Grey's eyes were cold as he locked onto the chubby cultivator across the workshop floor. The air between them thickened with killing intent, rippling faintly with suppressed spiritual energy. His blade was already halfway drawn, its faint blue edge humming as threads of spiritual qi coiled around it like mist.

But just as he was about to strike, a familiar presence brushed past his senses.

A faint fragrance of jasmine and metal drifted through the air, and a figure flashed before his eyes, appearing like a phantom. The world seemed to still for an instant as the captain appeared in front of him.

Slowly—almost tenderly—she lifted her hand and rested it on his. Her skin was pale, almost luminous under the glow of the lantern light. Her touch was soft, yet firm, filled with restrained strength that made the air tremble slightly.

"What are you doing, little Grey?" she asked softly, her voice as calm as still water.

Her tone carried no anger, only quiet authority and a hint of worry. But that gentle question struck deeper than any shout could have.

Grey froze.

The murderous qi that had been building up in his body stilled like a halted storm. His sword arm trembled slightly under her touch.

Because the captain was standing before him, Grey couldn't attack immediately. Yet, even as he tried to rein in his killing intent, his eyes remained cold—glazed over with fury and unhidden hate—as he stared past her at the chubby cultivator trembling several meters away.

Bao, the cultivator in question, could only give a wry smile. His face twitched, the corners of his mouth trembling as he forced a weak grin. He knew that any movement, any word, could trigger the killing intent that still lingered in Grey's eyes like the edge of a drawn blade.

The sight of that feigned smile only fanned Grey's anger further.

His hand tightened unconsciously around the hilt of his sword, but the captain's grip on his wrist tightened in response—gentle yet unyielding. Her Foundation Establishment strength radiated subtly through her touch, locking his spiritual circulation and freezing his arm in place.

The sheer power behind that delicate touch reminded Grey of just how far apart their cultivation levels were.

He might have been a genius, but she was still a wall he couldn't cross.

For a fleeting second, the fury inside him collided with a strange awareness—the warmth of her skin pressed against his, the faint pulse of her qi steady and composed.

He could almost forget his anger… almost.

Her touch was soft, smooth like polished jade, yet underneath that surface lay an overwhelming power capable of crushing him without effort. It was both intoxicating and intimidating.

Grey drew in a slow breath, his anger cooling just enough for reason to return.

"This is the reason why I decided to come along with you," the captain said, releasing his arm slightly. "You almost destroyed this entire warehouse."

Her tone carried an undertone of reprimand, but there was something else in it too—concern.

Grey blinked, his mind finally catching up to her words. He turned his head and looked around.

Only then did he realize the extent of the destruction he had caused.

The once orderly repair bay of the Transport Department now looked like a battlefield. The walls were cracked, and the floor was scorched with the aftermath of spiritual collisions. A dozen or so magic ships—each in various stages of repair—had been reduced to broken husks. Their hulls were split open, internal formations flickering with unstable spiritual energy.

His Air Cannon Punch had shattered them in one uncontrolled burst of fury.

The repair workers who had been present earlier now hid behind scattered crates, peeking out in terror, afraid that a single look would draw Grey's wrath upon them.

Grey's expression tightened as guilt flickered briefly in his eyes. Then, his gaze shifted back toward Bao.

"Is he from the Transport Department?" Grey asked coldly, pointing toward the chubby cultivator who now stood as far away as possible, his round body trembling.

The captain glanced over and nodded. "Yes. He's one of their technicians."

Bao's lips twitched again. He had been hoping the captain would forget about him entirely. But when Grey's finger pointed his way, his heart skipped a beat.

If Grey moved even a step closer, Bao was ready. He would instantly activate his escape talisman—his body would vanish, replaced by a paper figurine that would crumble to ash within seconds. Then, he'd flee from the Transport Department, from the Detective Agency, from Sky Mist City itself if necessary.

Because he understood one thing with painful clarity: if Grey truly wanted him dead, no rule, no official, no department would save him.

Sweat rolled down his plump face as his thoughts spun wildly.

'Until I reach Foundation Establishment, this kid will always have the upper hand over me,' Bao thought bitterly. 'And by that time… if he finds me again, I doubt I'll have any chance to survive. He's not even afraid of Sky Mist's law against killing fellow cultivators. His decisiveness, his ruthlessness—it's monstrous!'

He swallowed hard, forcing his qi to remain stable.

'Why did I have to provoke such a madman? And he's even protected by the captain!'

