"Master, Queen… I'm afraid I have to interrupt this warm atmosphere. There's something I must report immediately," Sebastian said.

"Hm? What is it?" Al murmured, his curiosity rising the moment he sensed the urgency in Sebastian's tone.

Sebastian gave a small nod.

"Kian and Bata have just sent in their report," he replied, referring to the brief Glyph transmission he received from the moment earlier.

"Ah… I almost forgot about that." Al exhaled lightly. "Alright then—explain."

Sebastian complied and began relaying the message he had received.

---

A short while earlier

After receiving Sebastian's orders, Kian and Bata, accompanied by five additional subordinates, arrived near the Bahari Maritime Academy, the very institution where Al intended to have his school transfer processed.

The academy was situated at the farthest edge of Makazhar's coastal region—an expansive shoreline enclave that was notoriously difficult to reach.

To even approach it, one had to traverse dense forests, uneven stone formations, and a stretch of terrain that looked deliberately unwelcoming, almost as though the place had been severed from the rest of the world.

Even under the blistering heat of the dry season, the area carried an uncanny chill, an atmosphere strangely oppressive in its stillness.

The entire location felt off long before they reached the vantage point they were aiming for—its winds blew too wildly, the waves crashed with overly synchronized precision, following a pattern that felt unnervingly unnatural.

Kian raised his hand, signaling a full stop.

All seven operatives halted instantly, lowering their bodies and activating their standard-level stealth mode, blending with the jagged shadows cast by the black coastal rocks.

Seven hooded silhouettes became faint outlines amid the thin mist of salt in the air.

Their identities remained completely concealed beneath tactical black hooded uniforms and filtration masks, leaving only the vaguest hints of their physiques and the smallest fragments of their faces visible.

Bata lowered his center of gravity, one hand pressing firmly against the ground.

Behind him, someone crouched beside the shifting sand—grains drifting in a manner that was decidedly unnatural. A few strands of dark-brown hair slipped out from under the hood.

It was Arsy—her gaze sharply focused, the glint in her eyes piercing straight through the mask.

"The illusion distortion here is strong… it's even affecting elemental flow. Interesting," she muttered quietly.

On the other side, another woman of nearly identical height let out a faint hiss as a gust of sand whipped across her mask. A few lighter-colored strands of her hair fell forward, swayed by the wind.

That was Pita. Her movements were jitterier, her shoulders shifting more frequently—her expressiveness impossible to hide even with her face fully covered.

"This place is giving me goosebumps…" she whispered.

Not far from her, two solid-built figures stood back-to-back. They shared nearly identical physiques—broad shoulders, steady posture—but their mannerisms differed.

One stood slightly taller, unmoving like an impenetrable wall—calm and unwavering. That was Fatar.

The other shifted subtly, turning his head more frequently, scanning the surroundings with restless vigilance. That was Rayan.

Meanwhile, at the very rear of their formation, a lanky silhouette equipped with a large optical device affixed to his face conducted a comprehensive scan.

In the dim light, only the faint blue glow from his lenses was clearly visible. That was Gala—their primary analyst.

"Initial scan complete," he announced, his voice flat, slightly distorted by the modulation of his mask.

Kian and Bata exchanged a brief glance—whatever this place was, it was far from normal.

They proceeded to configure their formation, maintaining optimal distance for observation while evaluating the potential hazards, structural anomalies, and the possibility of infiltration.

Along with whether their current team composition was sufficient for such an endeavor.

Once the formation stabilized, one of them inevitably broke the silence—not due to the eerie atmosphere, but because of the growing personal frustration bubbling inside.

"Agh… I really thought Master would come with us. You tricked me, Kian," Pita complained.

Kian let out a soft chuckle, his eyes curving apologetically behind the mask.

"My bad, my bad. I thought he'd join us too. But it seems he had more important matters to take care of."

Bata nodded.

"Besides, our assignment this time is purely surveillance. There's no reason for Master to step in."

