Celula finally realized she’d just blown her cover and walked right into trouble. She clenched her fists, cursing under her breath: Kevin, where the hell are you?

Before she could even manage a hidden message to Kevin, Strange and George had closed ranks, flanking the twins and blocking their path.

Strange extended a hand smoothly. "Ladies, this boat is going under any second now. Why not come with me to another ship for a chat?"

He stepped forward, reaching out to grab them.

But before his fingers could even brush their clothes, George’s men stepped in, blocking him dead.

Strange frowned. "George, what do you think you’re doing?"

George flicked open a cigarette lighter, a smirk playing on his lips. "Mr. Strange, looks like these two ladies aren’t your little cargo for The Eye of Tarot. In that case, I’ll just take them back to my young master myself. No problem, right?"

Strange’s expression darkened. He scanned the area, feeling the heavy aura radiating from the soldiers around him. A slight frown creased his brow.

Ever since awakening his Talent, his ability to sense others had sharpened dramatically.

What he felt from these eight men wasn’t fake. It was raw, genuine killing intent.

It was clear they’d been on a killing spree since the Eldritch Descent two days ago.

He gritted his teeth, forcing a bluff. "George, even if they’re not trained goods yet, I laid eyes on them first. You gonna swipe them right out from under The Eye of Tarot? Don’t you fear the backlash? And even if you don’t, isn’t Leo someone you should respect?"

George scoffed. "Put a price on it. I’ll pay whatever I can afford."

Strange smiled thinly. "Good. First, I want all the weapons and gear on those two girls."

"Done." George agreed without a second thought.

He saw two girls who probably lacked any real Talent, likely weaker than average Survivors. What valuable gear could they possibly carry?

"No problem. Any other terms?" he asked casually.

Strange raised a hand, pointing straight at the attack helicopter circling above.

George’s smile froze. "You better think twice before making demands. Two playthings aren’t worth a helicopter."

When George shut him down without letting him finish, Strange’s face hardened. "George, don’t push your luck. Since the Eldritch Descent, everyone’s dying out here. Women will become nothing but playthings soon enough. In half a month, you’ll never find another pair as beautiful, pure, and untouched as these two. Trust me, after years of picking girls like these, I know a virgin when I see one. And these two are absolutely top-tier."

George sneered. "Even so, they’re not worth a helicopter."

Strange clenched his jaw, his voice dropping. "I’ll throw in some Eldritch Artifacts."

"Eldritch Artifacts?" The moment George heard that, his interest spiked. "Let me see them."

But before Strange could answer, Kevin’s voice suddenly rang out from nearby: "Yeah, show them to me too. I’m very interested!"

Hearing that, everyone turned their heads.

Less than fifty meters away, Kevin stood on a wooden raft, cutting through the water and closing in fast.

The sight left every Survivor present completely frozen in shock.

George’s eight elite troops were left completely dumbfounded. Strange’s two suit-clad thugs stood frozen in place.

Strange sharply inhaled, muttering to himself: "Is... is this even human? He’s out here alone on the open sea, riding that damn cheap raft?"

George’s gaze locked onto the raft beneath Kevin’s feet. "No oars. No sails. What’s pulling him through the water?"

Before he could finish, a thirty-centimeter dorsal fin broke the surface.

The sight of the dark green fins running parallel sent shockwaves through the group.

Celula’s hand flew to her mouth. "Eldritch Entities!"

The moment the words left her lips, the troops and thugs drew their pistols, aiming straight at Kevin.

But before they could even align their sights, Kevin grinned.

Crimson threads spilled from his pupils, weaving across his irises until his eyes glowed with a sinister red light.

The Fixing Gaze!

Eldritch red beams shot out, striking all ten men in a single instant.

One glance. That was all it took. Ten seasoned, fully armed Survivors were locked in place like statues.

George and Strange’s eyes bulged, disbelief flashing across their faces.

But Strange recovered fast. That familiar red glow... it was identical to the power Celula and Monchhichi had just used.

"Damn it," he snapped, whipping his head toward the girls. "Who is he? Is he with you?"

At that moment, Celula and Monchhichi were already certain.

They’d never met Kevin face-to-face, but the power he just unleashed couldn’t be faked.

Right in front of Strange and George, Monchhichi grabbed Celula’s arm and rushed to the railing. She waved wildly. "Kevin! You’re finally here!"

Hearing that name, George and Strange’s eyes widened in perfect sync.

"What? He’s Kevin?"

Before anyone could react, water exploded into the air.

