Selene''s words seemed to have stirred some thoughts in the others, as they fell into contemtion after hearing what she had to say.


    Kallus Verin, the youngest and newest addition to this group of powerhouses, finally broke the silence.


    "We''re wasting time deliberating. If Caius is dead, then I''m sure all of you know what that means. And like Selene said, that S tier powerhouse might not be interested in this ce at all."


    His words brought a momentary pause to everyone''s weariness.


    Yes, Caius was dead, how could they have overlooked such a thing!


    With Ciaus gone, this left a chasm of power in the city.


    There were nine A tier powerhouses that held dominance collectively over the city, and each one of them presided over an area that they themselves held sole control over. With Caius gone, there was nobody to look over his area.


    Greed instantly flickered across the gaze of everyone present, but everyone there concealed it.


    Each individual was acutely aware of the unspoken truth that Kallus'' words had brought to the surface. Caius'' death didn''t just signify the loss of a peer — in fact none of the people there even considered each other peers – they werepetitors!


    This was an opportunity — apletely unguarded territory with heaps of resources that any of the A tiers there would froth at the mouth over if they could get their hands on it.


    The chamber, once tense but united in deliberation, now dissolved into an atmosphere of quiet hostility. The faint flickers of greed that had momentarily been concealed now glimmered behind every gaze. Each A tier powerhouse present was calcting their next move, silently weighing the risks and rewards of staking a im on Caius'' vacant domain.


    Selene let out anguid stretch and an amused chuckle. "Well, this has been… enlightening," She murmured, with her eyes flickering from one person to another. "But if we''re done here, I''ve got matters to tend to. Best of luck to all of you."


    Her tone was deliberately ambiguous, but it was clear from the moment she let out thatugh what her intentions were. Without waiting for a reply, Selene turned on her heel, with her ck robes rippling like liquid shadow as she disappeared into the corridor.


    Darian''s gaze followed her, with his scarred face twisting into a scowl.


    ''She''s up to something,'' he thought to himself. He stood up, with his massive frame looming over the others like a mountain of muscle and steel. "I''m not sticking around to watch you all y nice. When the dust settles, don''te crying to me if you''re left in the dirt."


    Kallus smirked, with the confidence of the youth clearly radiating off of him. "Big words for someone who''s probably too slow to even make it to Caius'' area before the rest of us."


    Darian''s growl echoed through the chamber, but he didn''t respond. Instead he stomped out, leaving heavy, echoing footfalls in his wake.


    Elira watched them go with an unreadable expression on her face. She remained seated, with her hands folded over one another as if unaffected by the growing rift between them. But inside, her midn churned.


    ''They''ll all make their moves soon enough. Let them. I have no interest in taking part in their little turf war. Their impatience and greed would be their undoing.''


    One by one, the remaining A tiers filed out one after the other, each carrying their unspoken ns. The room emptied, leaving Elira alone in the chamber, as this was her territory everyone had gathered in. She sat in silence for a moment longer, her thoughts a mystery.


    ***


    Alex sauntered out of the carnage that Brontes had caused in his fight against the devil, his face full of glee. He practically moved through the ruinednd with a bounce in his step, with the tension of the battle being reced by his uncontainable excitement.


    The aftermath of Brontes'' devastating fight against the devil was all around him — scorched earth, shattered trees, and deep craters left behind by the fierce sh of titans. Yet, Alex paid it little mind. His thoughts were instead consumed by what awaited him.


    His lips curled into a grin.


    ''Two soul orbs, both being unimaginably powerful…''


    The idea was enough to make his heart race.


    One a B tier soul orb, but it was King ss, while the other being an S tier orb.


    "I need somewhere quiet for this." He muttered, scanning his surroundings. The battlefield was too exposed, and there were bound to be peopleing over to investigate what happened from the city. The devastation was just too widespread for nobody to have noticed.


    He needed a ce where he could focus entirely on absorbing the orbs without distraction.


    As he ventured farther from the site of battle, Alex''s gazended on a narrow ravine cloaked in shadow, its walls high enough to conceal him from prying eyes.


    It would suffice.


    Alex slipped into the ravine and descended to its base. The air was cool there, a stark contrast to the smoldering heat of the battlefield. The distant sound of rushing water echoed faintly, but otherwise, it was silent.


    ''Perfect.'' He thought.


    He sad cross legged on the rocky ground and opened his inventory, his fingers practically trembling from anticipation. In a few moments, two glimmering orbs appeared before him in mid air. One radiated a brilliant, purple light — signifyin its regal grace as a King ss orb. The other, a darker, far more foreboding orb, pulsed with an ominous ck light.


    This one confused him a little, but it was clearly the orb of the S tier devil that Brontes had in.


    For a moment, Alex simply stared at them, marvelling at the sheer power they seemed to contain.


    "Not just one, but two of these bad boys! And one of them''s S tier… I''d be stupid not to use these."


    "I''ll start with you," he said softly, focusing on the King ss orb.