Grey scanned the barren land, his eyes lingering on the patches of dark mist scattered across the wasteland. Corruption fields—dozens of them, each one festering with danger.
Nearby, two evolvers were speaking in hushed voices.
"I heard the Tiger Claw Gang has been moving through the Outer Ring a lot lately," one said nervously. "Anyone who sees them either doesn't come back… or returns half-dead."
"Kill?" The younger one flinched, his fear plain. "Are they really that ruthless?"
The older evolver smirked. "This is the Outer Ring. Nova City never managed to claim this land, and do you know why? Because the Tiger Claw Gang won't allow it. They sabotage every expedition, declaring this wasteland as theirs. Anyone from Nova City who wanders in gets hunted down."
The rookie's shoulders stiffened, but the veteran gave a reassuring pat. "Don't panic. Even if we meet one, they'll likely just be low-level—Rank One, first or second stage. I can handle that."
His gaze shifted toward the horizon, voice steady. "Besides, we came here to hunt mutated beasts. That's what matters. Tiger Claw members mostly linger around corruption fields, and those fields are far more dangerous than anything inside the city. In the city, the military and high-rankers purge outbreaks quickly. But here? Left unchecked, the fields breed more and more monsters with every passing day."
The younger evolver swallowed. "But… if they're left alone, won't the corruption fields erupt?"
"They do, sometimes," the veteran admitted. "When that happens, the military stationed along the wall notices and launches an airstrike to suppress it. But," he pointed ahead, eyes narrowing, "there's a limit to how much firepower can solve."
Grey followed the gesture. In the distance, a massive corruption field loomed larger than the rest, its black haze pulsing faintly, as if alive. Even from afar, its oppressive aura pressed down on him like a mountain.
"That one is the largest corruption field in the Outer Ring—and the most dangerous," the veteran explained grimly. "It sits uncomfortably close to the trade route connecting Nova City and Blue Spirit City. The monsters inside can't be contained with ordinary weaponry; at minimum, a Rank Two evolver is required. Of course, Nova City hasn't intervened directly because of the Tiger Claw Gang's constant interference. But if that field ever erupts… the City Lord himself would be forced to step in."
Grey's eyes flickered coldly at the name. Tiger Claw Gang. He had read about them in the news before, their reputation soaked in blood and terror. He had no intention of crossing paths with them.
The veteran's words weren't wasted on him. Grey immediately began planning. If I'm to make a breakthrough, I need to choose a place more carefully. Somewhere far from the major corruption fields, away from both the gang and wandering evolvers hunting mutated beasts.
He turned his gaze westward. That direction held far fewer corruption fields, and after traveling a few kilometers in, he was confident that no one would come to disturb him.
Having made up his mind, Grey wasted no more time and immediately sprang into action.
"Instant Recoil Step!"
Buzz!
His figure blurred as his momentum exploded, adrenaline surging through his veins. With his ever-increasing mastery over Instant Recoil Step, Grey had refined the technique to an astonishing degree. Each micro-adjustment of his muscle fibers and body movements allowed him to surpass his limits while minimizing the strain. He no longer burned himself out instantly; instead, he could maintain terrifying bursts of speed with precise control.
In the blink of an eye, Grey's silhouette flickered forward, darting across the barren lands toward the west of the Outer Ring.
By his estimation, his perfected Instant Recoil Step now allowed him to sustain a speed of nearly 80 kilometers per hour—around forty percent slower than a normal Rank 1 Evolver. Even so, for someone "incapable of becoming an evolver," it was already an astonishing feat.
Of course, maintaining such velocity for long periods would normally drain a person dry, but Grey had already prepared for this. Tucked safely in his spatial ring were ten bottles of energy restoring potions—enough to keep him running until he reached his chosen destination.
….
Meanwhile, somewhere within the Outer Ring, a group of men clad in black attire embroidered with a tiger claw on their backs stood together, sinister expressions twisting their faces.
Out of the three, a burly man stepped forward, his gaze cold and sharp. "The boss sent us to harvest more corrupted energy and transport it our headquarters at Nova City."
He pulled out a strange device, its surface pulsing faintly with a red miasma eerily similar to the aura of corruption fields. His lips curled into a dark grin. "This is the Corruption Device. With it, we can draw out corrupted energy directly and create a new corruption field. If we succeed without those Nova City dogs catching wind of it, our ranks in the Tiger Claw Gang will rise—and with it, our status. This mission is vital to the boss's plan to overthrow Nova City. If you detect anyone with the alert formation…" His eyes narrowed. "…kill them immediately."
"Understood!" the two subordinates barked in unison.
"Good." The burly man raised the device, red mist already swirling ominously around it. "Let's begin."
With a heavy motion, he hurled the Corruption Device into the pit below.
Buzzzt!
Lightning crackled violently, arcs of black and red energy dancing upward. Within moments, a corrosive, sphere-like globe began forming at the bottom of the pit, pulsing with sinister life.
"Success!" the burly man exclaimed; his eyes gleaming with greed. The ring on his finger lit up, and with a flash, a star-shaped cluster device materialized in his palm. "Prepare yourselves. Once it stabilizes, we'll enter and extract the pure Abyssal energy."
"Yes!" his two subordinates responded in unison; their expressions full of anticipation.
But before they could move, a sharp chime cut through the air.
Tt-tring!
The alarm formation had been triggered.
Someone was here.
The burly man's expression darkened as he turned at inhuman speed, his subordinates following immediately.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept by, and a figure appeared in front of them.
The three Tiger Claw members froze, startled. The newcomer, however, looked even more stunned. His steps halted abruptly, and a dark expression settled over his face.
"Is my luck really that bad?" Grey muttered, his expression darkening further.
Tiger Claw Gang members.
He had actually encountered them in the western Outer Ring—and not only that, he had witnessed a corruption field being born right before his eyes.