The Cornflower Witch

The group rushed to the scene, where flames still lingered, the residual heat mingling with the night wind, causing their clothes to flutter.

A track leading out of the city had been blasted into a large crater, with the remaining rails at the edges partially melted. Sylutia's eyes swept over the area, inspecting the broken sections of the track.

The tracks built by the Mage Alliance had strength requirements far exceeding ordinary steel. Temperatures of several hundred degrees couldn't damage them at all; only thousands of degrees could slightly deform them. For them to be burned to this extent, it definitely couldn't be the work of ordinary explosives or fire-extinguishing magic.

A faint trace of *Scorching Sun* Aspect lingered in the air. She noticed something and swept her gaze across the entire scene once more.

Quite a few people had gathered here, including city guards fighting the fire, elite soldiers directly under the City Lord, local enforcement mages, and a small number of other city residents.

The City Lord organized the crowd to cool down and extinguish the flames, then ordered his men to quickly assess the damage and estimate repair time.

“My Lord, this attack not only destroyed the track but also heavily damaged the foundation. If we want to repair it, I'm afraid it won't be done in a short time.”

The City Lord's face darkened as if he'd swallowed a dead insect, and he pressed for an answer.

“About how long will it take?”

“Even if Lord Avans activates the ‘City-Building Beast,’ it will take at least four to five hours.” Every hour of delay placed enormous pressure on City Lord Gilson. If he dropped the ball at such a critical moment, he wouldn't be able to hold onto his position for much longer.

Hearing this, his face shifted through several expressions before he finally forced himself to calm down, plastered on a flattering and obsequious smile, and approached Sylutia.

“Inspector, my apologies for making you witness such an ugly scene. Please rest assured, I will spare no effort this time and have my subordinates repair the track as quickly as possible to ensure train passage.”

Although he'd publicly embarrassed himself, as long as the Alliance officially prioritized train passage, they wouldn't suddenly dismiss him right now. And if he could just get through today's hurdle, he could work his connections later to find other ways to keep his position.

Sylutia remained noncommittal and didn't respond. She simply raised her sleeve, her pale wrist gleaming brilliantly under the lights, and pointed to a spot not far behind the City Lord.

“That person over there... do you know him?” After she spoke, everyone's gaze converged on an ordinary engineer in the area. He wore a dark brown cloak and coat, and was holding paper and a pen, calculating as if assessing the situation and how to repair it.

“Him?” The City Lord looked at the back figure, trying to recall.

Was there a mage like this in the Worze District? Although he didn't know every mage in the city, the total number of people above Third Tier across all professions in Worze District was no more than two hundred. He couldn't possibly have no impression of them at all.

“Who is he?” The City Lord frowned, unable to recall this person's identity, and asked those around him.

“He looks like... he might be from the technical department affiliated with the city's Mage Guild, but I've definitely never seen him before.”

“Judging by the build, could it be Dawson? But something feels off.” Someone tried to recall.

“Enough of this. Bring him over. If he resists, subdue him immediately.” The City Lord gave the order.

“Yes!” Two Fourth Tier high-ranking knights led a squad of elite soldiers toward that mage.

Sensing something was wrong, the figure noticed people approaching and immediately dropped the paper and pen in his hands, fleeing for his life. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to outrun the two high-ranking knights who came charging like shooting stars.

The heavy greatsword swung through the night wind, carrying a fierce gale as it pressed down. It looked like the opponent was about to be cleaved in two. Facing such an attack, the mage hurriedly pulled out a scroll and opened it.

Several bright, blazing light ribbons flew out, entangling the greatsword and trying to continue binding the knight who held it. But unfortunately, the wielder's control was far too poor, and only less than eighty percent of the scroll's power was unleashed before the knight cut through the light ribbons with a single swing of his sword, slashing down onto the mage's shoulder.

The expected spray of blood and wound didn't appear. After the slash, the mage deflated like a punctured ball, with red-white flames spilling from inside and out, rapidly dissipating, leaving only an empty pile of clothes on the ground.

‘Flame Illusion,’ huh. Sylutia silently muttered as she watched this scene.

‘Flame Illusion’ (Scorching Sun · Mist Shadow) — a special ability produced by the fusion of two Aspects. It could simulate living creatures and make them emit a presence akin to a real lifeform's rank, making them very hard to distinguish at a glance.

Seeing the opponent dissipate, the City Lord immediately realized something was wrong. He quickly ordered the on-site personnel to be gathered and had them identified one by one to confirm no one else was hiding among them.

Half an hour later, after all the on-site personnel had been identified and no other infiltrators were found, the City Lord finally relaxed.

Embarrassing himself in front of outsiders time and again — the City Lord felt he had never been so humiliated. But at this moment, he couldn't just lose his temper and take it out on others, especially with those Inspection Department people watching from the side.

Fortunately, the night wouldn't be peaceful for long. Even if the City Lord wanted to hypnotize himself into enduring and getting through this difficult night, someone still felt things shouldn't end like this.

A flaming meteor rose from the distant horizon, arcing across the sky before hurtling toward Sylutia's location.

Two Inspection Department members raised their hands, and a translucent force-field barrier materialized in the air, blocking the flaming meteor and revealing its true form — a bronze-golden spear.

After slowing down, the spear fell to the ground with a crisp metallic clatter, then split into two sections, revealing the rolled paper inside.

