"Really?" Loren's tone still carried a trace of doubt.

He couldn't shake the feeling that the expressions on the faces of the man and dog across from him weren't much different from the look Raven gave him when it was disgusted...

"Of course, Mr. Loren." Cook P. Jones nodded seriously once more.

Even the large black dog beside him, Huck, stuck out its big tongue in Loren's direction, putting on an extremely ingratiating expression and nodding its head vigorously.

It let out a cute "Awoo!" sound.

"Alright, I hope it's just my imagination..."

Loren lightly tapped his own head, choosing not to expose the man and his dog.

Meanwhile, Raven, who had witnessed all of this from the depths of Loren's soul, began to mock him quite arrogantly.

"Oh~ my dear master, that was not your imagination, hahahaha..."

"Shut up, Raven. I hope you understand that silence is sometimes a virtue."

Loren's tone was somewhat helpless.

To obtain that stone slab, he had truly paid too high a price...

After being mocked by Raven, Loren shot Cook P. Jones and his large dog a rather resentful glance.

I'm helping you so much, and yet you and your dog look at me with disdain and fear... how hurtful.

Cook P. Jones read the meaning in Loren's eyes. He gave an awkward dry cough and then quite cleverly changed the subject.

"Mr. Loren, will you be returning to the abandoned factory building to rest until evening?"

"Do you have a spare tent?" Loren asked gloomily.

Cook P. Jones nodded.

"Of course, my spatial storage device is loaded with plenty of such things."

"In the Beastkin Star Domain, these are essential consumables..."

Hearing this, Loren was momentarily stunned and silently filed this information away.

It seems that in the Beastkin Star Domain, most places where humans operate are wilderness environments...

Immediately after, Loren nodded and spoke with a smile.

"I'll trouble you then, Mr. Cook."

He did indeed need a relatively independent and quiet environment before taking action tonight.

After all, the "Illusion Dream Ring" on his left hand hadn't yet had time to create his Spiritual Phantom...

"Please, don't mention it. For a Major Figure like yourself, having you stay in a tent is already my discourtesy..."

In response to Loren's thanks, Cook P. Jones waved his hand with a smile, turned around, and went back inside the abandoned factory building.

Huck, who had been sitting beside him, also retracted its big tongue, got up, and followed its master away...

After Cook P. Jones left, Loren, standing at the entrance of the abandoned factory, quietly expanded his Spiritual Power, conducting an extremely covert scan of everything within his perception range.

In Loren's perception, the area around the abandoned factory was teeming with countless stray animals hiding and resting.

They were all relatively common stray cats and stray dogs, along with a small number of avian creatures roosting in the trees by the roadside.

It was a common phenomenon for these animals, who had wandered the city streets for years, to gather near the abandoned factory on the edge of the Main City.

This place was rarely visited by people and wouldn't be cleared out by city management personnel.

"It seems Mr. Cook's preparations are quite thorough..." Loren commented inwardly.

"Master, based on the vast amount of knowledge I've gleaned from the Federation Network, a normal ninth-tier Hunter shouldn't be able to control this many stray animals."

"Your online acquaintance is not simple..."

Raven also voiced its understanding of the "Hunter" Superhuman profession.

"How many Superhumans who dare to plan revenge against the Security Bureau all by themselves are simple?"

Loren's words were rather blunt and direct.

A Superhuman's courage is often directly proportional to their strength...

"Alright, I was just remarking that, master, almost none of your friends are normal people..." Raven's tone carried a hint of melancholy.

Loren offered no rebuttal to Raven's assessment of his friends.

What Raven said was the truth, and Loren clearly had no grounds for refutation.

His social circle was indeed mostly a gathering place for somewhat restless Superhumans...

After all, in the Federation's current social climate, there weren't many within those Superhuman groups who could simply relax and enjoy life.

Given Raven's consistently sharp tongue, Loren didn't respond to the voice in the depths of his mind anymore, instead focusing on completing his own task...

His vast yet concealed Spiritual Power quietly enveloped the abandoned factory building behind him.

In Loren's perception, Cook P. Jones was inside the factory, skillfully and quickly setting up a tent for him.

As for the other three, they were each resting with closed eyes inside their own tents, making their final preparations for the night's operation.

With his Spiritual Power enveloping the entire abandoned factory, Loren spoke in a low voice.

"A gift for you."

As the words fell, three strands of Fortune were quietly bestowed by Loren upon Seena, Hankley, and Tannas...

Loren activated his Seventh Ability—"Fate's Gift"—and marked each of the three with an ability Anchor Point.

Immediately after, a small point of light, perceptible only to Loren, appeared on each of the three.

Subsequently, Loren silently withdrew his Seventh Ability and his vast Spiritual Power, pretending nothing had happened.

This also meant that from now on, Loren could, regardless of distance and at any time, attach a significant amount of Misfortune to these three individuals...

If, in the future, these three stood in opposition to Loren, he would give them a special little "surprise"...

Many people are still alive, but their lives are no longer in their own hands. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Encountering Loren unexpectedly is not a good thing.

Especially when Loren detects some sort of scheme involving you...

Just as Loren completed his covert operation, Cook P. Jones emerged from the abandoned factory building at the opportune moment.

He smiled and said to Loren.

"Mr. Loren, the tent is set up. You can go rest for the afternoon..."

---------

Federal Calendar 7708, December 3rd, noon.

Inside an abandoned factory on the edge of Jadeite Main City.

Within this spacious, drafty abandoned factory building, six tents stood prominently.

And the owner of one of those tents was lying alone, "asleep" on the factory floor—and it was the headless kind...

Loren had already moved into the tent Cook P. Jones had meticulously set up for him.

And Cook P. Jones was currently dragging the corpse of the Security Bureau mole named "Moshet" out of the factory building...

He was going to dispose of the body and destroy the evidence.

After all, a headless corpse really wasn't conducive to everyone's subsequent rest...