Whoever this is, they're definitely the leader.

They have the [IC] branding all over their gear, along with that shielding artifact that every one of their lackeys had on.

With Demonic Energy, I'm sure I could take him out, but not questioning him and killing the man on the spot would do more harm than good. I'd have to use mana to subdue him properly, and his level and gear's stats are much higher than mine.

The idea of breaking through the ceiling and rushing down to fight this mob boss crosses my mind, but after the mental and physical fatigue from my defeat just hours ago, it does not seem like the best option. I may have dozens of skills at my disposal, but raw strength may win if we were to fight right now.

Plus, with the recent close call and lesson learned about fighting unknown enemies when more than just my own well-being is on the line, I decide to take this small victory of information and retreat. Before I slowly glide away from the white dome in silence, a stern man's deep voice rings out. With my enhanced senses, it's audible from two floors below.

I stop, hovering in mid-air to listen.

"Alright, you two, I'll be examining the sonar's data for the rest of the night. Clean up the cells downstairs, then give number 2 her reminder to meet here at sunrise with the captives and a written list of all the information they've gathered. After that, you're both free to do whatever you'd like tomorrow. I don't need your assistance."

There are a few replies from the grunts as I feel the presence of the strong man walking up the stairs to the main top floor.

Their voices are completely drowned out by the loud sound of the sonar device blasting off another energy wave.

I take this as my cue to see myself out, continuing my flight path upward and not looking back until the white dome is completely out of view.

There's no telling how long I could stay hidden with a monster of a man lurking below me. His mana control is most likely on par with, if not greater than, my main body. Not to mention the nearly 10x natural defense stat bonus he has with all the buffs.

If I have to get into a physical confrontation with him tomorrow, I'll need to spend tonight coming up with a plan to safely deal with the matter.

Plus, another sector leader is coming too. Preparing for the absolute worst is necessary. There are a lot of unknown factors at play here, and with the limited time allotted to me, I can't do this one all on my own.

If this craftsman requires my full attention, I may have to rely on my teammates for help.

While these thoughts race through my mind, I finally break through the cloud line above and whisper under my breath.

"Bottom line is, all of us are going to have to get a lot stronger."

I air-step all the way back to Solara, only touching down to the ground and turning off my stealth skill once I make it into the outer residential district on the northeastern edge of town. The sun is starting to set, but it's still fairly light out. There should still be over an hour left of golden rays.

Once I make it back to the familiar front porch of the two-story home, the only one waiting there is Chester. He's outside, peacefully admiring the city.

It makes sense; the others are still off training and guarding the black market's dead zone.

The old man raises his hand and waves as I approach.

"Welcome back so soon! You'll be happy to see the haul I pulled in for your loot today."

I raise an eyebrow, turning my stern expression from being deep in thought all the way here into a grin.

"Oh yeah? How much did you manage to sell?"

The grey-haired man turns and opens his front door, letting me come inside to see three brown leather sacks on the middle table of the living room.

Gold coins are flowing from their openings, and at least 10 or 15 coins are scattered across the counter.

Chester lets out a chuckle as he sees my eyes light up at the sight.

"Last I counted, there were about 263 gold coins. More than double my expectations. Most of the High D-Grade and below gear was sold off at standard quick-sell pricing to my usual contacts, but I managed to snag an over-the-market price at one of the old trading dens. A few old clients happened to be all in the same place. There was quite the bidding war for a few of the larger C-Grade weapons and enchanted battle items."

I cross my arms, and my smile only widens as he continues.

"There's apparently a Solaran government-hosted auction tonight. Many merchants and speculators are trying to get their hands on worthy items to enter and see massive gains. It's just your lucky day; I was able to get exceptionally inflated prices."

I pause, thinking to myself about the amount of money I just pulled in.

At first, I only wanted to sell it off because most of the gear was worthless to me. D and C rank items will break on impact with any of the monsters I'll fight in the future. I'd be better off using my fists.

If I can't channel mana into it or the gear gives me close to a 100% buff or greater, I hardly bat an eye.

However, now that I've come into contact with the leader of the so-called weakest Sector, my head is spinning for other options.

Fisher and Arie are ranked up, but they still will not stand a chance against that menace.

Maria's Ice magic may give them an edge if she jumped in, and Abby is the perfect support. Even so, they're all too weak to confidently put them up against a level 651 tank alone.

Their lives are on the line this time, not mine. If I want to fully prepare for what's to come, I need to come up with a way for us all to get a lot stronger overnight.

I let out a long sigh, then finally turn to Chester, asking a question.

"What's the lowest cost you can get high-grade mana potions for on short notice? Let's say I were to use that entire gold stash to purchase."

His eyes widen, but he scratches his chin and starts thinking too.

"You really know how to keep an old man busy now, don't ya?"

He stares up at the ceiling and mumbles under his breath.

"Now let's see... Down at the dispensary, the owner can turn raw mana crystals into potions. At the market price of 1 bronze per Mana Point worth of crystal, and 100 bronze equalling 1 silver..."

He pauses.

"100 silver equals 1 gold... So each gold piece here would be equivalent to around 10,000MP worth of potion."

I roll my eyes at the thought of it. 10,000 times 263 gold we have is only 2.6 million MP. This is a small fortune worth of mana, but it's nowhere close to enough to raise our mana control considerably. Tens of millions each is the only amount that would raise any of us by a measurable amount.

Chester speaks again.

"However, here on the Dark Continent, the demand for potions and high-grade crystals is far less than that of the cities you come from. Weapons are the higher-tier items that people are usually looking to buy. It's more practical to make a living with them. I'd say if we're buying any potions or crystal items, it could knock the price down by 2 to 3 times. So, 30,000MP per gold coin."

Shaking my head while realizing even at this price drop advantage, it's still less than 8 million MP, I reply.

"Still, this isn't enough..."

Silence fills the room as we think.

My recent shift in necessities is due to the fact it's the only way we could all get immeasurably stronger in the next few hours. With Abby's restore skill, and an unlimited mana supply, maybe our control levels could hit a point where handling these threats wouldn't be so stacked against us.

I speak up again, thinking of a new idea.

"You mentioned the Solaran Government is hosting an auction. What exactly is sold in a gathering like this?"