Chapter 61

Clarke was sweating bullets, and his buddies were feeling the heat too. When I glanced their way, the pressure cranked up even more. As I got closer, Clarke finally lost it, spun around, and yelled, "Retreat! We will not mess with this guy!"

'They're just gonna run?' I thought, watching the bandits bolt like scared little chicks.

"These guys run faster than mice," Selena laughed, dripping with disdain. "How have they even survived this long?"

I snorted and shook my head. "No idea. Apparently they don't have what it takes."

Ellie clapped, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Mr. Steele, that move you pulled was awesome! That monster was about to pounce, and you took it down like it was nothing. So cool!"

"Yeah, I thought it would be tougher," Selena nodded, admiration in her eyes. "With Mr. Steele around, the world feels a lot safer."

I chuckled, "Alright, enough with the compliments. The rest of the thieves are yours to handle." Even though I said that, I couldn't help but feel a bit proud. Praise from two beautiful women was like a warm breeze, making my steps lighter. I wasn't worried about those dumb thieves getting away. Mary was tailing them. On my way back, I was wondering if Grace's bedroom door was open.

Meanwhile, Clarke and his crew were running like they were being chased by a beast. They finally made it to the outskirts of Tortoise City.

"We made it out alive," a thieve panted, and Captain Clarke decided to report today's fiasco to Benjamin and cut ties with him. It was better not to mess with the Mayor of Tortoise City, a Level 6 Esper no one could beat. "Damn it. He's already a Level 6 Esper, why is he still in this small city?" Clarke grumbled.

Suddenly, a chill ran down Clarke's spine. He turned around and, as a Level 4 Esper, his eyes widened in shock. An elephant-sized lizard was silently creeping towards them, its eyes glinting like obsidian, its body gleaming with a metallic sheen. Clarke's men instantly drew their weapons.

"Damn, how is there a beast here?" Clarke's forehead was drenched in sweat again. The lizard's aura was intense, just as dangerous as the monster they had faced earlier. The whole team was shaking.

On the outer streets of Tortoise City, a woman in a black cloak looked around warily, clutching her stomach in pain. "Darn it, I just wanted to sneak a peek at that glowing tree and snag some goodies, didn't expect to get trapped here," she muttered to herself.

The woman's infiltration started off without a hitch. She skillfully climbed the giant beast, scaled the city wall, and slipped into the city. But then she ran into a mysterious enemy who could turn invisible. The encounter quickly turned into a one-sided beatdown. She got hit hard, flying backward as she'd been punched in the gut again. Clutching her stomach, she squatted down to endure the pain, and ended up puking her dinner.

Ellie appeared, deactivating her armor's invisibility, and stared coldly at the woman. "Save it. Get up and come with me. Or I'll end you."

The woman in the black cloak was startled by the voice behind her. She turned to see a girl in shiny metallic armor with pink hair, looking cute and chubby. But to the woman, this girl was a devil. Wiping her mouth, she gritted her teeth and stood up. "No wonder you can turn invisible, it's a pretty decent 'Enchanted item'."

"A Level 5 Esper?" Ellie was a bit surprised.

"Of course. If it weren't for this armor, you wouldn't have caught me!" The woman gritted her teeth. Ellie's punch had left her powerless, every movement causing unbearable pain, making it impossible to use her powers.

"You lost, no excuses. Walk this way, no funny business." Ellie pointed ahead, her tone icy.

Just then, a shrill scream echoed through the night, like someone was dying. The woman shuddered and said to Ellie, "Okay, I'll cooperate."

"Take off the hood," Ellie commanded coldly.

Reluctantly, the woman removed her hood, revealing a delicate and beautiful face. Ellie wasn't interested, though. She just sneered and led the woman forward.

They arrived at a temporary holding house guarded by Michael and a team of soldiers. 

"Another one?" Michael's expression was complex as he looked at the girl in armor, thinking she was quite the fighter.

"I'll leave her with you," Ellie said coldly, feeling a rush of excitement. The armor made her feel confident and proud, like a queen.

Michael smiled awkwardly, nodding and bowing. "No problem." He then escorted the woman inside.

The place was a stone-built house, more like a dwelling carved out of a single stone, as tall as a two-story building with a huge interior space, like a basketball court on the street. The windows were reinforced with steel bars, making the room dim and oppressive. Clarke was sitting in the corner. He looked up when the door opened, his gaze lingering on the woman for a moment. He seemed to recognize her but didn't say a word.

"Don't cause trouble. Wait for the mayor's judgment," Michael warned before closing the door and leaving.

The room fell silent, and Clarke suddenly chuckled. "Enchantress Amelia, I never thought you'd get caught."

Amelia Martinez shot Clarke a cold glance and replied indifferently, "You guys call yourselves the 'strongest thieves' group, yet you got caught too. I remember you bragging about being able to steal anything for the right price. What happened?"

Clarke's expression shifted slightly, and he awkwardly touched his nose. "Tortoise City is tougher than we thought. We didn't fail; it was a strategic mistake. Besides, you're not exactly invincible yourself."

