"Then let me tell you myself!"
Leilin looked at the old woman in this state and suddenly felt a pang of pity for her. He lost any desire to keep playing games with her.
He waved his hand at the guard wizards standing nearby. "You are dismissed!"
"Yes, sir!" The guard wizards bowed deeply to Leilin, then expressions of immense relief spread across their faces as they quickly withdrew from the reception hall.
"Wait! What did they call you? Sir? Aren't you just a regular Apothecary wizard? One who's been marginalized, no less?"
The old woman shrieked. Deep down, she had a growing sense that something had spiraled beyond her control, and her heart plummeted straight downward.
"It seems you've investigated me quite thoroughly! I'm sorry to disappoint, but I've climbed just a little faster than you expected…"
Leilin spread his hands wide, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
In truth, he hadn't just climbed fast — he had rocketed upward. First, through the systematic elimination of Dark Wizards, he had secured the position of Deputy Head of the Hunter Division. Then, riding the fame of killing Marbu, he was appointed as the Headquarters Inspector, a position theoretically on equal footing with Xishan, the Head of the Hunter Division.
And after the Dark Wizard attack, when Leonau fell, he had seized one-third of the Four Seasons Garden's local branch in one stroke! No — with Wald driven out, his authority had already grown to one-half!
This level of authority was nearly equivalent to that of a half-Elder! And the token the old crone held was merely a First-level Contribution Token, which could do nothing against someone at the Head's level, let alone Leilin.
Then, the mischievous grin on Leilin's face faded, replaced by a stern expression.
"Array Spirit! Record this! This person before me… ahem! The ruling member of the Portelli Family has used a First-level Contribution Token against me in violation of regulations. I hereby revoke the token's authority in her possession!"
Hum! A burst of spell light blazed to life in the center of the reception hall, and a ring of luminous runes traced along the surrounding walls, flickering and drifting.
"Recorded! Verifying authority… Verification passed! First-level Contribution Token is hereby nullified!"
A mechanical feminine voice rang out, and the surrounding spell light erupted with explosive force.
The old woman stood frozen, as if the powerful surge of energy had stunned her into silence. If the protective arrays surrounding this place detonated simultaneously, it would absolutely tear her apart without leaving a trace!
The multicolored spell light did not attack her. Instead, it coalesced into a hand the size of an adult's, snatching the First-level Contribution Token from her grip!
Then the five fingers of that hand tightened with crushing force!
Crack! Crack!
The sound of something shattering rang out as dense cracks spread across the entire surface of the token. Then, before the old woman's despairing eyes, the token crumbled into fine grey ash and drifted downward.
Hiss! The spell light immediately withdrew after destroying the token, and even the magical arrays embedded in the walls faded back into dormancy.
The old crone now looked like a duck with its neck wrung — completely unable to speak.
She knew full well what kind of authority was required to command the Array Spirit to destroy a First-level Contribution Token! That was a power reserved for Elders! Could this young man before her have already advanced to Second-rank Wizard and become an Elder of the Four Seasons Garden?
This world had gone mad! The old woman cluted her head, nearly convinced she was dreaming!
"Well? Do you have any more trump cards? Feel free to try again!" Leilin crossed his arms and stared coldly at the old woman.
The old woman's spirit sank. Her family was already in decline, and that token had been passed down from their ancestors — a lifeline meant to protect the younger generation. But now, it had been rendered useless before it could even accomplish anything! Even she would face severe censure upon returning to the family!
"What… what do you want?"
Her voice came out dry and hoarse. She seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, her back bowing deeply forward. With the last shred of her arrogance shattered, she had lost all her fight.
"What do I want?" Leilin's voice carried a note of innocent bewilderment. "Your granddaughter came barging in here, declared me the instigator of the conflict, and tried to 'purify' me. I was forced to fight back, and even when I could have killed them, I let them go. That was already extremely merciful! And now you — you actually dare to threaten me?"
Leilin had every right to play the innocent party. In this matter, he truly was the victim. He had simply struck back a bit harder than most would have.
"Jenna is the Guide of our generation. Her prophecy cannot be wrong!" the old woman insisted stubbornly.
"You…" Leilin flushed with anger, but in the end he forced himself to calm down. Arguing over something so pointless was truly a waste of breath.
"Enough. Now it's my turn to set the terms. My request is simple — I am very interested in the ability behind Jenna's prophecy. Tell me how to obtain that ability, and I will lift the curse from her body!"
"Oh! Mother of Peace! You irredeemable sinner! Not only do you coerce us, but you actually dare to covet our family's Meditation Method…"
The old woman clutched her chest, looking as though she was about to have a heart attack.