After the old man said those words, the clouds outside began to churn, and the clear sky suddenly turned dark. People on the street quickened their pace to seek shelter from the rain. Only a black motorcycle cut through the fog like a blade, heading straight for its deepest part. As Aria tracked Sam's energy, she stopped near a roadside café. It was a circular outdoor plaza with lawns and food trucks. They were colorful and beautiful. But despite the pleasant scene, Aria could smell blood hidden beneath the tranquility. This was different from anything she had smelled before. No ordinary bloodshed would draw so many wandering spirits from all directions here. The blood was mixed with Sam's energy. Aria had never seen such chaotic energy so exposed in all these years. She rarely worried about anything, but this time, she pulled the black chain from her waist. To others, it looked like a thin decorative waist chain. However, the other end held the Emperor Coins. Its cold yet fl
Noir and Blanc had not even reacted when she created a barrier with just a wave of her hand. Despite their official positions, they were still spirits at their core. They could not break through barriers created by someone stronger. But they never expected to see such powerful magical formations in the modern world. They had found her suspicious since the last time they met. Who was this young woman, and where did she train? Why was she even more powerful than Homer when angered? All spirits were kept outside the plaza, including those evil beings trying to take advantage of the situation. In these circumstances, even Noir and Blanc would not dare breach the barrier despite their doubts. After all, this barrier helped them do their job. Still, Blanc was worried. "Should we report this to the lord? Is it safe to let her go alone?" "Of course not. But can you even break through that barrier?" Noir tested it. An old lady who had been walking by glanced at him again, shaking he
Smelling blood, Sam could not hold back anymore. He threw down his black bag and leaped onto the wall, breaking nearby branches. His behavior was no longer human-like. With his eyes narrowed and fixed on one spot, his body wreathed in black mist. That once-innocent face was now unrecognizable. As he lowered his head to sniff something, he could barely think straight. Aria had once told him to chat with their neighbor Edith like a human. She said to stop killing Edith's fish, or he would have to pay for them. During his first bath, Aria stood outside and gave him rubber ducks and bubbles to play with. Georgina had made him chocolate cupcakes and declared it was his birthday on that day. He remembered all this. He knew he should not be acting like this now, but he could not control it. The scent was intoxicating. Sam's eyes turned completely black. With another leap, he pinned down an evil being as his pupils fixed on something in the distance. The two men in black whom he had co
The two men in black exchanged glances before splashing the beast of fortune's blood forward. Chaos was known for its violence and bloodlust, so this was the perfect way to provoke it. Once it was fully transformed, people at Mount Dracotigris would arrive. Then they could quietly take the beast of fortune while half the arcane practitioners from Mount Dracotigris fell! As for Chaos... The more havoc it wreaked, the better. It would be best if it crushed Farshya's fortune! Sam was indeed provoked. Moments ago, he could still remember Aria's teachings—like how the fundamental difference between humans and animals was not eating what should not be eaten—how Sam was human, so he should walk properly and behave well. But now, his mind went blank with only one thought. He was starving. He wanted to eat and to devour everything. Sam threw back his head and roared. His eyes and legs transformed. Nearby, arcane practitioners in robes all stopped walking. They turned to look with swords
"Caw!" The crow swooped down from Landon's shoulder to the ground. "You Krowonian priests are truly wicked. You're actually trying to pin this on Chaos!" Eyes darkening, the crow declared, "Your lives are worthless now. Caw!" In ancient times, crows were sacred creatures with iridescent black feathers. They possessed one innate gift—their death omens never failed. Especially now when it took matters into its own talons. The men in black drew their final breaths without knowing their killer's identity. Their hopes of reporting back to the master were mere wishful thinking. Their last sight was of the man approaching Chaos, reaching out to press his hand against its head. Then darkness took them. Through the black mist, Landon pressed his palm down and looked at Sam. "How can she keep caring for you in this state?" Already showing signs of transforming into Chaos, Sam snapped at him with open jaws. Landon caught him one-handed. When their eyes met, his pupils suddenly dilated.
