Queenie looked at the priests before beckoning Aria to come closer."When I came here last, I saw something underneath the church. It scared me."Queenie looked worried. "They saw me too. I got sick after returning home. Miss, didn't they say nobody would hurt children in a place protected by God?"Queenie raised her head. She spoke softly, but it was still loud enough for those nearby to hear. "Then why are there Krowonian soldiers eating the offerings?"Queenie pointed her finger at the table not far away, where fresh fruits were arranged as offerings. Blood drained out of the crowd's faces when they heard her, and even Aria's eyes flickered.The crowd was in an uproar."Krowonian soldiers? How could that be?""What nonsense is this child saying?""How could there be Krowonian soldiers here? Did she mistook them as foreign tourists?""I doubt tourists would go and eat the offerings. I bet she's just lying."The vlogger also pursed her lips. "This is nonsense. If you want to
It was an unforgivable crime.The church was a sacred place where people from all across the country came to worship. Each prayer and act of devotion strengthened the spirits, giving them power.Before entering, Aria noticed the church was packed with tourists. It was no surprise that the heroic spirits had been trapped in the Netherrealm for nearly a century—Krowonian soldiers had been worshipped on Farshyan soil.No wonder Devon kept saying he wanted to return and save everyone. No heroic spirit could thrive in such a corrupted environment.Warren, Fergus, and the others had been struggling to identify the traitors mentioned in the letter. They never expected the culprits to be the priests.The vlogger taunted Aria. "Wow. You're so scary. I'm just recording my life. Go and sue me, then.""Expect a lawyer's letter then. Queenie is right. You guys can't see it because what she's seeing isn't a spirit," Aria replied calmly."What does that mean?"Just as someone wanted to ask, a
Aria moved closer. "Mr. Blooms, it seems like you have no experience in this."Maverick clasped his hands together. "I haven't received such enlightenment, so how could you compare me to a God? You truly flatter me."Aria chuckled. "Mr. Blooms, you're too modest. You have so many devoted followers who practically worship you. Even if you refuse to help the little girl, they'll still find a way to justify your actions."Whatever you do, they'll likely insist you’re right. With such support, I doubt you'll have any issue undergoing an investigation.""No matter what you do, they'll probably say you're right. Since that's the case, I doubt you'll refuse to go under investigation."I happen to be investigating a major human trafficking case. I might need your help with a few things I don’t quite understand." Aria grinned as she looked at Maverick.Upon hearing this, Maverick murmured a brief prayer, his expression remaining calm as though it had nothing to do with him.Aria pressed
The vlogger stiffened, and her previous arrogance vanished when she glanced at Aria again.Maverick, unaware of Aria's true identity, continued praising the vlogger. "This woman is a well-known travel vlogger here in Nymeria. She's kind-hearted and influential. Her words carry weight. As she mentioned, you're not just slandering our church with your lies but also hurting the locals."Turning to Aria, Maverick added, "Nymeria is a city of heroes who sacrificed for the nation. No one here would commit the crimes you speak of. Since you're so disrespectful and rude, I've no choice but to call the police to resolve this."Maverick had his own plan. He knew the police wouldn't investigate the guests staying in the prayer room. Once he mentioned the church's name, someone would discreetly remove Aria. That was why he remained calm despite her mention of the prayer room. He wasn't afraid—nothing would be uncovered.But Aria's next words made him frown. "There's no need to call. The police
Aria scrolled through Maverick's phone. She smiled at him and said, "You're too kind, Mr. Blooms. The contacts in your phone are enough to uproot the entire Nymeria. The name you set for them is pretty special too. Respectful Worshipper? You sure know how to label your customers."She casually dialed a number. While waiting for someone to pick up, she turned to a local police officer. "You received a report that one of the suspects is Maverick Blooms. Why didn't you act right away? Were the higher-ups protecting him?"Her grin widened. "If so, you'll need to be investigated too."A few police officers' expressions shifted at her words.When the call went unanswered, Aria dialed another number.By now, Maverick had regained his composure. He had overestimated Aria, believing she might outwit them. But as he reflected, there weren't many in Nymeria who could.The other party must have been tipped off and cleared their tracks. They wouldn't leave evidence, and the kidnapped children
There were a couple of babies inside!Nyx and the twins felt their powers wane upon entering, not due to the many statues of God they feared but because of the overwhelming presence of a powerful evil energy. This forced them to remain in human form, as revealing their true selves would be too dangerous.However, everything changed when Landon arrived.With newfound strength, the first thing Nyx did was cry, causing the other babies to follow suit. As his cries echoed, even the drugged children, who had previously been calm, began to wail.The entire prayer room echoed with their cries.Panic overtook the human traffickers. Pale with fear, they scrambled to cover the children's mouths, but with only two hands each, it was impossible to quiet them all. Nothing worked.They didn't even have time to deal with Landon. Their only thought was to run. But Landon wasn't about to let them escape. "Sam," he called.Before the traffickers could react, one was sent flying to the ground with
