Appearance Deception

Time seemed to freeze in that instant. Everyone on the scene halted their movements, including the mysterious organization and the High Priest's group.

The terrifying aura's influence was so vast that it nearly encompassed the entire Monster Zone.

The recently rescued people of Duoheluo Country collapsed to the ground, as if their bones had suddenly disappeared. Many nearly fainted, and some even wet themselves. If they could speak, they would undoubtedly be sobbing and begging for divine mercy, just as they had done in their daily lives before. But under the intense shock, they couldn't think clearly, let alone form coherent sentences.

The priests closest to the scene didn't notice their own foreheads beginning to break out in cold sweat, their lips trembling, and their faces turning pale. They looked as if they had been dragged out of water, but their pride as powerful individuals kept them stubbornly standing in place.

One second... Two seconds...

Beads of sweat rolled down their faces, sinking into the earth.

A grayish-green mist gradually spread throughout the entire zone, becoming increasingly dense, but no one on the scene noticed this. All of their attention was focused on preventing their sanity from crumbling, leaving no room to care about anything else.

A crack appeared in the sky, pitch black inside. Though they couldn't see any eyes, they could feel a gaze observing them through the rift.

Its target wasn't them...

Thank goodness...

With only their survival instincts left to guide their thoughts, they couldn't consider anything more.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the terrifying pressure suddenly vanished.

The SS-level Superhumans finally gave in, collapsing to the ground like ordinary people, gasping for air. Their minds were still in a daze, forgetting that they were on the edge of a battlefield.

Johnson cursed under his breath, with words like "fuck" and "holy crap" spilling from his mouth as he vented his inner terror.

The priest clutched the cross on his necklace tightly, licking his dry lips and repeatedly kissing the cross while muttering prayers softly.

However, reality wouldn't disappear just because they had forgotten about it.

Howling winds rushed through the rift in the sky, and more than a dozen shadowy figures were ejected from it, their silhouettes casting down upon the earth...

"Roar—"

Monsters of various appearances let out a collective roar, their imposing presence forcefully announcing their arrival to the people on this land.

The people of Duoheluo Country, in their ignorance, defined the terrifying aura as divine, which paradoxically allowed them to better accept and quickly forget what had just happened. Beyond a certain threshold, the degree of power made no difference to them.

People prostrated themselves on the ground in fear and trepidation, as the grayish-green mist dug deep into their residual fears, amplifying their senses.

The Gumantong was resurrected once again.

The situation reversed as the dozen or so monsters openly emanated an aura that clearly told everyone present that they were all SS-level monsters.

Wait a minute...

Jeanna noticed something was amiss. The monsters' eyes were vacant, making them look more like beasts than intelligent creatures.

Her gaze carefully scanned the monsters until she finally found the source of the problem – they all had a mark on their foreheads.

The mark flickered with a faint light, so subtle that she might have missed it if she hadn't been so attentive.

But SS-level monsters weren't much of a challenge for the mysterious organization. Jeanna couldn't understand why the deity the High Priest mentioned hadn't intervened directly, instead sending over a dozen monsters.

Agreement.

The word mentioned by both the Old Man and the Strong Man flashed through her mind. Something must be constraining that deity...

As the Gaul Empire's supreme combat force, she had some exposure to negotiations. Those who could sit at the same table to negotiate represented that at least one party could cause significant damage to the other in a mutually assured destruction scenario. Otherwise, there would be no possibility of talks between the two sides.

Jeanna's eyes flickered. Although she was reluctant to recall the recent terror, if there was a force standing on humanity's side, humans might have a chance to turn the tables.

So...

She turned her gaze to the Strong Man. Compared to his silent companion, the Strong Man's expressions could help her better judge the severity of the situation.

Even though he had endured the most pressure, the Strong Man's condition was still much better than their bedraggled state. He now stood atop the giant beast's head, his gaze fixed on the dozen or so monsters, as if they weren't the same level of creatures they had easily crushed earlier.

Why that expression?

Jeanna was puzzled. The High Priest had killed the Gumantong instantly with just a moment of inattention.

A dozen monsters should logically mean just a dozen instant deaths.

As she pondered this, another member of the organization slowly spoke up. He rarely changed his expression, but now his face was filled with derision, his words tinged with sarcasm.

"As expected of the Stolen Operator, capable of such underhanded tactics."

"If you can't control the situation, why not call in the Monster-Taming Elder from the start? This behavior makes it seem like you can't play fair."

Indeed, the onlookers agreed wholeheartedly.

The agreement was for non-interference, but constantly providing outside support and transporting subordinates over was no different from cheating.

This member now seemed to be their mouthpiece. If he were a bit less civilized, Johnson might have spontaneously cheered in satisfaction.

"Kekeke..."

A laugh as harsh and unpleasant as a crow's caw rang out. A hunched, frail body was hidden beneath robes, the face similarly covered by a mask, with only snow-white whiskers visible beneath it.

He coughed twice, his breathing like that of a damaged old bellows. "I don't have that much time to spare. Have some consideration for an old man."

The High Priest looked down at them from above, his eyes indifferent, as if everyone else were mere insects.

"Why waste words on them? When they ambushed the Gumantong, they weren't nearly as righteous as they claim to be."

"Hahaha," the Strong Man's mouth split into a grin as he threw his head back in laughter. "Indeed, it's just as you say."

Don't easily fall into the enemy's rhythm, what's the point of talking about honor with them!

Jeanna worried silently.

The Strong Man's companion seemed equally unable to watch any longer and turned away.

Others interpreted this gesture as an ominous sign, their hearts racing as they prayed inwardly.

They feared the Strong Man might suddenly raise his arm and shout, "To hell with false gentlemen, I'll be a true villain," and switch sides on the spot. That would be disastrous.

Contrary to their expectations, the High Priest's voice lowered, his speech quickening, "What have you done?"

The Strong Man's facial muscles naturally pulled upward, presenting the image of a straightforward, good-natured fellow. However, his words contradicted his appearance.

"Oh, just sent out a distress signal, telling the leader that you're once again pushing the boundaries of the rules."

"Since you're not breaking the rules, then we're not breaking them either, right?"

Although he was supposed to be an ally, the onlookers' view of the Strong Man changed.

This man, who appeared to have more brawn than brains and seemed honest and simple, was actually full of schemes behind the scenes. No wonder even his teammate couldn't bear to watch.

What a deceptive exterior!