Tia stared at the girl who had just come out of the room, her eyelids twitching.

The girl stopped when she saw them sitting there, watching her. With a tinge of nervousness, she smoothened her already neat clothes, straightened her tidy hair, and wiped her face. She cleared her throat and left the lobby awkwardly when she was sure everything was in order.

Tia bit her lip to remind herself of her position. She was here because she needed help. Jerrod had no obligation to give her audience, and she had no right to demand it of him. Even if I knew, what would I have done? That's right. I'd still have waited.

The girl had left the door open, and Tia's eyes fell on them. She glanced at Lacy. Lacy's attention was also on the door. Her face was red as a peach.

A few seconds elapsed in this drawn-out manner before a relaxed male voice drifted out of the room. It was a soft voice, calm and soothing, but it carried an air of male seduction that made Tia shiver.

“Come in.”

Lacy stood up slowly and deliberately. Wringing her fingers, she took short, measured steps that covered less distance every second. Watching her, Tia could feel the tension radiating off of her. Her breathing came in bursts, accelerating with every step. It was as though she was heading not into an ordinary room but the jaws of a bloodthirsty monster.

Eventually, she entered the room, and the door shut behind her.

Tia leaned back, having resigned herself to her fate. She would probably be here for another eight hours. It was best to get some sleep in the meantime.

Tia laid back on the couch and closed her eyes, having resigned herself to her fate. She slowed her breathing and calmed her nerves, drawing in deep breaths.

Her mind drifted to the day's events, the upcoming mission, and the meeting with Jerrod she was looking forward to, but she forcefully ignored them all, bringing herself back to the present.

Slowly, she settled into a rhythm, sinking deeper into herself.

It had been three years since she began this ritual. Back then, she stumbled upon something interesting; the more she sunk into this state of mind, the more powerful her abnormality became. Her skills were a little more refined, and her vitality was just a bit more vibrant. It was slow growth, but it was solid, quantifiable growth. Over time, the small gains stacked up, and she became increasingly stronger.

A year ago, she was assigned a new Danger Rating. She received an official message from the Spire on her Seeker informing her of her upgrade from D to C-rank. It was shocking to Tia. She had not submitted any applications, but the Spire knew of her increase in strength and gave her a fitting rank.

That was why she refrained from joining the rebellion a few weeks ago. She was aware of how deep and unfathomable the New World Government was. No matter how tempting it was, she had not taken a single step out of line since she arrived on the island. If they could discover the secret in her heart, was there anything outside their capabilities? Tia believed the Spire could wipe out the Dragon-scaled Lizard Clan themselves. There was enough power hidden in that tower to conquer the world, and Tia knew it.

That was why she had to get stronger and join as strong a team as possible. An orchestrated storm was coming, and she was not sure she could survive it.

However, if she managed to survive, the sky would be her limit. She had gone from a D-rank to a C-rank in two years. After a decade, where would she be? Twenty years? Fifty years?

One day, she would stand among the Spokesmen of the Camps.

Those with the innate ability to grow were few and far between. Without the help of spirit fruits, high-level monster flesh, and a powerful formula, it was almost impossible to grow significantly stronger. Yet, all she needed was time.

Her breathing soon disappeared as she entered a trance. Her abnormality thrummed in her mind like a pleasant headache. That sensation was enriching and empowering. She focused on it, feeling tendrils of power flow through her in a cycle, traversing pathways in her body she did not know existed. Threads of information ran through her mind—subconscious deductions based on passive observation—and time slowed to a crawl.

An earthshaking bang magnified many times by her meditative state shattered her peace, throwing her mind and energy into chaos. Instantly, she was on her feet, wide-eyed, trying to see what was going on despite the intense haze.

Lacy ran out of the lobby, bawling with her hands covering her face. Tia stared, trying to make sense of the situation. What had happened? Did something go wrong inside that room?

Tia found it hard to believe that Jerrod made unwanted advances on the girl. Though he was known as a womanizer, he was not the kind of person to force himself on someone. He didn't even need to. She had been anxious for so long; it would be odd if she rejected him.

In that case, maybe he rejected her application to join the team. That was Tia's conclusion. The thought made Tia's heart race. The girl had been of similar strength to her. If Jerrod Tickle rejected her, she probably wouldn't fare much better.

While she stood there, wracked with unease and apprehension, she heard the same gentle voice again.

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"Come in."

The door was closed, and there were no visible openings in the room, but Tia heard it like it was spoken into her ears. She shivered, tense.

She could not back down now. She had come a long way and waited so long; this was not the time to throw it all away.

She took a moment to summon her calm. She slowly brought her chaotic mind under control. The energy traveling through her retreated into her mind, merging with her abnormality. A strange serenity descended on her.

Now, she thought. Let's meet the Bane of Men.

Zachary had crossed five locations off the list—the Guard Training House, the Whispering Plaza, a garden of relaxation called Niniveh’s Garden, and two theaters, Hanging Jewel and Evanescence.

Next on the list was an abandoned temple. Its name, once revered, was now forgotten. In the past, pilgrims from all over the world came to worship. Incense, sacrifice, and praises were offered endlessly on this hill. However, it was now a deserted area that few set foot in.

Zachary had learned of dark rumors surrounding the temple. Some said the abandoned gods within were filled with wrath, waiting for a trespasser on whom to take it out. Others said there might be a monster within, one tricky enough to pester visitors but harmless enough to escape the Spire's attention.

