The three girls crept into the room quietly.Their target: Ray, lying on the bed.If Ray hadn't known they were just ordinary humans, he might have suspected them of foul play—or even an attempt on his life.Well… technically, they did have mischievous intentions—but not to kill him. No, their goal tonight was far simpler: seduce Ray.For Ray, this was far from ideal.He suddenly flicked on his flashlight. The harsh beam stabbed into the room, forcing all three girls to instinctively squeeze their eyes shut and shield their faces with their hands."Hah. What are you girls doing sneaking into my room in the middle of the night?" he asked lightly. "Can't sleep?"Cindy's disappointment flickered briefly.If he had been asleep, she could have slid onto the bed, and then… well, the rest would be simple, and Ray would be powerless to resist. But since he was awake, she had to rely on a different approach."Ray, you saved us. We want to… repay you," Cindy said, feigning shyness, her

Steve, ever the talker, quickly spilled the whole story of their group. Naturally, his knowledge of Ray was limited to his name and the fact that he was a combat-type ability user; beyond that, he didn't know—or could even say—anything.Jaime stood up, saluted the two men, and said solemnly, "You two are true warriors. You rescued our people from the Jayzepanese!"Ray raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Jaime, were you in the military?""I was, but I'm retired now," Jaime replied. "In fact, most of the leaders here are retired soldiers. We shared the same ideals and came together to build this settlement. We firmly believe that even a disaster like this cannot extinguish the power of our nation. One day, it will rise again, and our people, our country, will reclaim their strength."Military men were different—full of passion, loyalty, and unwavering confidence.Ray, however, felt a twinge of pessimism.If this were purely a natural disaster, he would believe in the power of the stat

Jaime spoke rapidly, words tumbling out like a torrent. "Below Gunnr and his two lieutenants are his ten personally appointed captains. Their power varies slightly, but not by much. According to our intel, at least half of them have gone missing—we don't know where."'Probably roaming neighboring cities to level up,' Ray thought, recalling Alexander—sure enough, he must have been one of those ten captains, slaughtering his way from Orlaspen City to Senna City and sneaking in to take out Agatha. One strike, gluttony satisfied!Good thing Ray killed him in time.Truly a traitorous dog—swearing loyalty to the enemy while betraying his own. A proper countryman, and yet he worshipped these Jayzepanese as if they were his ancestors.Actually, Alexander's betrayal wasn't just a product of the apocalypse. He had turned on his country back when he worked at the company. People with eyes only for profit—what's the point of talking patriotism to them? Whoever gives them more benefits becomes

Ray bounded across the rooftops with effortless agility.Now, a single leap of his could easily exceed a hundred meters. Traversing the rooftops was no problem at all—if he ever misjudged a jump, he could always compensate with a spatial swap.He watched as Travis paused and turned back, still holding off from striking. Ray silently shadowed Astrid and her group for nearly two kilometers.Finally, Astrid stopped. She counted her remaining forces, her face twisting with anger and disbelief.They had brought fifty-two people. Now? Only thirty-six remained.Damn it—absolutely infuriating!They had fought the five major factions countless times. Casualties were inevitable, but the losses were usually balanced between both sides. Never had it been this devastating. Sixteen men gone in one sweep? Out of just over three hundred total. At this rate, they'd be wiped out in under a month."How… how could this happen?" Astrid muttered, unable to comprehend.Travis hadn't suddenly grown st

Astrid was filled with unease.Ray's last move had been utterly terrifying. Thirty-six people—all ability users—and they had all died in an instant.Sure, Astrid could have wiped out thirty-six people herself if her powers were far stronger than theirs. That would have been a straightforward massacre. But Ray's ability… it was too bizarre. Too strange for her to even comprehend.Fire, ice, earth spikes—those were understandable, traceable. But this? What kind of power was this? For a fleeting moment, she had even feared she might die herself."Who… are you?" Astrid asked.Ray, however, was equally surprised. He had clearly activated his domain, yet this woman had still escaped.Technically, his domain wasn't meant to banish anyone. It wasn't an independent space. As long as he hadn't explicitly blocked it, even ordinary humans could theoretically move in and out freely, as if the domain didn't exist.But he had sealed it. No entry, no exit.And still, Astrid had slipped away.