Inside the Tongcheng Ability User Guild, the atmosphere in the Guildmaster's office was heavy.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Guildmaster Lian Jie's rough breathing echoed through the silent room.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. In just five days, the exclusive development rights to the relic his guild had worked so hard to secure would no longer belong solely to them.
Five million yuan a day.
That was what the relic brought in—
every single day.
But what worried Lian Jie even more than losing exclusivity was the possibility of losing the relic entirely.
Every relic was, in essence, a miniature secret realm.
Inside each one lay a Heart of the Relic—a core of immense power.
Whoever obtained the Heart would gain control over the relic, including the ability to open or close its entrance at will.
According to the joint decree of the National Ability Council and the Central Government,
any individual or legally registered organization that possessed a Heart of the Relic would gain exclusive development rights to that relic.
From that moment onward, no other guild or faction could enter or extract resources from it without the owner's permission.
That meant—
in just five days, when Tongcheng's Ability User Guild lost their exclusive claim,
if any other guild managed to obtain the Heart,
Tongcheng would have to beg for access just to set foot in their own relic again.
Lian Jie clenched his fists.
"Zheng Bin's son… he's a top student at Magic City University—and the Vice President of their Student Council, no less.
If that brat comes here to compete, we'll lose the Heart for sure!"
His expression hardened further. The thought of losing both the relic and its five-million-a-day yield made his blood boil.
Just then—
Knock, knock, knock!
A sharp knocking broke the silence.
"Come in," Lian Jie said tersely.
The door opened, and a guild staff member hurried inside.
It was Liu Huan, the clerk responsible for managing Third-Tier bounty missions.
"Liu Huan, what is it?" Lian Jie asked, his tone still heavy.
"Guildmaster," Liu Huan said, excitement barely contained in his voice,
"I think I've found someone who might just have the potential to pass the relic trials—and help us claim the Heart of the Relic!"
Lian Jie's eyes lit up instantly.
"What did you just say? Are you serious!?"
"Yes, sir!" Liu Huan nodded quickly.
"Good, good! Tell me everything, right now!"
"It's like this, Guildmaster."
Liu Huan handed over a digital report as he spoke.
"This young man's name is Zhao Xuan, born and raised here in Tongcheng.
His parents disappeared five years ago under mysterious circumstances.
He's eighteen years old—just finished his college entrance exams—a prospective university student."
"Zhao Xuan…"
Lian Jie narrowed his eyes. "That name sounds familiar."
"Of course it does!" Liu Huan said quickly.
"He's the one everyone's been talking about recently—the so-called 'Mental Mutation Case'.
The one who didn't choose a Logia Fruit, but instead picked a Zoan-type Devil Fruit."
"Ah, him!"
Lian Jie slapped his thigh in realization.
"Yes, yes, I remember now. That boy caused quite a stir. But tell me—
are you saying he's strong enough to help us secure the Heart of the Relic?"
"Please, take a look for yourself, Guildmaster."
Liu Huan handed over a tablet.
On its screen played the video of Zhao Xuan's duel against Cao Hu earlier that day—
the now-famous fight where Zhao Xuan had defeated a seasoned Third-Tier examiner with just two kicks.
Lian Jie watched it several times in silence.
When the video ended, his eyes gleamed with astonishment.
"What terrifying speed and strength… even among Third-Tier users, he'd rank near the top.
But still,"
He shook his head after a pause.
"If that's all he's got, it's not enough.
At best, he might clear the sixth trial—but the seventh will crush him."
"Not so fast, Guildmaster," Liu Huan interjected, grinning.
"There's more."
He passed another set of documents across the desk.
"This here is his task record. Fourteen Third-Tier bounty missions—all completed in a single day.
Most were ordinary difficulty, but one was a high-difficulty mission."
Lian Jie's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh?"
"This one," Liu Huan continued, tapping the file,
"required him to drive away a group of Grass Serpents—six of them in total—all Third-Tier beasts,
nesting in a mountain spring near a temple outside the city."
"According to the task issuer, Zhao Xuan finished the job in under five minutes."
That did it.
Lian Jie leapt to his feet so fast that his chair nearly toppled.
He snatched the document from Liu Huan's hands,
his eyes scanning every line with growing disbelief.
After reading through it multiple times, his expression shifted—
and finally broke into a broad, thrilled smile.
"Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent! Well done, Liu! You've done an outstanding job—this information came just in time!"
He clapped Liu Huan on the shoulder enthusiastically, beaming with excitement.
"Liu, do you know where this Zhao Xuan lives?"
"Yes, Guildmaster," Liu Huan nodded.
"Good! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go meet him right now and discuss having him explore the relic on our behalf!"
Lian Jie grabbed Liu Huan by the collar and practically dragged him toward the door.
"W-wait, Guildmaster!" Liu Huan stammered, nearly tripping.
"It's already midnight—he's probably asleep right now…"
"Oh… right! I almost forgot!"
Lian Jie released him, chuckling sheepishly.
"Alright then, first thing tomorrow morning! Liu, you're staying here tonight.
Don't bother going home—sleep here at the guild. We leave at dawn!"
"Yes, sir!" Liu Huan replied, his voice trembling with excitement.
As the Guildmaster turned back toward his desk,
a spark of fierce determination flashed in his eyes.
"Zhao Xuan… if you really have what it takes,
you might just be Tongcheng's last hope."
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