FangBro shivered under Evan’s stare.

  “Big bro, could you not pace like that? You’re making me dizzy.”

  Evan stopped walking.

  He’d been thinking about FangBro’s earth?phase movement.

  Maybe… maybe it could help.

  But the more he thought about it, the more unrealistic it seemed.

  If he knew where Wendy Lewis was being held, he could have FangBro phase directly to her, grab her and Yvonne Hart, and escape underground.

  But he didn’t know their location.

  And once Amida returned, rescuing them from under a veteran Saint?tier’s nose would be nearly impossible.

  One thing was certain:

  Amida would take them back to Rovan Academy.

  Breaking into the top academy of an entire nation?

  Impossible.

  The place was crawling with elites.

  Wherever they locked Wendy, it would be layered with defenses.

  No amount of tunneling would get them in safely.

  And FangBro definitely wouldn’t risk it.

  Wendy wasn’t just taken by Amida—

  She was taken by the entire Rovan Kingdom.

  Keeping her was in Rovan’s national interest.

  The whole upper echelon would support it.

  To fight a nation, you needed another nation.

  Evan understood what he had to do:

  He needed to contact Eastern Dawn.

  But he had no way to reach their officials.

  “Let’s try contacting Wendy and Yvonne first,” he muttered. “Then decide the next step.”

  Worst case, he’d have to smuggle himself into Eastern Dawn and bring back reinforcements.

  But he had to hurry.

  Yvonne didn’t have much time.

  He glanced at FangBro again.

  Even if FangBro couldn’t break into Rovan Academy, his tunneling skill might still be useful later—

  Or at least help Evan sneak across the border.

  Evan took out his phone and sent Wendy a message:

  I’m safe. How are you two?

  He kept it vague.

  Anything detailed might be intercepted.

  For now, all he could do was wait for a reply and keep moving north.

  Whether he went to Rovan Academy first or straight to Eastern Dawn, the direction was the same.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Come on,” Evan said. “Let’s eat.”

  One earth?phase movement later, they emerged inside Monka City.

  Evan didn’t dare eat at random street stalls in Rovan.

  Luckily, FangBro had connections and easily brought him into the wealthy district.

  The contrast was jarring—

  Outside was poverty and dust.

  Inside was neon, glass, and modern luxury.

  They picked a decent restaurant and ordered food.

  “Let’s add each other,” Evan said. “Easier to stay in touch.”

  “Sure. And big bro, you don’t have to call me FangBro all the time. I have a real name—Yalga.”

  “Got it, FangBro.”

  Evan wasn’t about to memorize these bizarre Rovan names.

  Just then, his phone buzzed.

  A reply from Wendy.

  Only six words:

  We’re safe. Don’t worry.

  Evan frowned.

  Exactly as he expected.

  Their communication was being monitored.

  Every message probably had to pass through Rovan officials.

  He thought for a moment.

  He had to go to Rovan Academy.

  Even if he planned to head to Eastern Dawn later, he’d pass by the academy anyway.

  “FangBro,” Evan asked, “you familiar with Rovan Academy?”

  “Rovan Academy? That’s my alma mater.”

  “My apologies, didn’t know you were a top graduate.”

  “Ahem.” FangBro coughed awkwardly. “I… didn’t graduate.”

  Evan blinked.

  FangBro looked at least thirty.

  He still hadn’t graduated?

  FangBro’s face reddened.

  “It wasn’t my fault! The examiner was embarrassed and took it out on me!”

  He launched into a dramatic retelling of his “glorious” exam.

  As a combat?type evolver, he had to defeat an examiner whose strength was suppressed to match his level.

  But during his exam, for thirty whole minutes—

  He never touched the examiner.

  And the examiner never touched him.

  “I’m built entirely for survival,” FangBro said proudly. “What was I supposed to do? Charge in and punch her chest with my tiny fists?”

  “The examiner eventually dropped the suppression and still couldn’t hit me. She got mad and failed me for being ‘cowardly.’ Ridiculous, right?”

  Evan stared.

  “Why not absorb an offensive skill? With your survivability, even a weak attack skill would let you grind someone down.”

  “You think I didn’t try?” FangBro groaned. “I absorbed an extract with four attack skills. Guess which one I got? The only defensive one.”

  “Every time I absorb an extract, the attack skills avoid me like I’m cursed.”

  “After getting five survival skills in a row, I accepted my fate. This is my path.”

  His eyes gleamed with ambition.

  “People specialize in strength, speed, fire, psychic power… Why can’t I specialize in survival? I, Yalga, will become the first Saint?tier survival specialist in all six nations!”

  Evan clapped.

  “Ambitious. I like it. Your skills will definitely shine one day.”

  Like being my driver…

  Earth?phase movement was insanely fast.

  He’d call him FangRunner.

  The human racecar.

  The underground express.

  Evan had met evolvers like this before—

  Wendy Lewis, for example.

  She had no offensive skills either, but she was a researcher, not a fighter.

  And Wendy’s mental power was far above her peers.

  Once she leveled up and learned a few psychic attack skills, she’d be terrifying.

  Just like Amida—

  A researcher who became a combat monster.

  FangBro was thrilled, feeling understood for the first time.

  He dragged Evan into drinking two extra glasses of cola.

  “FangBro,” Evan said, “I need a favor. I’m heading to Rovan Academy. Could you be my guide?”

  FangBro hesitated.

  “I… still need to stream…”

  “The Rooted Spirit Tree incident is basically over. What else is there to stream in Monka City? You need new content.”

  “You’re a different person now. You streamed a Saint?tier battle. You can’t go back to filming lizard fights in the swamp.”

  Evan leaned in.

  “Trust me. The next big headline is at Rovan Academy.”

  Some people chase glory.

  Some chase survival.

  But the ones who chase opportunity?

  They change the world.