The officer enveloped the crowd in his white life force. Soon, the horrified looks on their faces disappeared.Darius crossed his arms and watched silently. He nodded and smiled. "You seem to be familiar with this."The officer nodded. "I specialize in cleaning up after you people, after all. You'd be able to do it with your eyes closed after a few times."Darius raised an eyebrow. "Do people like me constantly create messes like this for you to clean up?""There's no point in trying to probe me for more information. You won't get what you want. I'm used to dealing with you enlightened martial artists," the officer said calmly. He even smiled.Darius' smile widened. "It's been a while since I've last met someone as interesting as you."The officer retracted his life force and crossed his arms. "The name's Gabriel Andrews. I'm in charge of enlightened martial artists like you."Darius said, "You're a conundrum. You're polite and impolite at the same time."Gabriel smiled at that. "Well
"I know a little something about the person behind Dream Investment Group. It's something that no one else knows." Gabriel gave Darius a complicated look. "I also know there's something wrong with my body and emotions."I've prepared myself to retire and rest after this is over. I didn't expect you to give me such a surprise, though." He sat opposite Darius.The crowd had dispersed so they could talk in peace. Gabriel seemed somewhat haggard as he said, "I know bits and pieces of everything. I've never tried putting them together, though."Darius looked calm. He didn't seem surprised by Gabriel's sudden switch from hostility to anticipation. He looked at the ground as his mind raced. He didn't really know how to deal with these experiments. Their emotions seemed rather unstable.It was as if they'd been designed to deal with enlightened martial artists like himself. Darius raised an eyebrow. A small smile curved his lips but soon faded. He sat up straight. "You guys were created to de
Darius stopped and turned around to look at Gabriel. In that instant, Gabriel felt his hair stand on end. He didn't know what the look in Darius' eyes meant. He did know it didn't bode well for him, though.Darius said icily, "You're a fool, Gabriel. Who were you going to hand me over to now that you've found me?" He raised an eyebrow mockingly. He crossed his arms, looking like he couldn't wait to see what Gabriel had to say.Gabriel's expression shifted. Darius raised an eyebrow. "I guess my question's a shocker, huh? Looks like it didn't occur to you at all."Gabriel's expression shifted between awkwardness and anger. Indeed, he hadn't considered Darius' question at all. Darius put his hands behind his back and smiled. He watched Gabriel, waiting for an answer.Gabriel gnashed his teeth. Darius waited for a while but didn't receive a response. He said, "Your identity's pretty complicated, isn't it?" He held a hand up and started listing what he knew."Firstly, you're an officer wit
"It's just that you guys want me to go with you willingly. That's why you've only shown up now. Of course, there's another reason. I guessed everything on my own," said Darius. He sighed and put his hands behind his back.His gaze was cold as he looked at Gabriel. "Now, have you decided who you're gonna hand me over to?"Gabriel couldn't believe how accurate Darius' guesses were. He had to choose one of the three parties he served to swear his allegiance to. As he hesitated, Darius said, "You're a spy that the enlightened martial artists sent to the organization for the black-robed people."What I want to know is how you managed to get a job with the authorities. It's such a huge leap. I wouldn't even have thought it possible." Darius raised an eyebrow.A trace of surprise flashed in Gabriel's eyes. He didn't expect Darius to say this. Once again, Darius had accurately pinpointed the anomaly. Getting a job with the authorities had been nothing but an accident.Gabriel bit his lip as h
Gabriel moved to stand beside Darius. He asked, "What are you doing?"Darius sighed and turned to look at him. He said helplessly, "Don't you think we've wasted too much time here? If I were you, I'd track Borisin down and try to find out what happened. After that, I'd deal with this matter with Noah."Gabriel smiled at him, but it didn't reach his eyes. Darius hated the look on his face. He said, "I thought we'd achieved a sort of balance. Yet, you don't look too pleased. That look on your face is upsetting me."He put his hands behind his back. Gabriel frowned and parted his lips to speak, but Darius waved a hand to stop him. "Look, we've been at this for a while. You've said many things, but none of them are what I want to hear."He sighed. "That's why I've decided not to say another word to you until you give me a proper explanation. Or a way to resolve this, at least."Gabriel snorted. He put his hands on his hips and spat, "I wasn't gonna say anything, but you're really pushing
"Based on what the enlightened martial artists' alliance wants, I should bring you to them. I doubt things will turn out well for me no matter what I do. That's why I'm leaving the decision to you. Which would you prefer?" Gabriel asked.Darius didn't expect this of him. He raised an eyebrow and stared at Gabriel for a long time. Then, he said, "I'll be honest with you. I'm surprised by your actions. I'd like to know what you think, though. Do you have any suggestions for me?"Darius was calm, but the same couldn't be said for Gabriel. His eyes widened in astonishment. He didn't expect Darius to ask him for his opinion. And his instinct told him Darius would go with what he suggested.Gabriel exhaled and smiled. "I'd suggest we deal with the authorities first. Then, I'll take you to the enlightened martial artists' alliance. They didn't tell me much about the situation. I'm doing all of this of my own volition."Darius raised an eyebrow in surprise. He'd never met anyone like Gabriel
