"They all know what our lineage practices. Our senior just can't receive arcane ascension.""It's because you're all too talented. Some people are afraid you'll gain an unfair advantage and ascend.""Don't just focus on us. I saw you fighting that lizard on the mountain just to catch some fish for her.""Our mentor told us to influence other creatures without using brute force. Don't let her see you behaving like that—I'm afraid she might follow your example.""We can't afford to be lazy either. Now that she's here, we need to work harder.""You're right. I've never liked the people from Mount Dracotigris. Why don't we confront them?""They wouldn't stand a chance if you got involved. But let's not be so harsh on the younger ones. And don't forget to keep your fortune-telling skills under wraps. Your bluntness has caused trouble before—why did you perform a divination on her marriage?""She rarely asks me for divinations. I was worried she might end up with someone unworthy of h
"It was my poor judgment that led me to take in a traitor to my sect," Brian said, his voice heavy with regret. "Because of my mistake, my apprentices and I have been trapped here for hundreds of years." Resentment flickered in his eyes, but he struggled to suppress it."I don't know where he learned the Decatorian Way," he continued. "You and I are both arcane seekers, so you must understand—the resentment lingers even after Decator energy dissipates. He deliberately stoked our bitterness to ensure an Earthbound Manifestation would form after our deaths."Aria regarded him intently. "I thought his manipulation of souls would reveal his motives to you. Wouldn't that realization free you from his control?""The plaque you carry plays a significant role," Brian admitted after a pause. "But that's only part of the reason. As you said, we can't let go of our resentment."His candid words made Aria lift her gaze."He knew exactly what we cared about—our regrets—and used them to provoke
"Kairos, how can you blame yourself for this? You've always protected us, and we grew up together. Who could have known he would suddenly change like that?""Kairos, don't blame yourself. It's my fault for not realizing he had ulterior motives for practicing the Decatorian Way."Brian glanced at Aria again. "If our dying wish is truly affecting the war, we would not rest in peace."The fortune tellers had descended the mountain to save the citizens. Yet, not only were their sects annihilated, but they were also used as catalysts for the Soul Manipulating Manifestation.Now, they had become fuel for the very manifestation they sought to prevent. If Aria were in their position, she, too, would be consumed by hatred. She wished she could kill the traitor herself."Miss, I believe I know what our regret is," Brian said softly, his gaze lingering on his peers."I have an apprentice, Marek Crespo. He's only five years old and a bit mischievous. I didn't tell him we were leaving the mou
Brian looked at Aria with earnest eyes. "What's done is done. He has borne this injustice for so many years. I humbly ask for your help to clear his name and bring the truth to light."Aria raised her eyebrows upon hearing that. "Clearing his name isn't a problem. The challenge lies in finding him. "Based on what you've said, he must have been ostracized by the other sects. Everyone believed him to be a murderer and wanted him dead. He must have concealed his identity—perhaps even changed his name. Without any clues, it will be difficult to track him down."She paused, then added thoughtfully, "Perhaps you can sense which sect he was originally from? That might help me narrow it down by age."Brian chuckled. "It's not as difficult as it seems. My apprentice joined our sect relatively late, so he never revealed his ordination name to the public."However, I assigned him one. It's a secret shared only between us. Knowing his determination, he'll find a way forward even if the other
Brian's eyes glistened with tears. "That's great! With the sect's seal and my handwritten letter, no one will dare to slander him."All my peers know he didn't join any sect because he wanted to return to Mount Mystic. Please, deliver this to him. It will only be useful in the present world; it has no value here."Aria nodded. "Okay."The fortune tellers gazed at her as though they were seeing the long-lost Marek through her.Aria understood their intentions and didn't shy away from their looks. Instead, she addressed them one by one."That's right. I was confused before. You're all my seniors," she said with a small laugh.The presence of laughter during the manifestation began to influence the effect of the Soul Manipulation Manifestation.Brian didn't hesitate. "We have no more unfulfilled wishes. All we hope for now is a safe and peaceful future for our country."As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and sat cross-legged in mid-air. He started chanting, preparin
"The Carver family? I thought we intercepted all their information!""It was handled by the man beside me—there's no way there could've been a mistake. Besides, I have my own people inside the Carver family.""You're right. Once we find the intruder, no matter who they are, they'll be dealt with permanently! This territory is under my control!"Morlock suddenly turned to Eddy. Eddy's face went pale, and his expression twisted in terror as Morlock's own features seemed to shift grotesquely, as though shared by two distinct entities.Frozen in fear, Eddy couldn't move a muscle. His wide eyes reflected pure panic."Have Colonel Krieg investigate anyone who might've infiltrated!" Morlock instructed. With a loud thud, Eddy fell to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he stumbled out of the room, trembling violently.Morlock added, "One look will tell him all he needs to know."The door slammed shut on its own, though there wasn't even a whisper of wind.…Meanwhile, Viktor conti