Although she hadn't read what was inside, Sylutia knew the contents were definitely unfavorable to the City Lord. His overly tense expression was proof enough.

Letting out a sigh, the young girl gently shook her head and ordered her team members to retrieve the scroll paper.

“Be careful,” she added.

“Yes.”

Two team members carefully retrieved the scroll, examined it, and then handed it to Sylutia.

The young girl held the scroll in her hand but didn't open it. Instead, she turned her gaze to the City Lord.

“If the tracks can be reopened within four hours, I'll hand this scroll over to you to handle yourself. But if it fails...” She shook her head, not continuing, but everyone on site knew what she meant.

The City Lord's expression was a mix of relief and inner struggle. He summoned his subordinates, gave some orders, and the man quickly departed, seemingly to prepare something.

The emergency repair work continued. Before long, another group of fairly capable mages and craftsmen arrived. Judging by the insignias on their clothes, they were from the city's various guilds and workshops. Being able to temporarily requisition these people must have cost the City Lord quite a bit.

The repairs proceeded in an orderly fashion, but Sylutia knew this calm wouldn't last. She understood that the hidden presence who had struck twice would surely strike a third time — there was no way they would just give up.

It was like a gambler already at the table; they wouldn't stop until they'd bet all their chips. They couldn't just walk away without losing money, or all their previous efforts would have been wasted.

Sure enough, a disturbance broke out at the first section of damaged track. Sparks exploded in the night sky, and people were shouting wildly.

Sylutia opened her eyes, glanced into the distance, and ordered a nearby squad to go.

“Go over there and maintain order. Ensure the repairs proceed smoothly.”

“Yes!” The fifteen-person squad immediately set out and disappeared into the night sky.

At that moment, Sylutia turned around, gently spreading her hands at her sides. Silver ribbons flowed and transformed into birds that scattered into the night sky.

Under the connection of the Sensory Link Technique, these flying birds rapidly showed Sylutia an aerial view of this city district, along with information from every street corner, continuously screening every passerby and figure beneath the night sky.

Suddenly, the birds transformed again. They gathered in groups of twos and threes, turning into sharp-winged eagles that soared high into the sky, then reversed direction and dove down like cannonballs toward a street corner.

【Biomimetic Spell · Silver-Winged Bird】(Bird · Acceleration · Charging · Quicksilver · Hardening)

As they descended, their speed increased rapidly, and the edges of their wings began to shimmer with faint silver patterns, growing sharper and dangerously lethal. When one flew past a street lamp just half a meter away, the whistling, razor-thin airflow cut through the metal lamp, sending it toppling slowly to the ground.

Ever since advancing to Fourth Tier, the spells Sylutia constructed using runes from the Chapter Page had grown increasingly powerful. The current ‘Silver-Winged Bird’ was the upgraded version of the previous ‘Silver-Steel Bird.’ Even Fourth Tier monsters could barely withstand such an attack.

On this street, a low-key figure was walking quickly when he suddenly sensed the gleaming silver meteor hurtling toward him. He frantically rolled to dodge, and the Silver-Winged Bird swooped past him, its wings shattering the stone bricks on the ground and kicking up debris, leaving a long crack in the road.

Before he could catch his breath, more silver meteors came diving down one after another, each time barely grazing his body, ripping off his hood, and forcing him to deploy defensive measures.

A gold-red sphere enveloped him, and as the Silver-Winged Birds streaked past his side, friction with the shield sent sparks and fragments flying. While his defense could still hold, he hesitated no longer and tried to turn and run, but at the intersection behind him, four Inspection Department members in dark blue uniforms emerged, their hands resting on their sword hilts. A cerulean light barrier materialized, blocking his escape route.

He tried to turn again, looking for another way out, but every intersection he approached revealed more Inspection Department team members closing in. These dark blue-uniformed personnel advanced like approaching death, sending cold sweat down his back.

No wonder so many Alliance officials feared this department. This time, he truly experienced the terror of being cornered.

After several attempts, he knew he couldn't escape. He pulled down his hood and raised both hands in surrender.

“Please don't kill me! I have extremely important information to report. It concerns the stability and safety of the entire Worze District. I am not acting purely for personal gain!” He shouted loudly at the Inspection Department members.

Unfortunately, these disciplined officers didn't respond. They quickly closed in, and within seconds of combat — despite his desperate struggles — sharp blades pierced through his limbs and shoulder blades. Then, cold metal restraints were locked onto him.

These specially-made restraints from the Inspection Department suppressed the use of abilities. The *Slumbering Winter* Aspect within gradually spread, freezing and sealing his Fate Card, rendering him unable to use any of his progression path or core abilities.

When it was all over and he was forced to his knees, he heard a different set of footsteps approaching.

Struggling to lift his head, he saw a young girl in a blue-and-white dress appear from the street corner and walk toward him.

If one only looked at her snow-white blouse and skirt, paired with her gentle, flawless features and temperament, it would be easy to mistake her for a wealthy young lady on vacation. But unfortunately, the sight of Inspection Department members flanking her made it clear that this young girl was no vacationing heiress — she was one of the true high-ranking officers of the Inspection Department.

Finally, the silver bird perched on her shoulder also revealed her identity. The dangerous attacks he had suffered earlier were also the handiwork of this young girl.

“Now, you can talk.” The clear, gentle voice made him lose focus for a moment.

He hadn't expected her to be so young. His thoughts briefly wandered elsewhere before snapping back, and he began to explain the reasons behind his attack.