In the end, Gabriel sighed and raised his head. He looked tormented. "Darius, you've already made your feelings on this matter clear. Unfortunately, this is as far as my help goes."I've already decided to hand you over to the enlightened martial artists' alliance. As for what happens after that, I won't be interfering. Where you go from there and how they treat you is up to them."All I need to do is complete my mission." Gabriel put his hands behind his back.Darius sensed his determination and smirked. "You're losing your grip on your emotions again. Is your intention to kill me?" He raised an eyebrow. "Because you can't get the answer you want from me."Gabriel felt frustrated. He shut his eyes and exhaled. A few seconds later, he opened them again. He smiled at Darius. "Thanks for the reminder, Darius." He looked up at the sky."I can't control my emotions at all right now. As soon as a thought forms in my mind, it aggravates me. This is a problem I realized long ago, but I don't
Though unwilling to rain on Gabriel's parade, Darius had to curb his excitement. "I can see how excited you are, but you need to calm down. I may be willing to go with you, but it's easier said than done."I have to deal with my internship, the Reid Consortium, and West Atlantics Int'l. In other words, I'm incredibly busy. How long will a trip to the alliance take? Time is of the essence, and I can't waste too much of it on the alliance."And because of this, I can't promise I can head to the alliance with you at such short notice."Gabriel didn't expect Darius to say this. He smiled. "I'll make sure we don't take too long."Darius raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Alright, then. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." He smiled. "Now that we're on the same page, let's not waste more time here." He put his hands behind his back.Gabriel couldn't understand his sudden eagerness but took it in stride. He nodded. "Great. If you're agreeable, we can leave now."Darius watched him silently
"If you hadn't picked on me, I wouldn't have ended up like this. No matter how wealthy I've become, I'll never be able to take these black robes off!" The mysterious man's voice was shaky. He was extremely agitated.James frowned at that. He said curiously, "You keep saying I've done you wrong, but everything I did to you was what you did to others. I only gave you a taste of your own medicine."The mysterious man's breathing sped up when he heard that. He barked out a laugh and sneered, "I'll be honest with you. I never thought I'd have the chance to meet someone as dumb as you again."He shook his head. "I find it hard to imagine what your grandson will do when he sees you like this." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. The man was caught off guard. He looked at Darius as his body trembled violently.Darius frowned when he saw this. It was completely different from what he'd imagined. He narrowed his eyes at the mysterious man, his
Gabriel smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. I'll return to my workstation and prepare a proposal on what to do with Noah."Darius nodded and smiled. "Good. That's all I ever wanted." He turned to leave. "You need to get to work, and I need to return to my hotel to get some rest."Gabriel stopped. Darius' words made him hesitate. "I'm sorry to be asking this because I don't think it's my place, but it's probably better for me to ask anyway. I don't remember there being any hotels nearby."You should head home if you wanna get some rest. I don't understand why you're heading to a hotel to rest."Darius raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. He turned with his hands behind his back to look at Gabriel helplessly. "I don't know how to feel about what you've just said. You're making me think you're a little silly. Wouldn't I know how to search for a hotel?"It won't take you long to prepare a proposal, but it'll take me ages to get home from here." Darius turned and left.Gabriel's lips twitc
"Because you realized the risk was far greater than what you were comfortable with," Darius said calmly.But Noah started trembling. He looked at Darius in terror. He didn't expect Darius to see right through him after some simple back-and-forth. His eyes widened in fear.Everything that was happening now made him feel like he was dreaming. Noah had only been a step away from success, yet Darius had ruined everything.Tears filled his eyes as he gazed at Darius. "I've said everything there is to say. I'm the lowest rung on this ladder, and I only have one purpose for being here. It's to make you come under the authorities' control. Once you're here, my mission's accomplished."Someone else from the authorities will be here to deal with you, but that has nothing to do with me. They wouldn't have told me about it, anyway."Darius put his hands behind his back without saying anything. He turned to leave. Noah's eyes widened as he stared in fear at Darius' back.Darius didn't see this, bu
