Chapter 77: Ideal Power or Thought Power

Ram's fingers drummed restlessly on the steering wheel, his gaze flicking toward Mai. She sat in the passenger seat, her eyes sharp and calculating, dissecting every detail of the scene before them.

Around the clearing, different groups of mercenaries and professionals loitered, each armed to the teeth, but none making a move yet.

There was an uneasy calm that set Ram on edge. "What's the plan, Mai?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.

Mai's gaze never wavered, her tone steady. "Those soldiers by the entrance."

She pointed subtly toward a group near the far end of the clearing, standing in perfect, almost unnervingly precise formation. "They're not ordinary. Those are bio-mechanical soldiers—combat units from the Shadow Society."

Sid, leaning against the truck, his arms crossed, stiffened at her words. "So, the rumors are true," he muttered, his voice darkening. "The Shadow Society is really clearing out monster dens."

Ram's frown deepened as he adjusted his grip on the wheel. "If they've got those things, why do they need professionals like us?"

"They don't." Mai's voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp, analyzing the situation as if it were a complex puzzle.

"At least, not for the heavy lifting. The majority of professionals living in the Cyber Core district are directly contracted by the Shadow Society to undertake, one mandatory mission per month."

"Completing a 'C' rank mission is equivalent to fulfilling four mandatory missions, which has tempted a large number of professionals to accept these missions."

"But they're employing—independent professionals like us—to manage the clean-up. Moreover, the mission brief never mentioned a crucial point—there was no mention of submitting the Source Seed to complete the mission."

She paused, and thought of something as she continued, "which means, we compete for the Source Seed or not doesn't matter, as long as we survive till the end of the mission, it is considered successful."

Liam, who had been casually leaning against the side of the truck, his eyes half-closed in his usual carefree way. "So, we're their janitors," he said with a bitter chuckle. "Doing their dirty work while they handle the easy stuff."

Ram could hear the irritation in Liam's voice, but Mai was already one step ahead. She crossed her arms, her mind racing.

"Exactly. It's not just about the Source Seed. There's something else going on here, something we're not privy to. Look around—everyone's waiting, stalling. I'd bet they're expecting someone from the Shadow Society to show up and take the lead."

Ram glanced at Mai again, his voice low. "What do you think? Should we stick to the plan or bail before things get messy?"

Some humans have even mastered the ways of harnessing these monsters to enhance their strength in diverse ways.

Energy extracted from these monsters, particularly harvesting cores or essences, has given rise to the creation of energy crystals, that are used as power sources for a range of applications, from machinery to advanced technologies.

Specialized farms cultivate controlled monster dens of low-level monsters for various purposes, like providing resources and many others.

"Stay close to the truck," Mai gave instructions, holding several storage capsules in her hand, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"We need to be ready for anything. If things go south, we use the chaos to our advantage. These bio-mechanical soldiers can act as a distraction, and we'll retreat into the forest. But until then, we watch. And we wait."

The group shifted positions around the truck, moving into more discreet locations, and blending into the environment.

Liam crouched by the front tire, still casual but with his eyes scanning the crowd more alertly.

Sid stood at the rear, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade, Su Mu, silent as always, took up a position nearby.

Ram on the other hand, except for Groot, hid both Ling'er and Ming Yue inside the truck. There's no telling

Minutes dragged on, the tension in the air growing thicker. The silence was almost deafening, each group of mercenaries waiting for something, or someone, to make the first move.

Then, the crunching of boots on gravel broke the silence.

From the far side of the clearing, a figure emerged: a tall woman with long blue hair tied in a ponytail, flanked by two heavily armed bio-mechanical soldiers.

She moved with calm, predatory grace, her cloak billowing slightly as she made her way to the center of the clearing.

Under the dim light, an air of authority surrounded her. A hush fell over the groups, and all eyes turned toward the newcomer.

Mai's eyes narrowed as she focused on the emblem on the cloak—it was one of the Shadow Messenger.

P.S. Note: Sorry guys, I've changed the previous concept of Skill Stones to Skill Cards from chapter 32.