"'Our,' you say, when the only ones actually assigned were you two," Pita protested, turning her face away with a pout.

Arsy clicked her tongue, grumbling with sharp irritation,

"Hm. That's true."

"But honestly, you two are ridiculously lucky. You've accompanied Master several times already, while the rest of us rarely get the chance. Ugh…" she complained.

"Haha, what can we say? We just go when we're called," Kian replied.

"Exactly," Bata added.

"You'll need to improve your performance if you want to accompany Master. You know how it is—anything involving him usually means extremely high-risk situations."

The two girls turned away simultaneously, both pouting beneath their masks. Annoyance at being tricked—and smoldering jealousy—burned inside them as intensely as the scorching midday sun overhead.

Fatar spoke up as well, but his purpose this time was purely to bring them back on track.

"Honestly, I'm jealous of you two as well," he admitted to Kian and Bata. "But right now, we need to focus on the mission." His tone was relaxed yet firm.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Yup. Fatar's right," Rayan said. "Let's just finish this. This place feels weird—I don't want to stay here longer than we need to."

"Mm-hmm…" Gala hummed in agreement. "This whole area is an anomaly. The weather is scorching hot, yet the wind and waves are still violently strong." His voice carried a clinical, analytical calm.

His goggles allowed him to evaluate the region—environmental temperatures, physical structures, and traces of magical potential.

A refined magi-tech device, capable of analyzing both physical and arcane properties, and the key instrument for their monitoring operation.

"So, what exactly have you managed to uncover so far?" Bata asked, directing his voice toward Gala.

Gala leaned further forward, the bluish luminescence from his observation device reflecting across his lenses. He verified the streams of data scrolling before his for a brief moment, then began laying out the findings.

"From the structural configuration of the environment… the multilayered physical barrier that envelopes the entire territory up to a radius of one kilometer holds a projected probability of ninety-two percent…" he began.

He proceeded to elaborate on the projected illusion-barrier probability at ninety percent;

the estimated count of potentially dangerous individuals numbering around one hundred to one hundred thirty;

non-hostile individuals reaching approximately five hundred to five hundred fifty;

hostile non-human entities estimated at forty to sixty djinn and seven to ten beasts.

The potential of an ambush reached sixty percent, the likelihood of secret chambers eight percent short of total certainty...

And he presented every other probable factor in systematically organized data.

"…and with all that combined, our probability of successfully completing the monitoring mission stands at eighty-four percent. Meanwhile, the probability of us actually defeating everyone inside with our current numbers is roughly twelve percent," he concluded.

"Ah… so that means we'd better just focus on monitoring rather than picking a fight," Fatar remarked.

Gala nodded.

"The accuracy projection of my data sits at around seventy percent, due to the observational distance. But I believe it's sufficient. Approaching this area any closer risks triggering reactive functions within the barrier," he said as he turned toward Arsy for verification.

Arsy gave a confirming nod. Her hand extended slightly forward, activating the faint pulse of her magical detection skill as she attempted her own scan.

"I feel it too. This barrier has a detection function—anyone entering or leaving can be sensed by its controller," she stated with certainty.

"If we want to go in and check from closer range, I think only Fatar and Rayan have the skillset for it. But judging from Gala's data… sending just the two of them might be a little difficult," she added.

A brief silence settled in as everyone considered possible solutions.

"What do you think, Fatar?" Kian asked.

Fatar pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Entering the area isn't the real problem. The issue is what we're supposed to do once we're inside," he said. "But… I can try."

"I'll go too," Rayan said.

Both of them turned toward Kian and Bata, who were technically the ones in charge of the mission—or more accurately, the only two who had actually been assigned to it.

The other five were brought along secretly without Sebastian's knowledge, lured by the possibility that Al might show up.

Kian exchanged a look with Bata, then the two of them sought the others' confirmation. With Fatar and Rayan sounding confident enough, the decision was finally made for the two to proceed.