It was said that those who went in never came out and that speaking its name attracted misfortune. Therefore, even those who remembered its prosperous days remained silent, never speaking of it.

However, Zachary was set on checking the temple. Because of the rumors and the strange sounds reported by those who walked too close, a wide radius around the temple was devoid of people. For this reason alone, the abandoned temple was high on his priority list.

The temple was set on a hill, surrounded by vegetation. There were no gates or walls, but stone pillars marked the temple's boundaries. Perhaps they had once been of equal height, but now they weren’t. Each one was jagged and weathered, leaning at precarious angles. Faint writing could be discerned on them if one looked closely.

Am I still inside the city? Zachary looked back to be sure. Indeed, the city's lights were visible in the distance, and silhouettes—scavengers and whatnot—still moved about a distance away. But no matter how he tried, he could not reconcile this decrepit temple with the magnificent Spire’s Base.

“Are you out of your mind, boy?”

A gaunt man wearing rags limped toward him from the shadows, slinging a black bag over his shoulder. Leaning on a stick with one hand, he nodded at the temple. “Use your eyes. Do you see anybody in there? I don’t suppose you do.”

He pointed somewhere among the vegetation to the right of the temple. “Go over there if you’re looking for stuff. Plenty of new toys over there. Those in the Central Zone call them trash, but what do they know? They have no idea how valuable they are, and we, the wise ones, happily take the gifts they bestow on us!" He laughed heartily, jiggling his bag. Its contents clinked and rattled. The man gave a prolonged belch, sighing at the end. “We can only be thankful for that. Otherwise, how would we make our living, eh?”

He came closer and patted Zachary on the back. “This temple is done for. There’s nothing of value in there.” He paused. “To tell the truth, there might be a few treasures in there, but I'd advise you to steer clear of them. Don't let greed get into your head, hm? Imagine there's nothing in there, and you'll be good. Okay? Oh, nice hair."

Zachary remained impassive as the man ran his hands through his hair. The smell of grime, dirt, and sewage wafted from the scavenger, but Zachary did not flinch.

Finally, the man stopped. “Take it from me,” he said as he shuffled away. “Don’t go in the temple! I left some stuff over on the other side. I'm not a greedy man, no. So go ahead and take them before someone else does! Good luck!”

The man spoke until he melded with the darkness. Zachary stood still throughout the encounter. When the man left, he ensured no one else was nearby before stepping forward. If someone saw him entering the temple, it could spread and become the talk of the city.

One step put him alongside the pillars, and another put him firmly within the temple’s boundaries. He was highly alert, listening for suspicious sounds and watching for every shift and motion around him. Step after step, he walked further until he was before the temple doors.

The doors were slightly ajar, revealing a faint light flickering deep within the temple. A musty smell drifted out, the smell of rotting wood and mold permeating the air.

Zachary observed the doors themselves. They were worn through, shedding soft, decaying wood that fell to the ground like dry, crumbling leaves. If he shoved them, they would tumble down with a crash loud enough to draw every nearby scavenger. Instead, he gently gripped their edges, ignoring how pliable they felt in his hand, and widened the gap until it was large enough for him to squeeze through.

A flame upon his finger illuminated his surroundings. The walls were covered with moss, and thorny vines grew across them. Lining the hall were familiar stone statues of mythological beasts, mysterious and imposing.

Zachary’s eyes widened at the sight.

These are... the same statues in the banquet hall!

Indeed, they were the same beasts he saw in the banquet hall. The arrangement of a few of them was also familiar, adding a layer of mystery to the statues. The only difference was that these statues were far from the pristine condition of those in the banquet hall. All had missing parts that had crumbled away, and neither were they spared by the moss and vines.

The hall extended far into the distance, but even from where he was, Zachary could see the massive altar at the far end. Set upon a raised dais with stairs leading up to it, the stone altar stood tall and wide, its magnificence complete despite the weight of the passage of long years. Cracks and fissures ran through it but did little to mar its imposing presence. Where there should have been a god's statue, the moonlight filtering through the broken ceiling illuminated an empty space.

Slowly, Zachary traversed the hall, flanked by the statues, and climbed the stairs. He stood before the altar, observing it. Only stone fragments and dust remained in place of the god's statue.

The statue didn't crumble away; Zachary knew that for sure. A statue of that size would have formed a small hill of dust and stone had it been destroyed, and there was none in sight.

It was mysterious, but Zachary didn't care about it. All he wanted was to find Abyss Eye. Someone else could investigate whether the old god of this abandoned temple had been stolen or had walked away.

Therefore, after a glance at the altar, he put it out of his mind and started searching every nook and cranny of the place. After a while, he concluded that no one was in the temple, but he didn't want to give up easily. He checked every corner and behind every statue, unsure what he was looking for. He didn't know if he was expecting to see Abyss Eye crouching behind one of the statues, but he didn't want to give up.

Finally, he went round the altar and saw it gaping at him.

It was a small aperture large enough for a grown man to crawl through. It was clearly a passageway, but Zachary had no way of knowing where it led.

Could Senior be in there? Zachary mulled. He weighed the pros and cons and eventually decided to check. He was already here. There would have been no point if he didn't check everywhere he should have.