Bao cursed his luck inwardly, feeling the weight of Grey's killing intent still hanging over him like a blade waiting to fall.

On the other hand, Grey's thoughts were sharp and cold.

He wasn't worried about killing the chubby cultivator—not much, at least. He had two reasons for that.

First, he was a member of the Detective Agency—a department that specialized in homicide cases and internal investigations within Sky Mist City. As long as he could justify his actions as self-defense or retaliation, even if he was caught, the worst punishment he would face would be a hefty fine or temporary suspension.

And if things ever went truly south, he could always abandon the city altogether.

Grey would rather take his chances surviving in a corroded zone filled with mutated beasts, miasma, and shattered ruins than live under the constant shadow of an enemy plotting revenge.

He had already died twice. That experience alone had carved vigilance deep into his bones.

Caution wasn't a habit anymore—it was a survival instinct.

He had learned to anticipate betrayal, to plan for the worst, and to never let an enemy live if they could become a threat later.

Bao was exactly that kind of threat—too clever, too opportunistic, too unpredictable.

That was why, deep down, Grey had already decided. If their paths crossed again in the future, there would be no hesitation.

He would kill him.

Ruthlessly. Completely.

Because in this world, mercy was nothing but a crack through which death could seep.

The captain's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yes," she said with a faint smile, unaware of the killing intent that still brewed beneath Grey's calm surface. "He's from the Transportation Department. He'll handle the repairs."

Grey's expression darkened. "No," he said flatly. "He'll fix the damage himself."

The captain blinked, then sighed softly. She knew it was pointless to argue when he used that tone.

Without waiting for her response, Grey turned around and began walking toward the exit. His boots crunched over shattered glass and splintered metal as he left the devastated warehouse behind.

But even as he walked away, his gaze never left Bao. His cold stare followed him until he disappeared from sight, leaving behind a suffocating silence.

Bao exhaled shakily only after Grey's presence completely vanished.

At that moment, he made up his mind.

He would leave Sky Mist City.

He didn't care about his position, his workshop, or his half-finished projects. Nothing was worth staying for if it meant possibly meeting that madman again.

He could always start over somewhere else. But if he died here, there would be no second chance.

"Grey, wait!" the captain called after him, her voice echoing faintly in the corridor.

But Grey didn't turn back.

He continued walking until her voice faded completely.

From the very beginning, Grey had been the kind of person to hold a grudge.

Even now—after all his battles, his deaths, and rebirths—that part of him hadn't changed.

The streets of Sky Mist City were quieter than usual. The faint hum of spiritual formations pulsed through the air as Grey walked through the narrow pathways connecting the inner districts.

He could still feel the captain's faint scent on his wrist, a reminder of her touch and of how close he'd come to losing control. He exhaled slowly, steadying his thoughts.

The city's defensive array shimmered faintly above, a vast web of translucent blue light that arched across the sky like glass. Beneath it, countless cultivators moved through the streets, each cloaked in their own secrets, each chasing their own ambitions.

Sky Mist City looked peaceful on the surface, but Grey knew better.

It was a cage filled with predators.

As he walked, the jade slip in his robe pocket suddenly vibrated. A pulse of spiritual energy ran through his body, signaling an incoming transmission.

Grey paused, pulled out the jade slip, and infused a trace of his qi into it. A faint image flickered above its surface.

It was a message from Zayne.

Grey frowned slightly.

He didn't dislike Zayne—but he didn't particularly enjoy his company either. Zayne was awkward to be around, not because he was unpleasant, but because of something else—something that made Grey wary.

There was another presence inside Zayne. A hidden existence that made the air around him subtly different, heavier.

Grey couldn't explain it, but his instincts had screamed caution the first time they met.

That was why he preferred to keep his distance.

Still, since Zayne had gone out of his way to send a voice transmission, Grey decided to answer.

He channeled his qi into the jade slip and spoke curtly, "Yes."

There was a brief silence. Then, a calm and slightly awkward voice emerged from the slip.

"Grey? Is that you? Finally! I've been trying to reach you for weeks. I heard you went out to sea and couldn't join the war."

Grey leaned against a lamppost and let out a quiet sigh. "Yes," he replied evenly. "I was out at sea the whole time and couldn't receive the messages. I just returned recently."

The jade slip pulsed softly as the voice on the other end continued, but Grey's gaze had already shifted to the horizon—the faint shimmer of the ocean barely visible beyond the city walls.

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