The group passed through a hazy dark veil that prevented any view from the inside.

"So this is a Miasma Entrapped place." Aelira muttered as she looked around, feeling a prickling sensation in the atmosphere.

"I guess we can’t absorb mana from the atmosphere here. The recovery will be zero." Rudrean blinked in surprise as he inspected the air. "We’ll need Mana Stones for recovery."

"Not you, though." Ryzen wryly smiled. "Your Arcane Path’s rune regenerates mana fast for you."

Rudrean smiled. "That’s true. I’d recover my mana fast here thanks to the Hungry Void rune."

...

There were over a hundred adventurers already here. Most of them were at the Core Genesis stage, but around fifteen of them were Soul Tree experts.

The group went to the town plaza where the combat power measurement for those who wanted to join the Expedition Team was ongoing.

The process was simple.

After wearing an advanced Magitech Visor, they would enter a virtual world where they would unleash their full power, full speed, and best defenses against monsters and incoming magic attacks.

Based on their performance, their overall combat power would be measured.

There was a leaderboard there displaying the top 20 ranks, as only the top 20 would form the Expedition Team.

The lowest 20th rank had a combat power of 843k, a peak Core Genesis stage level.

"I’ll go first." Aelira went to the registration table.

After registering, she put on the visor and sat down on the chair there.

One minute later, she opened her eyes.

The leaderboard flickered.

"Oh? Finally, someone managed to get in."

"W-What?! 1.9 million?!"

"She is stronger than those three early-stage Soul Tree experts..."

"Insane."

Ryzen chuckled. "Yeah, no. We ain’t getting into that list of twenty."

"It’s fine. There are still many monsters to defeat around here. We’ll join the patrolling team." Rivera nodded.

"Alright." Rudrean nodded and went ahead to register.

Lyra, Isalyn, and Rudrean all went to register one by one, creating waves among the adventurers who were resting here at the plaza. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Rudrean displayed a combat power of 2.4 million, and Isalyn displayed a combat power of 3.4 million.

But Isalyn deliberately held back.

’Let’s go. We have some nasty eyes hovering over us. They are staying hidden very thoroughly, but they can’t escape my eyes,’ Isalyn relayed to the group.

’Is it that trash?’ Aelira frowned.

’Indeed. But they came prepared this time.’ Isalyn’s eyes glinted. ’They have four near-peak Soul Tree experts with them this time, and the four fools are also with them.’

’This place has many spatially mutated houses and spots at the periphery,’ Lyra said. ’The miasma-encroaching space is already a lot. This will turn into a Tier-3 after eleven hours if it stays stable.’

She locked onto a place and added, ’I have to start crafting now.’

’In that case, Rivera and Ryzen, you two go with her and hunt monsters around there,’ Rudrean said. ’Those bastards’ primary target is me, so they’ll come for me first, I believe.’

’Exactly. That piece of trash... I can tell from his gaze what kind of garbage he is.’ Aelira ground her teeth angrily. ’We have to get rid of them first. At least, if we can capture those four trash and hold them hostage, their subordinates won’t be able to threaten us.’

’Then here, take this.’ Lyra took out three exotic beads as they floated over her palm. ’These are life-protecting beads that I created on the way. If you are about to receive a fatal attack, they will absorb the damage and expel it away before getting destroyed. One-time use, but they’ll protect you.’

’Oh, that’s nice.’ Isalyn blinked. ’I can feel that they can easily take on a full-powered attack from peak Soul Tree experts, perhaps a bit beyond that.’

’Yes. They can protect you from an attack of a powerhouse with 10 million combat power.’

Rudrean, Aelira, and Isalyn each took a bead.

After that, the group split up.

Lyra went to the spot she had locked onto to craft her items, while Rudrean, Aelira, and Isalyn went into the town among more people.

Romen and the others were hidden in one of the mutated spaces at the southwest periphery.

The Expedition Team was scheduled to head out in seven hours toward the northwest of the town where the space had twisted the most, creating a place with the most exotic wilderness and monsters in this Miasma Entrapped Town. The Miasma Core was beyond that.

...

Meanwhile, two other experts were watching everything, but Isalyn could not detect them.

They were the peak Soul Tree experts working under Elder Shaila.

One was a man with medium-length stylish dark brown hair, and the other was a light-blond-haired woman. Both of them looked to be in their mid-thirties.

’Well... it’s clear that a fatal clash will occur.’ Rodnis looked at his wife Trisha. ’What’s the plan?’

Trisha was thoughtful. ’Lyra and her group discussed something, but we don’t know what. Are they perhaps planning to deal with the Velkar family’s heir first on their own?’

’No way, right?’ Rodnis looked in the direction where Rudrean and the gang were walking. ’But why are they heading into the town?’

’Although they are heading inside the town, the direction they chose is toward the place where Romen and the others are hidden.’ Trisha’s eyes glinted. ’They also have a rather powerful Soul Tree expert, I can feel it. She may have discovered them.’

’So the combat power she displayed is false.’

’Very much false.’ Trisha nodded.

’Well, good thing you got very sharp eye powers from your Arcane Path.’ Rodnis smiled. ’So, I guess it’s time to make verbal contact with them. Let’s coordinate to swiftly deal with that Velkar trash.’

’Yep.’

...

Rudrean, Aelira, and Isalyn took a break at a street-food restaurant with tables and chairs in the open to discuss strategy.

’I can temporarily immobilize all four Soul Tree experts, locking them physically in place using a Heavenfall Wind spell. But this surprise restraint will only last for two seconds before they break through by going all out.’

’So we have two seconds to capture those fools? More than enough.’ Rudrean nodded.

’Mainly, our priority is Romen. As long as he is captured, we can make the others back down.’ Aelira’s eyes glinted coldly. ’But we are definitely killing him today.’

Isalyn wryly smiled. ’Killing him will create a brutal manhunt for us. The thing is, Elder Tyoga can protect you two, but the Velkar family has connections, and this is the death of their heir. Given how this Riglight Galactic Alliance works, those pieces of trash will not rest until your deaths.’

But Isalyn’s eyes glinted cunningly. ’In that case, we have to silence all of them. Nobody should know that we killed them, so we have to kill the Soul Tree-ranked subordinates and the other heirs.’

’That’s the only way to ensure the proper death of Romen Velkar.’

Chirp! Chirp!

Suddenly, a bird arrived and landed on their table.

It was not a normal bird.

A second later, everyone felt a magic wave from it as a voice rang in their heads.

’If you are planning to deal with Romen Velkar and the rest, we should cooperate to ensure a sealed-tight execution.’

Then another voice rang out.

’We are the people Elder Shaila sent to guard you. It’s clear that Romen Velkar wants your deaths, and worse. This will not end peacefully given the mentality of those fools, so...’

Rudrean, Aelira, and Isalyn were surprised, but pleasantly so.

’Well, I guess this works better.’ Aelira grinned. ’Let’s do it.’

’Then let’s discuss strategy. The core execution should involve containing all of them and killing all of them swiftly. Since they are in a Miasma Entrapped Town, no information or data can be sent out, creating a perfect graveyard for these fools,’ Trisha relayed in an icy manner.