The referee looked at Arlen suspiciously. Arlen smiled broadly. The referee sighed and looked at the crowd around him.

“Alright, who else wants to challenge our reigning champion? everyone can also place bets for who will win.”

Several people then walked over to the table.

On the other hand, Grimor was playing a lore quiz that four players could participate in, with one additional person serving as referee and dealer.

“All right, Mr. Grimor got the correct answer again. With this, Mr. Grimor became the winner again.”

The people watching around became boisterous and cheered. Grimor smiled proudly as he crossed his arms. The other three players left the table while Grimor remained in his seat. The referee looked toward Grimor with a slightly surprised expression and smiled awkwardly.

“Mr. Grimor? You still want to play?”

Grimor was surprised.

“What are you talking about? Of course, I want to play again.”

The referee smiled awkwardly.

“I mean, you’ve played and won twice already, sir. So, I suggest you should also try other games that....”

Before the referee had finished speaking, Grimor interrupted him while giving a hand gesture for him to stop talking.

“Shush, I won’t change my mind, let’s start the next round immediately.”

The referee's expression turned deadpan; he sighed and turned to the surrounding audience.

“Okay, the next one who wants to play please have a seat at this table, the audience can also place bets on who will win.”

Shortly after, three people who appeared confident walked closer and sat in the participant seats.

Elsewhere, Rothur was playing poker confidently. Sometime later, Rothur won the game and frustrated the three opponents beside him. Rothur smirked.

“Next time, you guys have to learn how to cheat... I mean you guys have to learn more about card tricks, hahaha.”

Rothur laughed casually; three other opponents looked at him astonishedly.

Elsewhere, the cloaked man was playing on an arcade game machine, arranged in a row and grouped into many groups in several spacious-open casino rooms. Shortly after, the cloaked man found that he had lost the game, which surprised him slightly. He suddenly stood from his seat as he spoke.

“Dammit, I almost….”

The cloaked man realized that he had become the center of attention of the people around him; he then sat back in his chair awkwardly.

“Skill activation....”

The cloaked man’s words stopped after noticing that he was being watched suspiciously by several guards and visitors around him. The cloaked man looked awkward.

“I mean, activate this machine and try again, hahaha.”

The cloaked man laughed awkwardly, and some people around him looked at him astonishedly.

Sometime later, Arlen, Grimor, Rothur, and the cloaked man were playing together at roulette while carrying food or drinks in their hands. They then tried various other casino games together cheerfully or annoyedly, and then they laughed casually together.

The night was getting late. Arlen, Grimor, Rothur, and the cloaked man wore their clothes like before today’s holiday activity. Arlen wore a sleeveless leather jacket, mid-knee shorts, and boots. Grimor wore clothes resembling a white kimono, wide black long pants, and black boots. Rothur wore an ankle-length overcoat that opened in the middle, a waistcoat, long pants, a belt, boots with armor up to the knees on the front of the shoes, gloves with armor up to the elbows on the top of these gloves, and an overcoat hood he put over his head.

The cloaked man’s entire face was covered by a black metal mask that resembled the face part of a mecha, with glowed red patterns on the eyes part of the mask, a black ankle-length armored hooded cloak covering his whole body, with a high collar up to his mouth level and a hood that covered the back of his head to the top of his head, a shirt, trousers, and boots. Around his waist was a baldric belt for carrying weapons on his lower back, in which both of his hands were covered with gauntlets up to the elbows.

They walked down the carpeted corridor with rows of window panes beside them, showing a beautiful night view of the Ark-001 city. They walked toward the common room, just as they had the day before, after receiving an invitation from Nolan to meet again to discuss other things about S.E.A., the alliance they had just formed together.

They arrived inside the room, and Nolan was sitting and reading a book on a single couch with a floor lamp nearby. Nolan wore a sleeveless black knee-length overcoat that was open in the middle, a sleeveless black T-shirt underneath, gloves, trousers, and boots. Noticing their arrival, Nolan closed his book, placed it on the short table beside him, and looked at them with a smile.

“How? Did you guys enjoy your vacation in this city?”

Arlen smiled broadly.

“Of course, it’s a shame you didn’t come with us Nolan.”

Nolan smiled.

