"Looks like we have visitors," Grey said with a small smile on his face.

He spread his Mind Perception outward, which now reached the level of 150 meters after undergoing metamorphosis. Immediately, every sensory detail within that range was converted into data his mind could process at incredible speed.

Soon, it became clear who the new visitors were.

They all had the insignia of a light saber, which meant every one of them was a member of the Ardent Family. There were roughly ten of them in total, eight were cyborgs while the remaining two were espers.

They charged forward with immense speed. Roughly all of them were peak First Rankers, with one or two at the tenth or eleventh stage.

They didn't seem to be aware that Grey was present. From the looks of it, they were after the giant wolf.

"Brothers, the wolf went this way! Come quick!" the voice of one evolver echoed from within the forest as they closed in.

"Don't let that wolf get away! Its beast core will be useful for us! The core is definitely filled with pure vital essence, without any contamination like the ones from Blue Star! It will definitely push us toward a breakthrough!"

"Brothers, first come, first serve! The one who lands the last hit gets the most out of it!"

They burst out from the dense forest, shouting to each other as they entered the open area around Grey all at once.

"Huh?!"

As soon as they came out, they immediately noticed Grey, who stood there with his hands in his pockets while Mimi curiously looked at them.

The group instantly went on alert. They had an esper with them, yet he hadn't sensed anyone nearby.

"Huh?" The esper evolver of the Ardent Family had a stunned expression. "Who is this?"

He was shocked. "How come I didn't sense his presence at all?"

"I didn't sense him either!" the other esper exclaimed.

Then one of the main cyborgs walking at the front squinted his eyes and spoke.

"Hey guys, isn't that Grey Lockhart?" he inquired, narrowing his eyes further. The more he looked, the more familiar Grey seemed.

"It's him!" one of the cyborgs said after checking his internal brainchip. They had a record of Grey's image stored inside it.

The Ardent Family's participants had already been tipped off by Varyn and Marcius to deal with Grey if anything went wrong. They were told to eliminate him on the spot, for he was the enemy of the High Order, a dangerous variable that needed to be purged as soon as possible.

Immediately, everyone's expression changed, and they all glared at Grey with murderous intent.

"Grey Lockhart," the main cyborg sneered as he stepped forward. "To think we would actually meet this soon."

"I believe this is fate," he added. "You are fated to die under us, the Ardent Family!"

"That's right!" another evolver stepped forward and shouted. "Running is futile, Grey Lockhart! You will never be able to escape with us here!"

As he said that, the others also took a synchronized step forward, releasing an intimidating aura as their expressions hardened.

"…" Grey cringed when he saw this.

Why were these people talking like this?

And why did they step forward every time they spoke?

Did they have something wrong with their heads?

Sighing, Grey stretched his arm out and pointed toward the wolf.

"I killed that wolf," Grey said with a deadpan expression. "What makes you think you can defeat me?"

Immediately, everyone turned their gaze toward the dead wolf lying nearby, a large hole visible in its chest. They hadn't even noticed the behemoth before, as their attention had been entirely focused on Grey.

The wolf by nature was extremely silent and barely emitted any presence. Grey believed it was a special trait the creature possessed, and that was probably also the reason it had managed to run from these people, who most likely discovered it right after teleporting in.

Now that it was dead, it had become even more inconspicuous.

It was quite ironic. Despite its massive body, it somehow managed to stay unnoticed by ordinary eyes. Grey needed traits like that for himself. Perhaps one day, he could comprehend them through his unique comprehension ability, the kind that could even analyze and learn from beasts.

"This…" The Ardent Family evolvers exchanged uncertain looks as their expressions changed.

However, the main cyborg didn't seem fazed.

"So what?" he asked with a sneer. "That wolf was weak. The only reason we couldn't find it was because of its special trait. One of our brothers alone would've been enough to kill it!"

Hearing his words, the others regained their confidence. They took another collective step forward, as if silently supporting their leader, ready to move on his command.

"Why do you guys keep stepping forward?" Grey asked with twitching lips. "What, can't you stand still for five seconds?"

"It's not that hard," Grey muttered while spreading his hands slightly.

"Charge!" the main cyborg shouted.

Immediately, everyone activated their cybernetics.

Weapons unfolded from their bodies, some fired metallic projectiles, others unleashed energy chains, and a few drew sharp, electric blades. The espers stayed behind, launching mental attacks toward Grey.

No matter how one looked at it, Grey was completely cornered now.

However, Grey stood still with a bored expression plastered across his face. Then, he clapped his hands lightly.

Buzz!

Immediately, a terrifying mental fluctuation erupted from him. His body flashed with the intricate marks of Nexus Overlock, glowing lines formed across his arms, and his purple eyes gleamed with power and intricate markings for a split second.

In the next moment, the forest fell completely silent. There was no sound, no presence of energy, nothing.

Grey cracked his neck and spoke with a look of realization. "Whoops, I should've slapped them to death."

Then he shrugged and looked at Mimi, who smiled back at him.

"Well, I guess we'll just do that the next time we encounter someone," he said casually before turning toward the corpse of the giant wolf.

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