CHAPTER 471: CHAPTER 240 EXPOSURE_2

The people behind Chadite also introduced themselves.

"Haha, please have a seat, everyone. Standing like this makes me feel far too impolite," the president of the chamber of commerce said with a smile.

Alka and the others smiled and nodded, then took their seats. They even saw that a special, larger chair had been prepared for Pororo’s gigantic frame.

After they were seated, Balazs clapped his hands lightly, and servers began bringing various delicacies to the table one by one. A member of the chamber took a jug of wine from the side and poured a cup for everyone present.

"Please enjoy, everyone. These are unique dishes made from the beasts of this island, not easily found elsewhere," Balazs said with a smile. He then casually cut a piece of meat from the leg of the largest, unknown beast in the center of the table, placed it on his plate, and popped a small piece into his mouth. After eating, he took a sip of wine from the glass beside him.

Seeing this, Alka and the others began to sample the food.

After taking a bite, Alka asked directly, "President Balazs, I wonder why you’ve invited us here?"

Hearing this, Balazs chuckled. "Naturally, I wished to get to know you all and make some friends. As the president of a chamber of commerce, friends are a vital resource." As he spoke, his tone suddenly shifted. "Of course, I also have a small piece of advice for my friends."

"Advice..." Alka squinted slightly. At this stage, where they had just met, it wasn’t exactly a welcome word.

"Don’t misunderstand. If I’m not mistaken, all of you have only just arrived in the Endless Sea, correct?"

As his words fell, the entire dining room grew quiet. Only the sound of Pororo chewing could be heard.

Alka and the others showed no reaction to his statement, continuing to enjoy the delicacies before them.

After swallowing his food, Alka chuckled softly and asked, "Why would President Balazs think so?"

Sitting opposite him, the president shook his head and smiled. "You’re new to the Endless Sea and may not understand the situation here. Although it might not be apparent on the surface, there are certain traits that only people from the Four Divine Seas who have just arrived in the Endless Sea possess.

"And coincidentally, you all exhibit these traits. This isn’t good, and it can be dangerous. So, I hope you’ll forgive my abruptness."

Since Balazs had spoken so bluntly, Alka saw no need to feign ignorance. He asked directly, "What kind of traits?"

"You’re all still in the Second Stage, yet your Magic Power reactions are far too stable. That’s highly unusual," Balazs stated, not holding back.

Just that? Alka hadn’t expected at all that what exposed them was nothing more than their overly stable Magic Power.

"Haha, my friend, many things are revealed through such small details," Balazs said with a smile. He then explained, "Although I don’t know what the Four Divine Seas are like, I’ve heard they are very tranquil and highly desirable.

"So, for adventurers like yourselves, willing to come from such a peaceful place to this dangerous Endless Sea, I have great admiration. It’s precisely for this reason that your Magic Power appears too stable.

"For those who grow up in the Endless Sea, the first two stages are when their strength increases the fastest. Their power is constantly growing, leaving them no time to stabilize their Magic Power. Only when they reach their absolute limit do they get a chance to go back and start refining it."

No wonder. Upon hearing this, Alka had a sudden realization and couldn’t help but recall their recent experiences in the town. The strength displayed by the Hunters there had been far too easy to detect. Alka had always thought his increased sensitivity was due to his own strength improving, as it hadn’t been as easy to detect others’ powers in the Homeland Sea. But back then, Alka’s strength was merely at the First Stage. It turned out that the Magic Power of people in the Endless Sea was simply too volatile and obvious during the early stages.

He also couldn’t help but think of the mayor, whom he had met once, and Balazs, who sat before him now. When Alka encountered them, he couldn’t quite sense their Magic Power fluctuations. It was only through the Dream Catcher that he sensed a hint of danger from them, letting Alka know their strength far surpassed his own; they were likely at the Third Stage.

Thinking of this, Alka humbly asked for advice, "Then how can one conceal such a characteristic?"

Upon hearing this, Balazs shook his head regretfully. "My friend, forgive my ignorance, but I don’t know of a way yet. After all, this is an influence stemming from the environment one grows up in; it’s not easily changed. However, once your strength reaches the Nine Spirals, this outward sign will no longer need to be concealed."

The implication was that reaching Nine Spirals—Perfection in the Second Stage—was roughly a watershed moment. Upon reaching this point, even those who grew up in the Endless Sea would begin to refine their Magic Power, allowing it to settle into calmness.

At this point, Balazs chuckled softly and said, "Actually, the main reason I noticed was that there were so many of you, and every single person’s Magic Power was very stable. That was just too strange. After all, noticing one or two such cases is normal; there are always exceptions. But when a whole group of exceptions gathers together, it becomes too conspicuous and makes one involuntarily consider other possibilities."