"Harvey? What's he here for?" Enzo murmured, then went to the door, pushed it open, and went downstairs. There, he saw Harvey standing by the stone pillar at the base of the tavern's stairs, looking around curiously yet awkwardly.
Upon seeing Enzo, Harvey hurried over.
At this moment, he didn't dare to address Enzo casually but respectfully said, "Mr. Enzo, I have news about the Spatial Stone you asked me to find. There's been a report of a Spatial Stone vein in a spatial secret realm outside the Flamingo Gathering Place. However, the news has been sealed off by the Flamingo Merchants and other major factions, so only a few people know about it.
It took a lot of effort for me to gather this information."
Enzo was astonished and looked at Harvey, confirming, "A Spatial Stone vein?"
Harvey nodded, "Yes, indeed a Spatial Stone vein. However, the spatial secret realm is very dangerous, and for some unknown reason, the entrance is closing."
"It seems there is indeed a Spatial Stone vein there."
At this point, Norma also came down the stairs, confirming the news.
She continued to explain, "Spatial Stone is a very unique mineral containing spatial elemental power, which can be used to make storage rings or expand space. However, untreated Spatial Stone veins are highly unstable and prone to causing spatial fluctuations. It is normal for the entrance to be closed."
"Where exactly is this spatial secret realm?"
Norma asked again.
Harvey, too nervous to look up, hesitated.
The events that had transpired had already spread throughout the Flamingo Gathering Place. No one had anticipated that the female owner of Stone Tavern possessed such formidable strength, eliminating the entire Blue Wolf Family in front of many residents.
What was even more chilling was the lack of reaction from the rulers of the Flamingo Gathering Place—the Flamingo Merchants—who seemed to tacitly approve, and no one spoke up for the Blue Wolf Family.
They were afraid!
At that moment, everyone understood the gravity of the situation.
Thus, when Norma inquired, Harvey immediately responded, "Ms. Norma, the spatial secret realm is in a valley outside the Gathering Place. There's a prominent circular boulder at the entrance of the valley."
Norma, familiar with the area.
She quickly understood Harvey's description. A bit surprised, she turned to Enzo and asked, "Shall we go check it out?"
Enzo replied, "Let's go."
With the confirmation, Norma opened a spatial portal, taking Enzo with her.
As they departed, the tavern buzzed with discussions. Many admired Enzo for earning Norma's favor, while others were envious.
Of course, Enzo paid little attention to these comments.
He was confident in himself, believing that even though Norma was currently stronger, given time, he would surpass her.
Soon, Norma and Enzo arrived at the valley entrance.
As soon as they appeared, dozens of people emerged from behind the large circular boulder. They were armed with iron spears, all pointed directly at Enzo and Norma. Judging by their attire, they were clearly from different factions.
"Stop!"
"No entry without a merchant guild order!"
One of them shouted.
At that moment, it seemed the guild's manager received news and hurried over, scolding the person who had tried to block Enzo and Norma from entering. The manager then turned to Enzo and Norma.
Enzo was slightly surprised to see a familiar face—it was Mr. Quincy.
Quincy looked surprised too, but he quickly displayed the composure expected of a guild manager. He stepped forward with a bright smile and said to Enzo, "Brother Enzo, we meet again."
Then, addressing Norma, he asked, "Ms. Norma, are you here for the Spatial Stone vein as well?"
Norma replied coolly, "Just to have a look."
Quincy showed no reaction to her indifference and said, "In that case, let's proceed into the valley."
As he walked, he continued, "Ms. Norma, the situation is a bit complicated. Besides the Blue Wolf Family you eliminated, other factions near the Gathering Place have also gotten wind of the news and are eager to claim the Spatial Stone vein in the secret realm. Unfortunately, the entrance to the realm is about to close. Therefore, our primary task now is to reopen the entrance."
Quincy was not lying.
Inside the valley, it was far busier than outside.
Many people were gathered, discussing how to enter the spatial secret realm.
When Norma and Enzo arrived, some people's expressions changed, as it meant another competitor for the Spatial Stone vein. However, due to Norma's formidable presence, no one dared to confront them directly, and the overall atmosphere remained superficially calm.
At this moment, Quincy stepped forward.
