"I didn't expect you guys to be able to detect me." Pita murmured, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness as she glanced at the group of figures before her.

"Including you…" she added, fixing her gaze on Baso. "…you actually know me that well. Seriously, Freak!" she complained, frustration lacing every syllable.

Baso merely smiled lightly, a strange, almost mischievous chuckle escaping his lips.

"Haha. Of course! Forget hearing the way you speak—heck, even a single strand of your hair is enough for me to know it's you."

He spoke with unwavering confidence, almost reveling in the statement.

Pita stepped back instinctively, clutching her head with both hands, her face hidden behind her mask, her eyes obscured by the optical device.

But her body language made it painfully clear just how shocked she was.

"Yo-You…" she whispered in a tone barely audible, tinged with seething irritation.

Then, leaning forward slightly, she jabbed a sharp finger toward Baso.

"You are a freaking weirdo!" she exclaimed, exasperation practically vibrating from her voice.

Baso didn't feel the slightest hint of offense; instead, he seemed genuinely proud of how well he could read Pita.

Technically speaking, the level at which he could recognize her was extraordinarily, extremely peculiar.

Even some of his comrades looked at him with expressions that clearly conveyed disgust.

"I agree with the girl," Cella said plainly.

Ramla nodded, "Me too. I knew you were a freak, but I didn't realize you were this… intimidating."

And more than ever, Baso's figurative neck seemed to stretch higher as he took every negative comment as if it were a compliment.

Lela and Lagan could only shake their heads and return their focus to their mission.

Both of them fixed their gaze sharply on Pita.

Pita, still irritated by Baso's bizarre behavior, remained slightly on edge as she felt their penetrating stares.

She briefly sent a quick message to her comrades through the communication device embedded in her uniform, then refocused on the people in front of her.

"This is so irritating… but whatever!" she muttered. Then she turned to Lagan and Lela, who were positioned on her sides.

"What exactly do you want from me? Don't tell me you're planning to fight me?"

Lagan and Lela exchanged glances, each contemplating what to do next—they had not expected to run into one of Al's subordinates here.

"Lagan… obviously we outnumber her and could probably restrain her," Lela asked through telepathy.

"But the situation is a little too risky. With Hell Phoenix in this city, touching one of their subordinates is extremely dangerous for now."

Lagan pondered for a moment before replying,

"I understand. We can't be reckless around her; it would be dangerous if Hell Phoenix is nearby. Even if not, she surely has other companions close by. Their group never moves alone."

Lela nodded.

"So what should we do then?"

Lagan stared at Pita for a moment, then analyzed the academy in front of them.

"Hmph… I think it's better if we just drop this and focus on our mission instead. After all, this is only…"

His words were abruptly cut off.

Elemental Magic – Wind Type: Wind Sphere

BWOSSHH!!

A fierce, razor-sharp sphere of wind surged toward them with incredible velocity.

Instantly, they pivoted to face the direction of the incoming attack.

Cella leapt into action, unsheathing her massive sword to block the oncoming wind. Then she swung it upward, releasing a retaliatory slash infused with energy.

Meanwhile, Ramla threw a barrage of small throwing knives toward the attacker.

Yet the figure who had launched the initial strike easily nullified Cella's energy slash and deflected all of Ramla's knives without breaking a sweat.

From another angle, behind Lagan, another figure suddenly appeared, moving with inhuman speed.

Martial Skill: Shadow Step - Twelve Monkey King Fist

A blur of movement went completely unnoticed, followed by a flurry of rapid punches already aimed to strike.

Lagan was slightly careless, but Lela immediately noticed the movement and reacted just in time to block all of the potentially fatal strikes.

BRUK! BRAK!

The strikes were successfully deflected, and Lela managed to push the assailant back.

Pita, witnessing the chaotic scene, swiftly retreated to a safer distance.

However, Baso seemed unwilling to let his target escape. He whipped out a venomous whip and lunged toward Pita, attempting to seize her.

