But Clayton refused to seek the garrison's help, fearing they would take Bailey away. Instead, he turned to Adrian for assistance."I see..." Adrian said solemnly after hearing Clayton's explanation. However, he frowned, still harboring resentment from the events of that day.Clayton seemed oblivious to Adrian's expression. "Sir, please, help me.""You seem to be forgetting something," Adrian said sternly.Clayton was momentarily stunned by Adrian's question, blinking in confusion."Aren’t you going to explain how you found where I stay? Also, garrison personnel came looking for me yesterday. Did you leak information about me?" Adrian asked seriously."Um..." Clayton was taken aback. He glanced at Adrian, noticing the latter’s intensified frown. Despite this, he didn't conceal anything and quickly what had happened with Nathaniel."Wow, that guy has some skills. He tracked me down just from a portrait!" Adrian exclaimed."Of course, he's from the garrison, after all." Clayton n

Immediately after, a strange figure leaped out from the ruins, floating in the air. Enveloped in an exceptionally powerful force, it emitted sinister laughter, casting an indescribable eerie feeling upon everyone present.The figure was revealed to be a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl clad in a pure white long dress. Her long black hair cascaded behind her, gently swaying in the wind. Combined with the swirling black aura around her, she carried an inexplicable sense of eeriness."Bailey!"The few people below shouted.There was no mistaking it. The figure hovering in the air was Bailey. However, compared to before, the current Bailey looked like a ghostly apparition, emitting an inexplicable feeling to everyone present."The monster has taken over her completely!" Adrian shouted.He was the first to notice a faint black shadow attached to Bailey's body. At a glance, it was clear that the shadow did not belong to her; it must be from the netherworld. As soon as this entity app

At that moment, the girl named Safiya Klines nodded, then added, "I do have another identity though. I am the leader of the Special Operations Team of the garrison."This revelation surprised Adrian. ‘What? She's the leader of the Special Ops Team? But she's so young,’ he thought as his mouth hung open in astonishment.Clayton, also taken aback, stuttered, "Sa-Safiya… Y-You..." He struggled to form a coherent sentence.Adrian assessed Safiya. Considering her age, he would have never expected this girl to be so strong. After some observation, he could tell that she was at the intermediate eighth level. Even Nathaniel, whom Adrian knew to be a pinnacle eighth level, was not as strong as Safiya.It was remarkable that someone so young could achieve such a high level. No wonder Safiya was made the leader of the Special Ops Team.Just then, Bailey's parents approached, asking, "Bailey? Bailey, are you okay?" They gently took Bailey from Safiya's hands. With evident concern on their fac

"Sure, and thank you. I'm truly grateful," Nathaniel said as though Adrian had rescued him from a dire situation. Overflowing with gratitude, he appeared almost relieved."Don't thank me. It's my duty," Adrian replied in a righteous tone."I'll pick you up from your shop tomorrow morning then?" Nathaniel confirmed."Sure," Adrian agreed.With the matter settled, Adrian returned to his shop. In the evening, he gathered Ash, General Hydro, General Pyro, Daybreak, and Stygian. The little studio suddenly became crowded."I've gathered you all here for a very important matter," Adrian began, then recounted Nathaniel's earlier request. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than met the eye."How did Mapleston suddenly become infested with monsters? And how are there numerous ninth-level monsters? Doesn't that strike you as odd?" Adrian questioned the group.However, the rest shook their heads, seemingly unperturbed. Daybreak, in particular, scratched his h

Adrian attempted to glean some information through soul probing, but this proved futile. "I believe this individual is affiliated with a formidable faction," he concluded after a moment of contemplation."We're out of our depth here. Our apologies for the lack of useful insights," Daybreak, Stygian, and the others confessed, unable to offer any significant input.Adrian harbored no resentment toward them, understanding the complexity of the situation. However, Ash appeared troubled, his furrowed brow hinting at a revelation."What's troubling you?" Adrian inquired, sensing Ash's unease.Ash responded, "I've just recalled an organization. It's possible this person has ties to them."Adrian's interest was piqued. "What organization?"Ash hesitated before answering, "I'm not entirely certain, but we call them the dark monster hunters.""The dark monster hunters?" Adrian mused, hearing the name for the first time."They're dubbed as such due to their opposition to righteous hunters