Upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Morrison quickly turned his head and saw a stunning woman walking toward them. She had long, lavender-colored hair that flowed freely down her back, and her amber-colored eyes glimmered with a strange curiosity as she gazed at the screaming members of the security forces with an amused expression. The thought struck Morrison the instant his eyes landed on her, and for reasons he couldn’t fully explain, his body tensed instinctively. He immediately recalled Hiroshi’s warning that their leader was a woman and the intense sense of danger radiating from her left no doubt in his mind that this was the very leader Hiroshi had spoken of. Around him, the other members of the security forces were either writhing in pain on the ground or struggling to heal themselves so none of them paid attention to the echo of the woman’s footsteps. However, Tyler who remained completely unharmed thanks to his skill that cloaked his body in protective metal was different. Like Morrison, he also turned his head toward the sound. When Tyler’s eyes fell upon the woman’s striking figure, he froze for a moment, his gaze wandering across her body clad in a tight, form-fitting battle armor. "My, my," The woman suddenly stopped walking and turned her face toward him with a playful smile. "Aren’t you the perfect example of a dog in heat?" Her voice was smooth yet laced with mockery. "Your friends and comrades are writhing on the ground in agony, and here you are ogling the figure of a woman. I may not look it, but I am old enough to be your mother." Tyler stiffened when he heard the woman’s words. His face flushed scarlet, a mix of embarrassment and anger rising in him at being so bluntly called a dog in heat. Seeing his reaction, the woman—Vanessa, tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, her smile deepening. "Although I don’t particularly mind when people stare at my figure," She said lightly, "I do get irritated when a defeated dog who doesn’t know his place does it. So..." Her smile grew even more radiant. "If you don’t want me to cut you into pieces and feed you to other dogs, you’d better stop looking at me." As Vanessa spoke, Morrison felt an inexplicable sense of dread. Though she smiled sweetly, something about her aura made his instincts scream in warning. It wasn’t only Morrison. Even Azrael, Luo Bingqing, and Elyara, who were hiding in the back could feel it. Despite her breathtaking beauty and seemingly gentle demeanor, there was something forbidden and terrifying lurking beneath her mask of calm. At that moment, the three of them couldn’t help but recall Hiroshi telling them that she was known as the Lunatic, a woman whose mind was not quite right. Unlike Morrison and the others, who were frozen by the sense of danger emanating from Vanessa, Tyler fixated only on the insult and being called a dog for the second time made his blood boil. As a level 45 Epic warrior, someone confident enough to stand toe-to-toe with Morrison for a time without defeat, Tyler’s pride burned at the insult. "What did you just call me?" He asked coldly, narrowing his eyes at Vanessa. "What a fool," Elyara muttered under her breath, shaking her head at Tyler’s reaction. Even Morrison’s face darkened and he quickly tried to signal Tyler with his eyes, warning him not to act rashly. But Tyler ignored Morrison’s silent gesture and continued to glare at Vanessa. Vanessa tilted her head slightly, giving him a puzzled look. "Strange... I don’t think your ears are damaged. I’m certain you heard me perfectly well the first time." She paused, her lips curling into a knowing smile. "Ah, I see. You must be one of those people who enjoys being insulted by beautiful women." She sighed exaggeratedly, her tone dripping with mock sympathy as she casually lifted one of her legs, tilting her head. "Would you like me to step on your face as well? I’ve heard it’s quite popular among men with... unique kinks." Azrael and the others exchanged strange glances, feeling as though this woman’s thoughts were moving in a completely different direction from everyone else’s. Tyler’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, his embarrassment and fury rising like a storm as he gritted his teeth. "B*tch, do you think you can say whatever you want just because you have a mouth?" He spat, his voice trembling with rage, As soon as Tyler’s words left his mouth, the slight smile on Vanessa’s face slowly vanished, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. Morrison and the others immediately noticed the sudden change and their hearts skipped a beat. "I think this woman’s mental health is... not exactly stable," Elyara whispered, swallowing hard. Vanessa stared at Tyler with an unreadable expression before opening her mouth. "What did you just call me?" She asked slowly Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 A sudden chill ran down Tyler’s spine as the playful aura Vanessa had carried moments before was gone, replaced by an oppressive sense of danger that pressed on his chest like a vice. Yet, remembering her earlier taunts, his pride refused to let him back down and despite the fear prickling at the edges of his mind, he forced a cold smile. "You’re asking me what I called you?" He sneered. "I know your ears are working fine and you heard me the first time. Could it be..." He paused, then continued in the same tone of voice she had used earlier. "You’re one of those sluts who likes being called a b*tch by young men like me? Should I put a collar on your neck and take you for a walk?" Vanessa looked at him for a a few seconds before lowering her gaze, lightly touching her neck. "A collar, huh..." She murmured under her breath before raising her head again, her lips curling into an unnervingly sweet smile. "I was planning to go easy on you since you’re a guest," She said softly. "But now..." She snapped her fingers. "I’ll let you experience the fate of a mannerless dog." "What are you talking about, bit—" Tyler’s words cut off abruptly as he suddenly fell on his knees. His vision turned a murky crimson and when he brought his hand to his face, a warm, sticky sensation coated his palm as he realized blood was flowing from his eyes. "What... what’s happening?" Horror flashed across his face, but before he could comprehend it— He screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground as black veins snaked across his skin. "If you people think you can come here and do whatever you please, you are sorely mistaken..." Vanessa said lightly, shifting her gaze toward Morrison. "The moment you entered this castle, you fell under my control. With a single thought, I could kill every one of you." As her words faded, she snapped her fingers once more. Morrison suddenly felt a violent churning inside his body and coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes widening in shock as he realized for some reason, he couldn’t use his cosmic energy anymore. Vanessa’s sweet smile returned as she turned her head slightly, her voice carrying the tone of a woman scolding mischievous children. "You naughty little ones," She said softly. "Don’t you know it’s impolite to peek at a lady in secret?" Azrael and the others stiffened, a wave of goosebumps running over their skin as Vanessa’s gaze shifted unerringly toward the place where they were hiding. "Come out quickly and apologize to big sister," She said with an almost playful lilt. "If you apologize sincerely, I might consider forgiving you for intruding in my home and peeking at me in secret."