"I want to ask of the Association current thoughts on these cracks," Michael said.
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Since the other party preferred to get straight to the point, Michael, who also appreciated this direct style of conversation, immediately jumped to what was on his mind without any unnecessary detours.
Though part of his mind was distracted by the fact that he was floating mid-air without assistance, Michael forced himself to stay calm.
He could feel a strange mana signature all around him and could only assume it was Brian using one of his techniques to keep him afloat.
While he spoke, thoughts of just how strong Brian might truly be lingered in his mind as he waited patiently for an answer.
Fortunately, he didnât have to wait long.
"Weâll handle the cracks; donât worry," Brian said slowly and deliberately, pausing before continuing.
"Weâve called for help from other Associations to send more King-rank experts since theyâre the only ones capable of dealing with this. The request has been confirmed, so thereâs no need for you to worry. You wonât be called to fightânot that youâre capable of contributing much anyway."
Michaelâs eyelid twitched.
For a moment, he wondered if Brian was simply trying to reassure him or if he was subtly insulting him.
Either way, he couldnât deny that the words brought some relief.
However, Michael wasnât done yet.
He still had a few doubts lingering in his mind.
Fortunately, since Brian had answered his first question, it seemed he was willing to entertain a few more.
And indeed, that turned out to be the case.
"So, letâs say reinforcements do arrive. Even then, when the monsters come out of the cracks, it might not be the monsters that destroy the cityâit could very well be the shockwaves caused by those King Rank experts fighting them," Michael said calmly.
Michaelâs mind flashed to the mysterious figure bathed in blue flames heâd seen earlier.
If the monsters in the crack were as strong as that figureâwho he believed could level the city with easeâthen the cityâs survival seemed grim.
The sky wasnât enough to protect those below, especially if the shockwaves from such clashes were as devastating as he imagined.
"You donât have to worry about that," Brian interjected, reading Michaelâs thoughts.
"If you could think of it, the Association has naturally accounted for it already."
Michael blinked, feeling the faint sting of what he suspected might be another subtle insult.
However, Brianâs indifferent expression showed no malice, as though what he had just said was entirely neutral.
"Just because a crack is close to breaking doesnât mean it canât be stopped entirely, or at least delayed," Brian continued.
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"Didnât you say before that nothing could stop a crack from appearing unless they were a god?"
"I did," Brian confirmed.
"And I stand by that. Iâve never heard of a King Rank or even an Emperor Rank cultivator preventing a crack from appearing. But no one said you couldnât close it after it appears."
"Oh, you might think this is common sense since crack clearing is something youâre familiar withâyouâve even cleared a few yourself," Brian began, his tone calm but deliberate. He gestured toward one of the cracks around them.
"But what Iâm talking about here isnât normal cracks. Iâm talking about cracks like thisâones close to breaking."
Michael immediately caught on.
If he wasnât mistaken, Brian was implying there was a way to deal with the monsters in these cracks before they emerged.
A spark of realization flickered in Michaelâs mind.
"Cracks can still be entered even if theyâre close to breaking," Michael ventured.
"Yes," Brian confirmed. "The issue isnât entering. The problem is the monsters inside. They arenât just more numerous than those in regular crack clearsâtheyâre also near the strength limit of the crack itself. However, since these cracks are somewhat artificially created, the monstersâ numbers arenât overwhelming, and their strength is at the lower end of what this crack can handle."
Hearing this explanation, the pieces finally fell into place for Michael.
Without Brian needing to say more, he understood the Associationâs planâto deal with the cracks from the inside while minimizing the damage to the city below.
Feeling slightly more at ease, Michael turned his attention to another curiosity.
He hesitated, unsure if he should speak, but under Brianâs gaze, he finally did.
"The scar on your face⊠itâs gone. And not just thatâŠ"
Michael trailed off, glancing at Brianâs hair, now jet black, and his youthful appearance.
He wanted to ask when Brian had dyed his hair or why he seemed so much younger.
Unfortunately, he didnât get the chance.
"Alright, itâs time for you to leave," Brian said abruptly, cutting him off. "Some old fogies are already arriving."
"Old fogies? What do you meanâ"
Before Michael could finish his sentence, he found himself standing in a dark alleyway.
There was no sign of Brian anywhere.
"He really does things at his own pace, doesnât he?" Michael muttered.
There was something else Michael had noticed about Brian.
The threatening aura Brian had always exuded seemed to have vanished.
---
Back in midair, a man and a woman appeared before Brian.
Both looked to be in their early thirties, but anyone familiar with them knew these two had centuries behind them.
Being over 200 years old in Aurora didnât necessarily mean someone had lived through the start of the Dark Age.
No.
There were places in the universe where time moved faster.
Take the void between realms, for example.
In the worst cases, a day in Aurora could equate to 30 years for a powerful cultivator traveling through the void.
---
Authorâs Note:
Good day, beautiful readers! Itâs almost the end of the month, and after checking the ranks, Iâve set a new goal for our book: finish the month in the Top 10 In Golden Tickets Ranking! If we can achieve it, Iâll do a mass release of ten chapters! Please cast your votes for the book. Your support is what drives me forward!