On the Dark Planet, members of the royal family were having lunch in the grand dining hall, a space steeped in classical Western architecture. The soaring vaulted ceiling was adorned with intricate carvings, while ancient reliefs ran along the black marble columns, adding a sense of majestic depth. Light from a massive crystal chandelier cascaded down in a cool glow, reflecting off the polished stone floor like a mirror. Deep crimson velvet drapes fell beside the tall arched windows, giving the hall an atmosphere both solemn and serene.

  On the table were the finest selections of a royal luncheon: Roasted venison glazed with red wine sauce, fragrant pan-seared lamb chops, smoked salmon served with black caviar, creamy truffle mushroom soup, crisp toasted bread with butter, aged cheese, and a fresh green salad tossed with olive oil and walnuts. Vintage wine was poured into delicate crystal glasses, shimmering with a faint violet hue beneath the light.

  Queen Seraphina noticed that Amanda had barely touched her food, her gaze distant as if lost in thought, and spoke gently:

  – “Is something troubling you, my dear?”

  Amanda gave a slight start, quickly composing herself:

  – “Your Majesty, I was only thinking about some family matters.”

  Princess Sophia calmly placed a portion of salad onto her plate, her tone composed:

  – “Your life with Victor seems quite stable lately. I assume what occupies your mind is not a financial concern.”

  Knowing she could hardly evade the perceptive eyes of the two royal ladies, Amanda swiftly searched for a reasonable explanation. Lowering her voice, she said:

  – “I… was thinking about children.”

  At that, Seraphina’s expression softened into a faint smile:

  – “So the two of you are considering an heir. For a moment, I feared something was amiss in your life together.”

  Outwardly, the conversation remained gentle and caring. Yet beneath the surface, both Seraphina and Sophia had already formed their own suspicions. As for Amanda, though she maintained her composure, unease stirred within her. If the truth were ever exposed, even her status as the Demon King’s granddaughter might not be enough to protect her.

  Across the table, Victor was facing a different kind of pressure.

  The gaze of Dominic — the royal-blooded Chief Secretary from the Queen’s side — rested on him, quiet yet sharp. A highly educated noble skilled in diplomacy, negotiation, and investigation, Dominic had never concealed his suspicion toward Victor since his first appearance at the royal wedding.

  And Victor… had never taken a liking to him either.

  To avoid raising suspicion, Amanda and Victor began eating naturally with their knives and forks. Victor occasionally glanced at Dominic, a flicker of barely concealed resentment in his eyes:

  – “Why does this old man keep targeting me? If he didn’t carry royal blood, he’d be far beneath me.”

  Standing behind the Queen, Dominic looked at Victor, one brow lifting slightly, his gaze cold with disdain:

  – “I despise most those who are poor yet unwilling to work, who only know how to set traps for princes and nobles to climb their way to the top… I look down on you, Victor.”

  Meanwhile, Amanda remained uneasy inside:

  – “I wonder if it managed to obtain the Black Core Energy this time. If the Queen and Princess discover it and report to the Sovereign, the only fate awaiting me would be eternal torment in the Abyss… I hope everything goes smoothly.”

  ***

  Back on Earth, night had already fallen. At the townhouse in District 3, dinner had ended. Everyone gathered in the living room, enjoying dessert with fresh fruits, mung bean sweet soup, fruit tea, and cream puffs.

  The little demons each held an oversized cup of bubble milk tea, laughing and chatting as they drank.

  Yin picked up a slice of crystal guava and turned to Anh Tú:

  – “Aren’t you afraid D?ng’s family will find out you followed us?”

  Anh Tú gently stirred his mung bean dessert:

  – “I said I was on a business trip. After all, I’m the director of a real estate company — traveling often isn’t unusual.”

  Lita took a sip of mulberry tea and smiled eagerly:

  – “When we meet them, I’ll just need a 1000-volt lightning strike.”

  Erion cast her a glance:

  – “We need them alive. If you do that, what’s left to interrogate?”

  Trang spoke thoughtfully:

  – “If we want to capture them alive, the only way is to freeze time… or…”

  Erion continued:

  – “Or freeze them. Conveniently, I can also teach you how to use Black Flame more effectively.”

