Grey's eyes flickered with interest.

The crystal was a law crystal.

It subtly carried traces of spatial law, its internal structure attuned to a specific set of coordinates. When brought close to the correct location, it could either stabilize a spatial node or force it open.

"Let's go there," Grey said with a faint smile.

With this, the High Order's influence over the southern region would be swept away.

Yet at the same time, a far greater threat loomed above him.

A fourth-rank existence had already taken notice of him.

That was no small matter.

If that being chose to act directly, the entire southern region could be buried without resistance.

This was a grave miscalculation on his part.

And yet…

The fact that the fourth-rank existence had not acted so far meant something was restraining it.

Grey slowed his steps, his thoughts deepening.

No fourth-rank being had ever set foot in the southern region.

Why?

Was it disdain?

Or was it something else entirely?

More importantly, why was the cosmic energy of the southern region so sparse compared to other regions?

Could that be the true reason those lofty beings refused to descend?

The more he thought about it, the stronger the unease became.

Grey did not know where it was coming from.

But one thing was certain.

Something big was about to happen.

And every time he had that feeling before, it had never ended well.

.....

"Miss Jasmine. Analysis of the spatial anomaly is complete."

A sharp, emotionless robotic voice echoed across the volcanic wasteland of the southern region, its sound swallowed and distorted by the heat-churned air.

Above the raging volcano, a vast black-red tear hung suspended in the sky. It was not merely a rupture, but a wound carved into reality itself. Cosmic energy spiraled toward it like a desperate tide, only to be torn apart and scattered into chaotic fragments the instant it passed through. Space trembled faintly around the tear, as if the world itself recoiled from its presence.

Jasmine stood at a measured distance, her figure small beneath the distorted sky. Her gaze was fixed on the anomaly, her expression tightening as the voice spoke once more.

"Threat classification confirmed."

"Designation: Class Zero."

The moment those words fell, Jasmine's pupils shrank.

Class Zero was not a rating. It was a verdict.

"The core signature has been successfully deciphered."

"The essence corresponds to the Devourer of Planes and Dimensions."

"IT'S A LESSER HEAVEN."

.....

"Hello, Valeria."

A sharp, dignified voice cut through Valeria's phone as she stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Azrael Corporation headquarters, overlooking the city below.

"Please speak, Father," Valeria replied calmly.

"Come back immediately. It's no longer safe in the Southern Region," her father said urgently. "A great shift is about to occur. You must return to the floating city at once."

Valeria's brows furrowed.

"Father is in the western region," He said. "And the situation here isn't good."

"I don't have much time," her father continued, his voice strained. "I've already dispatched several AVs toward Ashspire City. Get back to the mansion as soon as possible and prepare to evacuate the corporation."

"What?" Valeria frowned deeply. "What happened so suddenly, Father?"

"There's no time to explain, my daughter," he snapped. "Leave the southern region immediately, or when the west moves… the south will—"

His voice cut off abruptly.

A second later, it returned, lower and tense.

"No. I can't say it over the phone. They'll hear it. Those damned bastards."

His breathing was heavy.

"Leave as soon as you can. Your uncle is with the AVs I sent. If anything goes wrong, he'll keep you safe."

The connection ended.

Valeria stared at the dimmed screen for a heartbeat before her fingers moved swiftly.

She dialed Grey's number.

[The number you've dialed is currently unavailable.]

Her grip tightened around the phone.

.....

Zoom!

Space distorted violently as Grey and Lin Fang emerged from the spatial passage, landing within the High Order's base.

The secret realm was eerily silent.

Grey's eyes sharpened instantly, every sense fully extended.

Although the traces of the High Order's presence had been almost completely erased, he knew better than to relax. A place like this would never be truly empty.

And he was right.

The moment he took a step forward, a terrifying killing intent descended upon him, crushing down from all directions like an invisible blade.

The air itself seemed to scream.

Grey immediately recognized the source of the killing intent.

It was a killing array.

And not just any array.

This was the Bloodwind Formation.

He had encountered it before, back when he had raided the High Order's hidden base near Ashspire City, where they had been experimenting on evolvers who followed the cyborg path.

Back then, he had shattered the formation effortlessly.

More than that, he had comprehended the Doom Engraving Formation, an advanced evolution of the Bloodwind Formation.

Because of that familiarity, Grey did not even pause.

One glance was enough.

"Break."

Grey waved his hand casually.

The killing array shuddered violently before collapsing in on itself. The suffocating pressure vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

The danger was swiftly averted.

"Alright," Grey said, rubbing his hands together with a grin that made him look like a greedy merchant who had just sealed a massive deal. "Which way is the vault?"

The High Order had ruled the southern region for centuries.

Despite constant attempts by evolvers to erase them, they had always managed to reestablish themselves. An organization with that kind of foundation would never be poor.

Their main stronghold was bound to contain something worthwhile.

"The vault?" Lin Fang nodded.

He had tried sneaking in before, more than once. Each attempt had ended the same way. He would be discovered by fellow High Order members and beaten senseless before being thrown out.

But even so, he remembered the route clearly.

With Lin Fang leading the way, it did not take long for them to reach their destination.

The moment they arrived, the air shifted.

Another powerful array activated, its presence far denser and more oppressive than the one before.

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