Evan and Fante Zhang said their goodbyes to Elias Zhao and headed straight for Crestfall Airport.

  Evan hated every second of it, but there was nothing he could do about Zhang accompanying him.

  I need to find a way to shake him off… or I’m dead sooner or later.

  They parked, entered the VIP passage, and walked through the quiet, early?morning terminal.

  A ground attendant was already waiting to escort them to the private jet.

  At the foot of the boarding stairs, several elegant flight attendants greeted them with warm smiles.

  Once onboard, Evan deliberately chose a seat far away from Zhang.

  Zhang didn’t care—he reclined his seat and closed his eyes.

  “Sir, would you like something to drink?”

  A long?legged, sweet?smiling flight attendant leaned toward him.

  “Coke with ice, thanks.”

  Soon, a Coke, a fruit plate, and a few pastries were placed before him.

  Evan pulled a small bottle from his bag.

  The label read “Vitality Pills,” produced by LifePharm—a straightforward name for a supplement meant to strengthen the body.

  Inside were small blue tablets.

  He shook out two and swallowed them with Coke.

  Instant regret.

  God, that’s bitter!

  Even with Coke, the bitterness clawed its way back up his throat.

  He stuffed two pastries into his mouth to drown the taste.

  The effect hit almost immediately.

  Heat surged through his body, turning him red like a boiled lobster.

  After five minutes, the burning faded, leaving a warm, strengthening sensation spreading through every muscle and bone.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  No wonder Liam kept these. Top?tier stuff.

  Every time a human absorbed an extract, it placed a heavy burden on the body.

  If the body wasn’t strong enough, the absorption could fail—sometimes fatally.

  Supplements were essential.

  Training alone wasn’t enough.

  The most efficient method was:

  supplements first, training second.

  And these supplements were made from evolved plants and animals—no wonder they worked.

  Evan reclined his seat, watching the clouds drift by as he reviewed the history of Blue Star.

  A thousand years ago, Blue Star was almost identical to Earth—hundreds of nations, human?dominated, technology?driven, no evolution powers.

  Then came the Evolution Rain, covering the entire planet.

  It changed everything.

  Animals and plants mutated, gaining strange and powerful abilities.

  Only humans remained unchanged, forced to rely on guns and missiles to survive.

  Plants evolved simply by growing.

  Animals evolved by devouring other evolved creatures.

  Humans—supposedly the smartest species—fell behind instantly.

  Most nations collapsed.

  Human territory shrank to scattered pockets.

  The Evolution War lasted nearly five centuries.

  During that time, humans finally discovered their own evolution method—absorbing extracts from higher?tier lifeforms.

  Human evolutionists rose one after another, eventually ending the war and preserving the last human settlements.

  But the beasts still ruled most of the planet.

  Humanity could defend itself, but not reclaim the world.

  On a map, human territory was nothing more than a few scattered dots.

  Today, there were only three major human regions left.

  The continent of Linwood, where Arden was located, was one of them.

  Linwood was ruled by the dominant nation Linwood Dominion, with six subordinate states beneath it:

  Arden, Rovan, Eastleigh, Gua’an, Peninsula State, and the Desert Union.

  Their relationship resembled ancient vassal states—independent in daily affairs, but ultimately following the Dominion’s lead.

  Even if they had grudges or border disputes, none dared start a full war.

  All conflicts were mediated by the Dominion.

  Arden and Rovan had decent relations, but between them lay the Blackrock Mountains, crawling with dangerous beasts.

  Because planes risked being attacked mid?air, there were no cross?border flights—only a single jointly maintained highway.

  That highway began in Blackrock City, their flight’s destination.

  Evan drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the sleepless night.

  A gentle voice woke him.

  It was noon, and the plane had already landed.

  After washing up, he and Zhang left the airport and caught a taxi.

  The driver perked up instantly when he heard they were heading toward Rovan—long trip, big fare.

  But when they reached the highway entrance, traffic was at a standstill.

  The driver checked his “Safe Travels” group chat and learned the truth:

  A beast attack had shut down the border highway.

  It wouldn’t reopen until tomorrow.

  Not common, but not rare either.

  The highway crossed the Blackrock Mountains.

  Even with constant patrols from both nations, the occasional beast still slipped through.

  With no choice, Evan and Zhang checked into the best hotel in Blackrock City.

  By the time they arrived, the sky was already dimming.

  The driver, unwilling to lose such a lucrative fare, insisted on exchanging contact info with Zhang and promised to pick them up first thing in the morning.

  Meanwhile, Evan’s mind was spinning.

  Maybe I should sneak out tonight…

  Evan finally gets a moment to breathe… and immediately starts plotting how to ditch the Butterfly?tier bodyguard glued to his side. Classic survival instinct.

  But here’s the real question for you:

  If you were stuck in a hotel with someone who could kill you faster than you could blink, would you risk sneaking out at night — or play it safe and wait for morning?

  Drop your answer — I want to see how many of you are braver than Evan.