A light blue light door slowly unfolded in a room within Colton Manor, and Leo and Kalluto walked out one after the other.
Ashir stood next to the light door, relaxed his hands, and the light door dissipated.
Leo held the huge, deep cyan Dragon egg in his arms, its shell shimmering with a dark luster under the lights.
Vivian had already received the news and was walking quickly down the stairs.
She saw the egg in Leo's arms, and a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, but she did not ask any further questions.
"Boss."
"Prepare a vault."
Leo said.
"It needs to be a separate room, with the highest security Rank."
Vivian nodded, not asking why.
"We have one ready. There is an independent vault in the manor's basement, originally used to store the Family's most core assets, and it has been empty. I will have it cleared out right away."
"I will set the password myself. Send a team to guard the door, working in twenty-four-hour shifts. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter."
"Understood."
Vivian turned to make the arrangements.
Carrying the egg, Leo followed Vivian through the hallway, walked down the stairs, and arrived at the first basement level of the manor.
At the end of the hallway was a heavy metal door, with a password-verified lock.
Vivian entered the password, and the lock clicked open.
The room was not large, about twenty square meters, with thick concrete walls on all sides and no windows.
A lamp hung from the ceiling, casting a dim, yellowish light.
In the corner, there was a metal rack that was empty.
Leo walked in, placed the egg in the center of the rack, and adjusted its position to ensure it wouldn't roll.
He stared at the egg for a few seconds, then turned and walked out of the room to reset the password.
He pressed a few keys quickly on the digital keypad, and the indicator light turned from red to green.
Vivian stood at the doorway, followed by six security personnel in black uniforms, all of whom she had personally handpicked.
"From today on, you are to guard this place. Work in three shifts, two people per shift. No one is allowed to approach this door."
Vivian's voice was not loud, but her tone was stern.
"Yes!"
The six of them replied in unison.
Leo glanced at them without saying anything more, then turned and walked upstairs, with Vivian following behind him.
"How is the progress on collecting the creatures?"
Leo asked as he walked.
"We have already acquired over twenty thousand. Supplies from slaughterhouses and farms across various regions are still being provided, and at the current pace, we will reach thirty thousand in a few days."
"What about the manpower and Materials for building the base?"
"The Materials have been purchased, and the construction team has been assembled and is ready to depart at any time. We are just waiting for your instructions."
Vivian paused.
"According to your requirements, all personnel have signed confidentiality agreements; they don't know the specific location, only that it is an overseas project."
Leo nodded.
"Notify me once you have acquired thirty thousand. As for when to set off to build the base, I will let you know in a few days."
"Understood."
The two walked to the second-floor stairwell, and Vivian stopped.
Leo also stopped and looked at her.
"There is nothing else. Go and attend to your work."
Vivian nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Her silhouette quickly disappeared at the end of the hallway.
Leo stood at the stairwell, silent for a moment.
He planned to hatch the egg only after reaching Rank 80.
Even Zeno was almost drained dry; although his current Rank was close to 80, for the sake of caution, his body would be stronger after leveling up, which would be safer.
As for building the transfer base, he still had to wait for news from Morel.
That man was steady in his work, so it should be soon.
He turned and walked toward the first-floor lobby.
Ashir was standing by the window, looking at the garden outside.
Hearing footsteps, he turned his head.
"Kastro defeated Hisoka. They are celebrating."
Leo said.
"Let's go together. We are all on the same team."
Ashir was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
He hadn't been on the team for long, but he was indeed a member of this team now.
Leo went up to the third floor again and came to Niko's room.
The door was unlocked, and he pushed it open and entered.
Niko was sitting at his desk with all three screens in front of him lit up, the blue light reflecting on his focused face.
His fingers were typing rapidly on the keyboard, faster than usual, and the rhythm was more chaotic.
"Niko."
Niko's fingers paused for a moment, but he didn't turn around.
"Regarding the information on Liam, I haven't found anything useful."
His voice sounded a bit frustrated.
"His security Rank is extremely high; I can't find anything. I only know that he is the deputy director of a department inside V5 called the'Security Defense Department.' Five years ago, he was just a section chief, and three years ago, he rose to the position of director; his promotion speed is very fast."
His fingers tapped on the keyboard a few more times, as if confirming something.
"All files related to him have been encrypted, and I've tried three methods but couldn't get in. If I force a Breakthrough, it might trigger counter-tracking."
Leo walked behind him and glanced at the screens.
He didn't quite understand the dense data and code, but he could see that Niko had tried his best.
"If you can't find it, then forget it. There is no need to continue the investigation."
Niko turned his head and looked at Leo, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
"But—"
"It's fine."
Leo patted him on the shoulder.
