younger sister, both hailing from the same family.
Elise had never expected that her own sister would become Dragonscale Bank’s chosen representative for this Battle for Dominance.
“Imora returned from a special secret realm, inheriting a primordial artifact. With her participation, Dragonscale Bank is determined to win this Battle for Dominance,” the Grand Steward explained, glancing at Elise.
As his words fell, Elise’s expression shifted into one of deep complexity.
After a moment of thought, she resolutely declared,
“No! Imora, you absolutely cannot participate in this battle! Come back with me now! The forge has already been sent to headquarters. Continuing with this is…”
Elise reached for Imora’s hand, intent on taking her away.
But Imora deftly evaded her grasp.
“I’ve already had the forge recalled. I became aware of your actions through the family and couldn’t believe you would go this far! This plan has been over a decade in the making for Dragonscale Bank; it cannot end here!”
If the plan succeeded, not only Imora but also her entire family would receive immense rewards. Imora herself might even secure her path to tier-sage.
“In a few days, the forge will arrive in Sunken City,” Imora said, looking directly at Elise.
“I never imagined, Elise, that after all these years, you would become so timid and weak!”
“Are you seriously frightened by some small, insignificant force? Have you forgotten the honor of our family?”
Imora’s words dripped with contempt, as though she were speaking to a stranger rather than her sibling.
Elise clenched her teeth, unsure of what to say.
“If you’re that scared, go back to the family and stop embarrassing yourself here!” Imora sneered, her expression brimming with disdain.
The Grand Steward, who had been wavering, decided not to interject. Reno also remained silent.
Clearly, Imora’s appearance had diminished the weight of Elise’s warnings in their eyes.
Dragonscale Bank had invested too much in this endeavor.
With Imora’s presence, victory seemed assured.
Elise glanced at the others, her eyes filled with profound disappointment.
Everything she had said was true, yet no one was willing to believe her—not even to the point of verifying it themselves.
What more could she say?
After a moment of silence, Elise quietly left the meeting room.
She knew there was nothing she could do.
Elise could only hope now that Daniel was unaware of these events and that no one from Crossbridge Academy had been dispatched here.
After this battle concluded, no matter what, she would take her sister away to ensure Imora didn’t remain in this dangerous situation.
Dragonscale Bank was bound to make a move on Thousand-Household City in the future.
When that time came, they would have to face Daniel’s wrath.
Shaking her head, Elise left the building.
…
In a hallway corner, Elise passed by a general manager of Dragonscale Bank. The manager greeted her enthusiastically, his demeanor full of cheer.
However, Elise wasn’t in the mood and simply nodded in acknowledgment before quickly leaving.
“Good news, everyone!” the general manager announced upon entering the room.
“Oh? What news?”
“Not long ago, someone came to Dragonscale Bank and bought all the pure fire stones and fire crystals. Every single one, paid for entirely in mana stones.”
“Hahaha, now
that
is excellent news!” Reno exclaimed, clearly pleased.
To Dragonscale Bank, nothing was more valuable than mana stones.
Furthermore, with the forge’s arrival, its operation would require massive amounts of mana stones.
“Miss Imora’s presence has already brought us luck!”
…
Meanwhile, Elise was unaware of these developments.
Had she stayed and heard this, such a familiar extravagance—buying everything with mana stones—would have immediately brought a single name to her mind.
…
At the center of Sunken City lay a massive pit.
From above, it appeared bottomless, though in reality, it wasn’t.
The pit contained numerous winding paths, allowing one to descend deeper.
It wasn’t a straight drop; its twists and turns made it feel like navigating a rocky and uneven plain.
Occasionally, subterranean flames and molten lava would erupt, showcasing the world’s violent power.
During major flame tides, weaker mages often perished in such natural disasters.
Despite the risks, the pit remained a magnet for mages, drawn by the lure of fire stones.
During a flame tide, even fire crystals could emerge in abundance.
For many, acquiring even a fire stone was enough to exchange for valuable treasures at Dragonscale Bank.
…
Daniel and his party arrived at the pit.
Their goal wasn’t fire stones but fire crystals.
The fire crystals purchased from Dragonscale Bank were insufficient for Rose, just as Daniel had expected.
Thus, they decided to gather more here, with Rose in tow. Enjoy exclusive content from empire
Others joined simply out of curiosity.
Daniel, however, had his own agenda: he wanted to investigate the rumored secret realm at the bottom of the pit, as Nora would need to venture there for the upcoming battle.
“Rose, I’ll help you find fire crystals!” Nina exclaimed before dashing off ahead.
Daniel didn’t stop her. A place like this was a fine playground for Nina to explore.
No harm could come from it—or so he thought.
Nearby mages smiled upon hearing Nina’s words.
A little girl looking for fire crystals?
Fire crystals weren’t something one could just stumble upon. Even finding them wasn’t enough; acquiring them required more than luck.
The moment a fire crystal appeared, every mage in the vicinity became a competitor.
Suddenly, a shout echoed from the front.
“Fire crystal!”
The crowd’s eyes snapped to attention. Where?
A blinding, searing light burst forth, so intense it seemed to burn their eyelids.
A fiery red bird streaked into the air.
The crowd immediately recognized it: only a fire crystal could emit such intense heat and even take on the form of a bird in flight.
Quick-thinking mages began casting spells, preparing to capture the fire crystal.
But before anyone could act, the fiery bird seemed to collide with an invisible force and plummeted from the sky.
Confused murmurs rippled through the crowd, but their eyes stayed locked on the fire crystal as it fell.
Before anyone could reach it, the crystal landed neatly in Daniel’s hand, transforming into a solid, fiery-red gem.
The crowd’s initial envy and greed were quickly quelled by an overwhelming chill.
An invisible aura radiated from Daniel, suppressing the fiery ambitions in their eyes.
It was as if they had been thrust from a boiling cauldron into a frozen tundra.
Some still entertained the notion of challenging him, unwilling to believe his luck.
One such mage cast a spell and charged toward Daniel.
The crowd didn’t even need to guess what happened next.
The mage met an immediate and unequivocal end.