Shannon Stone spoke as she walked toward the entrance.

She assumed someone had stayed behind and was about to tell them to leave, but she froze when she reached the main entrance.

It wasn’t any of her colleagues who appeared before her, but a trio: two Alphas and one Omega.

Strangers who had no reason—and no business—to be here.

She instinctively tried to use her Intelligent Brain to call for help, but before she could even move, Erin Xavier grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and immobilized her.

The other Alpha now held the very Intelligent Brain she’d been trying to use.

In less than five seconds, Shannon Stone was completely subdued.

This was to be expected. A Beta who had spent her life as a doctor was no match for highly trained Alphas.

Zoe Pierce and the others had chosen to reveal themselves because, fundamentally, Shannon Stone posed no threat to them.

They had personally watched her toss the Intelligent Brain aside, cutting off all communication.

Zoe Pierce tore a nearby bedsheet into strips, and Erin Xavier effortlessly tied Shannon Stone up.

After her initial shock, Shannon Stone had calmed down considerably. She observed Zoe Pierce and her two companions. They were remarkably young, and their appearances were far too striking.

Anyone who saw them would surely not forget.

But guessing their identities was no simple matter. ’When did S-Class Alphas this young appear?’

The three wore matching uniforms, clearly indicating they had come prepared.

But even if Zoe Pierce and her companions had been wearing regular clothes, Shannon Stone would never have mistaken them for travelers who had simply lost their way.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice even, a flicker of wariness in her eyes.

’At this point, they’ve captured me, but they haven’t hurt me, and they haven’t left. They must want to get some information out of me.’

Shannon Stone, for her part, wanted to know why the three of them were here in the first place.

Erin Xavier squatted in front of her, smiling. "Want to make a deal?"

"We’ll answer one of your questions if you answer one of ours."

Having spent so much time with Nathan Lockwood, he had inevitably picked up a few things. For instance, Erin knew that the most important thing right now was to get her talking.

When someone answers a question, even if they lie, they have to base it on what they know. Based on the intel they already had, they could probably tell whether she was telling the truth or not.

His eyes crinkled into a smile. With his baby face, he looked particularly friendly—like the boy next door.

"I can even answer your question first," he offered, pointing to Miles Sherman and then Zoe Pierce. "My brother, my sister, and me."

Seeing Shannon Stone was unmoved—her expression only a slight frown—Erin Xavier glanced at the time on the Intelligent Brain. For once, he dropped the clever act and simply pulled up a photo of Wesley White. "We’re not interested in Beta affairs. We just want to know if you recognize this person."

He glanced at the people lying in the room’s beds. "If you answer truthfully, I can promise to get all of these people to safety. Including you."

’This was the advantage of having overheard her conversation,’ he thought. ’At least we know what she cares about.’

Erin Xavier laid out his terms and waited for Shannon Stone’s answer.

Shannon Stone silently stared at the photo projected in midair, weighing the truth of his words.

"Time is short. The Xenobeast Tide is about to erupt."

Miles Sherman chimed in appropriately. They really didn’t have much time to waste letting Shannon Stone mull it over.

A healthy sense of urgency was good for both sides right now.

Shannon Stone pursed her lips, her eyes flickering. "I recognize him."

"But you have to tell me what you want with him, and why you tracked him here."

Erin Xavier spoke up. "Is he still on Planet B36? There are some things we’d like to discuss with him."

The man they were asking about was, in a way, both relevant and irrelevant. Their question was so strange. They weren’t interested in his identity, but just wanted to talk to him in person.

She spoke up. "First, answer my question. Why are you here?"

Miles Sherman answered, "We’re looking for someone. The man in the picture. He was last seen on Planet B36, posing as an Energy Mine merchant. We followed an energy transport here."

A story that’s seven parts truth and three parts fiction is the most deceptive.

Especially coming from Miles Sherman, whose honest-looking face made him seem exceptionally credible.

Shannon Stone’s gaze, however, fell on Zoe Pierce. "What about her? Why would an Omega be with you?"

’Why bring an Omega on an investigation?’

Even now, Zoe Pierce’s expression remained perfectly composed. She showed no hint of anxiety as she said, "I’m the one looking for him. My family died in an Energy Mine disaster. He was the last person they saw."

’Their answers are too normal.’

Under the steady light, their expressions were clearly visible, as if every word they spoke was true.

But this was all a bit of a stretch. ’Would they really tell the truth to a stranger, a potential enemy, right from the start?’

Shannon Stone wasn’t convinced, but she kept her reservations to herself, addressing Zoe Pierce directly, "Give it up. You’ll never get to see him. And even if you did, could you really trust anything he told you? Don’t be so naive."

Just as she didn’t believe them now.

"His name is Arthur White. I don’t know if he’s on Planet B36 right now. A person of his caliber... it’s useless to ask me. I don’t know anything." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

’She knows his name. How could she not know anything else?’

Miles Sherman didn’t waste time arguing with Shannon Stone. Instead, he lifted several of the Betas lying in their beds and called Erin Xavier over to help.

Right in front of Shannon Stone, the two men either hoisted the patients onto their backs or carried them in their arms. "Let’s get them somewhere safe first," Miles said.

Miles Sherman nodded to Zoe Pierce, who grabbed the cloth strips binding Shannon Stone and followed the others out of the hospital.

They left through the hospital’s back door. Mechas had already begun to fill the sky. The main fleet of warplanes hadn’t arrived yet, but the air was already thick with the stench of battle.

Zoe Pierce took the lead, choosing a winding, rugged path where the dense forest nearly swallowed the trail whole.

The forest was preternaturally quiet, the only sound their footsteps crunching on leaves. All the animals had long since fled, making the forest feel like a deserted and eerily still uncanny valley.

But Zoe Pierce was all too familiar with such scenes. As soon as they entered the forest, she even untied Shannon Stone’s restraints.

Zoe Pierce’s spiritual power alone was enough to restrain her; she didn’t need the strips of cloth. That had just been a temporary measure. Now, things were truly beginning.

"Why didn’t you leave?" Zoe asked as they walked, ensuring they were hidden from the Mechas overhead. "This was a dead end for them, but not for you."

"You... don’t seem to hate us."

"You don’t hate Alphas, and you don’t mind me being an Omega."

Zoe Pierce’s words finally got Shannon Stone’s full attention. Her gaze locked onto Zoe. "What are you trying to say?"

Zoe’s dark eyes didn’t turn to meet hers. She just stared at the shadow-draped forest ahead, her long eyelashes lowered slightly, making her look as guileless and unguarded as any other young person.