Fortunately, another figure emerged, projecting a protective barrier that halted the whip mid-air. Pita managed to retreat safely, though she barely needed the assistance.

The three figures who had appeared were Kian, wielding wind elemental magic; Bata, displaying formidable martial arts prowess; and Arsy, manifesting a sturdy barrier.

Gala did not appear, having chosen instead to coordinate with Fatar and Rayan, who had not yet emerged.

Or more accurately, he was ensuring their safe exit, because the combined attacks from Kian and the others might have drawn attention from those inside the academy.

Getting out swiftly was absolutely imperative.

"Kian, Bata, Arsy." Pita murmured, her voice quiet but full of focus.

Bata and Kian immediately moved closer to Pita and Arsy, while Lagan's group also gathered into a tight, coordinated formation, silently preparing for whatever might happen next.

"Oh... you're Lagan," Bata said, his voice calm yet carrying an undertone of curiosity.

"So you're trying to attack members of our faction in broad daylight, huh?" Kian added, his tone carrying a mix of incredulity and warning.

Lagan took a quick survey of the situation, and with the presence of the three new figures, it became even more apparent that initiating a fight would be unwise.

He turned toward the academy, noting that the previous skirmish had already drawn some attention inside; faint sounds of commotion could be heard echoing from within.

Opting for a non-threatening approach, he spoke casually to Kian's group, attempting to diffuse tension.

"I think you've got the wrong idea," he replied calmly. "We have absolutely no intention of fighting you."

"Hm?" Kian murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think we're going to just believe that, after you guys attacked our members?"

"No one attacked your people. The only attack here came from you guys," Lela protested, her voice firm but measured.

Kian glanced at the scene of the previous fight: traces of residual magical energy and tangled, dangerous wires scattered across the ground made the situation unmistakably clear.

Lagan and Lela followed Kian's gaze, realizing the implications almost instantly.

Lagan shook his head lightly.

"Ah… that was just a casual greeting from our member to your girl there," he explained, glancing at Pita.

"They seem familiar with each other, so that kind of interaction should be normal," Lela added, glancing toward Baso.

Baso took a small step forward, nodding proudly, and even waved warmly at Pita.

Pita removed her optical device, glaring at Baso with unmistakable irritation.

"Familiar with him? Who even is familiar with him?!" she complained, clearly disgusted.

Baso chuckled lightly.

"Of course we're familiar. We're soulmates, aren't we? Haha," he said casually, as if that explained everything.

Pita's expression twisted into one of pure revulsion.

"Iyyuh…" she murmured, turning her face away in irritation, unwilling to engage further.

"See?" Lela remarked with a small smile, as if to say they obviously knew each other.

Kian and the others acknowledged this, yet the fact that they had disrupted Pita was more than enough reason for potential conflict.

"Regardless… what is it that you want here? Are you trying to bother us?" Bata asked, his tone calm but inquisitive.

"Huh? Bother you?" Lela replied incredulously. "Who would want to bother you guys?"

Bata shook his head with a wry expression.

"Everyone already knows you tend to interfere with other factions," he said casually, as if it were obvious.

Lela felt a twinge of annoyance at the remark but understood the reasoning: their recruitment activities and tendency to provoke other factions made such perceptions inevitable.

"Tch… don't drag that into this," Lela retorted. "For now, we have no business with you."

"Huh? I've been saying from the start that we shouldn't interfere with each other—but you guys attacked and surrounded me," Pita protested sharply.

"And now you casually claim you have no business with us? Woah!" she added, frustration mounting.

Lagan stepped forward again, taking control of the situation.

"Enough. This is all a misunderstanding. We didn't know that the one using stealth was you," he explained patiently.

"Beyond that, we just wanted to ask about something inside there. But now that we know you're subordinates of Hell Phoenix, I think it's better for us to avoid interaction entirely."