  L?p Thành gave a wry smile:

  – “A 1000-volt lightning strike or freezing them — what difference does it make?”

  Arian laughed, shaking his head:

  – “We’re going to capture interplanetary criminals, not to show off your powers.”

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  Erion’s voice hardened:

  – “Should we fight with bare hands then, brother-in-law? They carry heavy weapons too. I was once a General commanding a mighty army on the Dark Planet, fighting in countless battles across the universe. I understand how these criminals operate.”

  Hearing this, Trúc Di?n shot him a sidelong glare:

  – “As if you’re the only one who knows how to fight. I am the Crown Prince of the Serpent Clan — I’ve led troops through many battles myself.”

  Erion’s tone tightened:

  – “Your operations were confined to Bích Th?y Kim Tinh — nowhere near as vast as mine.”

  The whole room burst into laughter. H?ng Nhung covered her mouth, giggling, while Arian let out a sigh like a departing train:

  – “Here we go again.”

  At D?ng’s villa, everyone gathered in the living room, watching TV while having a late-night snack of plain porridge with salted eggs.

  C?u D?ng glanced toward the gate, his voice slightly impatient:

  – “It’s late already, and Tú still isn’t back. The other two aren’t here either.”

  Anh ?ào took a spoonful of porridge and turned to Anh Ph??ng:

  – “Do you know where your two friends went? Did they tell you?”

  Anh Ph??ng reached for half a salted egg:

  – “They said they were going shopping and sightseeing or something. Let them be. Didn’t my brother tell his wife where he was going?”

  Anh ?ào replied indifferently:

  – “My husband said he went home to visit his parents.”

  Hearing this, C?u D?ng frowned in disapproval:

  – “Those are your in-laws, yet you sound so indifferent. You should arrange a visit to see them sometime.”

  Anh Th?, still tapping on her phone, spoke up:

  – “Tomorrow Huy starts working at his new place, so in the evenings he’ll only come home for dinner before working until morning.”

  Huy clarified his schedule to his in-laws:

  – “Yes, I’ll be working from midnight to 8 a.m. As for my previous job, I’ve asked to shift it to 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.”

  M? Linh cast him a sidelong glance:

  – “From midnight to 8 a.m.? What kind of work is that?”

  Huy quickly explained:

  – “I mentioned it before — I work as a fruit sorting staff member.”

  C?u D?ng shook his head slightly:

  – “Whatever he does is fine, as long as he brings money home. You keep asking the same thing.”

  At that moment, Dì T? came up from the kitchen and spoke:

  – “Sir, ma’am, I’d like to ask for a few days off tomorrow afternoon to return to my hometown for my niece’s wedding. She’s been calling to invite me these past few days. I’ve already cleaned the house thoroughly.”

  C?u D?ng agreed immediately:

  – “Of course. You’re very responsible in your work. Go attend your niece’s wedding — I’ll send a small monetary gift.”

  Dì T? waved her hands:

  – “Thank you, sir and ma’am. I feel embarrassed.”

  M? Linh deliberately put on a show in front of Huy:

  – “It’s nothing, sister. We consider you family — please accept it, don’t be shy.”

  A new day begins.

  Saigon in the early morning is filled with gentle sunlight. The sky is crystal clear as the golden rays of dawn slip through towering buildings, reflecting onto streets still touched by traces of night mist. The cool air carries a hint of warmth — a sign of a beautiful day ahead.

  At the Gothic villa, everyone is busy preparing for tonight’s journey. Din checks electronic devices like laptops and power banks:

  – “We’re using the spatial gate tonight, right, General?”

  Erion studies a 3D terrain map transmitted from satellite on his laptop and replies:

  – “We’ll travel normally. Once we arrive, we’ll use the spatial gate instead of climbing the mountain manually.”

  The little demons take the chance to gather dry food and canned goods into cardboard boxes. One of them, stacking paté cans and sandwich bread, mutters:

  – “The General is cheating.”

  Erion growls:

  – “Then fly up to the mountain peak yourselves. Don’t hitch a ride through my spatial gate.”

  Trang prepares flashlights and helmets, speaking gently:

  – “We need to arrive early to set up an ambush.”

  Din looks at the helmets in confusion:

  – “Why did Your Highness bring helmets?”

