Irving''s sudden appearance caught the security manager and the Night des members off guard.


    The security manager was sent flying by a powerful kick from Irving, crashing into a load-bearing wall beforeing to a halt.


    Seeing this, the Night des members nking the security manager immediatelyunched an attack on Irving. One of them transformed into a ck mist, rapidly drifting towards Irving.


    Another Night des member began chanting a spell, causing red lights to appear in the room. These red lights quickly turned into fireballs, all aimed at Irving.


    Irving stood his ground against the Night des'' attack, showing no signs of retreat. He protected Vicky by shielding her behind him and used his own body to block the iing attacks.


    The fireballs mmed into the white light that surrounded Irving, a protective aura generated passively by the Taikoo me Pearl''s [Blessed by Light] shield. The Night des'' attacks couldn''t even prate this shield.


    Irving coldly observed the two attacking Night des members, then decisively drew out his most powerful staff, the [Evil Source Wand]. The moment the wand appeared, the entire room was enveloped in a dark shadow.


    Both Night des members felt an overwhelming sense of fear almost simultaneously. Realizing they couldn''t win, they attempted to flee as quickly as possible. However, Irving had no intention of letting them escape. He waved the [Evil Source Wand], and a dazzling light formed at its tip. In an instant, the two Night des members were reduced to ashes.


    In just a matter of seconds, Irving had eliminated the security manager''s two Night des aplices. The security manager, still unable to get up from the ground, watched in horror.


    Irving slowly approached the security manager, cing a foot on his head. "You damn traitor, I should have killed you the moment I saw you!" Irving snarled, pressing down harder.


    Although the security manager was not weak, he had been caughtpletely off guard and was now gravely injured.


    "If you want a quick death, you''d better tell me everything you know!" Irving demanded. He had no intention of killing the security manager outright; he needed information. Irving still hadn''t uncovered the full extent of the Night des'' ns.


    "What is the Night des'' specific operation? Besides the actions at Ocean Group headquarters, what other ns do they have?" Irving interrogated.


    The security manager offered no response, despite the intense pain. He merely red defiantly at Irving with hatred in his eyes.


    "It seems you don''t intend to answer any of my questions. In that case, there''s no need to keep you alive!" Irving dered, raising his staff once more. With a burst of intense light, the security manager was incinerated by the fireball spell Irving cast, reduced to nothing but ashes.


    Once all the enemies had been eliminated, Irving turned to look at Vicky. Her eyes were red, and tears clung to the corners of her eyes.


    Seeing Irving turn towards her, Vicky ran to him and embraced him tightly.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright. You''re safe now, no one can hurt you anymore," Irving reassured Vicky while also scanning the surroundings of the Ocean Group headquarters. He could sense that there were still other Night des members around, but he couldn''t leave Vicky alone until she had calmed down.


    After a while, Vicky''s emotions finally stabilized.


    "Thankfully, you came just in time. If you had been a momentter, I would have jumped out the window!" Vicky said, her eyes fixed firmly on Irving, her voice resolute.


    Irving understood why Vicky said this, and he gently rubbed her face.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll never let that happen. No matter where or when you''re in danger, I''ll always rush to save you."


    Irving''s words brought a faint smile to Vicky''s face. However, the smile quickly faded as she remembered something crucial. Joseph had told her before he left that he was going to find Donald.


    "Irving! We need to act quickly to rescue my grandfather! Joseph is already heading to where my grandpa is, and the Night des will surely be with him!"


    Hearing this, Irving nodded firmly. "Where exactly is your grandfather?"


    "He lives in a vi on the outskirts. Although there are many security personnel around him, they won''t be able to ensure his safety against the Night des."


    After confirming Donald''s location with Vicky, Irving rushed out of the Ocean Group headquarters with her.


    At the entrance of the building, they encountered Benjamin. He was there with his team, clearing out the Night des members around the headquarters.


