Paige Summers started her search again from the first room.

She placed Erin Quinn in a corner, then planted herself in the middle of the room. It wasn’t a large space. She slammed a fist down, and a large crater formed in the floor. The method was direct and brutal, but if there really was a cellar below, there should have been some kind of reaction.

’If that doesn’t work, I can just punch it again!’

’In a place this small, I could dig up the whole floor. I refuse to believe I won’t find it!’

As she moved from room to room, Howard Everett, watching from outside, felt the corner of his eye twitch. ’Is she even a woman?! Okay, she is, but she’s practically a man!’

Marcus Monroe, however, watched in silence until she moved to the third room. Then, making the excuse that he was going to look around, he left the courtyard.

Once he was out of Paige Summers’s line of sight, he helplessly massaged his forehead. ’Does she really trust that kid so much?’

"Boss... You got a headache?"

Glancing at Howard Everett, who had followed him out, Marcus Monroe lowered his hand, his expression growing serious again. "I was just wondering why Cillian isn’t here yet."

"You sure it’s not because of the one inside?"

"What do you think?"

Howard Everett fell silent.

’Even if it was, you’d never admit it!’

"I don’t get it. Why do you value her so much? Being able to create weapons is certainly useful, but there are so many ways to get her to work for us. It doesn’t have to be like this, letting her, letting her..."

"Integrate into our group?"

"...Yes."

After a pause, a smile played on Marcus Monroe’s lips. "Are you saying the person I’m interested in doesn’t have that right?"

Howard Everett’s head shot up. He stared into Marcus’s eyes in horror and stammered, "You—you don’t mean *that*, do you?"

With a glint of amusement in his eyes, Marcus Monroe said, "It’s exactly what you think."

Howard Everett turned his head, peering through the crack in the door. He could vaguely make out Paige Summers’s face; even so, her youth was apparent. ’To be honest,’ he thought, ’although I keep thinking of her as "that woman," deep down I’ve always seen her as sort of... genderless. She’s just too small, both in age and... her chest...’

’So... my boss is actually a pedophile?!’ The thought alone made his skin crawl.

From Howard’s blatant expression, Marcus Monroe knew exactly what he was thinking without needing to ask. The veins on his forehead practically popped. "She’s... nine. Teen."

"Is—is that so?" Howard said sheepishly. ’So she’s an adult!’ "Her... development is a bit delayed. I thought she was only fifteen or sixteen..."

Marcus Monroe fought the urge to smack him on the head. With a dark expression, he said, "That’s not something you need to be concerned about. I..."

Before he could finish his warning, he stopped abruptly and charged back into the courtyard.

But it was too late.

A huge CRASH and a short scream erupted at almost the same time. He and Howard Everett saw only the house collapsing thunderously, rubble flying across the courtyard, and dust and smoke filling the air... Yet by the time they dodged the debris, the ruins were empty. Not a soul was in sight, and even Sweetie was gone.

Marcus Monroe let out a curse, then sprinted off in a certain direction.

Howard Everett was about to follow, but as his gaze swept over a half-collapsed wall, he suddenly noticed something wasn’t right inside!

But more frustrated than them was Paige Summers.

Right now, she was chasing a man in black about a hundred meters ahead with all her might. Tucked under his arm was none other than Erin Quinn, who had just been huddled in the corner watching her dig!

’She never would have thought such a powerful enemy was lurking here!’

Her opponent had approached silently and attacked from outside the house. He not only punched through the wall where Erin Quinn was sitting but also managed to destroy the entire house in an attempt to bury Paige underneath, all while snatching Erin away in a flash.

Although she had reacted quickly enough, she still suffered some scrapes. Fortunately, they didn’t hinder her movement.

’Kidnapping someone right under my nose... No matter what, I can’t let him succeed!’

With that thought, she pushed her speed to its absolute limit.

But catching up to him wasn’t easy.

The area was dense with residential courtyards and countless alleyways. The man in black was clearly familiar with the terrain, weaving through twists and turns. Although his speed was slightly slower than hers, he still held the advantage. She was clearly on the defensive; his figure flickered in and out of sight, not even giving her time to draw her Crossbow.

She tried to calm herself as she gave chase.

’Don’t be rash. If I rush, I’ll make a mistake. Erin Quinn is waiting for me to save her!’

She pursued him relentlessly, and the man in black was just as tenacious. One chasing the other, their figures darted through Dawnbringer Base like shuttles in a high-stakes chase.

Gradually, Paige Summers began to feel her strength failing.

Sustaining a high-intensity sprint with her superpower for so long consumed a great deal of energy. However, just as she noticed her own speed flagging, she saw that her opponent was experiencing the same thing.

She felt a mix of joy and worry. A moment later, an idea struck her, and she pulled out a Crystal Core, gripping it in her hand.

’I’ve never tried absorbing one like this, but the situation doesn’t exactly allow me to sit down and meditate! I have to try. Even if it just lets me last a little longer than him, it’ll be worth it!’

Because the energy in her body was circulating rapidly and was also severely depleted, when she began to absorb it, the process spiraled out of her control. The energy from the entire Crystal Core surged into her body in an instant. She was startled, but it was too late for regrets. Fortunately, after only a dozen seconds of sharp pain, her body returned to normal. The influx of energy had replenished her reserves.

Paige Summers was overjoyed.

In reality, it was a move born of sheer ignorance.

The reason absorbing energy from a Crystal Core requires a slow process is the fear of a sudden, massive influx that the body cannot handle, leading to unpredictable consequences. If anyone else had tried this, they most likely would have run into problems. But Paige’s body had been modified by the Jade Pendant Mark, greatly enhancing her capacity to withstand it. On top of that, she had been cautious enough to use only a Second-order Crystal Core. If she had used a Fourth Rank one, or even just one more... the outcome was anyone’s guess.

Fortunately, although she didn’t understand the reason for her success, the memory of that dozen-second-long agony was enough to make her cautious, and she didn’t try it again.

Circulating her newfound energy, she abruptly accelerated, closing in on the man in black.

Her opponent seemed to have tired of the chase—or perhaps his stamina had finally reached its limit. In any case, just as Paige Summers was getting closer, he suddenly veered out of the residential area and ran toward a small copse of trees, letting out a low growl!

Paige Summers’s pupils constricted.

’That sound...’

Before she could think further, an accomplice scrambled out of the copse. He was dressed in the same black clothes and black gloves, his face half-covered by a black cloth, leaving only his eyes and mouth visible.

The accomplice seemed quite surprised. His eyes met Paige’s for only a moment before he immediately looked away. He looked as though he had just seen a Zombie!

Paige Summers nearly ground her teeth to dust.

The man in black suddenly lifted Erin Quinn, bent his head over her for a few seconds, then tossed her to his accomplice. He himself then turned and charged straight at Paige Summers!

But when Paige Summers saw his sharp, inhuman teeth chewing and the blood dripping incessantly from his mouth, she snapped.

SWISH! She drew her heavy Single Blade, her eyes turning bloodshot as she was consumed by rage.

’What did that monster just do?!’

’He... He actually bit Erin Quinn!’