Amusement flashed through Brandon’s eyes. His head swung back as he suddenly burst into uproarious laughter.

"Guys, can you fucking believe this? I mean, I’ve seen it in movies, but God, this guy is so corny!" Brandon wheezed, laughing so hard his face turned red as tears gathered in his eyes.

The man in black frowned, his eyes going cold as he pulled the trigger on the handgun in his grasp.

Bang!

Brandon reeled backward as the bullet fired straight into his chest.

The smell of gunpowder stung the nose as the heated barrel slowly smoked.

Ding!

Everyone stared as a compressed, mashed-up bullet fell to the ground.

The man in black’s eyes widened at the sight. His head swung upward, pupils constricting.

An unfazed Brandon was already so close before him, a smoldering level of heat distorting the atmosphere emanating from him.

The man tried to retreat instinctively, but Brandon’s scalding hot palms reached forward faster than he could react, clamping tight on his neck.

Sizzle!

The man’s skin seared, his blood boiling from the intensity of heat brewing in Brandon’s palm.

Brandon’s whole demeanor had undergone a contrasting change — from a jesting fool to a disdainful monster.

"F-fucker!" The man struggled with a groan, his eyes red as he moved his gun, pressing the muzzle against Brandon’s head.

But Brandon didn’t flinch.

"Cocky bastard," the man in black hissed as he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

And he didn’t stop...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Until the gun clicked, releasing no more shots — it was out of ammo.

Brandon’s head was slanted all the way back, smoke streaming from his skull, but his gait remained impeccably still.

He straightened his neck...

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Bullets fell one after another. Except for a small purple patch of bruise, they did little to no damage.

The man in black’s eyes widened. This couldn’t be a human. He had to be a "m-mons—"

Before he could finish his croak...

Squelch!

Brandon squeezed, popping the man’s head right off his shoulders.

His headless body spurted blood like geysers before crumpling to the ground.

His head rolled into the distance, eyes still wide with disbelief and horror.

This sight finally snapped the dead man’s subordinates from their daze.

They trembled weakly, unable to bring themselves to pull the triggers of the guns in their hands.

Unable to retreat either, they could only stare at the group before them in horror.

It had long been ingrained into the human psyche — the reaction expected from a gunshot.

And even if they subconsciously prepared their minds that bullets might not kill their targets, they had been certain it would at least incapacitate them.

But seeing a gun, the great equalizer, have zero effect hit harder than one might expect.

The realization that a human could be so invulnerable sent shivers down their spines.

Uriel calmly spoke: "Please, at least leave one alive."

Sapphire embers sparked from Brandon’s fists. "I’ll try."

Fwooom!

A gust of flame raged. These guards didn’t have outstanding stats — after all, they were merely people who had awakened in a safe zone.

Compared to a battle-tested monster like Brandon, who fought tooth and nail to survive after awakening in the heart of a corruption zone, these guys weren’t even worth mentioning in the same breath.

Brandon made quick work of them. Their defense stats were too low to put up much of a fight, and they were straightaway turned to cremated ashes.

Only one was left, on his knees, quivering.

Uriel stepped forward calmly, asking: "Who sent you?"

The black-suited underling trembled as he stared up at Uriel with terror-filled eyes.

Just like that, all his team members were dead!

They couldn’t even hope to fight back!

"T-the elders of the Duskreaver family!" the guard spilled in a trembling voice.

Uriel’s gaze flashed.

’Just as I thought!’ He then asked a single-worded question: "Why?"

The guard shook his head repeatedly. "I swear we don’t know. We don’t ask questions — we only follow orders."

Uriel nodded calmly, stroking his chin. "I see."

The guard suddenly crawled forward, grabbing Uriel’s leg. He began to sob and beg.

"Please let me live. Please, I swear we were just following orders."

Uriel turned to the others. "I suggest we act captured, so that we can at least infiltrate the estate. From there, we can figure more out. I have a feeling Seth’s in trouble."

Everyone nodded, their eyes flashing thoughtfully. Seth in trouble?

That guy? How strong was he? What type of trouble could he be in that couldn’t possibly be resolved by the deterrent that was his strength?

It made them feel a lot more cautious. They had to be careful.

Uriel turned his gaze, pausing on Maya. "What do you say?"

The stunned Maya quickly nodded her head. "I agree... but how are we going to make that happen? They’re all dead."

Uriel chuckled as a blinding white current crackled around his body, frying the guard holding onto his legs.

"That’s the thing about rats — they never stop coming!"

The moment he finished speaking, car screeches rang out as seven more dark military-grade vans pulled up.

More men in black suits rushed out, surrounding the group and cocking guns their way.

Holding back a subtle smile, Uriel raised his hands in surrender.

So did the others. They were quickly escorted into separate vans that took off immediately, straight into the Duskreaver estate.

Good. At least now they had gotten a little bit closer to the truth. Inevitably, they had taken a huge step forward toward finding Seth...

The group didn’t act but only waited patiently until the vans reached a moderately scant area.

Suddenly, the vans at the forefront began to rattle, swerving straight off the road and crashing into a building.

The vehicle finally came to a still, and suddenly—

Boom!

The doors of the vehicle were suddenly kicked off their hinges as Jack crawled out of the wreckage.

Simultaneously, other vehicles swerved as though the drivers suddenly became confused and unsteady.

The vans rattled, some so hard they literally fell sideways.

All five teens were fully out and unscathed.

Now it was time for the next step...