?


    Every night in the Dragon Nation is a repeat of the same events.


    Merchants exert all their cunning to secure business deals that might be casually settled at a small gathering of nobles. Commoners desperately vie for attention, their dream idols perhaps already tired of being yed with by merchants. The aroma of dinner from civilian homes, a family gathered around the table, is a scene desperately yearned for by demi-human ves toiling on the streets. Those ves fortunate enough to have masters providing them with basic food and shelter are the envy of the homeless, who scavenge through trash bins out of sheer hunger.


    In this dog-eat-dog world with a strict social hierarchy, this is Dragon Nation after centuries of ss solidification.


    However, tonight, everything will change.


    None of the nobles indulging in merriment, the merchants racked with anxiety over profits, nor themoners, ves, and poor struggling to survive could have imagined that their routine lives are about to be disrupted this very night.


    The spark that will start a wildfire has been lit.


    The Sealed City tonight is destined to be recorded in history.


    …


    ...


    Snap!*


    The crisp sound of a neck being broken heralds the death of an estate guard, swiftly dragged into the bushes by a shadowy figure of the revolutionary demi-humans.


    When another guard notices something amiss and is about to shout, a furry, heavy fist silences him forever.


    "How''s your side, Shan?"


    "All cleared," replies the bear demi-human emerging from the darkness, hisrge hand holding the lifeless bodies of several guards.


    "Good, we''ve cleared our side too," confirms Nozomi, nodding in approval as themander.


    "What a letdown, I was a bit nervous at first. Turns out these high official''s guards are all show, no substance! Easy pickings!"


    Jiu, stepping out from another shadow, rotates her wrists and joins herrades, her face flushed with excitement.


    The revolutionary army has nowpletely eliminated the guards and sentries around the mansion, effectively encircling and taking control of the area.


    The final step now was to enter the defenseless mansion and apprehend the corrupt official they had long targeted.


    From the expressions on the faces of the revolutionaries, it was clear that no one expected the n to proceed so smoothly. All the contingency ns they had prepared were left unused.


    Perhaps the only two notpletely caught up in the fervor were Nozomi, the leader, and Ashe, who felt a sense of unease.


    But it was toote to turn back now. The morale of the revolutionaries was high, and even Leng, who usually acted as the "brain," had not voiced any objections. They had only one choice left.


    Forward!


    "Let everyone stay alert. We can''t rx our guard just yet. Leave some people on lookout while the rest... follow me inside!"


    With that, Nozomi led the most elite members of the revolutionary army, including Ashe, Jiu, Shan, and Leng, breaking into the mansion through doors and windows.


    However, upon entering, Nozomi''s brow furrowed - the mansion was eerily empty. Although it was night, it was unusual for not even a single servant to be present. And the hall...


    It seemed normal at first nce, but the details – the cement of tablecloths, chairs, carpets, and especially the wall paintings – all indicated they had been recently moved. Something was off.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nozomi realized something was wrong and was about to warn the others, but Leng had already led the group upstairs towards the main bedroom. By the time she tried to call them back, it was toote.


    Boom!


    A massive explosion erupted, splintering the wooden floor and filling the air with smoke. Several revolutionaries who were caught in the st fell from the copsing staircase.


    Jiu, at the front, was quickly pulled back by the quick-reacting Shan, sparing her from the st. Even Shan, with his thick bear skin, was left bloodied and injured.


    The chaos didn''t end there. Before they could recover from the shock, a purple lightning hammer burst out from the room, striking towards Shan and the others who had survived the explosion.


    Boom!


    The purple hammer, with the force of thunder, whistled through the air, its shadow filled with shes of lightning. This formidable presence instantly changed theplexions of the revolutionaries. Recognizing the weapon, they felt their hearts sink – it was a "Relic"!


    Boom—


    Just a single strike from the purple hammer sent all the remaining revolutionaries on the second floor flying. Shan, who had protected the others and taken the brunt of the attack, now had an arm hanging limply, bing nearly useless.


    But there was no time to worry about injuries, as several members of the Army, the intended target of their assassination, and the corrupt high official emerged from the smoke. Alongside them was...


    "Mario!"


    Nozomi red hatefully at the mayor of the Sealed City, looking down at them with a mocking expression. The mayor was a direct descendant of "Charl" from the distant Imperial City of the Dragon Nation, a notorious viin.


    Nozomi wanted to eliminate this evil, but she wasn''t blinded by hatred. Their intended target was supposed to be just a high-ranking official under Mario, not the mayor himself. His presence indicated only one thing – they had a mole.


    "Retreat! Everyone, get out!"


    Their fear wasn''t Mario but the Relic User wielding the purple hammer – Lei, a renowned human fighter of the Sealed City. From the moment the Relic User appeared, the oue was clear: they were destined to lose.


    The revolutionaries had prepared for a hasty retreat. Several of them, resolved to die, charged towards Mario and Lei to buy time for Nozomi and the others to escape.


    Amidst this chaos, Mario watched indifferently, as if enjoying a spectacle, witnessing the long-wanted rebel demi-humans desperately trying to break out through the mansion''s doors and windows.


    But then...


    Boom!


    "How can this be!" Now with Shan severely injured, Jiu became their primary fighter. The tiger demi-human tried to smash open the main door with a punch, but the recoil numbed her arm.


    Boom!


    All the doors and windows of the mansion had seemingly turned as solid as rock. On closer inspection, it was clear that a brown barrier had sealed the entire estate. The revolutionaries'' attacks had hit this barrier, but it remained unscathed.


    Another "Relic"!


    The revolutionaries were both shocked and infuriated, and it soon became evident that, indeed, another man stepped out from behind Mario on the upper floor. He held an object resembling apass, emanating the same brown glow, effectively sealing the estate and killing any hope of escape for the revolutionaries.


    ''Two Relic Users!?''