Counter-Ambush After an Ambush-Please Vote!

Western lowlands of the Flowing Light Grassland

"Give up. You can't hold on to that Tear of Stars."

Tavis's gaze fell on Isabelle's wrist, where the Tear of Stars glimmered with a faint blue light—the target everyone coveted.

And while he delivered his final ultimatum to Isabelle, the three Rank 2 Star Envoys behind him had already spread out in a triangular formation, completely sealing off her routes of movement.

They wielded Star Energy daggers, miniature launchers, shields, and other tools respectively. Clearly, they were a well-coordinated "hunting party," each with their own role.

In truth, if not for conserving his strength against the other hunters nearby who were also eyeing the Tear of Stars—and against the teammates at his side, who seemed to trust one another but were actually a patchwork alliance, any one of them liable to betray him at any moment—

Tavis could have stripped Isabelle of her ability to fight and eliminated her long ago.

After all, once a pack of wolves successfully surrounded a lone prey, success was never more than a matter of time.

Yet faced with Tavis's well-intentioned warning, Isabelle reacted as though she had heard some kind of joke. Snowflakes representing Extreme Cold once again emerged around her.

"Give up? If admitting defeat could solve problems, there wouldn't be an organization called the Star Envoy Association in this world."

At those words, Tavis's brows furrowed into three deep vertical lines.

He had wanted to save some effort, but the girl's stubbornness clearly exceeded his expectations.

"Since you insist on struggling—"

Tavis stepped forward, and orange-red patterns of light suddenly lit beneath his feet.

Buzz!

A nine-grid magic formation unfolded out of thin air, each square glowing with a different light.

Some of the unusual squares steamed like boiling hot-pot broth.

Others drifted