Secret Meeting

"You Epoch Clan are an immigrant species. The differences in your genetic sequences are greater than the differences between animals on your Mother Planet. Under those circumstances, you say you're a single whole? I don't buy it."

Malin continued her barrage of mockery, showing no intention of letting a major matter become minor, or a minor matter disappear. Yet unbelievably, Ambrose endured it. Pretending not to hear Malin's taunts, he continued soothing Belladuca. His uncharacteristic behavior left the onlookers utterly stunned.

The Mid-Ring Civilizations and Inner-Ring Civilizations also finally realized that something was off. But they soon arrived at the same conclusion: only sufficiently enormous benefits could make someone remain so calm.

As for what exactly those benefits were, and how enormous they had to be, that was beyond their ability to get involved in.

In an unknown region spanning hundreds of kilometers, there was nothing but desolation—no inhabitants, not even a single electronic device. Yet beneath the very center of this area lay a hidden world.

The deep cavern was filled with signs of artificial excavation. For manpower alone, a cave of this scale was an enormous undertaking.

"Is the intelligence confirmed?" Deep within the cave, several Humanoid Creatures clad in hoods made of opaque black material were talking.

"It's been verified. The information was sent back by the Epoch Clan's special operations squad that infiltrated the Rat-folk Race. There's an eighty to ninety percent chance it's genuine."

"But I keep feeling that something is wrong. I just can't put my finger on it."

"You need to adjust your mindset. You can't start doubting yourself after suffering a few setbacks."

"Exactly. The Rat-folk Race barely even qualifies as a normal interstellar civilization. To them, an Epoch Clan special operations squad would be like Gods—able to take whatever they