"Understood."

  The guard opened the heavy doors, and He Xiao immediately marched into the office, offering a crisp military salute to Qin Ming. In the empire, a soldier did not perform full kneeling rites while clad in armor.

  "What brings you here?" Qin Ming looked up, his gaze settling on He Xiao.

  "City Lord, intelligence from the Cloud Mist Forest indicates that the number of Brave-rank monsters is increasing at an alarming rate," He Xiao reported solemnly. "Based on historical records of previous Beast Tides and the current speed of monster aggregation, it’s clear that this coming tide will be significantly larger in scale than any we’ve faced before."

  "I see," Qin Ming nodded slightly.

  The reports crossing his desk over the last few days had all pointed to the same grim conclusion. He knew that if the Beast Tide continued to grow at this rate, Cloud Mist City might not survive the onslaught. At that point, it wouldn't just be a matter of reconstruction—the city itself would cease to exist.

  Qin Ming was plagued by the same anxiety. Unlike those two foxes at the Mercenary Guild who could pack up and flee if things got ugly, he had been dispatched by the Desolate Yuan Empire to govern this city. He had a duty to protect it. If the walls fell, he would fall with them.

  "Have there been any new discoveries?" Qin Ming asked as a matter of routine. He didn't expect a mere squad captain to have a major breakthrough; he assumed the "important matter" was just the scale of the tide.

  "Yes, City Lord. I’ve discovered a shop in the city," He Xiao said, his previous words having served as a buildup for this moment.

  "A shop? What does that have to do with the Beast Tide?" Even with Qin Ming’s superior intellect, he couldn't immediately see the connection.

  "Please look at this, City Lord. This is a weapon I purchased from that shop." He Xiao unbuckled the [Flame Great-Saber] from his waist and presented it with both hands.

  "A single saber... do you expect this to change the course of a Beast Tide?" Qin Ming took the weapon, still confused by He Xiao’s intent.

  "Please, City Lord, unsheathe it," He Xiao said respectfully.

  Qin Ming complied, gripping the hilt and pulling the blade from its scabbard.

  Clang—!

  The moment the steel was bared, a fierce flame-light erupted. Instantly, the temperature in the office rose several degrees.

  "This—!"

  Qin Ming bolted upright, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the blade in his hand. Without the scabbard to suppress it, the violent elemental power of fire surged from the blade in endless waves.

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  Even with just this one weapon, Qin Ming could sense its potential. If a Level 15 soldier could fully harness its power, they would be capable of going toe-to-toe with a Brave-rank monster without falling into a disadvantage. Even if Qin Ming used it himself, it would significantly boost his combat strength.

  The reason Beast Tides were so terrifying was the lack of powerful defenders. Because ordinary soldiers lacked Trial Crystals, the city was always outnumbered at the Brave-rank level. But if they had a sufficient quantity of these high-quality weapons, Cloud Mist City might actually stand a fighting chance against the expanding tide.

  To think such a shop appeared in my territory and I didn't know about it... what a massive oversight!

  "Where is this shop?" Qin Ming demanded instantly.

  "In a remote alley within the city," He Xiao replied, struggling to find the words to describe Kael’s out-of-the-way location.

  "Take me there. Now," Qin Ming decided immediately. This was a matter of national security.

  "Yes, sir!"

  Kael was lying in bed, and for the life of him, he couldn't believe someone was pounding on his door in the middle of the night.

  They don't come during the day, but they show up at midnight? Are they insane? Kael tossed and turned. "System, don't you think this is a problem that needs solving?"

  [System: Pray tell, Host, how would you like me to solve it?]

  Kael pulled a pillow over his ears. "To run a good shop, one needs adequate sleep, right? So, shouldn't you improve the shop’s soundproofing?"

  The System remained silent for a moment. Outside, the knocking abruptly stopped—at least to Kael’s ears.

  [System: At the Host's request, the shop has been upgraded with soundproof environment. Please rest well.]

  Outside the shop door, He Xiao looked awkwardly at Qin Ming. "City Lord... it seems the owner won't wake up."

  Who could have guessed that the dignified City Lord of Cloud Mist City would be so excited over a weapon that he’d skip sleep to knock on a shop door in the middle of the night?

  "Is the manager not in? Perhaps I was too impatient," Qin Ming sighed.

  "What do we do now, City Lord?"

  "We return tomorrow," Qin Ming shook his head. Though anxious, there was nothing to be done.

  They had no idea the manager was indeed inside. He had heard their knocking perfectly clearly—he simply refused to open the door.

  That night, Kael slept like a baby. The occasional screech of night owls, which used to drift in, was now completely sealed out by the soundproof walls.

  "Huh? It’s already this late, why hasn't the Boss opened up yet?" Tiger Hunt was the first to arrive. He glanced at the morning light on the horizon, wondering if he had arrived too early.

  "Yeah, usually he’s open by now," Blood Wolf added as he arrived with twenty members of his squad standing in a disciplined, orderly line behind him.

  "That's strange. Is the black-hearted Boss not opening today? What time is it?" Ying Feng, who had just finished testing his gear in the forest and grabbed breakfast, joined the group.

  The small shop, which was usually deserted, was suddenly surrounded by a crowd the moment it stayed closed.

  "This Manager Kael is quite interesting," Ling Xiao remarked. He wasn't in a hurry; he had come to Cloud Mist City with a specific purpose, and a small delay didn't matter. Ying Xue stood beside him, equally composed.

  "I didn't realize the Boss had so many customers," Tiger Hunt laughed heartily, greeting Ying Feng and the others. "Are you guys new? I haven't seen you around Cloud Mist City before. I’m Tiger Hunt. If you need anything in this city, look me up."

  "I’m Ying Feng. Not exactly new; I’d consider myself a regular at this shop," Ying Feng replied, being naturally sociable. The two hit it off immediately.

  A short while later, Qin Ming and He Xiao arrived from the direction of the City Lord’s manor.

  "This... City Lord, this shop owner is incredibly bold. He’s actually keeping everyone waiting!" He Xiao stared at the crowd outside the closed doors, absolutely dumbfounded.