"In the last two months, what's been happening? Incidents are frequent. This is already the umpteenth time a building has been destroyed."
"Calling it destruction is being too cautious. It's plainly blasted into smithereens. The living probably don't fare much better than the dead—no homes, no cars, and no family left. How can they continue living after this?"
"As far as I know, this is the fourth time this month. What kind of force can blast several buildings like this? Didn't people living nearby hear anything?"
"I heard no one reported it. By the time they found out, it was already in this state."
"This is terrifying. Is it some kind of supernatural event? I'm worried; will it happen near my house next? We wouldn't even know how we'd die."
"I'm also worried. I feel like Big Apple City has been particularly uneasy lately."
...
Amalia passed by the scene of the night's events. Residents nearby gathered, and discussing the incident. The TV news no longer covered these events. Those living farther away remained unaware, otherwise it would causing widespread panic.
Amalia looked at the street that now resembled ruins. Ordinary people couldn't see it, but there remained a faint trace of spiritual energy on some collapsed walls and debris that gradually dissipating over time.
Had the Spirit Cultivator in this world had become so rampant?
Amalia furrowed her brows gently and walked away.
With accumulating word-of-mouth, more customers came to Amalia. As she arrived at her stall, several people were already in line.
The thin stall owner was trying to persuade an old customer. Amalia overheard the customer that was called Mr. Quentin, complaining.
"Lysandre, it's not that I don't want to have my artifacts repaired by you; it's just that you don't fix them properly. Last time I got it repaired by you, it broke again in less than a month. How can I trust you again after i experience that?"
"That's because your artifact itself has an issues. You frequently let your kids play with it at home. I've told you countless times, but you never listen. What can I do?" retorted the thin stall owner.
Mr. Quentin, upon hearing this, became displeased. "If you can't restore my artifact to its original state, who's to blame? Not bringing it to you for repairs is the right choice. Besides, what's wrong with letting kids play with it? Their strength isn't that much. It could be your poor repair job that caused the damage."
The thin stall owner turned pale with anger. He wasn't paid enough to fix it properly, and Mr. Quentin was reluctant to spend more, but how can he had the audacity to blame it to him.
As Mr. Quentin was the first in line, upon seeing Amalia, he immediately regained a smile. "Little Boss, you're finally here. This is the artifact I want to repair. Could you see if you can restore it to its original state?"
Amalia glanced at the thin stall owner, who exuded a sense of desolation.
Taking the artifact from Mr. Quentin, after a moment, Amalia said, "There are numerous issues with this artifact. It's not just damaged in battle; it's been intentionally damaged at least three times. The foundation of this artifact is almost entirely ruined. No matter how much it's repaired, it won't be the same as before. It's no longer suitable for combat but could be used as a toy."