A powerful tremor, accompanied by a deep rumble, came from the depths of the earth, turning the once tranquil capital into a place of turmoil and unrest.

Terrifying and continuous shocks pounded the earth, one wave stronger than the next.

Countless residents were awakened from their sleep by the violent tremors inside their houses and the chaotic neighing of horses.

Pairs of eyes were filled with sleepiness and confusion.

At that moment, only one thought remained in their minds:

Was there an earthquake?

When the thought popped into their minds, everyone's sleepiness vanished.

The entire capital was plunged into deep unease.

Panic-stricken cries rose and fell like surging waves;

"Earthquake! Wake up!"

"Run! We have to get out of here!"

"Darling, wake the children up too, quick!"

Horses broke free of their stables, pulling carriages that were ramming and crashing through the city.

Countless residents hurriedly grabbed their families and hastily packed belongings, some even rushing out naked before they were fully dressed.

They reached the wide streets and joined the flow of people fleeing the disaster.

Only then did I realize that there were many other faces around me that had also woken up in shock and were equally terrified.

When they gathered on the streets of the capital, they all looked at each other in bewilderment.

They looked up at the night sky, where the moon still hung high, casting its pale light.

Although it was still late at night, everyone was wide awake.

However, after only one tremor, the earth returned to calm, and the second tremor was long overdue.

They were confused.

Was the earthquake just a single, tremor-like event?

Upon realizing this, almost all the residents breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

At the same time, they became curious about a new question.

Why does an earthquake suddenly occur?

They had not received any notification that an earthquake was about to strike the capital.

Typically, before a natural disaster strikes, the mages of the capital will issue evacuation notices to residential areas, which will continue for several hours as a warning.

For many years, the mages of the capital have used powerful magic to deal with these natural disasters.

Therefore, with multiple lines of defense, these rare natural disasters are even less likely to invade the capital.

If a major disaster occurs that even mages struggle to control, they can detect it in advance and report it to the royal family.

Issue timely notices and evacuate residents.

The powerful earthquake we just witnessed is an extremely rare event that might only occur once every few decades.

Just as residents were speculating about the cause of the earthquake and talking amongst themselves.

A group of mages dressed in magnificent robes rode horses through the streets, coming into view.

Their robes were embroidered with iridescent patterns, and rainbow-like luster danced on the surface of the clothes.

Even the horses ridden by the mages appeared to be very strong and excellent.

The saddle shimmered with a soft fluorescent light, shining brightly in the moonlight of the night.

Upon seeing these suddenly appearing mages, smiles spread across the residents' faces, their eyes filled with surprise and hope:

"It's the Royal Yad Mage Order."

"With them here, we should be safe now."

"Quickly, find out the cause of the earthquake, otherwise none of us will be able to sleep peacefully."

At this moment, a middle-aged male mage who appeared exceptionally composed stepped out from the Royal Mage Corps.

The patterns of light on his body were more dazzling and complex than those of the other members.

He is clearly the leader of this team.

He walked to the front of the procession, stood before the residents, and announced to them:

"Please don't worry, we are doing our best to find the cause of the earthquake."

"Please stand in an open area for now, and it is best to move to the square as soon as possible in case of a secondary earthquake."

Although the residents were somewhat uneasy after hearing the monks' advice, they still obediently gathered towards the square.

Just as the residents were moving in an orderly fashion, a monk hurriedly approached the team leader;

"Captain, something's wrong..."

Hearing the sound, the captain turned around, his brow furrowed slightly, and listened attentively to the report from the somewhat anxious team member:

“We tried to measure the energy of the earth element underground, but found that everyone’s earth element magic seemed to have failed.”

The failure of earth elemental magic means they cannot directly investigate the root cause of the earthquake.

Upon hearing this, the captain suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

Wait, the elements are malfunctioning?

Why does this situation seem so familiar?

It seems that a similar incident occurred within the empire not long ago.

As the only third-tier mage in the team, the captain was quick-witted and soon realized the seriousness of the situation.

But when he thought of the possible reasons, he felt as if he were frozen, and his mind went blank.

No...no way?

Filled with doubt, the captain quickly raised his staff and drew a simple magic circle in the air.

He carefully traced two lines along the edge of the formation, muttering to himself:

"Dust churns, soil settles."

"Awaken the will hidden deep beneath the Yellow Springs, and let the magnificent earth display its rich texture."

The moment the chanting echoed in the air, the tan formation suddenly burst into light.

The surrounding air began to swirl and gather towards the center of the formation.

However, the next second, the entire formation began to shake and then shattered.

A weak gust of air spread outwards, causing a chill to rise up the necks of the people behind.

The captain is now completely panicked.

Just as he confirmed his doubts, the earth began to stir again.

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