Nick and his employees approached the two guards in front of the bridge calmly.
The two people at the entrance of the bridge had already noticed them, and when they saw the black body on Nick's shoulders, their eyebrows rose in surprise.
"You got another one already?" one of them asked in surprise.
Nick nodded. "I was lucky," he said as he dumped the black body onto the ground.
The two guards looked with interest at the body.
"What does the Specter do?" one of the guards asked.
"Nothing related to mentality," Nick said. "It's only physically dangerous, and the Zephyx Suppressors around it are still active."
Naturally, Nick was telling them that he wanted to pass and that there were no issues.
One of the guards looked at the Zephyx Suppressors around the Specter. "How strong is it?"
"Adolescent," Nick said. "Between Mid and Peak."
The two guards still looked with surprise at the Specter.
It wasn't that they were surprised that there was a Specter but that Nick managed to catch two in less than two hours from each other.
He had to be insanely lucky!
"Alright, everything checks out," one of the guards said, gesturing towards the bridge with his head. "You can go."
Nick grabbed the Specter and put it over his shoulders again. "Thanks," he said before he walked to the bridge.
"You're not getting a third one today, are you?" one of the guards asked.
"If I go outside again, I will not return alive," Nick said.
The two guards knew what Nick meant.
They used to work for other Manufacturers, and they knew about the hidden conflict.
"Understandable," the guard said.
Nick and his employees walked across the bridge.
When the guards guarding the inside entrance saw the Specter, their eyebrows rose in surprise.
Dark Dream got a Specter?
Naturally, every Manufacturer in the city would know about Dark Dream's new Specter within the hour.
"We're done for today," Nick told his team when they arrived in front of Dark Dream. "Good work. I expect you back at work in two days."
The four people relaxed noticeably.
They had been quite nervous during the entire excursion since any person could have died out there.
And their fear had not been unfounded.
After all, Petra had nearly died, and they had also been spotted by Anatomy near the end.
Luckily, they got what they wanted.
Two Specters!
"Thank you, Boss," Clayton said with his dark voice.
"I'm the one that should thank you," Nick said neutrally.
"Big guy! Let's grab a drink!" Jason shouted with laughter as he grabbed Clayton's shoulder.
Clayton looked at Jason, and his serious expression relaxed a bit. "It's been a while," he said.
"I know!" Jason shouted.
Then, he turned to Petra. "Hey, you also wanna come?"
Petra looked at Jason and thought for a bit.
"Of course, just give me a small moment," she said.
Then, she turned to Nick with a very serious expression.
"Boss, you've saved my life," she said. "Thank you so much! I will repay you someday!"
"No thanks necessary," Nick said. "Our agreement was that you would be bait and that I would protect you. I simply did what was expected of me."
A relaxed smile appeared on Petra's face. "Yes, but it still means a lot to me. Not many people would have charged into the darkness to save me. Please, just let me thank you."
Nick looked at Petra, and an uncomfortable expression appeared on his face. "Okay, sure."
Clayton and Jason looked with shock at Nick's expression.
Their stone-faced and serious Boss could also have this kind of expression?
When Petra saw Nick's face, she smiled brightly. "Thank you," she repeated.
Nick awkwardly nodded, and Petra walked over to Jason and Clayton.
Jason shook his head to recover. "Drinking time!"
Then, he took the lead and walked right toward the Inner City.
Clayton looked at Petra and gestured to Jason.
"Oh, right," Jason shouted as he turned around while walking away. "See you in two days, Jenny!"
Jenny just smiled. "Have fun! See you soon!"
Petra and Clayton also said their goodbyes before leaving for the Inner City.
Nick just looked after them as they were leaving.
"You did well today," Jenny told Nick.
Nick didn't say anything since his mind was occupied with something else right now.
Jenny looked at Nick with an uncertain expression.
"I'll go talk to Taren and see if everything's alright. See you later, okay?" she said as she approached Dark Dream's entrance.
"Sure, good work," Nick said absentmindedly.
When Jenny had seen Nick's uncertain expression earlier, it was like she had been transported to the past.
Back then, Nick had had this expression on his face every day.
He had always been so unsure and lively.
But over the years, he just became quieter and quieter, and two years ago, when that thing with the Crimson Sea happened, he changed even more.
Jenny wasn't sure if she had heard Nick's genuine laughter within the last two years.
She also knew that Nick didn't even own a home or house.
He was literally inside Dark Dream all the time, only working.
Did he even have hobbies?
Did he have friends?
It didn't seem like it.
Jenny remembered the early days of Dark Dream with fondness.
They weren't rich, but it had felt quite intimate and warm with just Wyntor, Nick, Trevor, and herself.
Sadly, things were different now.
Trevor and Wyntor were dead.
All the employees they had gained from Cycle were dead.
Except for Nick, Jenny was now the employee who had been with the company the longest, and it wasn't even close.
Thinking about the past put Jenny in a melancholic mood.
But then, she perked up again.
Sure, Wyntor and Trevor were dead, but the people who replaced them were just as great!
While Taren seemed much more driven and hungry for acknowledgment than Trevor, it was easy to get along with him, and he also inspired confidence in others.
And Wyntor's successor was even better!
Julian was Jenny's best friend, and even though they were now boss and employee, their friendship was doing just as great as before.
Maybe even better!