This was considered a major crime! The vlogger's supporter online had turned on her. "I get wanting to stand up for your hometown, but you can't post a video just to smear someone because you don't like them. Why didn't you mention the young woman was there because she uncovered something about the church?""I'm at the church now. I can only say—don't put too much trust in it. The young woman even saved the girl the church refused to heal.""What's going on?""To sum it up, someone's here to get rid of evil, but the vlogger used her platform to slander that person." "I was shocked when I saw those seven babies! How could a church become a haven for human traffickers?"At this point, Maverick was speechless. Seeing the concrete evidence and the swarm of tourists present, it was obvious how big the impact was. The mastermind wouldn't be able to save Maverick now, let alone Andy.Maverick glanced at Aria. "You planned this. You could've had your team search the prayer room qu
"They're coming!" Queenie's face drained of color as she instinctively stepped back.Two figures emerged behind her. One was older, distinguished, and handsome, while the younger one affectionately ruffled her hair like a protective older brother. Sam couldn't speak, so he signed for her not to worry.Devon was also there, but no one could see him—except Queenie. Her eyes widened as she turned to Landon and whispered, "It's not just the Krowonian soldiers... the ones who once protected us are here too."As they reached the church, a flood of memories overwhelmed Devon. "I remembered everything!" Devon's eyes were red. "The Krowonian soldiers are still here because we failed to protect everyone. The children and the women of Nymeria suffered horribly."They took Nymeria for themselves, doing whatever they wanted. They even captured Soren for their experiments. Soren, Mr. Shoeman, and I... we all died together."Mr. Shoeman... He taught me how to read and write. He said the only w
Nova shrank timidly but murmured, "I don't want Luna to suffer."The scene was heart-wrenching.If Luna's family took her body away, the police might lose crucial evidence. Despite the officer's clear explanations, the couple seemed unable—or unwilling—to comprehend. Some younger officers began to grow restless.But did they truly not understand?Aria's gaze shifted to the phone tightly clutched in Nova's hand. The screen flickered repeatedly with incoming messages.Raising an eyebrow, Aria stepped forward. "Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, is it?"Nova frowned. "And you are?"Aria lied, "I'm Luna's classmate."At this, Nova and Nico exchanged wary glances. They'd heard that Luna's classmates had taken her to the bar, and hostility flickered in their expressions."Classmate? Students like you are nothing but bad influences!" Nova snapped. "All you care about is plastic surgery and partying."Aria remained silent as Nico interjected, his tone bitter. "Everyone knows Luna went to the bar l
A scene like this naturally drew a crowd. A middle-aged man sat on the ground, wailing loudly. "Come, everyone, see for yourselves! I can't even bring my daughter home. They even shoved me!"Dealing with people like him was never easy. In an age when anyone could record videos and spin narratives, law enforcers had to tread carefully. They couldn't afford to be too aggressive, especially when the other party had valid grievances.The commotion had already attracted onlookers snapping pictures and whispering among themselves."It's not that you can't take her back. The investigation is still ongoing," a law enforcer explained patiently.Nico Hanson's anger flared. "Ongoing? You brought us here to tell us she jumped off a building after partying at a bar. Everyone knows what happened, yet you're saying the case isn't closed? How could you treat us like this?"Poor people's lives mean nothing to you, huh? But do you have to torment us this way?"His fury stemmed from the suggestion
Sam was still fiddling with his keyboard. Looking up, he noticed Landon watching him with a piercing gaze. Instinctively, Sam adopted a defensive posture. Landon raised an eyebrow and pulled out his phone. At the sight of the familiar motion, Sam's eyes brightened.At first, Sam thought of turning around to let Landon scan his QR code. But then he realized there was no QR code on his shirt.Sam pursed his lips and signed for Landon to wait. He had neither his watch nor phone with him.As Langon glanced outside the bar, one of the York family's Dark Shadow guards immediately entered. "Boss, here is the new phone you ordered."Sam was overjoyed after getting a new phone.Landon stood there elegantly. "Go and take a walk."Sam started to leave but paused when he noticed the crow. His sharp eyes flicked toward it, contemplating whether to take it with him.Finally, Sam decided to bring the crow along, worried it might escape. If it did, he'd miss his chance to enjoy the roasted cr
