The group continued their journey in a heavy, suffocating silence. The absence of monsters was louder than any roar, turning the ruins of the city into an unnatural graveyard. Justin’s mind, however, was far from quiet, filled with a chaotic storm of countless thoughts.

​’One girl could wipe out the whole city? What type of power does she have? Is she even from Earth?’ He stole a glance at Eve, then quickly looked away, his pulse quickening. ’Captain Eve also said her name with a hint of fear; it shows she is not only powerful but also ruthless. If that’s the case, how powerful is her own team—’

​WHOOSH!

BAM!!

​His thoughts were violently interrupted as two obsidian daggers tore through the air, vibrating as they struck the shattered pavement right in front of him, Eve, and their combined groups. The precision was a warning—a fraction of an inch closer and they would have claimed lives.

​Three figures descended from the skeletal remains of the ruined buildings above, landing with feline grace in front of them. Seeing the sleek black overcoats they were all wearing—the signature uniform of the competition—Justin exhaled a long breath in relief, though his hand remained on his sidearm.

​"What are you doing here, Eve? Do you think we can’t kill you and get that one point?" Aurelia asked coldly, her voice devoid of emotion as she stepped forward to retrieve her daggers.

​Behind her stood Precious and Daniel, the latter already having one arrow notched in his massive composite bow, his eyes tracking every movement in the Eagle Academy’s ranks.

​"Is she Captain Mirabella?" Justin whispered, turning his head slightly toward Eve.

​Aurelia’s eyes narrowed into slits at the human soldier, her gaze flickering with a mix of curiosity and disdain before turning back to Eve.

​"Calm down, we didn’t know this was your zone, so we entered without authorization... I apologized for that," Eve said, stepping forward with her hands visible to de-escalate the tension. She gestured to Justin and the tense platoon behind him.

"These guys are this country’s military force; they are heading to New York University to rescue some survivors. If you would let us pass, it’ll be great."

​Aurelia exchanged a brief, silent look with Precious and Daniel.

​"This zone belongs to the Dragon team, and the university is currently our Base," Aurelia answered flatly. She then turned her sharp gaze back to Justin. "I am not the Leader."

​Justin stood frozen, struggling to grasp the social dynamics. ’There seems to be intense hostility between these two groups, yet aren’t they all from Galaxy Fall?’ he thought in confusion. Beside him, Eve was already sweating, her composure fraying at the edges.

​’Something isn’t right here. Aurelia and Precious... they are both Lv300. How did they get so powerful in mere hours?! And the way she speaks about Mirabella... it’s like she was referring to her god,’ Eve thought, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.

​"Mm..." Unable to restrain her curiosity, Eve spoke up. "If I may, how did you two advance to Lv150... no, to Lv300 so quickly?"

​"You don’t need to know that," Precious cut her off, her gaze icy and final.

​’I already expected this,’ Eve thought with a defeated sigh.

​WHOOSH!!!

​The air pressure in the alleyway suddenly spiked. Everyone felt the wind whip around them as two new figures appeared instantaneously on a nearby building’s roof. One possessed striking, colorful eyes that seemed to shift with the light, while the other had deep blue eyes that mirrored the coldness of the Captain they served. They stared down at the crowd, their presence alone making the atmosphere feel heavy.

​"What is happening here?" Carl asked, squatting down on the edge of the rooftop, his blue eyes scanning the "intruders."

​"Central Leader Carl, North Leader Hitachi... These guys said they’re heading to the university to secure some people," Daniel explained, gesturing to the Eagle Academy and the soldiers with his bow.

​"We aren’t allowed to kill anyone from Earth. As for Eve..." Carl narrowed his eyes at the rival captain, his expression unreadable. "Let them pass."

​With that single word, he vanished. There was no flash of light, no sound—just a sudden absence where a person had been. Hitachi stared at them for a few more seconds, his gaze lingering on the military’s advanced weaponry, before he too vanished into thin air.

​’WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE?!!!!!’ Eve screamed inwardly, her mind reeling from the status check she had just performed.

’HOW DID HITACHI AND CARL GET TO LEVEL 400!!!! THIS IS CLEARLY CHEATING!!!’

Justin was equally horrified. He had spent his life studying the limits of human potential and the threat levels of the new world. ’This... Those two have the strength of a King-level!! Compared to this new group, the ones we are leading are dirt.’ A terrifying realization began to take root in his mind.

’If the Zone Leaders are this powerful, how powerful is the main leader of this team?’

​"Okay, you heard the Central Leader... Follow me," Aurelia said, turning on her heel and walking away. Daniel and Precious followed without a word, leading the horrified students and soldiers deeper into the heart of the Dragon’s lair.

___

​[The Base.]

​[Thirty Minutes Later]

​After walking in a suffocating silence through streets that had been purged of every living monster, they finally reached the massive, miraculously repaired gates of New York University.

​The group watched in stunned silence as the gates were pulled open by two sentries of the Dragon team. The entire campus had been transformed.

​"Stop here... Only the Captains can see our captain," Daniel said, turning around to block the path of the main group.

​"Sure. Sure," Eve nodded quickly, her eyes darting around the field. It was simply too clean. There wasn’t a single sign of the apocalyptic struggle that had leveled the rest of the city—no blood, no gore, not even a speck of dirt on the polished stone paths.

​’What the hell happened here in just some hours... Most of these guys are Lv100. What the hell! That’s the weakest I have seen so far!’ Eve thought, her sense of reality fracturing as she stared at the massive, central building before her. ’Why am I feeling such a crushing presence coming from that building? Is that Mirabella?’

​Justin was trembling now. He couldn’t help it; his hand on his rifle was shaking uncontrollably. Behind him, his well-trained, battle-hardened soldiers were visibly horrified, some even struggling to breathe.

​’That energy wave... It belongs to an Emperor Level!!’ Justin thought in sheer horror, his legs feeling like lead.

’I can’t even move.’