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
Aria got up, intent on preparing the horse. That fake message might have had unintended consequences, and Barron must have felt guilty about it to this day. Aria had to find out what happened."We've caught up with them!" someone called out."Mr. Disher, we've caught up with them!"Lionel was surprised. "That fast?""The enemy had bombed the road ahead, damaging a section of it. They were about to make a detour and were nearby. They didn't get too far." While speaking, the elites responsible for the reconnaissance ran back with bags on their backs. They were quick. Though there were only five of them, the elite reconnaissance troop was fast, stealthy, and skilled in combat. In most cases, they were the best candidates in the unit. Without them, fighting would be like shooting in the dark—no advantage at all.When Aria looked at them, she could see that they were marked for death. She finally understood that the fake message wasn't just to mislead Lionel.Although Lionel had
Lionel and the others were all watching this unfold, finding this absolutely bizarre. However, they would all forget everything after the manifestation disappeared.This was why Aria wasn't worried about any negative consequences. She didn't stop walking until she reached the intersection between the manifestation and the real world. The Cerulean Dragon suddenly said, "There's something underground. It contains boundless evil, but it's relevant to you."Something relevant to her? Aria was confused, but she didn't waste any more time and started digging. She moved fast, digging about eight inches into the ground within a short time—until she caught sight of a talisman. It wasn't one of the commonly seen ones, but one used to subdue souls. This seemed to be a recurring theme. Aria dug further down. She was no longer inside the manifestation. This item seemed to be buried in the yard, around the drainage system. Aria continued, unearthing stones along the way. Under three ta
The other spirits were disappearing as well. They stood ramrod straight, disheveled uniforms hanging off their backs, as sharp and unrelenting as knives and axes slicing through all the injustice in this world.Their eyes showed no indignant reluctance, only longing for the future. Aria felt emotions coming over her as she watched them. Lionel knew that Aria was feeling reluctant to part with them. Aria was great, but she was also easily troubled. She was also one of their own now, so Lionel said some reassuring words to her before his departure. "I'm not as gullible as you think, my child."He touched the top of his head as he looked at her, and he laughed heartily before continuing, "You're all from the future, which proves that we're all dead at this point.""One's soul is sure to disappear when he passes. If some linger in this world, they aren't doing so by any legitimate means." Lionel was accepting of his fate as always. "I would dream of a time when my company owned a
Marek appeared lost. The arcane seekers laughed as they gradually dissipated in the air. They depleted their spiritual energy to put the remnants of those souls within the manifestation at ease. Their souls shone as bright as stars as they surged up toward the sky from the ground. Darkness blanketed them, and everything around Aria started to fade. She knew that the manifestation was about to collapse, but the students didn't, so they were consumed by shock. Marek's hands were starting to disappear as well. He said, "Mr. Garrison told me to listen to you. They—""Okay, old man, time's running short. I'm Aria Carver. Remember to seek me out in the future and take me in as your mentee." Aria had to take Simon with him before the manifestation collapsed. She glanced at its entrance, saying, "This time round, I'll study fortune telling and the esoteric arts properly under you. If you want to ascend to another realm, I'll also lend you a hand."Marek was befuddled. "Me, take you i
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe