Master Healer lowered his voice and said, "I've begun the experiments. I'll see to it that no one can withstand the virus this time."Specter gave him a thumbs-up on the other side of the phone. "It's good that you think this way. Operation Shadow will officially commence the moment your work is completed.""Alright."Then, the call ended.As long as the plan had a strong start, the rest of it would go on without a hitch. Specter already could picture the crushing blow that awaited Farshya.At the same time, Hammer's operations team was preparing for the "accidents" on the other side of the city. With Farshya's map in his hand, he led his team as they tried to identify the areas with traffic peaks, unaware that the Special Missions Unit was watching their every move. Zane, the Special Missions Unit's captain, was hiding when he saw Hammer's team acting all nervous and jumpy. Taking his walkie-talkie out, he said, "Falcon, walk past them and see if they have a map in their hands.
At this point, Suncrest Sect was utterly humiliated. If they actually apologized to a Hollowlight Sect arcane practitioner in public, they would cease to be the world's leading virtuous sect. If word ever got out about it, their reputation would be irreparably damaged. That said, Sylas always had a contingency plan. Gazing at Aria, he asked, "He might be clean, but what about you? As someone with an unassuming spiritual foundation, your power has seen a drastic change in just a few days. "What could've happened to you to justify such a growth in arcane?"As it turned out, everything had led to this very moment. This was his endgame all along. Aria raised an eyebrow, but Thayne acted faster than she could. "That's enough." He walked over, meeting Sylas' gaze. "I know better than anyone how powerful my apprentice is. The so-called spiritual foundation is nothing more than a flashy term defined by the virtuous sects. "An extraordinary spiritual foundation was never a prerequi
Aria noticed Sylas pointing his spear at Landon. Without a word, she sprang into action, cutting him off and meeting his gaze firmly. "I am surprised at how invested the grandmasters of Suncrest Sect are in my private life. Mr. Strickland, here I am, thinking that you care only about the matters of the world, but you're actually participating in daily, mundane gossip."Aria's words effortlessly ticked off the arcane practitioners of Suncrest Sect. She wouldn't have been this bold and unapologetic normally, but she had to protect Landon this time. To be fair, it was difficult to explain how Landon became a grown-up overnight, and she didn't have a clue what identity he had in this life. If logic prevailed, he was probably some sort of high-ranking Shadowlord. That would explain why the evil beings shakily kneeled before him and wanted nothing but to get as far away from him as possible in Hollowground. Ever since they entered Willowstead, however, Aria had come to realize that
Tobias immediately opened the door, only to see a man in black vanishing into the distance, leaving behind a single piece of paper. He bent down, picked it up, and shut the door before slowly unfolding the paper to read its contents."Very few can activate the Divine Sight now. I'm honored to have found a worthy opponent. Oh, and your friend Homer—if we ever clash again, make sure you destroy the Sacrificial Offering Manifestation. Otherwise, we may never meet again. Haha!"When Homer noticed the displeasure on Tobias' face, he glanced at the note. "He came to provoke us? Does he really think we're pushovers?"Tobias furrowed his brows and responded after a moment's thought. "The fact that he dared to leave this message means he's hidden the manifestation's core well. This isn't the tone of an ordinary person."And you're just one step away from becoming an Arcane High Priest. He must be very confident."Homer's gaze shifted. "Did you forcefully activate the Divine Eye after I l
The four of them fell silent after hearing Veric's question. It was a difficult one to answer.Veric, however, didn't seem to notice their hesitation. "What is it? Why aren't you saying anything? Don't feel burdened. We all know how dangerous Willowstead is. The fact that you made it back alive is impressive enough."Shandon was rendered speechless. It wasn't about being burdened. They were simply at a loss. Should they say that Chase had gone mad? Or that an apprentice from the Suncrest Sect had abandoned their teammates and betrayed them?Just as the four were gathering the courage to respond, Aria emerged from the teleportation manifestation.She had intended to meet Philip's mentor as soon as possible. Logically, once the Willowstead Manifestation was destroyed, he would lose his source of nourishment and worship. Desperate, he would need to find a new vessel to house his decaying soul.Of course, Aria didn't believe that Willowstead was his only source of power. He must've ha
With Zane's command, everyone began to pick their locations. They couldn't afford to let their guard down—Farshya was at stake.Initially, Zane had been suspicious of the map. If it were a decoy planted by their enemies, the consequences could be catastrophic. Still, he chose to trust Aria.After watching his team disperse, Zane pulled out his phone and dialed the number Aria had written in the note. A steady voice soon answered, "This is Lucas Murray speaking."Zane replied, "Hello. I'm one of Ms. Carver's subordinates."Lucas paused. "Ms. Carver? Do you mean Aria?""Yes," Zane said quietly. "She gave me your number and told me to call you if anything serious happened."Lucas' expression turned grave. He knew this wasn't a casual call. "What's going on?"Zane quickly explained the situation, including the pouch Aria had left behind.Lucas' tone sharpened. "Aria's arrangements seem sound, but there are broader issues we need to consider. If this is the beginning of an attack on