After finishing the hot pot—and the indulgence that came with it—Ray paid no further attention to the two women and headed straight for Zimtam Outpost.With their condition, stepping outside would be suicide. Even if, by some chance, Gunnr found them and took them back, Ray wouldn't care. If he felt like it, he could always snatch them again. If not, he could just kill them along the way. It made no difference to him.A little over ten minutes later, he arrived at the Zimtam Outpost settlement.When Paige saw him return, she visibly relaxed.She had only just become an ability user. Her mindset hadn't caught up yet—she still saw herself as an ordinary, vulnerable woman. In an unfamiliar place, she hadn't slept at all the entire night, tossing and turning in unease.Now that Ray was back, a sense of security settled over her. Even though they barely knew each other, the intimacy they had shared had quietly created a sense of dependence within her.Ray gave her special treatment, l

No one had expected this.Travis was the very soul and backbone of Zimtam Outpost. If anything happened to him, the entire settlement would collapse.What was going on? What the hell was going on?!"Heh… heh heh…" Kirk let out a sinister chuckle. In his hand, he held a crude straw doll. With a light twist, he bent one of its arms—and as if controlled by an invisible force, Travis's left arm contorted at an impossible angle.But Travis was, after all, a powerhouse. With a sudden surge, he unleashed his ability again. The flames around him flared violently, intensifying as his entire body transformed into fire.In that state, his body was no longer flesh—it was flame itself. Even if his arm bent, it caused no real harm."A curse user!" someone shouted in realization, and cries of alarm erupted all around.While Kirk's ability was terrifying, its power was limited if used from afar. To truly devastate a target, he needed a medium—something belonging to them, like hair or skin. With

Travis caught the straw doll. With a surge of flames, it was instantly reduced to ashes. Just like that, the restraint on him vanished completely."Die!" Travis roared, charging straight at the enemy again.Even at a moment like this, he vented his fury on the invaders first.With an external enemy present, dealing with traitors could wait.Though Gunnr burned with rage, a sense of near-victory slipping through his fingers, he still entered his beast form and moved to intercept Travis.Both were leaders of major factions, their strength terrifyingly high. Punch met blade, flames roared skyward, and arcs of sword energy crackled like lightning as they clashed fiercely.In terms of raw power, Gunnr held a slight edge—he had clearly absorbed more abilities. But Travis fought with blazing determination, his fury pushing him beyond his limits, even beginning to suppress his opponent.For now, neither could gain the upper hand.Ray smiled faintly.Although the enemy had gained Ruper

The leaders of the other three major factions in Guillory City had come over for a meeting. Ray technically had the right to attend, but meetings were the one thing he hated most.Back when he had a job, he had no choice. But now? Why bother?If he wanted to listen, all he had to do was sweep the area with his spatial perception.That was exactly why he had no interest in building his own faction. Too much trouble.Instead of scheming and probing each other, he'd rather spend his time teasing Paige.Still, he was a little distracted. Part of his attention was focused elsewhere, "watching" Travis's negotiations with the three leaders.All three were extremely curious about the powerful figure who had suddenly appeared on Travis's side. They kept pressing him for an introduction, but Travis firmly refused. Even so, they didn't let it go, pestering him endlessly.Ray observed them one by one.Emmett of Bunker's End—he had met him before. A wind-type ability user.The leader of Gr

"Damn you, Travis… you brought this on yourself!" Emmett gritted his teeth, resolve hardening. "If Rupert can cooperate with them, why can't I? If I secretly ally with him, maybe we can turn the tables and devour them in the end."His eyes lit up.Negotiating with a tiger was dangerous, but he wasn't some helpless prey. Maybe not a lion, but at least a leopard.Suddenly—A sharp sense of danger surged through him.His instincts reacted faster than his thoughts. His body dissolved into a gust of wind.Then, in the next instant, he reformed."Who's there?!" he roared.No one appeared.Instead, an overwhelming force shoved him in a certain direction—and that direction only intensified his sense of danger.He immediately transformed into wind again, scattering in all directions. This time, he didn't bother reforming into a human shape; instead, he activated another ability.Countless faint currents of air began to circulate within a five-hundred-meter radius. Using them as exten