"His security Rank is high; continuing to investigate forcefully will only alert the enemy. Let's put it aside for now."
Niko took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay."
"Kastro won his Floor Master match. Let's go celebrate."
A smile finally appeared on Niko's face.
He turned off the screens, stood up, and followed Leo out of the room.
In the first-floor lobby, Ashir had already opened a portal, and Kalluto was standing by, waiting.
The light blue light door rippled slightly in the air.
Leo, Niko, Kalluto, and Ashir passed through the light door and returned to Heavens Arena.
The sky had completely darkened.
The lights of Heavens Arena were particularly striking in the night sky.
People were coming and going in the hallways—contestants, spectators, and staff.
Today's matches were over, but the people's enthusiasm had not yet faded; they were gathering in small groups, still discussing the duel that had just taken place.
Sophia called.
"Master, everything is arranged; you can come over now."
Leo asked for the address, took the three of them out of Heavens Arena, and hailed a taxi.
The barbecue restaurant was in a quiet alley, with a small storefront, but the characters on the sign were written with great Aura.
A sign reading "Private Event Today" hung at the entrance, and through the glass window, one could see that it was brightly lit inside.
Pushing the door open, the aroma of barbecue wafted toward them, mixed with the heat of the charcoal fire, making one swallow involuntarily.
Sophia had already secured a large long table, and seeing Leo enter, she waved excitedly.
"Master, over here!"
Shizuku sat next to her, holding a glass of fruit juice, drinking it quietly.
Goreinu and Kastro were sitting together, both holding beer mugs, their faces already a bit flushed.
Kalluto walked over and sat down next to Kastro.
Niko and Ashir also found seats and sat down.
Leo sat down opposite Sophia and glanced at the dishes on the table.
The table was full of food, along with a few plates of vegetables and a pile of side dishes.
The charcoal fire was already glowing red, and the meat on the iron grill was sizzling with grease.
Goreinu raised his glass.
"Come on, come on, let's have a drink first! To celebrate Kastro defeating Hisoka!"
Kastro also raised his glass, with a smile on his face.
"Thank you, everyone."
Sophia tapped Shizuku's glass; Shizuku raised her fruit juice and tapped it gently.
Kalluto hesitated for a moment, then raised his glass and tapped it against Niko's glass.
Ashir sat in the corner, silently raising his glass without speaking, but there was a smile on his lips.
Leo raised his glass, didn't say any toast, just tapped it with everyone's, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Alright! Let's eat!"
Goreinu was the first to move his chopsticks, picking up a piece of charred, fragrant beef and stuffing it into his mouth, panting from the heat.
Sophia picked up a piece of meat and put it in Shizuku's bowl; Shizuku lowered her head, took a bite, and chewed slowly.
Kalluto picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks and ate very elegantly.
Niko and Goreinu were fighting over meat, their chopsticks clashing in the air, until Kastro finally snatched it away with his chopsticks.
Leo sat there, watching this group of people making noise, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
Halfway through the meal, Sophia suddenly asked.
"Master, what are your plans for the future?"
Leo picked up a piece of meat, chewed it, swallowed, and then spoke.
"Hmm—our goal is overseas; I'll explain it to you in a few days."
"Overseas?"
Goreinu leaned over.
"Is there something there?"
"Let's not talk about this for now."
Leo shook his head, speaking while eating.
Goreinu shrugged and didn't ask further.
Niko put down his chopsticks and hesitated for a moment.
"Grandmaster Leo, about Liam... do we really not need to investigate any further?"
Leo glanced at him.
"No need. You won't be able to find anything. It's not your fault; it's because his security Rank is too high. Continuing to investigate forcefully will only expose us."
Niko nodded and didn't say anything more.
Ashir put down his glass and looked at Leo.
"There is news from Morel. He will come over once he finishes dealing with his current matters. About three or four days."
Leo nodded.
"Good, let me know when he arrives."
Everyone didn't ask what was going on, just continued eating and drinking.
The temperature in the barbecue restaurant got higher and higher, and the laughter got louder and louder.
Outside the window, the night was thick. Occasionally, pedestrians passed by in the alley, glancing inside curiously before hurriedly walking away.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone walked out of the barbecue restaurant.
The night breeze blew against their faces, feeling cool.
Goreinu had his arm around Kastro's shoulder, the two of them muttering drunken words.
Sophia and Shizuku walked in front, whispering about something.
Kalluto and Niko walked side by side; neither of them spoke, but their steps were in sync.
Ashir walked at the back, his hands in his pockets, quietly watching the group in front of him.
Leo walked at the very front without looking back.
The night breeze blew his clothes, casting a long shadow under the streetlights.
"See you tomorrow."
Everyone dispersed, disappearing into the night.