A few minutes later, after defeating another group of Ethereal, the team finally arrived at Dullahan's domain.

"The Ether density is rising—we've arrived."

Anby calmly noted the increasingly heavy atmosphere.

Miguel Silver had been corrupted so quickly precisely because he had accidentally entered an area of high Ether concentration.

With the Ether levels rising and the surroundings looking more and more familiar, there was no mistake—they were here.

"Look, the safe is over there!"

Eous was the first to spot the safe and dashed over without hesitation.

"Wahoo!" Nicole cheered as she dove toward the safe. "My baby, I finally found you!"

"No idea what this safe really is, but it sure caused a whole lot of trouble," Nicole said excitedly. "Whatever the case, I'm demanding ten times the commission to make up for everything we went through!"

"We went through so much. Almost got stuck in the Hollow for good. At least we finally found this little thing." Billy beamed with relief.

"Let's not talk about it now—save it for after we get out of the Hollow."

Sol Mercer glanced over his shoulder meaningfully.

"Is it those two Public Security officers?"

As an instructor from the Obsidian Division of the Defense Force, Anby had sensed it too.

"That's right."

Sol Mercer nodded lightly.

"There's two Public Security officers following us?"

The previously playful Nicole and Billy froze, their faces turning pale.

Eous even crept behind Sol Mercer, trying to stay hidden in the blind spot of the officers' line of sight.

Each of them had a delicate status—seeing a Public Security officer was like mice spotting a cat.

"No need to panic. They're not making a move," Sol Mercer calmly assured them. "As long as we behave, we're fine."

He had a hunch about what they were thinking.

They were probably spooked by the killing intent in his earlier "kill", and came to investigate.

"..."

Nicole and Billy relaxed slightly, though they still looked nervous.

Sol Mercer turned to where Zhu Yuan and Qingyi were and gave a faint smile.

He hadn't yet spotted Dullahan, who must have been hiding nearby.

But the flat little loli and the honest Officer Zhu Yuan who had been following them from the start—he was well aware of their presence.

With the skills inherited from the tenfold fusion of Yàn Shuāngyīng's Gold Card, Sol Mercer naturally possessed master-level detection and counter-surveillance abilities.

Young officers of Public Security, under these eyes, none of your actions escape.

…

Indeed, Zhu Yuan and Qingyi had followed after being startled by Sol Mercer's earlier display.

They couldn't help it—when Sol Mercer said "kill" with such intensity, it didn't sound like he was bluffing.

They had to follow to make sure nothing bad happened.

Seeing the group's sudden shift in behavior, the officers immediately sensed something was off.

And Sol Mercer's final smile? A blatant tell.

"Senior Qingyi, I think they noticed us."

Zhu Yuan sounded a little nervous.

"They definitely did," Qingyi nodded in confirmation, then added thoughtfully, "If they can detect us, their surveillance skills are extraordinary—not like any ordinary civilian group."

That smile in particular… irked her a bit.

Does that guy think his smile is charming or something?

Smiling while being tailed by Public Security—what a provocation!

"They're definitely not ordinary. But it seems like all they're after is that safe. Doesn't look like they're up to anything criminal," Zhu Yuan said, glancing at Qingyi. "He said he was clearing a Hollow, but this looks like something else entirely. Should we arrest them?"

Technically, she was Qingyi's superior, but due to their experience gap, she usually followed Qingyi's lead.

Though she looked like a petite girl, Qingyi had been with Public Security for countless years.

Any creep trying to hit on her? Their destiny lay in a shiny pair of silver cuffs.

"No need. As the ancient saying goes: 'Harmonize your light, blend with the dust.'"

Qingyi set aside her personal feelings and responded calmly.

"Um, could you explain that a bit more plainly, Senior Qingyi?"

Zhu Yuan gave an awkward but polite smile of ignorance.

She was a top student from Metis Comprehensive School, but ancient literature wasn't her strong suit.

"I mean, he accepted a Hollow Investigative Association task and picked up a side gig from the Inter-Knot. That's normal. We don't need to arrest him," Qingyi explained. "Plenty of investigators do the same thing. Even some of our colleagues moonlight for extra cash."

Earning a little on the side—it wasn't a big deal.

As long as the commission wasn't illegal, most of Public Security turned a blind eye. It was an open secret.

"There's… what!?"

Zhu Yuan's pure, blank-slate heart was deeply shaken.

She'd never thought such workarounds existed—though she didn't hold much hostility toward Hollow Raiders, this still surprised her.

"Sigh~" Seeing her reaction, Qingyi sighed. "Teaching you these gray areas kinda feels like a moral crime."

"Don't say that, Senior Qingyi. The more I know, the more I can grow."

Zhu Yuan snapped back to attention and replied earnestly.

She wasn't someone who rigidly followed rules.

As long as it wasn't some bloodthirsty gang or rebel force, she didn't bear much hatred toward Hollow Raiders.

If they were just side-hustling raiders and not doing anything bad, she could turn a blind eye too.

Qingyi nodded with satisfaction. "Good. As expected from a Metis Comprehensive School prodigy. Not only powerful, but flexible in thinking. You have the makings of a Chief Officer."

"Th-That's too much, Senior Qingyi!"

Zhu Yuan blushed so hard she stuttered.

To be seen as Chief Officer material—that was too high of praise for her to handle.

Trying to change the topic, she asked, "Then should we leave now?"

Since Sol Mercer and the others weren't doing anything illegal, there didn't seem to be a reason to linger.

"Wait a bit longer." Qingyi kept her gaze on Sol Mercer's group. "The readings show a high Ether activity entity nearby—likely an upper-class Ethereal."

"I want to see how Sol Mercer handles it."

They'd seen footage of Sol Mercer clearing Ethereal—but those were low-tier ones.

Now she wanted to see how he performed against a top-tier Ethereal.

"Got it."

Zhu Yuan nodded without objection.

Watching drama is human nature, after all. She was curious too.

…

Back on the other side, seeing the officers make no move, Nicole finally relaxed.

"Billy, pick up the safe. We'll discuss everything later."

Nicole gave the order.

"Roger! This is easy peasy, Boss Nicole!"

Billy promptly scooped up the safe.

Just as the group was preparing to leave, a sleek, well-built Ethereal launched a surprise attack the instant Billy lifted the safe.

A rainbow-colored Ether energy blade slashed toward Billy's head from behind.

"Billy, watch out!"

Nicole's face went pale as she shouted in panic.

"I've been waiting for you!"

Sol Mercer grinned, instantly dashing behind Billy and drawing his blade to block the strike.