“Sorry, but I have urgent business to attend to.”

Arlen nodded curiously.

Sometime later, they were on the balcony, enjoying the night view of the Ark-001 city while carrying drinks in their hands. Nolan's expression turned curious.

“Okay, first of all is the matter of territory. I would like to confirm your territory list.”

The others looked at each other with confused expressions. Grimor turned to Nolan with a doubtful expression.

“We don’t have anything like that, Nolan.”

The cloaked man replied.

“My organization doesn’t have one either, since our business isn’t going that way.”

Nolan’s expression turned curious, then nodded.

“Alright, let’s discuss our territory list later. Next question, let’s say you guys already had territory list. Do we should manage these territories together, or keep it separate between us?”

Arlen’s expression turned confused.

“I don’t really understand, but I believe in Grimor’s opinion.”

Rothur nodded.

“As vice-captain, I agree with Arlen’s suggestion.”

Arlen and Rothur looked at each other with a thumbs up and smiled. Grimor looked at the two with a deadpan expression and then turned to Nolan.

“For matters like that, I’ll entrust Nolan until we really understand how to manage it, because this means we’ll also get special authority for your territories, Nolan.”

The others appeared to agree and nodded. Nolan smiled and nodded.

“Alright, next is the territories’ management that we obtained with the S.E.A cooperation after its establishment. Should we appoint trusted persons for each territory?”

The others agreed. Nolan resumed speaking.

“Okay, next is….”

Nolan had not finished speaking; his words were stopped because warning sirens suddenly sounded all over the Ark-001 city.

The sirens startled Nolan and the others, as did the citizens in this city, who then quickened their pace. Nolan, Arlen, Grimor, Rothur, and the cloaked man’s touchscreen cell phones rang, and they then checked them. They got emergency messages with a female voice:

“There has been an attack. The citizens please take shelter in the place provided.”

This message also sounded on the cell phones of all the citizens of this city who opened it, causing everyone to panic and begin to jostle in several directions. Nolan got another call and immediately answered it. A man’s voice sounded on his cell phone.

“There was a sudden attack from Dzyranth’s and Titan’s on the battlecarrier starship number 54 captain.”

Nolan was shocked.

“Hold on, I’ll be right there.”

Nolan ended the call and turned to Rothur and the others. Nolan’s expression turned serious.

“There has been an attack from both Dzyranth’s and Titan’s side; I’ll be going first.”

Rothur and the others were surprised. Arlen’s expression turned serious.

“Let us help Nolan.”

Nolan was surprised, and his expression then turned serious.

“Thanks, your help is very much needed.”

Arlen and the others nodded. Nolan hurriedly walked away, followed by the others. They arrived at the common room; Nolan was greeted by some of the servants who appeared anxious about what was happening.

"What happened, captain?"

Nolan appeared to realize something.

“I'm in a hurry; you all immediately evacuate from here; military personnel will explain everything.”

The servants nodded and walked away. Nolan walked away with accelerated steps; Arlen, Grimor, Rothur, and the cloaked man quickly followed him. They talked to each other as they continued walking; Grimor’s expression turned astonished.

“How can Dzyranth and Titan attack at the same time?”

Nolan’s expression turned doubtful.

“I don’t know the details either, but fortunately, it was a battlecarrier that didn’t have a city inside it. Even so, second priority action must be taken immediately before the damage is extensive. We’re going to the hangar to board the starplane there.”

The others nodded in agreement. Rothur’s expression turned astonished.

“Second priority?”

Nolan nodded.

“Yes, for the top priority, of course, the citizens.”

Rothur was surprised; his expression then turned awkward.

“You’re right, Nolan.”

Nolan smiled.

They ran toward the elevator and entered it. Nolan pressed one of the control panel’s buttons, the elevator door closed and went up. They arrived at this skyscraper’s rooftop, with several pole towers. Nolan ran toward another elevator in the center of the rooftop, and the others followed him. Nolan entered this spacious elevator, followed by the others. The elevator door closed, and then it hovered up, surprising the others, who immediately tried to keep their balance momentarily. The elevator continued hovering up toward a large metal double sliding door on the city’s ceiling that opened and closed automatically as the elevator flew through it.