It was only later that Nina Jacobs learned Adrian Shaw and the base leader, Justin Lawson, were distant relatives.

That was why, in Shirley Lucas’s eyes, Adrian Shaw was a "capitalist."

And they were the working stiffs.

Whenever there was a little something to be gained, Shirley Lucas would make sure to get a piece of it for Nina.

"I’ve never seen one this big."

Shawn was only slightly surprised. Other than that, he was just happy.

At least it proved the people from City D Base hadn’t made the trip for nothing.

"The mutated black bear used to use this place as its den, so it’s not surprising it would hide things here."

Nina Jacobs guessed the bear must have hidden it.

Just like the mutated turtle in the mountain temple in City J, Mutated Animals all seemed to love these Mystic Ice Cores.

Shirley Lucas carefully stored the Mystic Stone away, feeling her dimensional space had just become a little more valuable.

However, in the next two hours, they found no more Mystic Ice Cores.

Besides working together to kill a pack of mutated wolves, the group also passed a sealed-off cave.

The entrance was blocked by a metal net and rocks.

According to Naji, the cave led to the mountain on the other side and was often home to nocturnal creatures like bats.

That was why Lucasta Moreau had led a team to seal it off.

The goal was to prevent venomous insects and Mawdrakes from the other mountain from coming through the cave.

[Seven-Day Mission 1 complete. Seven-Day Mission 2 has automatically been initiated:

Mission: Hunt and kill 60 Mutated/Zombie Animals.

Reward: 30,000 System Experience Points.]

Nina Jacobs was standing near the cave. After they had wiped out the pack of mutated wolves, the system notified her that Seven-Day Mission 2 had begun.

’So the experience rewards for these missions increase sequentially?’

Nina Jacobs was quite glad she had accepted the mission, as the kills from Wayne Warner’s group were also being counted toward her total.

’It’s practically free experience.’

"It’s about time. If we don’t head back now, it’ll be dark before we’re halfway there."

Naji was experienced. Getting back to their clan from here would take three to four hours, and that was if they were fast.

"Greg Unger and Aaron Axton still haven’t caught up," Trevor said with a frown.

They had already spent nearly two hours here killing the pack of mutated wolves, resting, and tending to their injuries.

Aaron Axton knew the rough return time. He shouldn’t be this late catching up.

"Could they have run into a Mutant Beast?"

Tamer, a Speed Element Superpower User, offered to go back and check.

But just then, Jessica Vance noticed something was off.

"What did you say? There are other people?" Naji asked in disbelief. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Jessica Vance had just launched into the air for a moment and spotted a group of people in the distance hurrying toward them.

Luckily, a slope hid her from view, so they hadn’t spotted her.

"I’m sure," Jessica Vance replied.

"It should be impossible for outsiders to get in here. Could it be... them?"

The color drained from Naji’s face.

A group of outsiders had come to Mornfell before and captured two of their clan members.

"Are Greg Unger and Aaron Axton with them?" Nina Jacobs asked.

"Yes, and there’s a lot of them. Should we prepare for a fight?" Jessica Vance asked.

She had a feeling Greg Unger and Aaron Axton were tied up.

But she had only seen them from a distance, so she couldn’t be completely sure.

"Someone who knows the paths here... could it be Stellan Gallagher and Nathan Moreau’s group?!" Naji suddenly had a thought.

There were two paths at the bottom of the cliff: the one they had just taken down, and a regular route that only members of his clan should know.

"Let’s split up. First, we need to see who those people are."

Time was short. Nina Jacobs suggested that Trevor take his people and leave first. After all, it was obvious at a glance that Trevor and his men were not locals.

Adrian Shaw agreed with Nina Jacobs’ idea.

"Lewis, you and the others protect Mr. Trevor’s group. Be careful."

"Alright. We’ll leave markers on the way back."

Trevor knew this was no time to hesitate. Staying would only interfere with Nina Jacobs’s plan.

"Could it be the people we were told about?"

With Trevor’s group gone, only ten of them remained.

Adrian Shaw could already see the people cresting the slope ahead.

And those people had seen them, too.

He suspected they were connected to Edric Holden—that they were the group from The Aegis Conclave.

"It’s possible. But don’t forget, they also recruited others," Nina Jacobs reminded him. So even if it was them, they wouldn’t be able to tell who was part of The Aegis Conclave and who was just a hired hand.

"Then we’ll just have to play it by ear," Shirley Lucas said.

They don’t know who we are, anyway.

Her only worry was that Greg Unger or Aaron Axton might let something slip.

"Seventy-one people in total. Doesn’t look like any of them are using a Compass," Chase Gallagher said from behind Nina Jacobs.

’Seventy-one people. Based on the information from those survivors we met, The Aegis Conclave should only have fifty or sixty members left. I wonder if the "Magnus York" that Edric Holden mentioned is among them.’

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

The group sized up the ten people before them.

The man who spoke wore a dark green hiking suit, and his eyes were unfriendly.

Greg Unger and Aaron Axton stood among the crowd, clearly restrained.

Nina Jacobs had been worried the two wouldn’t grasp the situation, but Greg and Aaron seemed to understand, showing no reaction.

"We’re here to look for something, of course. Same as you, right?"

Nina Jacobs’s calm expression, however, seemed to make the man before her look at her in disbelief.

"Looking for something? What is it you’re looking for?"

"Shouldn’t you be the ones to introduce yourselves first? Who comes to a place like this in broad daylight for fun? You mind your business, and we’ll mind ours," Leo Hale added.

"You’d better start talking. A measly ten people dare to talk back to us?" a woman with a high ponytail, holding a dagger, said sharply.

Nina Jacobs seemed to hesitate. She turned and murmured something to the others behind her, then answered hesitantly.

"We were hired to come here, too. Are you?"

’Hired?’

"Who hired you? Speak!" the man demanded.

’There’s no way anyone else should know why we’re here.’

"Those two with you are Bishop Clan Members, right? Could you have them guide us? We want to search the mountain on the other side, too."

Shirley Lucas acted as if she didn’t recognize Greg Unger and Aaron Axton.

"Who the hell sent you! If you don’t talk now, don’t blame us for getting rough!" Finally, a man in their group couldn’t hold back any longer, raising a long firearm.

Shirley Lucas feigned a startled jump and quickly raised her hands.

"Oceane Sutton! It was a woman named Oceane Sutton! She promised us supplies to come here and find something for her. That’s the only reason we’re here."

’Oceane Sutton?’

"How could it be her?"

The woman with the ponytail turned, her voice filled with disbelief.

Nina Jacobs and Shirley Lucas exchanged a glance. It seemed these people really did know Oceane Sutton.

They had killed Oceane Sutton, the leader of the Veridia stronghold, a few days prior.

These people probably didn’t know that yet, which was why Nina Jacobs had suggested using Oceane Sutton’s name.

Since she was Edric Holden’s lover, it wasn’t surprising that she would know about the Mystic Ice Cores here.

"You know her? Don’t tell me you’re all on the same side?" Shirley Lucas asked.

"Who said we’re on the same side as you?" the woman snapped.