Meanwhile, Horace was getting a bit too excited. "Eden, stay there and don’t move! Eden, hide in the grass!"He was shouting the entire game.Most likely because Eden had been goofing around the whole time.Horace's heart was about to break.When the boss finally appeared, Horace gave up on Eden and went straight to fight it.Horace and Ryan were both at Glory Rank, while Alain’s account was at King of Glory 50 Stars, which was very high. That made the boss’s level much higher and especially tough to beat.They fought the boss together, but it was still a challenge.As the fight neared its end, with the boss down to only 5% health, Horace shrugged. "Looks like we can’t take this boss down."Just then, Eden’s finger moved quickly. With only two seconds left, she pulled out a Sword of Bloody Tears from her inventory, used her skill, and the boss’s health dropped to zero, dropping a Lazuli Fan.Horace was speechless.Ryan was stunned.Even their own teammates were at a loss for
In the last three games, Eden held back her skills and played normally.Since the bosses didn’t drop any great equipment, Horace and Ryan lost interest and decided to stop playing.Horace was starting to get bored and was about to suggest they do something else when the security guard interrupted."Mr. Ward, an elderly gentleman named Noah says he's here to see Ms. Griffith," the guard said respectfully.Before Alain could respond, Eden had already stood up and said, "Tell him to wait there. I’ll go get him."Alain raised an eyebrow. It was rare for someone to visit her in Skygarden, and even rarer for her to personally greet them at the gate.When Eden reached the gate, she saw Noah standing there with a bent back and a bag in his hand.Eden quickly walked over, took the bag from him, and asked, "What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to stay at home?"Noah had planned to return to the country earlier, but issues along the way had delayed him.When Sofia passed away, Eden
"I... Well..." Horace felt his dignity slipping away once more.Had he ever crossed Eden's teacher?Why did it seem like Noah had a grudge against him?Noah ignored Horace and Caelus, promptly plopping down on the sofa."I'm hungry," he declared."I'll have the chef send something over," Alain said, reaching for his mobile to call his personal chef.But before Alain could make the call, Noah pointed at him and said, "You cook for me."Alain was momentarily stunned but quickly replied with a smile, "Sure, just a moment. It’ll be ready soon!"Before heading into the kitchen, Alain told Eden, "Take good care of him."Horace and Caelus could only watch in stunned silence.This was insane.To think they’d see someone ordering Alain around like that, aside from Eden.And Alain wasn’t just accepting it; he actually complied without a hint of frustration.What on earth…Were their eyes deceiving them?Horace was so taken aback that he turned to Eden and said, "I... I have someth
In the afternoon, Quin returned to Skygarden.She immediately ran into Noah as soon as she stepped through the door.Noah gave Quin a once-over, hands on his hips, and asked, "Who are you?"Quin frowned. "Who are you? And why are you in Alain's home?""First-name basis?"Hearing that, Noah was instantly infuriated. "Alain! Get down here right this instant, you brat!"Alain, who was upstairs on a call, quickly ran down when he heard Noah's voice.Eden came down as well when she heard the commotion."Sir..."Before Alain could say anything, Noah pointed at him angrily. "Is this it, boy? You're bullying my student right in front of me? Do you really think I can't do anything to you just because I'm old?""Is there a misunderstanding?" Alain asked calmly.He would never dare bully Eden. If anything, he was more concerned about her bullying him."Misunderstanding?" Noah retorted, eyes wide as he pointed at Quin. "Then who is she? Why did you let a young woman move into your home
Eden couldn’t be bothered to expose Noah's lies, so they both headed to the kitchen.Once there, she resumed her experiment, using the Bloodgod Herb as a reagent to create a cure for Heartgorger, though it was far from perfected.Both Jerred and Sofia had been infected with Heartgorger, but Jerred’s condition was far more severe. The rapid onset was due to the strength of the infection, and the only reason he had survived this long was thanks to specialized drugs Sulien had taken from the research institute and the needling done by Eden.Though Jerred wasn’t in immediate danger, curing him was no simple task.Eden had already formulated three potential cures, but they were all ineffective. She didn’t have much Bloodgod Herb left, and experimenting with Jerred’s life was not an option.Noah examined the cure Eden had created, sniffing it and observing it for a long time before frowning. "Yes, something's wrong. But I can't pinpoint what exactly."He put down the cure, deep in thou
The next day.Alain got up early to make breakfast just as the sun began to rise.It was clear Noah was testing him. Otherwise, Alain would be enjoying a meal prepared by his personal chef instead of having to cook himself.He could only marry Eden if Noah's appetite was satisfied.For the past two days, Eden had been completely focused on creating the cure for Heartgorger. Her insomnia had also eased. Alain only went to bed after she did last night, and she slept well.When Eden got up, she headed straight to the kitchen, already knowing Alain would be up early to cook.The meals he prepared were usually on the lighter side, just right for Noah.As usual, Noah woke up early, drawn by the aroma of breakfast.Quin had also woken up and heard activity in the kitchen. When she reached the door, she froze.Alain was cooking personally?For that poor girl from the countryside?No!Quin couldn't accept that the god-like figure in her heart was cooking for another woman while wear
