Meanwhile,

Core members like Aragis and Reize also felt the overwhelming, unmistakable aura.

"Sanctuary Lord rank… She actually got there first!?"

Reize stroked his chin, his tone tinged with a sense of awe.

But there was no jealousy, only a feeling of, as expected.

Elizabeth's lips seemed to curl into a slight smile.

"Looks like we need to step up our efforts. It doesn't look good being outdone by a lazy dragon."

The others immediately turned around, focusing even more intently on their own advancement.

Main Continent, Dalton Time Tower Transport Point.

Although leaders like Aragis and Elarielle had already moved to New Dalton, the order in the original Dalton was still well-maintained.

This was largely due to the deterrent effect of the stable operation of the space-time tunnel.

After the peak of population migration, the transport point was now relatively quiet, with only a few scattered applicants.

Two soldiers in standard armor stood guard here, also responsible for reviewing passage qualifications and collecting corresponding fees.

"Good sirs."

A young man, dressed plainly, walked up with a humble smile.

The two guards furrowed their brows, one of them speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Why is it you again?"

"The rules have already been made clear. You must pay the full fee to use the transport array. That's the ironclad rule."

The young man's face immediately became filled with bitterness, and he nervously begged.

"Please, just this once!"

"I can't live here anymore, please let me through! I'll work hard when I get to New Dalton to repay the debt!"

The other guard's expression turned cold, and the pressure of his Sanctuary rank aura radiated.

"A rule is a rule. If you keep pestering and disrupting the order here, don't blame us for enforcing it!"

The powerful aura acted like a tangible wall, pushing the young man back unsteadily.

Just when they thought this would make him back off, the young man, seemingly desperate, pointed at the two guards, his voice sharp with despair.

"Rules?! You keep talking about rules!"

"Then why don't you do something about the underground casino the merchant guild is running?! They've nearly drained all my hard-earned money!"

As soon as these words were out, the guards' faces immediately darkened.

"What did you say? What underground casino?"

One guard's eyes sharpened.

The young man trembled, realizing he had accidentally let something slip in his desperation. He quickly waved his hands.

"N-Nothing! I was just rambling!"

"I'll leave now, I'll leave!"

With that, he turned and tried to flee.

The two guards exchanged glances, their eyes filled with suspicion and seriousness.

The next moment, one of them flashed forward like a ghost, appearing behind the young man and easily subduing him.

"Speak! What's really going on?"

The guard's voice was filled with an undeniable authority.

The young man's face turned pale.

In the face of such overwhelming power, he knew resistance was futile, especially when facing Dalton's guards.

Of course, if he refused to explain, he was more likely to end up facing the dreaded Hat organization!

It was rumored that even innocent people who went there came back badly scarred...

He could only reluctantly share everything he knew.

"Fate's Wheel?! An underground casino?!"

One of the guards gasped, his face filled with solemnity.

It was well known that when Dalton was first established, the President had issued a strict decree banning all forms of gambling establishments!

Among the three forbidden vices—gambling, drugs, and yellow (sex trade)—only certain gray-area establishments with entertainment were loosely managed. But gambling and drugs had always been Dalton Town's strictest red lines!

Yet now, this young man claimed that there was an underground casino operated by a merchant guild in the outer city area!?

And that he had lost all his savings there and accumulated a massive debt.

In desperation, he thought to escape to New Dalton to hide from his creditors and start over.

At this, the faces of the two guards grew extremely grim.

"Are you telling the truth?"

The other guard asked harshly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

The young man, panic-stricken, nodded quickly.

"Absolutely true!"

"And… that guild is said to have considerable backing in the city, and they have a lot of influence. We common folk can't afford to mess with them."

He paused for a moment, seemingly trying to add weight to his words, and added,

"I've heard… even you regular Dalton guards aren't even looked down upon by them."

"Preposterous!"

"Outrageous!"

The two guards immediately erupted in fury and laughter.

Not respecting Dalton guards?

Was there such an arrogant force in this city?

Well, they were going to see for themselves!

"You stay here and watch him. I'm reporting to the higher-ups immediately!"

One of the guards told his partner.

He then moved to the side and activated his communication device.

After a brief moment, he received a reply and a look of determination appeared on his face.

"The higher-ups ordered this to be investigated immediately!"

"I'll personally report to Commander Reize in person!"

Without hesitation, he turned and stepped into the spinning space-time tunnel.

The remaining guard continued watching the transport point.

His gaze occasionally darted toward the space-time tunnel, his expression heavy with anticipation.

The young man, seeing the guard enter the tunnel, lowered his eyes, a flash of mixed revenge and gloating in his gaze.

That guild did have some backing, but he had exaggerated things on purpose to provoke the Dalton guards into a fury.

He planned to use their sharpest knife to cut off those blood-sucking tentacles!

If they dared to swindle him of his hard-earned money, nobody would get away with it!

Just as he was silently plotting, the space-time tunnel suddenly started shaking violently, emitting a brilliant light far brighter than usual!

"Such a strong energy response!"

The remaining guard's heart tightened.

"Could it be Commander Reize returning? But that's so quick…"

Before he could finish his sentence, an enormous shadow burst out of the space-time tunnel with a roar!

In an instant,

The terrifying dragon might descended like a mountain, instantly enveloping the entire old city and even spreading toward the distant main continent!

The overwhelming pressure contained both the grandeur of a Sanctuary Lord rank and the nobility of an Astral Ancient Dragon!

Every being that felt this aura was shaken to their core, looking up in awe at the sky.

It was… a dragon?!

And it had two pairs of dragon wings?!

By the Star Gods, what kind of being is this?!

Because Fiona had long been with Lilith and had undergone significant changes in her appearance, most people in the old Dalton didn't immediately recognize her.

But not everyone was oblivious.

A guard wearing a crimson-gold medallion instantly appeared in mid-air, respectfully bowing to the soaring dragon.

"Lady Fiona!"

"We didn't know you were visiting, please forgive us for not welcoming you sooner!"

Seeing the guard and the medallion of the highest authority, many regular guards below were startled.

It turned out there was such a high-ranking officer hidden in old Dalton, likely one of Commander Reize's secret chess pieces, overseeing the entire operation.

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