Inside the heart of this manifestation lay something powerful—something that belonged to Landon—the Soul-Summoning Plaque. This cursed artifact had once bound Landon, dragging him into the mountains and forcing him into a life of servitude, a mere plaything in someone else's hands."How could Landon forget its sinister pull and still venture near it? And what of Aria? Was she truly raised by her mentor only to have her soul offered to feed such a scheme?"While the crow stood in confusion, trying to piece together the unfolding events, Landon suddenly froze mid-movement.The black mist within the manifestation, which had been thickening ominously, abruptly ceased.Instead, it coiled around Aria, swirling slowly until it reached a complete standstill.Even the crow, experienced in such supernatural forces, was stunned by this sight.Then, from the dense fog, Aria's voice rang out, strong and defiant, "Because of these invaders! Because there will always be those who place power ab
"Didn't you say I'm just a Farsies, an experimental subject, no different from a lab rat?""Then let me experiment on you too, how about that?""Uncle Ryan, don't be afraid. Stupid, hold his legs.""His hands look delicious. I'll take care of those."Voices echoed one after another, mingling eerie laughter with sobbing cries.The Krowonian soldiers were paralyzed by fear; their mental states shattered. Scrambling backward in desperation, they clawed at the ground, their movements frantic and disordered.Some, gripped by blind terror, raised their guns—only to fire at their own comrades.When fear peaked, it turned humans into predators of their own kind.Amid the chaos, Aria didn't even spare them a glance. Her focus remained unyielding as she piloted the fighter jet higher. With a precise motion, she unleashed a missile aimed directly at the enemy's communications tower. The explosion severed their last means of escape.Seeing his forces crumble, Marlock clenched his tremblin
The once-arrogant Marlock lay sprawled on the ground, trampled underfoot by one soldier after another.Amid the chaos, a ragged figure crawled toward him, eyes locked on the emerald pendant hanging around Marlock's neck. He had clearly been observing from afar, waiting for his moment.After ensuring Marlock was lifeless, the man snatched the pendant and prepared to make his escape.But the "lifeless" Marlock suddenly opened his eyes in the very next second. Blood trickled from his eyes; his lips curled into a chilling smile. His hand shot up, gripping the thief's arm like a vice. The man froze as dark mist seeped into him, his eyes glazing over, life draining away.Only then did Marlock collapse backward, motionless once more.The thief, now holding the pendant, staggered to his feet, his expression twisted with malice—and a flicker of disgust. Yet, as he stumbled away, something felt wrong.An itch began to spread across his skin. His heart pounded erratically.…Meanwhile, an
Amidst the billowing smoke, the red flag flapped in the wind, looking particularly captivating. The four college students were also gazing at it, and they were all wearing peculiar expressions. Evander's heart was pounding like crazy. The country flag looked very different from its modern iteration, but Lionel could sense an inexplicable strength emanating from it. "It's an ally, Mr. Disher! She's communicating with us via sign language. It's our exclusive sign language, too!" Evander and Ingrid heard what the soldier said, and they were shocked. Who in the world was that young lady? How did she know about the earliest military sign language? It should've been a top classified information even in the 21st century. It wasn't their fault to be stunned, though. After all, the lady seemed very young, and she looked like a superstar. Considering the reality they were in, it was impossible to put this young lady and the military in the same picture, let alone fly a fighter jet."T
As the chief of staff, Lionel was shouldering immense pressure. Anyone who laid eyes on him would praise him for being a strategic mastermind. Lionel only had 30-odd soldiers in his company. However, he was able to hold out this place for this long. Not only did he buy time for the main force, but he also razed some of the enemy's rally points. The enemy force didn't dare to launch a large-scale assault. Instead, they relied on the fighter jets to carpet bomb the place. The reason for that was because the enemy force thought Lionel must've brought with him a huge army. After all, he attacked them in such a grandeur fashion. Naturally, he must've come fully prepared for him to do something this bold.It was all thanks to Lionel's deliberate actions. He might've been vastly outnumbered, but he carried the intimidating pride of his great nation. Lionel would never waiver when he faced the enemy. He even went to the mountains and shouted at the top of his lungs. That was when it g
People said that one couldn't fight destiny and that God had a plan. However, this wasn't true for the Farshyans; they made their own destinies.Aria approached Lionel, and there was respect and admiration in her eyes. On the other hand, Lionel was stunned when he saw her. "Did you pilot the fighter jet?"Aria nodded and opened the hatch to unload the cargo. The only inconvenience about the fighter jet was its space; she couldn't load a lot of stuff into it. It would've been much easier if she had a passenger plane instead. Lionel still couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Did you really capture the enemy's colonel?""Yeah!" Aria needed to be economical with the use of space in the fighter jet. So, Viktor was still tied up. He had just woken up, and his eyes widened in shock as he kicked both of his feet. Aria looked over a little, but she ignored Viktor for the most part. Instead, she dragged someone who was tied to the side."Yeah. Also, I brought something else over. We
The college students stood there, unsure of how they should have responded. Astrid wanted to say something, but her body immediately stiffened when Aria glanced at her. Lionel wore a smile on his face. He even came up with an explanation for them. "You must've worn a Krowonian traditional outfit to save yourself. I understand it. After all, we often wear disguises when we are doing reconnaissance. "It was just that we didn't speak Krowonian. So, we were constantly worried that we would be found out. You guys are better than us. You knew how to speak Krowonian, after all."This is great." Lionel was smiling a second ago, but his eyes suddenly reddened. He looked at Aria. "I can't believe my beloved country is doing this well in the future. Is this really happening?"Aria responded solemnly, "We are doing wonderful, and we owe it to all of you.""Looks like it's worth losing an ear, then!" Lionel threw his head back and laughed, his voice reverberating throughout the surrounding a
Aria wondered why Barron had lingering regret within the manifestation. Apart from the Carver family's protection, what else could there be?The reason the Carver family's ancestors protected this manifestation had something to do with Barron. So far, the only thing that Aria hadn't found was Barron's regret.Aria wondered if there was more to the newspaper, something that might reveal a connection to the Carver family.With that thought in mind, she spread out the youth paper.Apart from that letter, she wanted to find something that could link to the Carver family.She looked through the newspaper but still didn't find anything.Aria frowned. It seemed like she had hit a dead end.Lionel observed her staring intently at the newspaper and brought her drink, hoping she might take a moment to drink. Aria had made a great contribution, so he wanted to reward her.When he reached her, he saw her looking stunned, her eyes glued to Barron's picture in the newspaper. He broke the sil
There was no way Aria didn't know that the conviction was unfair. Furthermore, Percy specialized in handling economic cases. He knew there was no way Aria would be locked up so quickly. Yet, her crime had been publicly declared without prior warning. Percy was absolutely furious. He tugged his tie and declared the system was corrupted. While Fergus was also helping to find connections, Warren had just landed from Janovin.Clyde had sought out all sorts of connections, even his ex-colleagues in the education field.Fiona clenched his hands. "They promised to help Dad look into it." "They're just trying to fool Mr. Grisham Senior. Their higher-ups have already warned them about it." Nisa suddenly lowered her voice. "They're trying to make his health relapse again. If that happens, the Grisham family is done for."At this moment, a low voice sounded from the door. "So that's what happened. I was wondering why there was no progress with Aria's side after a whole day."It was Eamon.
Because Amos' arrest was part of a covert operation, the news didn't reach anyone outside the circle. That meant Durand remained completely unaware. He was still riding high on the thrill of his plan, blinded by the pleasure of watching the Grisham family fall.That night, he raised a glass of wine in early celebration, his mistress seated beside him. He didn't know that the move he'd made would become the greatest regret of his life.Elsewhere, Nisa couldn't bring herself to be as heartless. That was why, under the quiet cover of night, she made her way to the Grisham residence—not to see Clyde, but to speak with Fiona. She knew Clyde would shut her out immediately, but Fiona… Fiona might just listen.They weren't close. Not the way Fiona was with Priscilla. But they had once shared a few polite meals, floated in the same social circles. Enough to warrant a conversation—barely.When they sat down, Fiona's expression was cool, even distant. She hadn't forgotten the things Nisa had
Lucas could hear the pride in his mentor's voice for Aria. After all, his mentor had taken Aria in Southbury and even owed her his life. Lucas didn't dare to inform his mentor that Aria was being suppressed in the political world. He understood his mentor well. He was devoted to the country and couldn't stand such injustice.Therefore, Lucas didn't tell the truth to prevent his mentor from worrying. If someone with his position made a move, it would become a huge issue. That was why Lucas hid the truth from him. The former had to play along with the other politicians and endure them spouting empty promises. Before Lucas set out, his mentor stood on top of Old City and looked at the vast mountains. "Do whatever you need to, just like what you had done in Southbury. I'll be waiting for you and Aria's return at Janovin."These people didn't deserve his mercy at all!"You used your authority to disregard people's lives." It was the first time Lucas had shown his emotions so open
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno
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.