Kian could sense the confidence in Lagan's statement. He glanced at Arsy, who responded with a nod of agreement.

"I think he's being honest," Arsy remarked simply.

Kian nodded in acknowledgment and then turned back to Lagan.

"You're right. I suppose we should just call it a day here."

"Hmph. Strange, agreeing to terms with you guys like this… but fine," Lagan replied, a hint of reluctant acknowledgment in his tone.

He glanced at his companion, who returned a nod of agreement, silently confirming their decision.

Without further hesitation, they all swiftly dashed toward the academy, Baso teasingly waving at Pita with a mischievous gesture.

"Sooner or later… we'll meet again, haha," he said casually before disappearing from sight.

Pita turned her face away, completely ignoring him, refusing to engage or respond to his antics.

"Looks like he's your fan," Arsy commented lightly, trying to break the tension.

"Hmph. Don't even start with that," Pita muttered, pouting in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Kian and Bata observed the figures disappearing into the academy.

"They went inside?" Bata murmured, a trace of concern in his voice.

Kian nodded.

"You heard them, right? They said they wanted to find something inside there," he explained.

"Whether we share the same goal as them, or the opposite, this is going to yield important information," Bata acknowledged, his tone contemplative.

"Shouldn't we try to stop them? What if they ally with that shaman?" Arsy asked cautiously.

Kian shook his head.

"Even without them, that shaman is already a threat. If they were to team up, confronting them would be nearly impossible with our current numbers," he reasoned calmly.

Arsy nodded thoughtfully.

"Then it's unfortunate. But judging by their confidence entering the academy, I suspect they have positive connections—or at least intend to establish them," she speculated.

Kian nodded again, glancing toward Bata.

"Did you do it?" he asked.

Bata nodded, a subtle smirk on his face.

"I just failed to plant it on Lagan, and it ended up on Lela instead, who has higher sensitivity as far as I know. Hopefully, it won't be easy for her to detect," he explained.

"Let's hope so," Kian replied.

"What are you talking about?" Pita asked, suspicion flickering in her eyes.

"I planted an audio tracker on Lela's cloak during the attack. This way, we can listen to what happens inside," Bata revealed casually.

"Oh… impressive. You guys acted and succeeded so quickly," Pita said, nodding slightly in acknowledgment, with Arsy echoing the gesture.

"Of course," Bata replied smugly. "That's why the Master is always calling on us, haha," he added with a hint of arrogance.

Pita and Arsy could only glare at him, irritated by his brazen confidence.

At that moment, three more figures arrived from the opposite direction: Gala, Fatar, and Rayan.

"What's happening?" Fatar asked urgently, even before fully landing.

"Everything's fine," Kian replied calmly. "But we should keep some distance, just in case someone notices us here."

Without further questions, the others nodded, returning to stealth mode and finding cover at a distance where the audio tracker still functioned reliably.

They settled behind large black rocks, whose irregular shape provided perfect protection from sunlight and aerial observation.

Anyone searching for them from above would struggle to spot their location.

While Kian recounted the recent events, Fatar and Rayan explained what they had encountered inside the academy.

Bata listened attentively, linking the gathered information with transmissions from Gala, ensuring nothing crucial was missed.

They didn't obtain much information until Lela successfully traced the tracker—but everything they discovered was extremely important.

Their eyes widened as if they had just overheard something they weren't supposed to hear.

They immediately relayed all the critical intelligence to Sebastian and departed from the sun-scorched location, their mission considered a notable success.

---

Meanwhile, inside a luxurious car, Al and the others were finally hearing Sebastian's detailed report about the information gathered by Kian and Bata's team.

A displeased smile crept across Al's face, and with a cold, sinister gaze, he muttered softly,

"Ohoo… this is going to be an interesting battle."

Tension filled the car, thick and palpable, yet one thing was crystal clear—they were fully prepared to face every challenge that awaited them.

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