"Wait, this isn't right! We haven't boarded yet, and the only ones on the plane are Colonel Krieg and his adjutant. Why is it taking off?"Viktor listened to the panicked voices around him and suddenly pieced it together. "The enemy is on that fighter jet!"Indeed, it was Aria. With her skills, taking on an entire army alone might be a challenge, but handling three or four Krowonian soldiers—snipers or not—was no issue.The most difficult part of engaging a sniper was pinpointing their location. Luckily for Aria, her time as a sniper in the Special Ops team made this task a breeze.She was determined not to leave the Krowonian military camp without something to show for it. Taking a souvenir back seemed only fair.Taking out the leader would cripple the army. And if it came to negotiations, having a commanding officer as a prisoner would provide valuable leverage.But Aria wasn't causing this commotion without reason. She was baiting a certain fortune teller into revealing himsel
Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt were emotions that dwelled within all hearts.Before Aria stood the restless souls of the fallen, their pain echoing in a single question—why us?Had they not lived earnestly, without sin? Had they not protected their humble lives, harming no one and never defying the heavens? Why, then, were they denied even an intact corpse?They had honored their elders, labored like beasts of burden, and asked for nothing but the survival of their children. Was such a modest hope too much to ask?These questions, arising from the depths of the souls' torment, were maddening enough to unnerve even the strongest of wills.Evil spirits, as terrifying as they might be, paled in comparison to the fathomless cruelty of the human heart.In the Netherrealm, there was an ancient saying, "The Wail of the Damned". It spoke of souls lost in the deepest corners of the River of the Dead, unredeemed and forever restless. Their cries had been so piercing that e
Aliya had never heard of the Special Missions Unit until today. But after seeing Pedro's panicked reaction, it didn't take long for her to realize that this was a group with more authority than even her father.Still, some people lived so long in privilege that they convinced themselves they were untouchable. Logic no longer applied to them.Aria was done entertaining Aliya's ignorance. With a flick of her wrist, she signaled someone to silence her. Then, she turned to Aliya with icy disdain."Don't worry," Aria said. "I'll take you with me when I pay your father a visit. Then we can ask him together what his name truly means in this state."Her voice was calm but sharp."You seem to have forgotten that his power—any power—comes from the people. And now, you're using that power to treat their lives like currency. To buy yourself a life of superiority."She stepped closer. "Organ trafficking is illegal here. That's the crime we've confirmed so far. But don't worry. We'll find the
When Pedro heard that it was the Special Missions Unit, his forehead was covered in sweat immediately. Even his mind had gone blank. At that moment, all he could think about was how doomed they were!Others might not have heard of the unit before. However, as a state official, there was no way Pedro wouldn't know them. In fact, the Special Missions Unit was something they had no control over.Technically, the Special Missions Unit had way more clearance than they did. After all, they were in charge of big cases. Sometimes, they would even work with the special troops.The Special Missions Unit belonged to the country, and they were extremely mysterious. Even people with high clearance wouldn't know who they were in real life.Pedro only managed to find his voice after a long time. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, he chuckled awkwardly."Oh, this is all a misunderstanding. May I know who I am speaking to? I never expected the Special Missions Unit to be carrying out a missio
Aliya had never met Aria before, but this was the first time she'd seen a young woman more poised—and far more arrogant—than herself. That only fueled her rage. And the fact that Aria was stunningly beautiful didn't help either.Scoffing, she snapped, "Do you dare let us make our calls? Let's see if you still look so smug after that."The other wealthy attendees stiffened. None of them moved. With Aria in the room, they had the sinking feeling that calling in favors wouldn't end well.Aria merely tilted her head and smiled. "Of course," she said, then turned to her team. "Please hand this lady her phone. Let her make her call."The members of the Special Missions Unit didn't question her. They knew Aria well enough to understand what she was doing—she wanted the bigger fish. The call would be recorded, and with any luck, it would lead them straight to someone higher up the chain.Aliya was momentarily thrown off by Aria's easy agreement. But she quickly chalked it up to ignorance.
