Atop the tallest clock tower in the ck market, Ansel and hispanions sat on the edge of the rooftop. Seraphina nestled close to Ansel, while Marlina, her cheeks tinged with a rosy flush, was cradled in the arms of her statuesque and athletic sister.


    "Marlina," Ansel said gently, stroking Lawrence''s little head, "how about we y a game?"


    Held by her sister, Marlina, slightly taken aback and looking somewhat uneasy, responded with a delighted expression, "Of course, I''ll join, Mr. Ansel."


    "Imagine you are Mr. Hyena at this moment."


    Young Hydral gazed down upon the bustling ck street below, the surging tides of shadows within hisplete view.


    He turned his head, locking eyes with Marlina, "How many tasks do you have at hand?"


    "To ensure fairness, you may ask me anything at any time. I shall disclose anything that Mr.Hyena is aware of."


    The girl in the ck dress, with her elegant silver hair and exquisite demeanor, also looked down upon the buildings and streets below. Although not extraordinary herself, and barely able to discern the passersby below, her mind began to conjure aplex tapestry of images.


    "... The first task, of course, is to ensure the sessfulpletion of Mr. Ansel''s mission," Marlina murmured softly.


    "Mr. Hyena... no, I, since I am so desperately marketing myself to you, it indicates that I am at my wit''s end, unable to find anyone willing to support me... Of course, it''s also possible that many powers are still observing, waiting for me to be on the brink of ruin, gasping for myst breath, to seize the greatest benefit."


    "Therefore, after you have invested me, I must deliver a result that will satisfy you."


    "Very well," Ansel smiled, flicking the tail of thenguid rat sprawled on hisp, "Lawrence, show Marlina the situation in the ck market... especially the part where Hyena clears out the other ve markets."


    Lawrence stood up on his hind legs, extending his paws in a peculiar fashion, "This is simple, Young lord, just a moment..."


    Seraphina, watching the lively Lawrence, couldn''t help but ask, "Lawrence, are you the Rodent King they speak of?"


    "Hmm?"


    Lawrence, in the midst of casting, tilted his tiny head, "Miss Seraphina, why would you think that?"


    "Because it''s a rodent!" the girl stated as if it were the most obvious fact.


    "That''s just a title, a title," Lawrence flicked his paw dismissively, "That Hyena, he''s not actually a dog, either. I, Lawrence, am quite busy! I have no interest in ying house in this part of the ck market... Oh! There we go."


    With a wave of his paw, a massive holographic screen split into several sections appeared in mid-air, each disying a different scene. Upon closer inspection, Lawrence''s tiny crimson eyes reflected even more varied scenes.


    "This is impressive..." Seraphina looked up at the dazzling disy, her heart still clinging to the unfulfilled ambition of bing the head of devouring, "Lawrence seems to know everything."


    "It''s merely borrowing the perspectives of other rodents in the ck market."


    NovelFire-official-text


    Havingpleted his disy, Lawrencey back down on Ansel''sp, "Just a little trick."


    Despite his casual remark, his tail wagged quite contentedly.


    "You can also control other rodents?!"


    "After all, it''s the ''essence'' of the beast," the praised rat appeared even more smug, "It''s a remarkable essence, one of the most important among the countless essences Hydral possesses."


    "... Ah, really?"


    Seraphina scratched her head in disbelief, "It doesn''t seem all that impressive to me, it''s just about fighting, isn''t it?"


    "Because the ''beast'' can extend to so much more: domination, devouring, growth, frenzy... That''s why the head of devouring has such powerful capacity," Lawrence said, his tail erect with pride, "If you''re talking about fighting, of course, I''m not as capable as Tyrus and Toradon, but I am definitely the most versatile pact head under the boss, capable of doing anything!"


    Miss Wolf was itching to try out the power of the head of devouring, as Lawrence''s words piqued her interest, but s, she could only dream about it.


    Ansel did not interrupt the casual conversation between Seraphina and Lawrence. He simply watched Marlina''s profile intently. From his perspective, the transformed girl gazed earnestly at the screen, her allure and beauty stirring the soul.


    It was not merely a pleasure of the senses derived from her appearance, but a beauty that prated the heart and mind, born from her umted knowledge, matured thought, and evolving temperament, an ineffable charm.


    Marlina, engrossed in her contemtion, remained oblivious to Ansel''s gaze. Despite Lawrence''s efforts to minimize the number of images disyed, it was still a daunting task for Marlina to process more than a dozen images simultaneously with her mortal cognition and reflexes.


    "... Mr. Lawrence," the youngdy abruptly interjected, "Could you kindly reduce the number of images?"


    "Ah? Oh, certainly," Lawrence, who was engrossed in a lively conversation with Seraphina, looked up at Marlina with a hint of surprise. "How many should remain?"


    "Can you discern who controls each of these ve markets?" she queried.


    "Uh... that''s a bit challenging," Lawrence scratched his head with a w, "My rodents'' brains can''t remember that much, I might not be able to retrieve it."


    "In that case... please retain the images of the most luxuriously decorated ve markets, five will suffice."


    The light screen transformed, and Lawrence, following Marlina''s instructions, retained only five images of the ve markets. This time, after a brief nce, Marlina began to speak:


    "Mr. Ansel, I n tounch a main assault on these ve markets,"


    She pointed to the most luxurious ve market in the light screen, which was no less opulent than the one under Hyena''s control.


    "Since I n to antagonize all other forces, it is natural to strike the strongest opponent with the greatest force under the condition of gaining the upper hand... However, mere conquest is meaningless. After all, this is a market, and the leaders here... are ultimately businessmen, so—"


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