The Links of Loyalty with Zeke and Kaleb were completed. The Links were weak, but that was expected from newly established Links of Loyalty, which had been forced without the other parties' acknowledgment. It only worked because Zeke and Kaleb trusted him and probably because they were in a stasis-like state.

Michael manifested the Runic Gate before him and retrieved two of the hundreds of Teleportation Tokens he'd accumulated over the last few years. The Teleportation Tokens weren't Platinum grade, but that wasn't necessary. He pocketed them in Kaleb's and Zeke's jackets and picked them up. Finally, Michael stepped through the Runic Gate carrying his friends.

The Teleportation Tokens broke as he stepped through the Runic Gate, but the teleportation worked. Both Kaleb and Zeke appeared in the Untamed Jungle.

He teleported to the wooden manor, where he put down his friends. His eyes landed on the staff eying him in awe and curiosity.

"Give them one of the rooms next to mine. Make sure someone is tending to them at all times. Inform me before the healing serum is used up. I don't want them to wake up and the Blood Incursion to affect them!" Michael commanded one of his attendants. The young attendant fled with hurried strides to prepare everything.

Michael used the last bits of River of Vigor's healing serum on his friends before again manifesting the Runic Gate. He returned to the war zone, where he used the Rescue Token given by Selena and the others. Clearus couldn't be saved anymore and wasn't willing to anchor his Runic Gate to a planet bound to be lost to the Supreme Human Alliance. Michael crushed the Rescue Token and was teleported back to the Nest, where he was already awaited.

"What the hell did you do?" Fera cursed Michael when he appeared in the teleportation chamber.

Michael noticed that he wasn't alone with Fera. The Nest Leader, Hesta, and Eren were also present.

"I don't know what you're talking about." "You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Fera stepped forward, her eyes glowing as a flood of curse power surged out of her. A primal roar and a resounding hiss escaped Michael's lips as Fera approached him threateningly. Michael's muscles bulged, and his eyes glowed dangerously.

"I will consider you a threat if you take one more step closer," Michael declared in an icy voice, "And I will tear you apart. I don't give a shit who you think you are. Threaten me, and I will show you the real meaning of terror." This time, Michael took a step forward. His hands transformed into claws, and his eye shape changed slowly.

"How about we calm down a little?" Eren asked while the Nest Leader scrunched her nose. They sighed deeply.

Michael ignored Fera, who was still fuming in anger, and looked at Selena.

"I understand it's problematic. Clearus was conquered. The Numbers will probably claim the entire planet in the near future. But why is that kid so angry at me?" He pointed at Fera, who lost her control.

"You're the reason they managed to alter the Galactical Plaza's runic array in the first place. Of course. I'm angry at you!" "Are you dumb?" Michael asked dead-serious, "I captured and killed the Numbers, who'd attacked the Galactical Plaza faster than anyone else could have done. In the first place, where were you and Lighno'vsh?!" Fera grit her teeth but doesn't say anything when Selena raises her hand to stop the feral woman.

"Go and rest. Or train with Hesta if you're too agitated to rest."

"But..."

"LEAVE!" Fera pressed her lips together and nodded unwillingly. She glared deadly at Michael before leaving the teleportation chamber. Hesta followed behind, holding her right arm. She seemed injured, but nobody paid attention to that.

"What exactly is going on? I killed more than two thousand Numbers out there, yet Fera is saying I'm at fault for this mess? Even though I captured my friend instead of killing him, I made sure to take out the rest. I even looked at the Galactical Plaza and didn't notice anything amiss. Of course, I didn't inspect everything in detail, but the City Guards arrived too soon. They told Hesta to come with them well, both of us, but I made a run for it but they didn't leave us any time to check anything." Eren sighed, "Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Apparently, there were more groups of Numbers in Claerus, and they acted simultaneously. You and Hesta managed to eliminate one of them, but they released a signal to the other groups, who arrived after you and Hesta left. Fera doesn't blame Hesta because she was brought back by the City Guards but said you should have separated business from your private problems."

"So she is angry because I did exactly what I've been stating I would do when I find my friends?" Michael asked, sounding much calmer than before.

Selena didn't even look at Michael at this point, "I think she is more angry at herself. She saw how many Numbers you managed to kill after everything went south and is angry that she had to use the Rescue Token before you. There are probably a few more issues, but she says it's all your fault for trying to rescue some Numbers." Michael shrugged. It didn't matter what Fera thought of him. He did what he said he would and doesn't regret it. If she wanted to condemn someone, she might as well blame herself for being this weak at her age.

"And what do you think?" Michael thus asked Selena.

She lifted an eyebrow and looked back at Michael.

"I cannot really condemn you for doing what you did because you announced it early enough, but the timing was unfortunate. They must have expected some members of the Nest and prepared the first attack to move the City Guards. The remaining Numbers moved once the Nest members were forced to leave the Galactical Plaza. That was smart of them. It was probably not within their calculations that you wouldn't go with the City Guards, but that didn't matter at the end of the day. It doesn't change whether you went with Hesta to explain the situation to the Defense Ministers or utilized hours trying to rescue your friend." Eren nodded, "I don't condemn you either. If anything, it's good you got one of your friends backHowever, it is not easy to break whatever the Supreme Human Alliance did to them." "I got two back, not just one," Michael said with a smile, explaining everything in detail. Selena and Eren's eyes widened at some point, and they looked at each other.

"It makes sense why the SHA hates us so much. We are their natural enemies. I should have expected that. Especially their hatred and fear toward me," Selena smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. She looked like a predator ready to burn down the Supreme Human Alliance.

Michael nodded slowly.

"If that's all, I would like to leave. I have a few Numbers to extract."

The Nest Leader waved at him dismissively.

"Just go. Either way, I cannot keep you here even if I want to."

Michael smiled and manifested the Runic Gate before him.

He reverted to the Origin Expanse, where he could withdraw the Numbers in silence.