Sensing it hit the right note, the crow quickly continued, "She absolutely pays attention to you! She's even offering you devotion. She must adore you to give something so precious to you!" Landon's eyes flickered. "Is that so?" "Definitely! Think about it, my lord. Devotion is priceless to arcane practitioners. She needed deviation back when she first practiced, which is why she took you—" The crow cut itself off mid-sentence! Caw! Stupid beak! How could it speak of things better left unsaid? The crow froze. He looked nothing like a primordial beast and more like a fried chicken with its wings splayed in panic. Landon's elegant face remained unchanged as he waved away the surrounding energy. Even if arcane practitioners had come here, they would have found no trace of what had happened. His fortune could perfectly mask and suppress Chaos' violence. Just as the crow started to relax, it found its wings immobilized. Imagine how ridiculous a bird would look when it was stuck
This had to be reported. Preparation would be needed for possible beast sightings too. It had been unusually rainy in Janovin lately. Their team checked the northwest this morning. The Dragonlock was indeed broken, but the seal remained. Strangest of all, Pahana showed no signs of showing up. Before returning to Mount Dracotigris, Homer had told them he would head to Janovin after going back home to grab something. Meanwhile, they were to watch the outer seals and report any anomalies immediately. They had told him about the northwest situation too. The seals had been weakening everywhere for the past few years. It was expected, but this was the first time there was a problem with a seal so close to Janovin. Now, with beasts and foreign practitioners appearing, things seemed more complex. Why were these practitioners here? What drove them to risk exposure by using magic? Who made them act? With nothing left behind after the incident, they had no leads except for one black feath
The Krowonian practitioners thought Aria would instantly fall even if she noticed something, which would save them trouble. But before they could touch her, they heard a loud whooshing sound. As Aria's Dreamweaver hit the ground, an invisible force surged upward.With three strikes, all those men flew back a few feet! Each lay writhing from the whip's strike. She was not just some ordinary young woman or a random passerby—they had realized far too late! Aria moved gracefully and fiercely at incredible speed. While dodging those men, she sent Dreamweaver straight toward the center! The envoy could not react in time. By the time he tried to dodge, the wind from the whip had already cut his face. Usually, he would not need to reveal himself. The beast of fortune lay behind him, exhausted after a three-block chase. It was trapped in his manifestation too. Yet this young woman whom he had never seen before split his Earthbound Manifestation with a single crack of her whip! The prac
A Chamber of Commerce member advised Orion, "This seems like a major policy. Otherwise it wouldn't take this long." "Right, Mr. Draycott. Don't worry. Apollo is definitely unavailable during a meeting." During meetings, everyone would turn off their phones, and Orion knew that. He was puzzled as to why Tommy would not answer his calls. "Fine. We'll wait!" It was already midday. Everyone waiting here was the boss of their own companies, so sitting hungry here was seriously embarrassing! But thinking about what was about to be theirs made everything feel balanced. They continued reassuring each other that the meeting was still being dragged on. Finally, someone from Apollo's level, Manny Danson, emerged carrying a takeout container. Government offices typically ordered lunch delivery these days. Their faces immediately darkened. "Mr. Danson. Where are you going? Is the meeting over?" Orion was known as a charitable local businessman and a regular in their circles, so Manny
On the other hand, the land Orion bought at a high price wouldn't be developed or used for the next ten years. That was as good as useless! The policy could have landed on any piece of land. Why did it have to be the exact plot Aria wanted? Everything was totally over! Apollo couldn't control himself and tugged at his hair. He pretended to be unwell as he pressed his hand to his forehead. In reality, his mind was racing. A piece of land that had sat untouched for so long was suddenly being announced for development. Was heaven playing a joke on him? Danny finished announcing the news and set down his pen. "We've been incredibly busy lately, and some of our colleagues are inevitably tired. "When people get tired, they're prone to mistakes. So I want to remind everyone not to think they can get away with anything. "Alright, I have another meeting this afternoon. Have an internal meeting to digest this information and implement the development policy as soon as possible. Meeti
The relevant documents lay spread out before everyone. Apollo had just arrived, and his eyes immediately locked onto the sealed file. He knew better than anyone what was inside, and his gaze never wavered from the document. Someone beside him noticed his reaction and teased, "What's got you so worked up today, Apollo?" Apollo hesitated for a moment, worried about raising suspicion. He quickly waved his hand. "Oh, I've just been having some stomach issues lately." "You've got to take care of yourself at this age then. Health comes first." Apollo nodded quickly before reaching for the teacup on the table. Drinking water was just another way to mask the look in his eyes. He was well aware that the policy about to be announced was most likely related to the land Orion had secured. Now, he just had to wait for the announcement. Before long, a middle-aged man in a white shirt and black pants walked in. Everyone immediately stood to greet him. "Good morning, Mr. Arterton." Dan
The groom, Dirk Baugher, did not stop Leena. He just seemed a bit confused. After paying, they left the gold store. Leena spoke first, "Honey, it'd be amazing if we had just been a little earlier. The price of gold actually jumped 60 dollars per ounce in just a short while. But it's good news. "Don't be mad about me buying extra. I used my own money, and I'm sure gold prices will keep rising!" Dirk reached out and ruffled her hair. "No worries, Leena. Now that we're married, I'll let you handle these decisions for our family. There's no need to use your own money; I've got cash to cover it." The kind of husband who respected his wife like this truly deserved all the happiness. Not many men were this considerate these days, after all. After Dirk and Leena left, some jewelry and gold bars were completely sold out. Shoppers in the mall were stunned by the gold store's situation. About ten women approached the store manager. "You're the manager, right? We'll be back tomorrow; t
"The government meeting will wrap up this morning, and then they'll announce the land requisition," Lily spoke quickly, worried that Orion would find her no longer useful. Orion was a profit-driven businessman. Hearing this, he instantly changed his tone. "I was too hasty earlier. Don't take it personally, Ms. Kent. "Christina, make some extra soup for her. Maybe a good mood will help her remember more details." Lily was sharp. Knowing her predictions held weight, she seized the moment and said, "I've had too much soup. I want to go out, walk around, and clear my head." After some investigation, Orion found out that Lily was vain to her core, loving to shop and show off. Coming from her background, she needed photos to brag on her social media feed. He wasn't opposed to it. For long-term cooperation, Lily was his golden ticket in business. "Go ahead. Whatever you want, put it on the Draycott Group's check." Her face lit up. She had made good money playing stocks, but who wo
Arlo pushed open the door with a grim expression. Seeing his face, Orion furrowed his brow. He quickly hung up the phone and turned to Arlo. Arlo glanced around the room. He made sure the only ones here were people they could trust before speaking up. "Mr. Draycott, we've got a serious problem. The gold stocks aren't dropping." The members of the Chamber of Commerce erupted before Orion could respond. "What? That's impossible." Arlo wiped sweat from his forehead. "It's true. They're holding steady." The group looked ready to explode. "Ms. Kent guaranteed gold would tank. We even coordinated with overseas capital to make sure this would happen. How could the stocks not drop?" "Calm down, Rex." Orion was caught off guard too. His champagne suddenly felt undrinkable. "So there's no movement at all, right? What about the other three stocks?" Arlo mumbled softly, "Same thing. They're exactly where they closed on Friday." "Well, that's normal." One of Orion's bootlickers jump
At the top of the corporate tower, Orion had Arlo keep watch of the time. He wanted Arlo to drop by his office and update them the moment the market started. At half past nine in the morning, the trading floor in Ludwiten buzzed with investors waiting for the market to start. Someone yelled, "We're live! The market's open!" Cassy, who had jumped in on Aria's stock tip, bolted to check on gold. Her friend said, "It's moving! My stocks are doing something!" Cassy looked over at her friend. "What's up? Is the gold taking off?" "Gold? Not even close," the friend replied. Cassy went pale; this was a serious bet. Back on Thursday, she had heard rumors about gold tanking. She had been ready to bail, but seeing people flash cash made her think gold might actually spike. Gold prices were climbing everywhere else. So why was the stock market playing dead here? Worried sick, she contemplated for a bit before calling Aria. "Aria, these gold stocks are just sitting there." Aria's tone
One of the members of the Chamber of Commerce said, "Mr. Draycott, Rex and I came this early just to tag along and see what's happening!" "Hahaha! Don't worry. When it comes to making money, we're all in this together." Orion laughed heartily. In the office, the group was already planning their champagne celebration for the evening. Little did they know, something weird was brewing by eight-thirty that morning across shopping centers citywide. Before stores even opened, lines were already forming. The entrance to Golden Valley Mall—the most famous mall in town—was especially crazy. People were holding boxes and had credit cards stuffed in their pockets. The place was buzzing with excitement.Half an hour later, security guards finally opened the doors. The crowd of shoppers outside was ready to storm in. The guards scratched their heads in confusion; the weekend crowds hadn't been nearly this intense. What was going on? The shoppers charged in with laser focus, heading str
"They want me to pull out my investment, don't they? Not a chance!" Jett said as he slumped on the leather couch, already half-drunk. He tilted sideways, mumbling like he was lost in a memory. "I have a little sister now, and her name is Aria. She wears this cute tiger-themed hat. But Leon wouldn't let me near her, always saying she's his sister and not mine." Aria stood nearby. Her hand froze when she tried to wake him, so she took his card instead. A slight smile crossed her lips as she whispered a promise. "I'll invest for you. After Monday, no one will think of you as just another useless member of the Fitzroy family. "You're Jett Grisham, the eldest grandson of the Grisham family." His steady snoring was the only response. And outside the window, the night sparkled with scattered lights. …Monday arrived in the blink of an eye. The trading floor buzzed with excitement as everyone waited for the market to open. