The greatest secret had been exposed, and Mio stopped pretending. Your next read is at empire
“How could you possibly know about the Celestial Pearl? Who told you?!” His expression darkened, and he stood up straight from the floor. A colorful mark slowly appeared on his forehead, and the twisted, grotesquely curved arm that had been bent awkwardly suddenly cracked and twisted back into place, instantly returning to normal.
“You’re not pretending anymore?” Luca glanced at him and noticed the flowing azure patterns on his skin, clearly the product of magical-tech.
So this guy is another artificial human, just like Milo.
“Goddamn bastard, answer my question!” Mio’s reaction was even more extreme than Luca had imagined.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in anger. The colorful marks on his forehead spread rapidly across his face, then began to spread down his body.
At the same time, his aura began to skyrocket, and in the blink of an eye, he went from an ordinary human to Earth-level power. It was almost instantaneous!
“Who told you about the Celestial Pearl? Tell me!” Mio raised his hand and pointed it at Luca. A dazzling, multi-colored light gathered in his palm, and a terrifying force built up within it. His voice was full of rage.
The familiar aura made Luca narrow his eyes slightly. These artificial humans could actually use Source Power? He hadn’t noticed that before.
But with this little power, they thought they could kill him? They were being overly optimistic…
A smirk played at the corner of Luca’s lips as he replied, “It was Milo who told me. He said the Celestial Pearl is located in a part of the Black Sea within the Sea of Mist. That’s why I’m here.”
Upon hearing this, Mio’s pupils shrank suddenly, and he looked at Luca in disbelief. “Impossible! How could Lord Milo tell you something like that? Lord Milo would never betray the Empire. That’s… that’s impossible…”
“No! You’re lying to me!” Seeing the half-smile on Luca’s face, Mio suddenly realized. This information couldn’t have come from Milo.
Though he didn’t know how Luca had learned the location of the Celestial Pearl, he was certain that Luca didn’t know its exact location. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked such a question earlier.
He’s trying to deceive me! As this realization hit him, Mio’s eyes turned bloodshot with rage.
“It seems that my information is indeed correct,” Luca said with a light chuckle, his gaze taking in Mio’s changing expression.
He had originally been uncertain whether the information Sophia received was true, as it was likely a scheme designed by Zenobia to deceive them. But now, those concerns were gone.
“Damn bastard! You die!” Upon hearing Luca’s words, Mio’s face flushed crimson, and the Source Power in his hand exploded with a deafening roar.
A burst of dazzling, multi-colored light flashed! His furious, desperate shout was accompanied by an enormous crash, shaking the entire conference room of the Five Seas Chamber of Commerce.
A beam of seven-colored light shot into the sky, enveloping the entire Five Seas Chamber of Commerce in its glow.
“Is this the power of an Ascendant?!” The aristocrats and nobles who hadn’t gone far looked up in shock, their eyes wide in disbelief.
Under the beam of seven-colored light, the entire Five Seas Chamber of Commerce seemed to vanish under the influence of some mysterious force.
Walls, floors, tiles, and even the people inside—everything slowly turned to dust, dissolving into the air before the eyes of everyone present.
In the end, the vast Five Seas Chamber of Commerce was reduced to nothing but an empty plot of land, not even a splinter of wood remaining.
Staring at the lone figure standing proudly in the middle of the desolate space, everyone was left dumbfounded.
What just happened? How did the Five Seas Chamber of Commerce suddenly vanish?
“Primordial Power… So it can be used to disintegrate all energy and matter,” Luca muttered, standing in the middle of the empty space and gazing at the glowing shard of Primordial Crystal in his hand.
Unlike divine power, he knew that Source Power could alter various attributes of energy, but he still didn’t fully understand its other uses.
However, it seemed that the Via Empire had made impressive advancements in this area. If given the chance, he might be able to learn some techniques for using Source Power from them.
After pocketing the shard of Primordial Crystal, he glanced at the nobles and merchants who were still frozen in place. Turning to Catherine, he said, “Vice President of the Five Seas Chamber of Commerce, Mio, was involved in selling illegal contraband and has been executed on the spot.”
“These people are his accomplices. Not a single one is to be spared. Arrest them all and throw them into the prison!”
“Understood!” Catherine immediately replied.
At those words, the merchants and nobles were all stunned into silence.
Although it was true that they were Mio’s allies, when had Mio ever been involved in selling contraband? Couldn’t this guy come up with a better excuse?
Someone immediately stepped forward and shouted, “I object! You have no evidence to prove our guilt, and you have no right to imprison us!”
“He’s right.” A noble looked at Luca in anger and said, “And according to the Imperial Nobility Protection Act, you have no right to convict me, nor any authority to restrict my personal freedom. I will sue you for abuse of power!”
The group of merchants and nobles immediately began to criticize Luca in righteous indignation.
Some even claimed that Luca had killed Mio without evidence, calling him violent, ruthless, and dictatorial, demanding they write a letter to the Emperor to report his actions.
Luca couldn’t help but laugh.
“Forget about putting them in prison,” he waved his hand dismissively at Catherine. “Just kill them all.”
Before the nobles and merchants had a chance to feel relieved, they heard his words and froze, their eyes wide in disbelief.
What? They were supposed to be thrown in prison, but now this guy was going to kill them outright?
The group immediately erupted in anger, shouting insults at Luca. But not long after, their shouts turned into agonized screams, which then became desperate pleas for mercy.
But Luca had no intention of sparing them. If anything, he thought these nobles and merchants were far worse than the pirates.
They had been following Mio for years, causing untold suffering for innocent civilians, pillaging and exploiting the common people.
The pirates might still have a few good individuals among them, but these people were all corrupt. Not a single one was innocent.
In Catherine’s hands, these aristocrats and merchants, who were soft and pampered, stood no chance of resisting.
Spears whirred through the air, and blood spurted.
Soon, the streets of Riverfall City were littered with dozens of corpses.
The rest of the matter was left to Tark and his team. Luca, having completed his task, returned to his office, which was barely larger than the space between the ship’s beams, and waited for further developments.
After being on the sea for so many days, he could finally rest properly.
As he sat back, he thought to himself that once Seaway City was dealt with, it would be time to spend some time with Susie.
At that moment, footsteps and voices suddenly echoed outside the door. Luca recognized Ellie’s voice.
There was a knock at the office door, and he called out, “Come in.”
Gerald entered, followed by Ellie, whose face was filled with pouting grievance.
She was holding a sword, which Luca noticed she must have acquired from somewhere, and she playfully said, “Father, I can kill pirates too. Please let me go!”
“Behave yourself, don’t be foolish.” Gerald twitched at the corner of his mouth.
He knew better than anyone what his daughter was capable of. She couldn’t even defeat an ordinary monster, let alone a pirate who lived by killing. Charging at them would be a death wish.
After comforting Ellie a few times, Gerald turned to Luca, a hint of gratitude in his eyes. “I heard about Snake Island from Ellie. Thank you for saving my daughter. If there’s anything I can help with, feel free to ask. As long as it’s within my power, I won’t refuse.”
Gerald spoke from the heart. Whether it was because Luca had saved Ellie or due to the power and potential Luca had shown, he felt that forming an alliance with him was well worth it.
Luca smiled upon hearing Gerald’s words, saying, “Marquis Gerald, you’re too kind. It was my failure that Miss Ellie encountered trouble in my jurisdiction.”
He paused for a moment before continuing, “However, there is indeed something I need your help with. Miss Ellie mentioned that her grandfather once traveled to the Sea of Mist. I wonder if that esteemed predecessor left behind any maps or navigational charts of the Sea of Mist.”
Since it was now certain that the Celestial Pearl was located within the Black Sea of the Sea of Mist, the most important thing was to obtain a navigational chart of the Sea of Mist. Only with this map could he reach the divine treasure before the Via Empire did.
From Mio’s actions, it was clear that the Via Empire placed great importance on the Celestial Pearl. Therefore, Luca needed to act quickly.
“The Sea of Mist’s navigational chart?” Both Gerald and Ellie looked at him with surprise.
Gerald asked, “What do you need that for? You don’t plan on heading to the Sea of Mist, do you?”
Ellie’s eyes sparkled with interest. She hadn’t expected Lord Luca to be interested in venturing into the Sea of Mist. It seemed they had something in common after all!
“Exactly, I need to go to the Sea of Mist to find something,” Luca replied.
Gerald, laughing but also shaking his head, asked, “What could be so important that it’s worth risking your life for?”
Luca shook his head, choosing not to respond.
Gerald sighed helplessly. “Our family does indeed have a copy of the Sea of Mist’s navigational chart, but I strongly advise you to think this through.”
“I know you’re strong,” he said, looking at Luca with a serious expression. “But over the years, the Sea of Mist has claimed countless powerful warriors. That place is a true sea of death—it devours anyone who dares enter.”
Luca smiled wryly. “I understand your concern, but I have my reasons for needing to go.”
He knew the dangers of that sea well. If it were possible, Luca wouldn’t want to take such a risk either.
But the Celestial Pearl was likely tied to the lives of countless people across two worlds, and even if that sea was terrifying, he had no choice but to venture in.
Gerald sighed deeply. “Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say more. Once we return to my estate, I’ll have someone send you the chart.”
“Thank you for your generosity,” Luca said sincerely. He understood how valuable that chart was. It could be considered the most coveted treasure by countless people in the Western Sea.
“This is what you deserve,” Gerald shook his head and said, offering no further words. He then took Ellie and left the Lord’s office, planning to escort his daughter home first.
Before leaving, Ellie turned back and winked at Luca, leaving him somewhat confused.
Was there sand in her eyes?