Chapter 168: Rescue

Terrence didn’t even turn his head toward the ten intruders who had just burst into the cavernous corridor. He simply shifted his weight, pressing his boot slightly firmer onto the chest of the defeated guardian.

The ancient dweller lay completely still, his translucent gray skin bruised and bleeding, the combination of blue veins and his yellow-lightning power fading into dying sparks across his knuckles.

Silence fell over the cavern—thick, suffocating, and heavy.

Filmos gasped, his breath catching painfully in his throat as he stared at the sight before him. His heart pounded wildly against his ribs, not out of sheer terror this time, but out of an overwhelming wave of awe and raw validation.

’Did he... just kill the guardian of the entrance to a Generation Zero Layer? So... Terrence is really this strong?!’

Looking at Terrence standing tall and unyielding amid the ruined landscape, Filmos felt a sudden, fierce prickle of satisfaction warming his chest.

The corrupt administrators of Suran, Hibiscus, and the Hanging Cities had thought they could steal what belonged to this man. They had relied on this ancient, terrifying dweller to do their dirty work and keep their stolen prize safe.

Yet here Terrence stood—an unstoppable force of nature that no dirty political decree or subterranean monster could ever hope to tame.

Beside him, Trillo’s jaw dropped so low it looked as though it might unhinge entirely. His face turned paper-white, all his previous warnings and dark predictions instantly melting into complete, paralyzing disbelief.

"Impossible..." Trillo choked out in a barely audible whisper, his knees trembling beneath him.

The "monster" they had been tracking hadn’t been killed down here. He hadn’t triggered a catastrophic collapse of the surface city either. In less than twenty minutes, Terrence had single-handedly conquered the legendary guardian of the Generation Zero layer on his own terms, leaving the creature broken under his boot.

Even Deputy Commander Nair’s usual stoic composure cracked. Her sharp eyes dilated in shock as the full weight of Terrence’s lingering aura washed over her squad.

Nair felt a cold, prickling sweat break out along the back of her neck. The sheer density of the dark pressure radiating from Terrence made her lungs feel tight, forcing her to take a slow, deliberate breath to stay grounded.

In that single, quiet moment, a grim realization hit Nair like a physical blow: military intelligence had severely, dangerously underestimated Terrence.

The reports had labeled him as an exiled Lee Family genius operating a high-end monster shop—a rogue merchant with a powerful shadow beast.

They were dead wrong.

Standing before them wasn’t just a skilled tamer or a displaced noble. Terrence was an absolute powerhouse, a walking titan capable of obliterating the entire region’s fragile political balance in a single afternoon if he so desired.

Terrence slowly raised his gaze, his glowing golden eyes piercing through the dim, dusty gloom to lock directly onto Nair and her squad.

"You’re in my way," Terrence said, his voice quiet, flat, and colder than the subterranean stone beneath their feet.

Soon, a few people from Terrence’s shop emerged from the shadow of the rear tunnel. Guiding them was a toddler-sized scaly lizard-like beast, flying with flapping smaller wings at its back.

At the sight of it, the operatives couldn’t believe that the reports were actually real. Well, technically, they should have believed the reports, but there had still been reservations.

But seeing it firsthand proved something they should have realized long ago. They shouldn’t underestimate any report about Terrence at all.

Stan Visor emerged still dressed in his corporate attire, completely fixed and clean. He walked straight toward Terrence, then bowed a deep ninety degrees.

"Thank you for saving us, my lord."

Everyone in Nair’s squad gasped at the sight with a mix of awe and surprise. Terrence, on the other hand, simply nodded, his expression satisfied and almost calculative.

He smiled and tapped Stan’s shoulder firmly.

"I am glad that you are all safe. Let’s return and get back what’s ours."

Terrence turned around, taking the main path back toward the surface, but stopped when he noticed something about Filmos and Trillo.

"You have bought from my shop, am I correct? And the others were using the slimes I provided back in the day to Clame."

’He knows Lady Commander? And he supplied them?!’ Filmos thought, his eyes wide in absolute shock.

Nair nodded, then offered a calculated, respectful greeting.

"It is nice to meet you, Terrence. I didn’t expect to see you in this condition," Nair said, her voice remaining steady.

"Same as well. Did you come here to respond due to my unannounced presence? I guess you have been keeping tabs on me since then, huh."

His eyes didn’t meet Nair’s, but instead, he was eyeing the two younglings in her squad.

"As I said earlier, you two have bought from my shop. I can feel that your beasts were from the recent supply. Moreover, you two have been observing me since I returned to the city. I have to talk with you two."

Filmos and Trillo swallowed hard, their throats dry. Terrence might not have intended it, but the way he spoke made it feel as though there was a harmful intention hidden behind his words.

Nair immediately stepped forward, extending one arm to block Terrence’s line of sight toward the two.

"If you have business with the two of them, I hope you can communicate it through me instead, Terrence. I am their direct supervisor on this mission, and I can’t let them represent themselves without proper guidance."

Terrence nodded with a light smile before gesturing for his people to follow him back to the surface.

Soon, they arrived back at the main building of the citadel. A crowd of panicked citizens had gathered outside, a direct result of the earthquake caused by Terrence’s fight earlier.

The alarming commotion above made their resurface entirely unnoticeable.

Meanwhile, the ten operatives left underground stood amid the rubble with massive question marks on their faces.

What should they do now?

It was abundantly clear that Terrence wouldn’t be stopped if he retaliated, and that meant the total collapse of the Suran City administration was looming near.

Meanwhile, a floating system window flickered to life directly in front of Terrence’s vision.

[Mission Triggered!]

[Sell SSS-Rank Light Dragon to Filmos Lurdous.]

[Reward: SR-Rank Aetherion Falcon.]