Misaki City, Commercial District.
Next to the Misaki Bridge leading to the residential area, there stood a building significantly taller than its surrounding structures, resembling a skyscraper.
It was a department store, or rather, one should say, a former department store.
Despite the term "former," this department store hadn't been in operation for an extended period. Due to its previously lackluster performance, the investors opted to withdraw, leaving the store on the verge of closure.
The reason for using the term "almost" was that a food market connected to the underground streets still remained in business.
However, this pertained only to the surface part.
Therefore, the building of this department store had become nearly deserted, devoid of any human presence or aura.
Yet, within one of the floors of this department store, in a vast and dimly lit space, faint blue light emanated, casting an eerie glow around.
However, the illuminated surroundings held nothing but numerous dolls.
These dolls varied in size but shared a common trait of having intricate features and well-proportioned bodies, making them eerily lifelike. Unfortunately, despite their lifelike appearance, these dolls were clad in various styles and colors of clothing, silently piled up in the vicinity.
Bathed in the dim blue light, they exuded an unsettling vibe, as if they could come to life at any moment, making this space more akin to a haunted house than an actual one.
This place, undoubtedly, was not somewhere people would visit for leisure.
In fact, there wouldn't be any leisurely visits.
However, if someone with a purpose happened to find their way here, that would be a different story.
At a certain moment, footsteps began to gradually approach the dimly lit space from outside.
"Boom!"
An explosion resounded suddenly within this part of the space, disrupting the air and causing a slight tremor. It was the sound of a tightly closed door leading to the outside being blown away by a deep blue fireball.
The flames spread through the dim space, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Soon after, three figures walked into the room from outside, entering this space.
Surprisingly, it was Fang Li, Shana, and Margery, the entire group.
"Is this the place?" Margery swept her sharp gaze around and asked, "Is this the base of that 'Hunter' you sought to overthrow?"
"Should be." Shana's charming face, appearing as youthful as ever, remained tense as she didn't look at Margery, merely stating, "On the day of the attack, the auras of both 'Hunter' and 'Thousand Changes' began from this point. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the lair of 'Hunter.'"
"In reality, our senses haven't misled us." Fang Li gestured toward the eerie dolls ahead and said, "That's the best proof, right?"
"Haha, all dolls, indeed a place where that doll scoundrel could have stayed," Marchosias spoke in a tone that was both ear-piercing and somewhat disappointed. "The fellow ranked among the top five in the Crimson Lord of recent times has already been defeated; it's a shame. Why didn't we come a few days earlier?"
"Bringing you here isn't for you to express your sentiments," Alastor spoke solemnly. "Don't forget, our goal is to find the Treasure Tool used by 'Hunter,' coordinate with your Unrestricted Spell, discover the Unrestricted Spell hidden in this city, and unravel the conspiracy of the 'Bal Masqué.'"
The entire group had come here with this objective in mind.
After securing Margery's assistance, Fang Li encountered an immediate challenge.
An existing challenge.
"In a city not particularly large but by no means small, finding an Unrestricted Spell is as challenging as searching for a needle in the sea," Margery informed Fang Li.
"If it's an actively functioning Unrestricted Spell, we could just forget about it. However, this particular Unrestricted Spell has yet to be activated, lacking even the Power of Existence. It's impossible to sense it. Even if I use a broad-spectrum Unrestricted Spell for scanning, the feedback will undoubtedly be weak. Therefore, locating it may take quite some time," She explained.
Promptly, Fang Li recalled a Treasure Tool, one that belonged to Friagne.
Although it had been some time, Fang Li vaguely remembered that Friagne possessed a Treasure Tool capable of observing human activities and the flow of Power of Existence in a specific area.
With this Treasure Tool, Friagne had been able to monitor the entire Misaki City. When Fang Li eliminated the Torch, Friagne sensed it almost instantly.
If they had that Treasure Tool, even the faintest response would be observable.
Thus, Fang Li made a decisive decision, bringing Shana and Margery to this location.
This trip did not disappoint the group.
Almost immediately, the entire group gazed ahead.
It was the source of the dim blue glow illuminating the dolls around—a large courtyard-style miniature landscape that recreated the scenery and flow of people in the entire Misaki City.
"Is this the Crystal Altar?" Shana whispered softly.
"Correct," Alastor affirmed. "This Treasure Tool was crafted by an immensely powerful Crimson World Denizen and has existed for thousands of years."
"Remember, when the Crystal Altar was born, many Denizens fought fiercely to possess it, resorting to large-scale battles," Margery remarked with a snort. "In the end, that guy 'Hunter' got his hands on it and took it away."
"That guy excelled in doing unspeakable things behind the scenes," Marchosias chuckled. "At that time, almost all Denizens were deceived by him. Unexpectedly, he eventually fell into the hands of a human. Those who hated him must have felt quite satisfied."
"Now that we've found the item, let's get started quickly," Fang Li interrupted the conversation, looking directly at Margery. "It's up to you now."
"Yes, yes, yes," Margery replied nonchalantly. She stepped forward and positioned herself in front of the Crystal Altar.
"Well then, let's get this thing activated."
Margery walked straight into the miniature landscape, her feet in high heels stomping down forcefully.
"Clang!"
The light within the Crystal Altar instantly intensified.
With a skilled technique that didn't resemble her first time activating this Treasure Tool, Margery injected the Power of Existence into it. Simultaneously, she raised her hand high.
"Now, for a broad-spectrum search."
As her words fell, Margery's raised hand emitted a totem-like Unrestricted Spell.
...