When Darius straightened up, his face became devoid of emotion. He said calmly, "I've wasted too much time on you. Now, I only want frank answers. Otherwise, I'll punish you for every lie that you tell me. I don't see any hope in your eyes, but let's see whether you prove me wrong."Darius paused, then continued, "I've already said something similar once. That was a chance I gave you. From this moment onward, I want you to know that I won't repeat myself because I believe you've had enough time to prepare yourself."Gabriel stood beside him and put his hands behind his back as his lips twitched. He'd thought about the various reasons for Darius repeating himself. But the one thing that hadn't occurred to him was that Darius had done it to give Noah time to prepare.Gabriel felt like applauding Darius, but the rational side of him stopped him from doing so. His rationality told him he'd be in for trouble if he were to do that, so he only looked at Darius with a smile.Darius sensed Ga
Darius raised an eyebrow and smiled. Then, he said, "You're too nervous, Gabriel. It makes it seem like you don't trust me. In truth, there's nothing for you to worry about."He stretched his neck and continued, "I know very well how bad the consequences of destroying this building will be. Aside from those silly regulations, I'll also need to pay for it. I might be wealthy, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy forking out a huge sum of money as compensation."Darius spread his hands and shrugged. At the same time, he pointed at the window and turned to look at Gabriel. Then, he said, "Look. The windows are perfectly fine. They're not even scratched. That shows my life force is non-destructive."That's why you have nothing to worry about. You can put your heart back into your chest."Gabriel straightened up and sighed in relief. Then, he gave Darius an embarrassed smile.Darius grinned but didn't say anything in response. He put his hands behind his back and turned to look at Noah. He sai
"We're classmates from the same major, too! We were interns at Dream Investment Group, remember? And we got kicked out on our first day. You broke my legs because of a tiny argument we had outside the building! The surveillance cameras captured all of this!" Noah cried.Darius tucked his hands into his pockets and rolled his eyes. Then, he said mockingly, "You're the biggest fool I've ever met. Do you think you're the only one who can tamper with the surveillance footage? Any footage that can be tampered with can also be restored."Noah's eyes widened in shock. He gulped and tried to think of a way to explain away the injuries Darius had inflicted on him. Still, he couldn't think of anything. Before he had the chance to think any further, Darius spoke.He said, "There's one thing you got right, though. Gabriel is on my side, so he'll stand up for me no matter what you say."Gabriel's lips twitched at that. He subconsciously opened his mouth to say something in return, but Darius bea
"And I don't think it's my job to make you see sense," Gabriel continued. He put his hands behind his back. He gave Noah a look that was an odd mixture of gentle iciness. "I've given you more than enough time and chances."Gabriel sighed. "It's obvious that you don't care for that, though. And so I think it's time for me to treat you as an officer should." He sat down on the other side of the desk again.Noah's face was white with fear. Gabriel acted like he didn't see this, though. He smiled. "As I mentioned, I gave you plenty of time and chances, but you didn't appreciate them."His gaze turned frosty. "If that's the case, I'm sure you won't object to me doing this per our guidelines."Noah cried, "No, wait! I don't know what Darius has promised you to make you side with him unconditionally, but there's no way I'll let you two get away with this. You have to make sure you do everything by the book. It's a reasonable request, and you have no right to turn me down!"He trembled viole
Gabriel put his hands behind his back as he looked at Noah with a smile. "Now, you've piqued my interest."Noah looked up at Gabriel. His voice was deep and hoarse as he said, "If you help me, I'll give you half of the Reid Consortium's assets once I get my hands on them. You should know that without me, there's no way you'll get a dime from the Reid Consortium."Gabriel snorted with laughter when he heard that. He straightened up and slowly circled Noah. He sounded mocking as he said, "You've lost me there. I tried to puzzle it out, but it doesn't make sense at all."Why would I want to get my hands on the Reid Consortium's fortune? Even without it, I'm perfectly independent. I don't need it to survive."Gabriel crossed his arms and looked at Noah mockingly. "Or maybe you're different from the rest of us. Maybe you'll die without the Reid Consortium's wealth." He smirked and gave Noah a sharp gaze.Noah raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You're the one making me laugh now. I don't know
Gabriel sounded gentle, but everyone knew that was far from the truth. This was especially true for Noah, who sat across from him. He felt incredibly nervous. He shut his eyes and breathed rapidly.Noah never would've expected to still be in danger after being taken in by the authorities. He frowned and looked up at Gabriel. "So, are you determined to help Darius now?" His voice was shaky, and his eyes were wide because of his nerves.His emotions were clear as he looked at Gabriel. Gabriel bit his lip, feeling like he was about to laugh. To stop Noah from noticing, he quickly exhaled and sat down with one leg over the other. At the same time, he leaned forward to place his hands on the desk.He tapped his fingers on the desk quickly but rhythmically. Gabriel's eyes were devoid of emotion as he looked at Noah. "Tell me, Noah. What happened between you and Darius? Earlier, you said he was the one who injured you. Do you have any proof?"Because we checked the surveillance footage, a