"Alright then. I'll leave it to you," Kian said.

Fatar and Rayan gave relaxed nods, then activated their advanced stealth mode—a high-level stealth state that rendered them close to invisible, almost comparable to the mode Al typically used.

They also boosted the function of their special communication devices built into the hoods of their uniforms and equipped the specialized goggles Gala provided.

That devices pre-loaded with every piece of analyzed data he had gathered to help them interpret the environment inside with far greater clarity.

"This won't be much of a problem for us," Fatar said, accompanied by Rayan's agreeing nod.

With light gestures, the two slipped forward, entering through the narrow gap in the barrier that Gala and Arsy had identified.

"I hope they'll be alright…" Pita murmured as she watched the pair vanish like passing gusts of wind.

"Yup. In that case, we move too," Bata said.

The remaining five exchanged nods before splitting off in five different directions, each heading toward a more strategic vantage point for external observation.

Gala remained at the original location, as he was the main monitor responsible for maintaining stable communication with Rayan and Fatar—something that could easily be disrupted if he moved from his coordinates.

And so, the observation mission officially began.

---

Fatar and Rayan advanced side by side with exacting precision through the narrow gap in the barrier—wide enough for only two or three people at most.

With their advanced stealth, every step they took became exponentially safer.

Their sophisticated visual instruments amplified their perception of the magical energy currents around them, projecting holographic robotic-styled readouts into their sightlines.

In their vision appeared data on surrounding objects, emblematic symbols and robes of the cannibalistic organization they were targeting, and of course—the face and personal data of their primary target, Daraka.

Before long, they slipped past the physical barrier and entered a zone devoid of detection potential. They had reached the nearest accessible building.

The structures surrounding them were massive: shipyards, machinery warehouses, sports halls, expansive dormitories, administrative offices, and more.

"We've reached the nearest building," Fatar reported back to Gala. His voice was transmitted through a special device that prevented sound from spreading and directed it solely into the comm-link.

"Where should we head next?" he asked.

The reply soon came, instructing them to split up.

Fatar was to sweep the east and south—areas with fewer people but filled with large structures. Rayan, meanwhile, would cover the west and north—regions with more activity but wider open spaces.

Both nodded and immediately moved. Their movements were swift and precise, sending back constant data alongside brief verbal explanations to Gala and the others.

The five outside monitored both of their routes through a specialized map. Although they could not directly see the two—due to their stealth mode—the tracking indicators remained visible.

Fatar began by sweeping the eastern sectors. He soon reached a massive shipyard structure jutting toward the sea. The area was vacant, occupied only by several large ships.

Yet the waves of energy emanating from the place were overwhelming.

Fatar focused, and clearly sensed surges of Helos energy—large quantities, likely originating from the jin present there.

He moved on, passing through academic buildings that were strangely quiet.

This is odd, he thought. For a place that's supposed to be a school, even the teachers and staff are scarcely present.

Still, he pushed the thought aside and kept moving. His focus remained on the mission: the cannibal organization—and Daraka.

Eventually, he halted upon reaching the southern zone. A grand, imposing building radiated an anomalous energy signature.

As he turned to face the towering structure, he noticed a blanket of dark aura enveloping it.

Unseen djinn drifted around the area, some gliding across the air, others roaming along the ground—moving comfortably as if they belonged there.

It was more than enough for Fatar to judge that this was a prime location where their target could be hiding.

He relayed the critical information to the others, asking whether he should proceed inside or stop where he was.

The answer took a while to return, but Fatar's curiosity was already burning. He had made it this far.

While waiting, he decided to take a small peek—curiosity getting the better of him.

But before he could step closer—

A troubled voice came through the comm channel:

"Oh, crap! I think I got a little careless. I'm surrounded," one of the members reported.

The statement instantly sent a jolt of panic through the entire team.

Everyone immediately began moving toward the location of the endangered member.

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