Aliya squinted at the unmasked man beside Aria. Now that his face was fully visible, something about him sparked a flicker of recognition. She lowered her gaze, trying to recall where she'd seen him before.Then a sharp gasp cut through the air."He's from the York family… Janovin's York family! Wait—was he Mr. Crow? Were they working together the whole time?"Even though they were all wealthy people, they weren't in the same ranks. No one dared to mess with the York family at all.If the circumstances were different, the arrogant, wealthy people from earlier would've tried to exchange contacts with Landon. That way, they could've partnered up in the future. However, with what had happened that day, those people were in a daze.Meanwhile, Aria knew those people still had no idea what was going on. So, she just removed her disguise and showed them who she really was.Aliya was stunned by what Aria had done. When she saw who the latter truly was, her gaze was filled with jealousy.
The wealthy clients that were left behind at the auction had connections to powerful people, and Dave didn't think Aria was capable enough to deal with every one of them. Although Farshya was well-developed, it had always been a country that focused on connections.Power meant everything, and Dave wanted to see how Aria and her team would deal with his guests. If he remembered correctly, Aliya was the daughter of a great leader in the state. She wanted a womb from a young lady because she wanted to have children.Before the clients got what they wanted, Aria had offended a lot of big shots. Dave thought about it for a second and hoped Aria would suffer as much as he did.Dave was right about one thing. Aliya wasn't anxious at all when someone infiltrated the auction and took control of the event. She was only stunned for a moment at first. Once everything had settled down, she calmed down and even looked a little proud."I suggest you talk to your leader first before deciding to cu
Dave had escaped, but just barely.He'd saved his life, nothing more. The documents he needed to destroy were still intact. Everything had gone completely off script.Every exit had been sealed. If he hadn't killed a villager and disguised himself with a spell, he would've died at the auction. He didn't receive any news about the ambush and was caught entirely off guard.He wasn't in Janovin, and security was that tight there. With his connections, he could've found out what was going to happen in advance. However, that wasn't the case at all.Slipping into a grimy back alley, Dave cursed his luck. Most of his men had been rounded up in the village. He could only hope a few had managed to slip through. But with sirens wailing in the distance, he knew hope was thin."Who the hell was that?" he muttered, wiping dirt off his face with a shaking hand. Normally a stickler for cleanliness, Dave was too rattled to care. "And where's the real Eden?"His mind snapped into action. The scho
Landon's sudden appearance wasn't just a coincidence. With Aria's intelligence, she would figure something out soon—he knew that. He hadn't planned on revealing himself like this. But something that belonged to him was here, and the demonic energy in this place… Aria couldn't face it alone.She studied him from head to toe, her hand still in his. His grip was firm, protective."There's a lot of mist ahead," he said quietly. "We'll need to tread carefully."Aria tilted her head. "You speak like you know this place well.""I do," Landon replied with a calm honesty. "I was deathly ill once. My soul wandered into a place just like this. Homer pulled me back."His voice made it sound like a distant memory, and Aria gave a soft laugh, tightening her hold on his hand. "You really are full of surprises. I guess it's true—handsome men are the most dangerous."But Aria's thoughts were racing. Why had he come after her like this, knowing it would reveal parts of himself he'd tried to keep h
Landon was still handling the stragglers behind Aria when he paused, his gaze flicking upward. Cameras were mounted in every corner—too many eyes. Vanishing without a trace wasn't an option.He glanced in Aria's direction, then lowered his head. His lips moved in a whisper, but the sounds were incomprehensible—something rhythmic, otherworldly. It was less like a speech and more like a chant—an exorcism.Meanwhile, Dave descended into the underground, calm and unrushed. That place reeked of foul energy, dense and suffocating. His master had cast a spell over it—one designed to kill anyone who dared to enter, no matter their strength. Dave wasn't afraid. He had more pressing priorities—destroying documents, erasing traces, minimizing damage.His bodyguard stayed close, watching for anyone who might try to stop them.Aria, moving swiftly, reached the lower floor—only to halt. Mist curled along the ground, thickening with every step. The air turned icy. And the corridor behind her…
"Why would there be people outside?" asked Dave. He had been disguising himself as a doctor for years, and that was the first time he looked so anxious. After all, if someone did approach their building, the villagers would have informed them about it. However, they received no news this time.Dave wondered what was going on."Dr. Dave, what should we do now? I think we're surrounded!"He was still in his coat as he slightly clenched his fists. "Let's move out. Bring the girls in the basement with us.""T-They're not in the basement."When Dave heard that, he looked furious. "What do you mean they're not in the basement?""Someone took them away, and I'm guessing it was her fault!" The bodyguard pointed at Aria, who was standing on the highest point, showing off her skills. With swift, lethal kicks and a taser turned weapon, no one dared get close.Whoever touched Aria would die, and no one dared to approach her at all.As for Landon, he still had his mask on as he stood behind