    Although they had made some progress, there were simply too many Night des members. They couldn''t eliminate them all immediately.


    Upon seeing Vicky, Benjamin promptly asked, "President, are you alright?"


    Vicky shook her head. "I''m fine, thanks to Irving''s timely arrival! What''s the situation around here? Are there still Night des members near our headquarters?"


    "Yes, President! Although I''ve done my best, there are too many Night des members. I can''t eliminate all of them in a short time."


    Both Vicky and Irving understood Benjamin''s exnation.


    Irving then said to Benjamin, "We need to rescue Donald immediately! You don''t need to stay here at the Ocean Group headquarters any longer; there''s nothing left here worth defending."


    Irving felt it was too risky to go to Donald''s residence with only Vicky.


    So Irving decided to bring Benjamin along as well. Benjamin looked at Vicky, and when he saw her nod, he responded directly.


    "No problem, I can drive you both to the Chairman''s residence right now! But I don''t think you need to worry too much; the ce is heavily fortified."


    Benjamin was already aware that the security manager was a traitor. However, in his opinion, Donald''s residence was designed with meticulous security measures, which Donald himself had overseen. Even with Joseph''s assistance, the Night des would find it extremely difficult to breach the defenses.


    Irving and Vicky did notment on Benjamin''s reassurance. Vicky simply urged, "Regardless, we must get to my grandfather''s ce as quickly as possible!"


    With that, Benjamin drove Irving and Vicky to Donald''s residence in the outskirts of the City of Warding at top speed.


    Meanwhile, intense gunfire was erupting at the Smith family vi in the suburbs, where Donald had chosen to live in seclusion. The vi, built and fortified over the past decade, was designed for bothfort and security. Even in the face of an assault by Joseph and the Night des, the vi could hold out for a while.


    Donald was in his study, listening intently to the sounds of the battle outside. His face remained expressionless as he gazed out the window.


    "Chairman! The enemy''s strength is overwhelming; we can''t hold them off much longer! You need to find a way to escape to a safer location immediately!"


    A security officer burst into the study, frantically addressing Donald. The security officer abruptly burst into Donald''s study, addressing him with palpable anxiety. "The outside is engulfed in a barrage of gunfire. As a seasoned security professional, he understands that the current security resources are woefully inadequate to sustain a prolonged defense.


    If the Chairman remains, the situation will escte to an exceedingly perilous level. Therefore, the paramount priority is for the Chairman to initiate an immediate evacuation."


    Donald''s expression remained unchanged. He simply turned his head to nce at the security officer.


    "Why are you panicking like this? I taught you all that no matter what situation you face, you must remain calm! Even if the enemy breaches the outer defenses, we can still rely on the vi''s internal structure to continue the fight," Donald said firmly.


    Donald''s words indicated that he had no intention of leaving the vi easily. The security officer''s face grew even more anxious. If Donald were to die here, all the security personnel would face severe repercussions. They couldn''t bear the consequences.


    Whether Vicky took over Ocean Group or Joseph did, neither would spare the security personnel for failing to protect Donald.


    "Chairman, please don''t be stubborn! If something happens to you here, what will be of Ocean Group?" The security officer pleaded desperately.


    Donald smiled faintly at the question. "Vicky is already the President of Ocean Group. She has the capability to lead thepany forward, and I have great confidence in her."


    Just as Donald finished speaking, a voice he dreaded hearing echoed through the hallway.


    "It seems your n is doomed to fail. Your dear granddaughter is likely already dead at the hands of the Night des."


    Joseph appeared at the study doorway, smiling.


    Joseph''s presence caused immediate tension among the security personnel in the study. One of the guards quickly turned and charged at Joseph. However, before he could reach him, ck threads sliced through the air, cutting the guard into pieces.


    Donald''s most trusted security officer was killed right before his eyes. Donald''s cloudy eyes locked onto Joseph, burning with a desire to kill him with his gaze alone.