Seeing Chief Bringer suddenly appear and swiftly cut down several bandits, Seth finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But... why was Chief Bringer here?

Before Seth could figure it out, Bringer was already approaching with a righteous smile.

Beside him, Perlman froze in shock at Bringer's arrival.

By all logic, seeing "one of his own" should have been a relief. Yet, after everything that had just happened, Perlman knew better—this despicable double-faced Bringer wasn't here to save him. He was here to kill him.

Worse, Perlman could see the smugness and murderous intent flickering in Bringer's eyes.

Realizing this, Perlman desperately clung to Seth's leg, tugging him backward.

"Run, Officer Seth! He's here to kill us too... He's working with Miss Sarah!"

But Perlman's strength was far too weak. Clutching Seth's thigh, he couldn't budge him an inch.

Still, his words made Seth pause. The timing was too coincidental—the bandits struck, and Bringer appeared immediately afterward...

Putting the pieces together, Seth raised his shield, sheltering himself and Perlman.

"Chief Bringer, stop! Don't come any closer—"

Bringer's brow furrowed, though he didn't halt. He kept walking toward Seth.

"What's the matter, Officer Seth?"

Seth raised his weapon with his wounded hand.

"Stay where you are, Chief Bringer. Why are you here?"

Seeing Seth's defiant stance, Bringer's expression darkened with irritation.

"Seth, are you going to disobey orders—"

Before he could finish, the bandits lying behind him—the ones supposedly shot dead—suddenly stood up, one after another.

"Boss, I told you this was pointless. Acting is too exhausting. Why not just kill him too?"

"Playing security personnel in New Eridu Public Security is already tiring enough. Now you want us to act? Boss, let's just take this nuisance out..."

The bandits raised their submachine guns, training them on Seth.

At that moment, Seth finally recognized their voices—and realized their identities. They were members of another squad from the Janus District New Eridu Public Security.

Unbelievable.

There was a faction like this inside Public Security... and their leader was none other than Chief Bringer.

Grasping the truth, Seth glared at Bringer, fury burning in his eyes.

"Chief Bringer, why—"

He wanted answers.

But Bringer had already drawn a knife, charging forward and slashing down.

"You're as good as dead. Knowing more won't save you—"

The blade slammed against Seth's shield.

In the past, such a strike would have shattered his defense, breaking the shield and leaving him gravely injured.

But Bringer had underestimated him.

Seth had awakened the Geo Vision, gaining the power of the Geo element. Both his shield's resilience and his own strength had grown tremendously.

He endured the full force of Bringer's attack.

Still, his shoulder and arm were already wounded, and he had to protect Perlman. The impact sent him flying backward several meters.

Even so, Seth hadn't forgotten Perlman.

Grabbing him tightly, Seth rolled to his feet and sprinted toward the Hollow behind them.

Seeing this, the bandits opened fire without hesitation. Bullets rained down, most slamming against the shield.

Bringer refused to let him escape. He leapt high, blade gripped in both hands, and brought it down toward Seth.

Perlman, terrified by the looming strike, screamed,

"Officer Seth, run! Hurry!"

Seth wanted to. But Bringer's speed was overwhelming—there was no way to dodge.

One hand clutched Perlman, the other held the shield. He couldn't counterattack.

He had no choice but to take the blow head-on.

Seth braced, teeth clenched. The blade crashed into his shield, finally splitting the metal apart.

The blade pierced through, slashing across Seth's chest.

Blood sprayed violently.

With half his shield gone, he couldn't block the next volley. A bullet tore into his leg almost instantly.

Wounds piled one after another. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

But with grit and sheer willpower, Seth leapt backward with all his strength—just in time to plunge into the Hollow before Bringer's next strike could land.

Bringer halted, his face twisting into an ugly scowl.

Damn it.

It had been a perfect plan. But he had underestimated Seth's growth—never imagining he'd advanced enough to block him.

Bringer ground his teeth, then snapped at his men.

"What are you waiting for? After him—"

The bandits froze.

"Boss, this is an A-class Hollow! We don't have the Hollow's data..."

Charging in would be suicide. The Hollow's space was chaotic—entering blindly didn't guarantee they'd even land in the same place as Seth.

Bringer didn't care. His glare burned with fury.

"Go in—!"

His men dared not resist. Terrified of his wrath, they grabbed their weapons and entered the Hollow one after another.

When the last of them disappeared, Bringer stood alone, glaring at the burning convoy truck and the wrecked patrol car.

Failure.

Damn it...

But this wasn't over. Even if they'd fled into the Hollow, he would hunt them down.

Alive or dead.

Preferably dead.

Suddenly, a ringtone chimed behind him.

Turning, Bringer spotted Seth's phone on the ground—dropped during the battle.

The incessant ringing grated on his nerves.

He swung his blade in one swift motion, slicing the phone in two. The noise cut off instantly.

Sheathing his blade, he pulled out his own phone and made a call.

He ordered the scene cleaned up—staged to look as if "Seth killed his fellow New Eridu Public Security officers" and "escaped with Perlman in betrayal."