Apollo glanced at the cut-up pieces of the scrawny man. Blood and guts were everywhere, but he didn't even bat an eyelid.

"You knew you were going to die. That's why you still tried to attack me," Apollo whispered as he picked up the severed arm beside him. "Very understandable, very understandable. But thank you for leaving me this gift."

After taking the ring and tossing the hand back at the fake Devil's remains, he examined the ring closely.

It was a simple ornament—black, engraved with unknown symbols. It didn't give off the usual vibe of an Artefact, but as he looked closer, Apollo could feel the cold, terrifying energy leaking from it.

A different kind of energy—Not Qi.

This wasn't the first time Apollo had sensed this kind of power. The previous Mayor of Belthias City had also released something similar. Though unlike this ring's pure black energy, that fat mayor's aura had been reddish-black.

After staring at the ring for a moment and familiarizing himself with the energy, Apollo slid it into his pocket. Then, with one final glance at the scattered remains on the ground, his body flashed with a burst of wind—sending dust clouds swirling through the air.

…

Apparently, the whole reason the fake Devil had stirred up the monster and beast ecosystem in the desert region to trigger a Monster Stampede… was to gauge the strength of Belthias City.

And not just to observe and study the city's overall power—but to also fish out any hidden dragons.

They already knew most of the Cultivators in the city, including the Headmasters and the strength of the new Mayor. But Klown's death was suspicious. With the power he had at the time, it should've been impossible for the Headmasters and Mathias to kill that fat bastard.

The fake Devil's master had tasked him with using the Monster Stampede to uncover any hidden dragons. Unfortunately for him, one did show up… And found him first.

Which made the scrawny man's mission a colossal failure. Whether he went back or stayed—death awaited him either way.

Of course, Apollo had pressed him for more. He learned that once the hidden dragon was identified, they planned to slowly infiltrate Belthias City's sphere of influence. And once they had enough power… They'd take over.

All while secretly plotting to kill the hidden dragon along the way.

As Apollo flew high above the desert, the scrawny man's words echoed in his mind.His eyes glinted dangerously.

"From the way he spoke… This isn't the first time they've done this," Apollo muttered, his senses sweeping across the desert floor to search for the Slumstreet people. "They'll probably corrode this place too—with their Devil filth. Disgusting."

Apollo doubted whether what he got was everything the scrawny man knew. But still… it felt like more than enough.

"My intuition was right. These Devils aren't done with me," Apollo sighed.

He was certain that after killing that fake Devil, he'd become a marked man. For some reason, he knew the master behind the fake Devil already sensed his presence the moment he ended the scrawny bastard.

It was a grave matter— One that could turn his life into hell if someone powerful—far beyond his level—suddenly appeared in front of him.

Apollo didn't know much about this enemy. Not their strength. Not the full scope of their force.

But for a Devil to send a pawn capable of disrupting an entire desert region's monster ecosystem just to lure out a hidden dragon…

Their power was anything but weak.

However, despite the annoying situation, Apollo didn't lose his cool. Instead, he began planning for future events—just in case some powerful entities really did appear in front of him.

Last resort? Apollo wasn't going to hesitate to run.

Shaking his head, his senses finally picked up on the Slumstreet people, quietly moving together.

Led by Rachel, Apollo's new disciple, they carefully maneuvered through the desert region, making sure their movements didn't attract any monsters.

Rachel's effort was technically pointless—there were no monsters left—but Apollo couldn't help but praise her. She managed to organize and guide an entire settlement on her own.

A born leader, Apollo thought with a small smile, his body slowly descending in front of the group like a god falling from heaven.

The Slumstreet people immediately tensed up and grabbed their weapons. But the moment they recognized him, they let out sighs of relief before surrounding the Beggar.

"You guys did a great job," Apollo said, glancing at each of them until his eyes settled on Rachel. "Especially you."

Rachel's face turned bright red, like a tomato. She didn't say a word, merely nodded, smartly waiting for the Beggar to continue.

"But we'll need to speed up your pace." As Apollo said that, his body began to float—and not just him. The others started rising too, each one encased in a water bubble.

"The rest will have to wait," Apollo said, leaving Rachel behind with the others. "Stay here and wait for me. I'll be quick."

"Thank you, Master," Rachel replied.

Then Apollo and the others flew into the sky. Their speed wasn't as fast as when he traveled alone, but it wasn't slow either.

This was another revised Technique—one that combined his Water Attribute with various Water Techniques in his arsenal.

But no matter how many times Apollo revised or recreated a Technique, it never really felt like an accomplishment.

The Beggar felt like he was hitting a wall.

Maybe it was just his imagination?

He still had plenty of ideas—his mind overflowing with concepts for new Techniques. Some of them he could probably manifest instantly… But even then, he felt stuck for some reason.

Apollo thought in silence, glancing at the bubbles filled with people trailing behind him.

He didn't want to rely on the System. He wanted to use only his talent and genius to reach the top of this world—to live forever and never experience death again.But as the number of Techniques in his arsenal grew and he became stronger…

Apollo didn't feel fulfilled.

It was a familiar emptiness—

A feeling that had haunted him ever since becoming the richest man in his previous life.

A feeling that had lingered all the way to his death.

"Sh*t, I'm just overthinking this," Apollo muttered, a frown on his face.

But after dealing with that fake Devil and suddenly feeling this creeping sensation Apollo's heart skipped a beat.

A Cultivator's senses and intuition had a far higher accuracy than a normal human's. Those with higher Cultivation levels even possessed an ability akin to precognition.By recognizing patterns and subtle signs, they could sense when something bad was about to happen.

"I'm just overthinking this," Apollo repeated—this time, more firmly.