A grotesque, massive Fish Fiend breached the surface. Its giant, webbed feet clamped onto the hull like suction cups. Its hands gripped a thick rope, hauling Kevin’s raft straight to the girls.

Another Fish Fiend leaped onto the raft. It bowed deeply, respectful and docile, then scooped Kevin onto its broad back. With a powerful leap, it landed dead center on the deck, positioning itself perfectly between the girls and the armed men.

George and Strange glanced at their frozen subordinates. Seeing the red beams still held them fast, they finally turned to Kevin, tension radiating from their stances.

Kevin just waved them off with a relaxed smile. "Relax. You were just making a trade, right? Go ahead. I’m actually curious what kind of valuable Eldritch Artifacts you two could’ve scraped together in just two days."

"Then watch closely," Strange growled. His body shimmered, shifting back into that same pitch-black metal.

He shot George a warning glance, then strode straight over to his two men. With a firm yank of his hands, the red beams binding the thugs flickered and strained.

Strange gritted his teeth and roared, "Break!"

A sound like shattering glass echoed across the deck. The red light binding the two thugs cracked and snapped apart. Freed, they immediately gripped their pistols, eyes locked on Kevin with lethal alertness.

Meanwhile, George had also shaken off his shock and regained his composure. He pulled a potion vial from his pocket, wincing as if in physical pain, and splashed it over the eight special forces troopers.

Almost instantly, the potion flared with a warm white glow. The crimson light dissolved rapidly, restoring the soldiers to full mobility.

Just like the thugs, the moment the troopers regained control, they raised their rifles and locked their sights on Kevin.

George fixed his gaze on him, arrogance curling his features. "Kevin, I didn’t think you’d be this foolish. Do you really believe topping the kill leaderboard means you can ignore the power of an entire team? No matter how strong you are alone, you can’t withstand the force of numbers."

At this, Kevin shrugged, his eyes locking onto Strange with open mockery. "That blond kid’s Eldritch Artifact was pretty cool. I’m keeping it."

Strange paused for a fraction of a second, then sneered. "What are you offering in exchange?"

Kevin picked at his ear, a smirk playing on his lips. "In exchange for your mother."

The moment the words left his mouth, the two Fish Fiends beside Kevin struck. Before Strange could even process the movement, two massive forces slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward through the splintered wood.

The two thugs stared in terror. Screaming, they squeezed their triggers, unleashing a barrage of bullets toward the creatures.

But the rounds only left shallow pink scars on the Fish Fiends’ hides, doing no real damage.

Watching this, George’s breath caught in his throat.

Just as everyone’s focus was drawn to the two creatures, the sea erupted again.

Two more Fish Fiends breached the surface, lunging from behind. Their jaws clamped onto the thugs’ shoulders, while their razor-sharp claws, like daggers, plunged straight into their throats and hearts.

"No!" Strange dragged himself out of the wreckage, only to witness his comrades’ bloody demise. A guttural cry tore from his throat as his body once again shifted into a sheen of black metal. He charged at the four entities.

But Strange’s ability only granted him body hardening and a minor strength boost. His reflexes, agility, and raw speed were no match for the Fish Fiends.

Within seconds, two of the creatures toyed with him, pinning his limbs and slamming him onto the deck.

Seeing this, George roared, "Open fire!"

The eight troopers unleashed a hail of bullets at the Fish Fiends.

Simultaneously, a wall of lead rained down from above. The helicopter’s twin rotary cannons swiveled and tore into the four creatures.

After a brief storm of metal, the upper halves of the four Fish Fiends were shredded apart. Only their eight legs remained, pinned over Strange’s wrists and ankles.

George finally exhaled in relief, striding over to Strange. He hauled him to his feet, then turned to Kevin, his voice heavy. "Kevin, I didn’t know you could summon four Eldritch Entities to fight alongside you, on top of that mind-numbing paralyzing gaze. No wonder you’re number one on the kill leaderboard. You’re undoubtedly strong."

A smirk tugged at George’s lips, dripping with mockery. "But too bad. No matter how strong you are, you can’t survive a hail of rotary cannon fire from two attack helicopters."

As he spoke, two troopers hauled Strange back to his feet.

The crushing defeat of the Fish Fiends still hung heavy on Strange’s face, his desperation unshed. But as he looked up and saw the helicopters hovering down, their cannon muzzles still spitting heat and smoke, his expression twisted into something manic.

"Kevin, you’ve made your move. The Eye of Tarot will remember this insult. And we will make you pay."