Adam entered the slums under the guise of a mysterious rogue disciple. Even though he hated the stench of this place, he allowed himself to take it in—he needed all his senses open.
Despite his many safe outings at night, Adam knew that if he were ever discovered, the consequences would be dire.
Carefully avoiding the mud patches on the street, he paused and looked toward a narrow alley.
A tall figure stepped out from the shadows—a giant, nearly seven and a half feet tall, with coarse brown-black fur and glowing crimson eyes locked onto Adam.
He stood at the mouth of the alley, one hand propped against the wall. His snarling wolfish face, however, carried a hint of curiosity.
"You must be Nasser Riggs," the figure said.
Adam's pupils shrank slightly, but instead of backing down, he took a step forward and replied calmly, "You're the one they call Jin the Werewolf?"
The wolf-man grinned. The shadows behind him churned, and black smoke swirled like a living thing.
"Haha! Roya really did send someone interesting this time."
"So what?" Adam's voice remained steady—or at least he tried to make it seem that way. The name Nasser Riggs was one he'd only used in front of Adel and his group.
Among the people Adel tried to recruit, one had refused—that man's name was Jin. Judging by the situation, this was most likely him.
And those tendrils of black smoke behind him... Adam had seen something like that before.
"Was it you I ran into in Mansla?" Adam clenched his fists, trying to suppress the wild stirrings in his blood and the fear crawling up his spine. He stood his ground, knowing full well he couldn't win in a direct confrontation with this werewolf.
But if he acted terrified or weak, things would only go worse. His best chance was to hold his composure and make the other side hesitate.
"I chose a different path. I changed my route to avoid being tracked. How did you still find me?" Adam's mind raced. He had been extremely cautious—he'd even cleansed his scent.
This area wasn't even close to Adel's place. He had planned to take a detour and observe the perimeter before approaching the house.
He never expected to be intercepted this far out.
"I heard you have a ritual that can perfectly hide a hybrid's true nature," Jin said with a casual grin. His massive frame seemed to shrink, muscles folding and compressing as he tugged at his clothes, tightening them against his body.
Even after reverting to a more human form, he still stood a head taller than Adam. He scratched his cheek and walked closer.
"Could you share it with me?"
"That depends on what you're offering in return," Adam replied, not backing down an inch. Then he turned on his heel and started walking toward Adel's house. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"There'll be other chances," Jin chuckled darkly. "Heh heh… Hahaha…"
He didn't follow. He just watched Adam's retreating figure, the joy in his laughter fading into a deep, unreadable expression.
You shouldn't have changed your route, Jin thought silently. That only made your disguise more suspicious. You lack understanding of supernatural forces, and your own strength is pitiful. These are your flaws.
Turning away, he vanished into the alley, opened a door, and collapsed onto a familiar lounge chair.
And you overthink things…
Adam didn't speed up. He kept walking steadily, not looking back.
He really didn't pursue me? Adam's mind was buzzing. Did he not see through my disguise and merely remain cautious? Or did he see through everything and simply had other reasons for letting me go?
He frowned deeply. His mood had plunged to rock bottom.
I need to grow stronger—fast. I need to understand supernatural forces better, or I'll only fall further behind.
He didn't give up on tonight's visit to Adel's house. If anything, this encounter made it more urgent. He needed control over that group.
These hybrids may be outsiders, but surviving in Roya isn't easy. None of them are simple.
Although Adam approached them as a powerful outsider, holding all the initiative, he didn't dare underestimate them.
Roya was a city under Saint Tianyin's rule, crawling with cultivators and soldiers. Any hybrid who managed to survive here had to be dangerous.
Once I establish a solid group under the identity of Nasser Riggs, maybe I can approach them later as Adam—or create another false identity—and learn from within.
That way, I can quickly make up for my own shortcomings.
Adam buried the thoughts deep within, slipped into character, and shifted his focus.
At that moment, inside Adel's house...
Adel had bound Shabu and thrown a coat over himself. He held up one of the oil lamps he normally saved for emergencies. Tonight, he lit it—an extravagant gesture.
The modest wooden shack was already filling with people.
That afternoon, shortly after Adam left, Adel had woken up. Though he'd suffered some burns, the soil treatments had helped, and he'd heal without scarring.
Not daring to waste time, he met with the other four hybrids, and together they began inviting more to join them.
Normally, a large hybrid gathering like this was unheard of in Roya. Even if someone issued an invitation, most hybrids wouldn't dare show up—it was too dangerous.
All it would take was one mistake, one hybrid drawing attention, and the church would send in cultivators to wipe them all out.
But this time, they had no choice.
Witch Doctor Hoda had been captured—probably reduced to ashes by now. Without him, they had no way to conceal their hybrid traits. In a day or two, when the church sent patrols to check for contamination, they'd all be exposed.
So when word spread of a new method that could suppress their hybrid signs, they had to come.
The sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed outside.
Adel and the others instantly tensed up, their bodies snapping to attention.
When Adam opened the door, they all stood and bowed respectfully.
"Mr. Riggs!"
The rest of the hybrids in the room straightened their backs, their previously casual expressions replaced by cautious, respectful ones.
Adam nodded slightly and stepped inside, calm and unhurried. He took a seat.
Coming early tonight was the right call, he thought as the corner of his lips curled into a faint smile.
People were naturally influenced by the group around them. If he had stuck to the original plan and only had Adel backing him, the others might not have shown him the proper respect.
But now—with five already loyal to him—the atmosphere had shifted. The room felt different.
These are cautious people. With five already on my side, no one's going to stick their neck out.
Adam scanned the room.
Hoda's arrest had already filtered out many of the reckless types. The ones left were the careful ones.
Under Adam's gaze, the hybrids grew nervous, straightening up and adjusting their posture.
"I'm sure you've all heard about the Divine Tear ritual," Adam said in a hoarse voice. "If you're willing to do some tasks for me, you'll each get a chance to earn it."
"If you've got questions, speak freely," he added, his eyes openly roaming the room. "Don't worry—the tasks won't be too difficult."
There were eleven hybrids in total, each distinct in appearance. Five had hidden their true faces, and based on their clothing, they clearly weren't from the slums.
Two others, who hadn't disguised themselves, bore the same grimy signs of poverty as Adel and his group.
That worked in Adam's favor. The difference in background would help him divide and control the group more easily.
"What exactly is your goal, Mr. Riggs?" one of the disguised hybrids asked. Then, hastily added, "Just a general idea. It'd help us serve you better."
Of course, Adam couldn't tell them he wanted to use the nobles' smuggling routes to escape to the Kingdom of Loken.
Instead, he kept his voice raspy but added a new undertone—something like obsession, something almost... religious.
"I want to test something," he said. "Something to do with faith—on the border between two nations."