Returning to the domain, Zhisse crawled outside, resting on Noan''s shoulder, expressing anger by continuously flailing its two legs.

    Krit! Krit! Krit!

    "I know you''re angry," Noan said. "However, we don''t know enough about our opponent yet, so we can''t act recklessly."

    "Although I''m stronger, they have more people. Besides... I have a feeling that Hawke isn''t their leader."

    Indeed, Noan found it very strange. Even though Hawke acted arrogantly and could issue orders to those around him, Noan sensed that Hawke was merely trying to make everyone believe he was in charge.

    Of course, no one doubted it. But... Noan couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. It felt as though Hawke was not the true leader but just a small pawn obeying orders from someone else.

    ''Could there be a higher-ranked lord than rank E in this place?''

    However, Noan immediately dismissed that thought. The gap between ranks and levels was simply too vast.

    Even the difference between rank E and rank D was enormous. He could recall an example from a duel he had witnessed at the academy.

    Both contenders were at level 4, but once the battle began, the disparity became evident.

    Before the hero of the rank D lord had even appeared, the rank E lord was already on the verge of defeat.

    And once the hero of the rank D lord entered the fray, just a single hero alone was enough to annihilate the rank E lord.

    That was why rank and level were the two defining factors of a lord''s strength and status.

    In a region filled with only rank E and rank F lords like this one, the appearance of a rank D lord would be no different than a phoenix among a flock of chickens.

    Noan didn''t believe such a person would remain silent until now because they would have the power to dominate every lord present.

    But if a rank D lord was truly here and still lurking in the shadows, that would be extremely dangerous.

    That was why Noan needed to be even more cautious—he couldn''t afford to act recklessly.

    At the very least, he had to find out if someone was backing Hawke. If not, then this would be easy to resolve.

    ''Right now, to uncover the truth, Zhisse is my only option for secretly tracking Hawke.''

    ''If I evolve Zhisse to rank E+ or even rank D, it would be much easier for it to infiltrate the enemy''s base.''

    Noan wasn''t in a rush. Currently, he has two summoning chances per day. That was why he was confident that he could evolve Zhisse to a higher rank within the next two days.

    Why wasn''t he using Vylyss? Because she had a more important mission.

    ...

    In the afternoon, within the Gloomy Forest.

    "Are you going to let him handle this?"

    A woman stepped forward from the darkness. She was somewhat beautiful, but her eyes carried a cunning sharpness that made others uneasy.

    "What do you think I should do? I can''t handle this alone—I need Raito''s help."

    "This mission is too important. As long as we extract that secret from the brat''s mouth, I can kill him."

    "But you saw it too—he seems determined to take that secret to his grave. So, we''ll have to use a different approach."

    The woman scoffed. "Resorting to trickery and manipulation? Are you sure that''ll work?"

    "I don''t know, but the chances of success are high. Raito has infiltrated multiple lord factions before—I trust he can get it done."

    "It''s just... I worry that he''ll betray me once he gets the secret."

    "Hahahaha..." The woman suddenly laughed aloud. "Then once this is over, we can always..."

    She didn''t finish her sentence. Instead, she gestured across her neck, mimicking a blade slicing through.

    Hawke glanced at her, about to say something, when suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the air.

    BAM!

    A violent shockwave blasted through the area, causing the wooden house to tremble violently as if it was about to collapse.

    "What the hell was that?" Hawke''s face was pale with fear, but he didn''t dare move. Just as startled, the woman sat frozen on the ground, her previous arrogance replaced by a look of distress as she glanced at Hawke, almost as if pleading for reassurance.

    However, the shaking soon subsided, and silence returned.

    Hawke and the woman remained motionless, straining their ears for any sign of danger.

    They slowly rose to their feet and stepped outside after confirming that nothing else was happening.

    Hawke narrowed his eyes toward the distance, frowning. "It looks like something just exploded in the Gloomy Forest."

    In the direction he was staring, a massive cloud of dust billowed into the sky, blanketing a vast area. The scene resembled the aftermath of a meteor crashing into the earth.

    His gaze shifted to the one-horned rhino in front of the wooden house.

    The beast lay motionless, its head pressed to the ground, body trembling slightly as if it had just sensed something utterly terrifying.

    Hawke suddenly recalled stories from other lords who had ventured into the forest.

    The Gloomy Forest was teeming with bizarre zombies, some so powerful they defied comprehension.

    He was now certain that the explosion had been caused by a high-level zombie.

    ''This is terrifying.'' Hawke thought to himself. ''Just how powerful must that creature be to cause such a catastrophic blast?''