He surveyed the crowd and said, "Everyone, let's focus on preventing the closure of the secret realm entrance. Otherwise, no matter how rich the Spatial Stone vein is, we won't be able to obtain any of it."
Many people nodded in agreement with Quincy's statement.
A member of the Spark Merchants said, "We possess a special Ritual. If everyone works together, we might be able to reopen the closing entrance to the secret realm." a middle-aged man with red hair stated.
However, his suggestion was quickly met with opposition.
The dissenting voice mocked, "Spark Merchants—everyone knows they're the least trustworthy in the Flamingo Gathering Place! Who knows if they're telling the truth or just trying to eliminate the competition and monopolize the Spatial Stone vein!"
"That's a baseless accusation!"
A Spark Merchants member retorted angrily.
Immediately, the two sides began to argue, and Quincy had to step in and shout, "Quiet!"
As a representative of the Flamingo Merchants, Quincy held some weight among the various factions in the valley. His intervention silenced both the Spark Merchants members and their opponents.
He then turned to Norma and asked, "Ms. Norma, you are proficient in spatial power. Do you have any suggestions?"
Everyone turned to Norma.
She shook her head and said, "The entrance to the secret realm has already collapsed. Even if we manage to reopen it, it might not lead into the realm itself. We'll need to find another way to enter."
The crowd's faces changed upon hearing this.
After all the debate, discovering they couldn't enter meant that all their efforts had been in vain.
However, some were skeptical and questioned, "Ms. Norma, are you sure you're not lying?"
Another person added, "The Spatial Stone vein is extremely valuable. If you say it can't be entered, how do we know you're not waiting for everyone to leave and then enter it yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Norma's face showed a hint of disdain.
She coldly replied, "Who gave you the courage to speak to me like that?"
In the next moment, an invisible force bound the dissenting person, lifting him off the ground. He struggled desperately, clutching at his chest, his face growing tight from suffocation.
Just as he was about to suffocate, someone intervened.
A wind blade shattered the invisible binding, and the person said, "Ms. Norma, you've gone too far! We're only discussing, and you resort to violence!"
Norma's expression remained calm, ignoring the outburst, and she said to Enzo, "Let's leave."
At this, the man shouted again, "Stop!"
Norma turned back, her gaze now revealing a flicker of anger.
The man arrogantly declared, "I am Torrian, the leader of the Iron Tree Tribe. Previously, the Iron Tree Tribe had some cooperation with the Blue Wolf Family. Now, because of you, that cooperation is lost. Ms. Norma, I acknowledge your strength, so you can leave. However, the main reason for the Blue Wolf Family's downfall is that kid over there.
Moreover, he doesn't even have the strength of a high-level supernatural being, so he doesn't belong here. You can leave, but he must stay!"
Norma's gaze turned icy.
Just as she was about to take action, Enzo stopped her.
Norma looked at Enzo in confusion.
Enzo turned to Torrian with a smile and said, "Leader Torrian, are you saying that because of the Iron Tree Tribe's past cooperation with the Blue Wolf Family, you want to avenge them? Don't you think that sounds ridiculous?"
Torrian was unbothered and replied, "Kid, no matter how you try to argue, you must pay the price today."
Though the others understood that there might be some issues with this situation, no one stepped in to intervene. Whether it was Torrian, Enzo, or Norma, they were all competitors for the Spatial Stone vein. Each defeat meant one less rival in the competition.
Of course, ideally, both sides would suffer.
That way, the benefits would be maximized.
However, Torrian seemed to understand the pros and cons and was not in a hurry to act.
Enzo also sensed something was off. His intuition told him that Torrian's motives were not just about fighting him; there must be a deeper reason.
As both sides faced off, the secret realm entrance suddenly closed.
Moments later, unusual fluctuations swept through the valley.
"What's happening?" someone shouted in panic.
Norma immediately grabbed Enzo's arm, her face serious as she stared at the last remaining crack in the spatial entrance. "Something's wrong; it looks like something is coming out. Enzo, stay behind me."
As she finished speaking, a strange tone sounded.
As if something were being torn apart.
The entrance to the secret realm suddenly reopened, and a terrifying monster emerged.
Everyone's eyes widened in terror as they witnessed the creature's arrival.