Amelia snorted, her gaze sweeping over the various complex expressions in the room. Her voice was low but tinged with mockery. "Seems like the rumors about Tortoise City aren't exaggerated. Easy to get in, hard to get out. But... are you just going to sit here and wait for death?"

Clarke shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes, whether you're willing or not doesn't matter. That thing outside isn't something we can handle."

Amelia raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice. "What else is out there?"

Clarke shrugged again and said in a low voice, "You'd better pray you don't encounter it."

They stared at each other for a moment before Amelia smiled. "I'll deal with the monster outside. Let's cooperate to escape."

Clarke shivered, recalling something terrifying. "No, you go on your own." His teammates also shook their heads and waved their hands in refusal.

"What are you all afraid of?" Amelia frowned, disappointed in them.

Clarke squatted back in a corner, sighing. "We think it's fine here. At least we're still alive."

Besides Clarke's team, there were other people in the room, each with a wooden expression. To Amelia, these strangers weren't weak; many were Mutants, with the highest being a Level 4 Esper. Amelia stood up and asked in a low voice, "How about we cooperate to escape together?"

"It's impossible to escape." 

"It's safer to stay here." 

"It's useless, don't waste your energy..." 

Everyone responded in a somber tone.

Amelia was more confused. "My goodness, what have you all been through? A bunch of cowards."

Clarke responded again. "Dear Amelia, keep an eye on the door. You'll understand in a moment."

After a while, several more people were escorted in. Amelia kept staring at the door but didn't notice anything special. Footsteps could be heard outside, as if many people were coming.

"Mr. Steele, a total of 43 people were caught," Michael said.

"What? Let me have a peek," I said calmly.

Soon, the stone door was pushed open, and I walked in. I glanced around casually and said, "Hang them all up, put them on Jack's back, let them bask in the sun tomorrow."

The room erupted in commotion. Clarke remained calm. He shrugged and said to Amelia, "Let's go." Everyone in the stone house reluctantly got up.

Amelia deliberately walked at the back, eyeing the handsome man in front of her. She couldn't believe he was the lord of Tortoise City; he was so young. And she couldn't sense any special energy from him. She felt she could easily overpower him with just one move. A bold idea was brewing in Amelia's mind. In a moment, all she had to do was shout 'everyone, run!' and then she could take advantage of the chaos to kidnap the mayor. Maybe this handsome mayor would be very cooperative and offer the treasures on the glowing tree.

As Amelia approached the stone door, a low growl came from above, accompanied by a foul smell. She instinctively fell silent, her face turning pale. 'I shouldn't have provoked whatever is here,' she thought. She hadn't noticed the lizard the size of an adult elephant crawling on the ceiling above the door. The dangerous aura it emitted was suffocating, making her feel like a small animal facing a natural predator. Amelia speculated that the huge monster had at least Level 6 Esper strength, and she felt that just one of its claws could completely overpower her.

"Thank goodness I didn't cause any trouble..." Amelia muttered to herself, still feeling scared. The huge lizard stuck out its tongue, its eyes rolling. Amelia immediately backed away in fear.

"You, hurry up!" Michael frowned at Amelia, urging her.

Amelia looked despondent but reluctantly walked out of the door.

"It seems you're not willing to cooperate. I should take better care of you," Selena suddenly appeared from the shadows, with Taylor following behind.

Amelia was once again frightened, almost on the verge of a breakdown. Another top-notch armor, another fierce beast, and also a super high-level one. "I..." Amelia was close to tears.

"Taylor, tie them all up," Selena ordered. Taylor activated its superpower, and in an instant, strands of spider silk flew everywhere, binding everyone automatically.

After seeing all the intruders in Tortoise City being caught, I returned alone to the inner city, leaving the rest to be handled by others. I wanted to go home! 'Lovely Grace, beautiful Jessica, sexy Margaret, and innocent Sophia, here I come!' I thought to myself.

On the outer streets of the city, Selena and Ellie, looking exhausted, made their way back to the inner city.

"I'm so tired today!" Ellie complained, moving her arms in front of Selena. "Selena, I got into twelve fights tonight. I can't lift my arms. I'm so hungry."

"Weren't you eating two hours ago?" Selena asked, confused. To help Ellie remember the rich dinner they had, Selena added, "The cute maid next to Mr. Steele specially grilled meat for you. How could you forget so quickly?"

"Selena, physical activity consumes energy. I'm exhausted." Rolling her eyes, Ellie walked heavily up the steps. "By the way, where's Jessica? I haven't seen her yet."

"I think Jessica is studying some strange things," Selena guessed casually. She had only seen Jessica during meals. "Wait a moment, I'll take you to find her." Selena smiled.

"Okay! Actually, there are some things I really want to ask Jessica," Ellie said.

Selena was untying the ropes of her armor, raising her beautiful eyes, curiously asking, "What do you want to ask her?"

"About Tortoise City," Ellie said with a hint of hesitation. "Don't you find this place strange? For example, the armor..."

"What?" Selena blinked.