The last time Eden and Alain were at the Parkers', Eden realized that Noah might not be an ordinary person. At the very least, during the era when the Parkers were in power, Noah was someone they had to show respect to.The Johnson family only rose to prominence after the Parkers' fell. While the Parkers were no longer as glorious as they once were, their reputation still surpassed that of the Johnsons. It was no surprise that Noah had no regard for them."How... how can you talk about my grandfather like that? You're..." Quin pointed her finger at Noah, tears welling up in her eyes as she gritted her teeth. "So rude!""Haha!" Noah burst out laughing. "I've lived a long time, and this is the first time someone’s called me rude. Girl, go ask your grandfather if he dares to say that to my face.""You..." Quin was so furious that her face turned red, but she couldn’t find the words to respond.She wasn’t foolish—she knew that Noah and her grandfather were acquainted.If Noah was ind
What Talia did shocked the entire class.Everyone watched as Talia calmly walked back to her seat and sat down as if nothing had happened.Confusion was written on all their faces.Was this really the same Talia who never fought back, no matter how much she was hit or yelled at?Why did she suddenly become someone else?Daliah climbed to her feet, face red with anger, and pointed at Talia, ready to curse her out. But the moment her eyes met Talia's fierce gaze, she instantly backed down.She didn’t dare say another word and quietly returned to her seat.Jessica observed for a moment before walking over to Talia and asking, "What happened to you?"Talia's demeanor softened when she spoke to Jessica. She turned to her with a smile and said, "Maybe I’ve always been like this, and you just never noticed."With that, she looked back down at her book and continued reading.Jessica eyed her suspiciously for a few moments but said nothing more.Eden and Quin went to Class 3-18 and s
Eden had never seen this scarlet rock before. It looked like it had been scorched red by fire, but it felt cold to the touch.She was immediately drawn to it, even though she didn’t think much of it as she picked it up.At first, she thought it might be something unpleasant. But as soon as she touched the rock, a surge of limitless energy flowed into her body, making her realize that her power had reached a new level.Alain finally snapped back to reality, pulling Eden into his arms and patting her head. His voice was rough as he said, “Can you please avoid doing things that make me worry like this?”Eden was taken aback. She had only picked up a rock. What was he so worried about?Then she realized that Alain and Horace had probably seen the mist enter her body.“Alright. I’ll let you know what I’m doing next time.”Only then did Alain seem to relax.He looked at the rock in Eden’s hand and said, “This is called a Styx Rock. An old man gave it to me a few years ago after I sav
The last time Horace was kidnapped, Eden did everything she could to save him.Caelus had been with her for a long time and followed her every command. She wouldn’t just let him die.The two of them had just left the entrance when Horace came rushing over.“I heard Eden is awake. Let me see her!”Horace had been outside organizing the search for the murderer. When he heard Eden was awake, he left everything and came straight over.He treated Eden like a younger sister, so of course, he wanted to visit her now that she was awake.“Yes, I’m awake,” Eden said with a gentle glance at Horace. Then, she gave a slow, meaningful smile as she curled her lips. “I’m going to save Caelus. Come with me.”Horace suddenly shuddered.She turned to Alain. “What’s with her? Why did she smile so frighteningly?”Alain didn’t respond and got into the car.Horace followed them without delay.Caelus had been in the ice coffin for three days, and his body was already starting to deteriorate.Eden
Eden had just walked out of the room when Sinead arrived.“You’re finally awake. I’ve been so worried about you,” Sinead said, taking Eden’s hand. She then checked Eden’s forehead and pinched her face. Once she was sure Eden didn’t have a fever, she finally relaxed.“I’m really sorry for making you worry,” Eden said, her usual shyness showing.“No need to apologize,” Sinead replied. “If it weren’t for you trying to save us, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt so badly. I’ve been feeling guilty about it, so don’t say anything that’ll make me feel worse, okay?”Sinead glanced around at the nurses in the villa, knowing Alain had recruited them recently. “I know these nurses have been carefully selected, but they can’t compare to me taking care of you myself. Why don’t you come back with me? I’ll look after you personally and make sure you get all the nourishment you need.”“Alright,” Eden agreed immediately.Alain, who was behind Eden, could only watch silently.It seemed he had definite
“I… I wouldn’t dare,” the young nurse said, taking a few steps back, visibly trembling.Eden looked up at her. It was clear that the nurse was frightened, though she was trying to hide it.“What’s your name?” Eden asked as she ate the oats, which tasted fresh and just right.“My… My name is Gem. Gem Scarlet,” the nurse replied, her eyes fixed on the floor, avoiding Eden’s gaze.“How old are you?” Eden inquired. Though she was only slightly older than Gem, she exuded a calm, dependable demeanor.“Eighteen,” Gem answered quietly.Eden stroked her chin, observing Gem. “Do you stutter?”“Huh?” Gem looked up in surprise. “No.”Eden continued eating. “Are you afraid of me?”Gem seemed too stunned to stutter anymore and nodded instinctively. “Yes.”But she quickly corrected herself. “No… I… I’m not afraid of you…”Gem’s eyes filled with tears, and she struggled to hold them back.She bit her lip and, with her head lowered, explained, “It’s… It’s Mr. Brooks. He said you have a bad
Even though Hades was known as the king of all Banevermins, it wasn’t always active. Once the person implanted with Hades had consumed enough blood, Hades would fall into a deep slumber.He had just committed several murders, which meant that Hades had been fully fed and wouldn’t be triggered again anytime soon.Eden figured the reason for his sudden activity was that he was searching for a safer place to hide.“The Johnsons?” Liam repeated thoughtfully. “Since Alain is investigating them, and so are you, did they really do something they’re trying to keep hidden from outsiders?”Eden considered this and then decided to share the truth with Liam. “Have you ever heard of the Shamblers?”“Shamblers? One of the kids at the Agency was reading a horror novel a few days ago, and I overheard them mention it…” Liam said, pausing as he stood up suddenly. “Wait, are you saying the things in those novels are real?”Eden thought about it and nodded slightly. “Not entirely, but it’s not too f
Liam was genuinely impressed with Eden’s progress.If his own children had achieved as much, he’d be able to die happy.Eden, however, had a headache.She already knew about it.When Alain told Horace, she was in the same room and overheard it. She was unsure whether to tell Alain or not, wondering if he could accept the world she was part of.The world where the war would take place.After thinking it over, she finally said, “I’ll take it.”“Alright, I’ll send the reply.”Just before hanging up, Liam remembered something. “You’re in Estburg finishing your senior year, right? Almost ready to graduate?”“Yeah.”“With how smart you are, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting into a good university. Have you thought about studying in Rielton? We could grab coffee when we’re both free.”Eden replied indifferently, “The Agency must have a lot of free time these days, huh?”“Well, not exactly. I’m working on something pretty complicated and staying busy, but I’m making time to c
Eden massaged her head, glancing at all the nurses surrounding her.They watched her anxiously, afraid they might upset her.“All of you can leave. I don’t need everyone here,” she said, irritated by the crowd.As soon as the nurses heard her, they began to cry. “Did we do something wrong? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Please don’t fire us!”"That's right. Mr. Ward warned us that if we make you unhappy, he’ll kill us.”“We don’t want to die; please let us stay.”Eden froze, then muttered under her breath, “Darn it.”Was Alain out of his mind?Since when did he become so ruthless?Eden lowered her gaze, feeling the tension rise in the room. She glanced at the nurses, who were now kneeling in front of her, sobbing.Frustrated by the crowd, she said, “Just go. Alain won’t kill you.”Turning to Sulien, she instructed, “Pay them five times their salary and send them away.”Sulien, once obedient only to Alain, now followed Eden’s lead. Without hesitation, he paid the nurses as she as
Alain rarely mobilized his organization, and it was even more unusual for him to take a personal interest in anything. But Sinead knew it was serious if he had to step in himself.She remembered the call she had received from the Gardner family earlier, and a sense of unease settled over her.Could the person Alain and Horace were talking about be connected to that?If so, Rielton would become a living hell.The moment Sinead realized this, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed a number as she walked outside. "I need your help."Three days later, at Pear Garden.Eden woke up shortly after Alain had left.As she opened her eyes, a young woman stood in front of her, staring at her.After a moment, the young woman excitedly exclaimed, "Ms. Griffith is awake, Dr. Sulien. Look!"She had barely finished speaking when dozens of people rushed into the room. Eden instantly frowned.She had only been unconscious for a little while. What... happened?Where did all these people co
Alain arrived just after the rest of the Ward family had left."Why are you here? Is Eden awake?" Sinead asked. She wanted to stay in Pear Garden to take care of Alain and Eden, but with the Ward family pressuring her for answers, she returned to the family residence to handle them first.They had just left when Alain arrived, and she thought Eden might have already woken up."She's still unconscious," Alain replied, unbuttoning the top button of his blazer as he sat down. "I’m here to see grandpa, and then I’ll head to the company."Sinead nodded. "He just woke up. Your uncles were here, arguing with me. He thinks it’s too noisy and doesn’t want anyone disturbing him, so don’t go in for now.""Got it," Alain said, lighting a cigarette. "Can you go stay with Ed in Pear Garden?""Alright."Sinead didn’t say much, grabbed her purse, and left.She had just reached the entrance when Horace rushed in. Without even greeting her, he hurried to Alain."Alain, he’s shown up again."Ho