"Go and remind Priscilla to send some gifts to the Gibson family," Orion ordered disgruntedly. "We can't afford to turn enemies with them, especially since we were once in-laws. My ex-brother-in-law is fortunate, though. With the higher-ups at odds, he's been promoted significantly."He's quite useful for our current project. Once we secure it, the Chamber of Commerce will be ours. Tell my foolish sister to fix the mess she made with the Draycott family. She knows exactly how she got her medispa."His secretary, Arlo Finch, nodded. On the surface, Ludwiten seemed unchanged as the Carver family prepared to return. Yet, some small merchants had subtly shifted, though it was hard to pinpoint the exact nature of the changes.Arlo sensed that the Carver family still held some lingering influence, but he wasn't sure how to broach the topic with Orion. After all, the Draycott family would be in trouble if the police found any evidence at the bar.Thankfully, everything seemed under cont
The insidious wave of online comments, designed to sway public opinion, threatened to bury the truth forever. In most investigations, such a barrage of negativity would undoubtedly hinder the police's progress. However, Aria's rapid understanding of the intricate web of corruption within Nocturne and her discovery of the influential individuals orchestrating the cover-up had prompted a swift escalation of the case's confidentiality level to the highest degree.Beneath the surface of a seemingly tragic suicide lay a massive scandal, a tangled web of collusion between powerful officials and unscrupulous businessmen. Not only had the Special Missions Unit been dispatched, but even the Supreme Court was poised to intervene.Meanwhile, the orchestrated public outcry continued to simmer, fueled by the relentless dissemination of fabricated information.Orion, however, remained unfazed, his focus solely on the desired outcome. His secretary, ever efficient, delivered the news. "Mr. Drayc
The passage was short. Aria reached a door after walking about 60 feet. When she was about to open it, she realized it was locked from the other side.In most situations, one would instinctively search for the lock mechanism and attempt to unlock it. However, Aria, ever vigilant, paused, her senses alert. A faint sound, a muffled whisper, emanated from the other side of the door, indicating a presence within.She raised her hand to signal Landon to pause.Aria, well-versed in criminal psychology, knew that criminals often returned to the crime scene, whether to dispose of evidence or for other, less discernible reasons."It's just as you said," a voice whispered from within, "no one has investigated this place. I knew I could trust you. See you tomorrow at the Chamber of Commerce."Aria knew she couldn't intervene immediately. However, she had confirmed the presence of someone within, a crucial piece of evidence.These individuals were arrogant, believing the surveillance cameras
The crow, despite its limited understanding of Chaos' words, sensed a growing unease. It feared Landon's lies and carefully constructed disguise might soon unravel. The crow was uncertain how Aria would react if she discovered Landon's true identity. Landon, seeking a missing fragment of his soul, had come to Ludwiten. This fragment resided within the city, making it crucial to ensure Landon's safety.As these anxieties weighed on him, Landon approached, his demeanor casual. "Mount Dracotigris," he explained, "possesses a sacred ground dedicated to the Decatorian way. Surrounded by dense woods and imbued with potent spiritual energy, it remains largely unexplored by humans due to the presence of various beasts. I believe Sam was there."Aria raised her eyebrows. "There is a place like this in Mount Dracotigris?""Yes. It's just that it was never made public."When Aria turned to Sam, he nodded, confirming his recollection of the place. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, and he swif
Aria, who just came over, was stunned by the scene. Landon's pose reminded her of the man covering his nose with a white handkerchief in a manifestation in Ludwiten, but the person seemed more wicked than Landon. For some reason, Aria felt it wasn't a coincidence they were brought to Ludwiten. In fact, they were led there. Sam shook his head indifferently as he examined the surveillance cameras. When he saw Aria, however, he immediately dropped everything in his hands and fled to her side. He seemed to have a lot of things to say to Aria. He stretched out his hands and kept gesturing. Aria raised his face and squished his cheeks with one hand. She then glanced at his teeth. "Not bad. You didn't simply consume anything."Sam puffed his chest out proudly as if saying he had listened to her words.Relief washed over Aria as she enveloped him in a tight embrace, stroking his hair and grounding herself in his presence.Aria's bond with Sam transcended the ordinary. It was an unbr
In the meantime, an expressionless small figure was moving things in the first-floor corridor. He would occasionally look up at Landon as if asking when he could meet Aria. The officers were bewildered by Sam's presence, completely taken aback by his extraordinary strength. The child seemed unable to speak, communicating only through gestures.The wine barrel beside him was undeniably real, yet he effortlessly lifted it with a single hand. It defied all logic as if the laws of physics no longer applied. Was this some kind of superhuman feat? Was he perhaps a god?Sam ignored the eyes on him. He remembered awakening in a hot spring deep in the woods. It felt comfortable, but he was hungry.Sam stamped his feet on the ground, then leaned over the water to inspect his reflection, meticulously checking his teeth. Only after this self-assessment did he begin to survey his surroundings.There was nobody else other than a bunch of souls. When he backed a step away, the souls would follo