This left both Ryan Jacobs and Mr. Troy stunned.

Perhaps it was because they were used to seeing the gentle, smiling Zoe Pierce. This was the first time they had witnessed her put someone in their place. Her movements were clean and decisive, with no wasted motion. Compared to her performance during the joint exam, the improvement was stark and palpable—a night-and-day difference.

Morgan never expected an Omega to be able to pin him down so completely.

This was so humiliating.

He tried to struggle, but the person pressing down on him didn’t feel like a female Omega. It felt like a massive man weighing hundreds of pounds; the weight was crushing.

He couldn’t get up at all.

After a couple of desperate attempts, his body was taut and drenched in sweat, veins bulging at his temples.

After a long moment, he finally said, "Fine, I’ll shut up. Just let me go..."

Zoe Pierce released him. Morgan struggled to his feet and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

His expression as he looked at Zoe Pierce was no longer the carefree smirk from before. Now, it was wary and tense.

Suddenly, as he stared at her somewhat familiar face, a memory buried deep in his mind surfaced.

"You’re that... Zoe Pierce?"

’What kind of Omega could be this ferocious? But if it’s Zoe Pierce, then that makes perfect sense.’

Morgan remembered laughing while watching a livestream of her before. He’d thought this Omega had a ruthless streak, but he’d never imagined he’d one day meet her in person.

And back then, a typical Alpha wouldn’t have given her Attack Power a second thought.

But now, reality had dealt him a harsh slap in the face. Zoe Pierce, an Omega, had just pinned him, an Alpha, and won.

He thought back to the four people from earlier that day who had never exited their Mechas. ’Could that have been Miles Sherman’s squad?’

’Now *those* were the real tough customers.’

Morgan suddenly found he couldn’t laugh anymore.

If they were just ordinary rich people, that would be one thing. But this wasn’t a fucking matter of money. If Leon Grove caused any real trouble, it would be a direct slap in the face to the government. All of F187 would have to pay for his mistake.

Zoe Pierce watched Morgan’s expression shift, her gaze cold. Abruptly, she grabbed him by the collar and asked, "Are you hiding something?"

Pulled so close so suddenly by a young Omega, Morgan felt not only awkward but also a little uncomfortable.

He held up a hand, gesturing for Zoe to give him some space. "I can’t guarantee I can get in touch with him, but... I’ll try."

’If he hadn’t recognized Zoe Pierce, he wouldn’t be getting involved in this.’

’This is trouble.’

Even though Zoe Pierce and the others hadn’t said anything, Morgan knew someone would eventually come to handle the aftermath.

Now, he could only hope things hadn’t reached a point of no return.

Under the intense stares of Zoe Pierce and Ryan Jacobs, Morgan tried to contact Leon Grove. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries, getting straight to the point and telling Leon Grove who Miles Sherman and the others were.

’Anyone capable of leading a region should at least have a clear head. They should know what to do and what not to do.’

But as soon as he got his answer, his face paled slightly. He cursed inwardly, then looked at Zoe Pierce and the others sheepishly. "Leon Grove said... he felt those people from this morning were too troublesome, so he lured them to the mountains behind the town. He plans to let them suffer a bit before dealing with them."

Ryan Jacobs had also noticed the sprawling mountain range behind the district. It was eerily quiet, to the point where it seemed devoid of life.

"There are no Xenobeasts, just some electromagnetic storms and things like that..." ’Leon Grove and his crew are just one step shy of researching magnetic storm-powered artillery,’ Morgan thought, unable to muster a smile. "It’s just that the signal might be a problem. Besides, that mountain... its magnetic field has always been a bit off."

’Otherwise, Leon Grove and his men wouldn’t be using it for all their experiments.’ 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"I’ve never been in there myself, but I just asked. Leon Grove says it shouldn’t be anything serious. There are some traps and nasty things inside. A normal person could probably wander around for half a month to a month before getting out."

’Military academy students should be able to get out faster, right?’

Ryan Jacobs’s expression had already turned grim.

From the very beginning, these people from F187 had been telling their own one-sided story. The only ones who knew the truth were probably Nathan Lockwood and his team.

"However, Leon Grove gave me a long-wave frequency for an internal channel. He said that on this frequency, the people inside can communicate."

So there was the problem. To contact the people inside, someone would have to go in.

Zoe Pierce immediately said to Ryan Jacobs, "I’ll go."

Ryan Jacobs’s expression was disapproving, but Zoe remained completely rational. "Mr. Jacobs, if the magnetic field and signal are really as they claim, then Miles and the others probably can’t use their Mechas. I’ve been through two Xenobeast Tides. You have to trust me, sir. I also have our squad’s communication channel. If by any chance they tune to this wavelength, I’ll be able to find them."

’She knew every word she just said was a lie.’

’Morgan’s story was full of holes. What specific traps? Where were the magnetic storms most severe? What was this so-called theory about a normal person finding their way out in a month? On a planet like this, most of the plants that could survive in the forest would be highly poisonous, impossible to use for sustenance.’

’They could only rely on the food inside their own Space Buttons.’

’Miles and the others had never considered these possibilities. Instead, they were the ones who had packed her Space Button to the brim.’

She was terrified.

When she faced Xenobeasts, she had been calm and composed, her faith in her team unwavering.

But when it came to these Interstellar Pirates, she couldn’t maintain her calm and think rationally.

She had to see them. She had to confirm whether they were hurt.

"Sir, you and Mr. Troy need to stay behind to meet the people coming from the government. You also have to keep an eye on this group. I’m the only one here who’s free."

Ryan Jacobs could see how insistent Zoe was. Her words tempted him; after all, he had just witnessed her skills, and her reasoning was sound enough.

But he still had to lay down the rules. "Maintain contact and report in regularly. If communications are cut off, you must turn back immediately."

’At most, it’s a day’s wait,’ he thought. ’We’re too short-handed here. It will be much better once the government personnel arrive.’

Zoe Pierce immediately agreed.

She changed into a field training uniform, checked her comms and her Space Button, and tested the signal at the edge of the mountain. It was stable, with no interruptions.

She gave Ryan Jacobs a hand signal and entered the mountain.

Once Zoe was out of sight, Ryan Jacobs turned to Morgan and asked suddenly, "Why hasn’t this Leon Grove shown up yet?"

"This guy, Morgan, managed to contact him, and he even gave us a frequency. So why hasn’t he—or anyone else for that matter—come out?"

Morgan didn’t know either.

Not far away, a small Starship was ascending silently. Dozens of people aboard looked down from on high at the behemoth on the ground. Compared to that Starship, theirs was just a little toy.

The Starship’s radar flashed an alert, indicating another starship ahead.

Ryan Jacobs and Mr. Troy exchanged a look. "They’re making a run for it."

Mr. Troy sneered. Piloting their Starship, he fired a laser beam directly at the smaller vessel’s power core. The beam tore through the sky and hit its mark. Ryan Jacobs suited up in his Mecha and shot off toward the pirate Starship.

「Meanwhile, deep in the mountains.」