"Hmm, it seems there’s something fishy going on with Zeratheil. That scheming bastard just doesn’t know when to sit back."

Soleine snorted when she saw the show below. Emperal raised his brows when he heard that, but he held his curiosity back.

Wusha smiled. "Since time is important for the Higher Ones, this Wusha will directly speak the points."

She said, taking another step forward as she addressed the beings.

"Every year, the quota and the limitations were already fixed. But this time, my Lord Zyphrus has sensed some anomalous activities going on around the realm of Everheart."

She said, making the leaders present narrow their eyes.

Inside the Dragon Lord’s building, Seraverth’s eyes, which were fixated on Emperal the moment she had arrived, suddenly shifted to Wusha and her father. Her expression changed when she heard that.

"Father, didn’t you also mention feeling the disturbances around the Everheart realm?"

She asked. The Dragon Emperor nodded when he heard those words.

"Indeed, and if my thoughts are proven right, they could bring us immense fortune or immense...loss."

He spoke. For the first time in her life, Seraveth heard a crack in his voice. It was different from his usual cold and confident one. But before she could think any further, her eyes, as if they had a will of their own...shifted back to Emperal.

...

Wusha continued, her smiling face changing to a serious one.

"Our top Elven experts and formation masters were trying to study these disturbances, but unfortunately for them, only a few clues have been discovered."

She raised her index finger. "One, the cultivation limits have been...extended."

"!!!!"

A wave of shock hit the present leaders like a freight train. Even the usually stoic Aldric was shocked when he heard those words.

Beside him, Marren frowned.

"Lord, there is something being hidden from us. My gut feeling..."

Beside her, Seveth nodded. This matter...was way too serious. And these guys were just announcing it six months ago.

"You heard it right. Although we are not entirely certain, the earlier limitation of the Stage One Verth Shaper has given way to...Stage Three Verth Shaper!!"

"Bullshit!!"

Emperal slammed his hands on the sofa, his expression full of disbelief and...rage.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was already hellish and life-threatening to go in when there were already Verth Shapers roaming lawlessly.

Now, it has gone up to Verth Shaper Stage Three?

Let alone obtaining the root, he would be lucky if he didn’t die from a stray attack or fart.

"...Your luck is really terrible, to say the least."

Even the Infernal Dragon shook its head when it heard the announcement. The EverHeart Root was a pipe dream at this point.

"No! I refuse to let this happen. I...will do whatever is necessary to obtain that root. No one, absolutely no one, will stop me."

All his reactions were watched by Soleine, who was surprised initially. But her surprise turned into shock as she watched how Emperal’s eyes flickered amber at the end.

Raising her finger, she tapped his body. A small wisp of green-colored flame entered his body...immediately calming his nerves.

"Huh?"

Emperal snapped back into reality and looked down. He saw Soleine waving her hands and pointing at the stage below.

Emperal nodded and exhaled lightly.

Fortunately, Soleine had masked his outbursts with her aura, else everybody who was paying close attention to Emperal would definitely notice the oddity.

Everyone, except one person. Seraveth was absolutely shocked when she saw his reaction. An electric current ran through her body when she saw the intense and rageful look on his otherwise cold and stoic face.

"T-That face, I...need to see more of it!"

She muttered, unknown to her. A wide, unnatural smile had stretched across her face.

But the other leaders’ reactions were no less intense. A heavy aura descended upon the stage from...Aldric.

His icy blue eyes penetrated through space and landed on Zeratheil.

"Elven Lord, what is the meaning of this?"

He asked, his deep voice echoing throughout the area. Wusha was sweating buckets when she heard that voice. Even though he wasn’t releasing any aura, his mere words were enough to hitch her breath.

Zeratheil’s grey eyes shifted a bit, his expression as emotionless as ever.

"Grandson of Kaeleen, it is as you heard. We have personally checked it, and the disturbances had come from the inside." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Zerathiel spoke in a flat tone. Hearing this, the Dragon Lord, who was sitting all this time quietly, suddenly looked over.

"If that is so, why weren’t we informed of such information beforehand?"

He asked, intense lightning flickering around his pupils when he spoke. Zeratheil calmly looked at the Dragon Lord’s building.

"As we said, we weren’t sure of the changes."

The Dragon Lord’s normal eyes shifted into intense vertical irises for a fraction of a second before going normal.

He snorted and backed down.

In Soleine’s building...

"Soleine, you...don’t seem all that surprised."

Emperal looked at the Empress sitting and smiling casually on the sofa. She had a cup in her hand. Hearing Emperal’s words, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"No matter how much these two dogs bark, in the end, they both know it deep inside themselves."

Emperal chuckled when he heard that. "That they can’t do shit to that guy."

Soleine chuckled as well. "Bingo."

For a second, her golden orbs shone mysteriously, as if some unknown force had taken over her.

"After all, even that brat Kaeleen couldn’t defeat this guy and fell. So, how could these mere insects even dream of touching him?"

"...What do you mean?"

Emperal’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Soleine’s words. Those...words, there was something very, very wrong in them.

He couldn’t help but recall the Infernal Dragon’s warning. Looking down at the woman, he couldn’t help but think,

"Just who are you, Soleine?"

Seeing the confusion on his always calculating face, an amused expression spread across her face.

"Don’t worry, you’ll know soon. Heh, I just want to see your face when you learn the truth."