  Trang smiles:

  – “I’m cautious by nature — just preparing in advance for everyone.”

  At a luxury apartment, the members of the Serpent Clan are also preparing urgently.

  L?p Thành arranges a medical kit with bandages, antiseptics, painkillers, anti-allergy medicine, insect bite treatment, medical scissors, sterile gloves, and heat packs.

  H?u K? checks equipment and laptops while ??i Ng?c and Nh? Phu prepare warm jackets, wool hats, scarves, and climbing boots.

  While checking the tracking devices, H?u K? reminds:

  – “Choose thicker coats.”

  Nh? Phu replies while folding a scarf:

  – “Of course. Our Serpent Clan can’t tolerate extreme cold, so we must stay well insulated.”

  ***

  At a street house in District 3, the brothers V?nh and Trúc Di?n are also hurrying with preparations.

  Master V?nh arranges magical tools — a feng shui compass, demon-revealing glasses, a Bagua mirror, sealing talismans, ritual bells, and command charms — into a small wooden box.

  While preparing thick sweaters, coats, and scarves, Trúc Di?n says:

  – “That brother-in-law is definitely going to cause trouble again.”

  Master V?nh replies while still organizing:

  – “When have the two of you ever met without arguing? But make sure to keep yourself warm — your movement techniques can’t handle extreme cold. Bring acupuncture needles too, just in case.”

  At the Qing-style villa in District 9 — Bình Chánh headquarters — Anh Tú, Professor Charles, and two apprentice witches are also quietly preparing for the dangerous journey ahead.

  On the dark planet, the sky slowly returned to its familiar shade of black.

  Inside the Royal Palace, deep beneath the underground level — where the spatial gate connecting the two worlds was located — existed a near-perfect contrast.

  On the surface, from the palace to the most distant villages, everything carried a strong ancient European aesthetic. Dark stone towers rose through black mist, high domes intricately carved, and long corridors lined with antique lanterns casting a warm golden glow. Nobles in velvet, silk, and ceremonial armor moved gracefully along stone-paved paths, forming a world of stillness, dignity, and timeless stability.

  But the moment one stepped through the underground spatial gate, the entire scenery reversed.

  On the other side lay a radiant futuristic metropolis. Massive metallic skyscrapers stretched upward into the spatial ceiling, their surfaces coursing with streams of blue energy like living veins. Cold light emanated from aerial traffic lanes, where flying vehicles glided smoothly along invisible paths shaped by magnetic fields.

  Further beyond were advanced technological complexes: Silent nuclear energy reactors, brightly lit spacecraft and missile manufacturing centers, and robot production lines operating with such precision that they seemed almost devoid of life.

  One side was a world of tradition, ritual, and ancient authority.

  The other was the future of technology, energy, and absolute control.

  Two civilizations coexisted… separated by only a single gate.

  Within that space, a cloaked figure appeared. The hood concealed the face completely, and the small frame moved so lightly it almost blended into the darkness.

  The shadow slipped past the sweep of standard surveillance cameras with ease… but could not entirely evade the infrared monitoring layer.

  After only a short distance, he paused:

  – “No guards on duty again today… but that makes things easier. I must take the black core energy and leave as soon as possible. If I’m discovered, it’s over.”

  With that, the shadow continued forward. Each movement remained swift yet nearly silent, avoiding every densely placed alarm sensor.

  He stopped before a chamber encased in thick solid steel.

  A mist-like chill seeped from within… yet the outer metal surface remained completely dry, without frost or condensation.

  Inside was where the processed black core energy was stored.

  A liquid energy resembling mercury, bearing an absolute pitch-black hue. Each portion was measured at the microgram level and sealed within transparent crystal-like spheres.

  But this was no ordinary glass.

  It was metallic glass — Amorphous Metal — a material with a non-crystalline structure, formed from atoms of varying sizes such as Palladium, Zirconium, Copper, and Aluminum.

  Because it lacks a crystal lattice, the atoms have no planes to slide under stress. As a result, this material possesses strength far beyond steel and titanium, high elasticity, and near-perfect corrosion resistance — making it the ideal containment for black core energy.

  Without hesitation, the shadow swiftly took one sphere containing the core energy…

  And immediately left the chamber in silence.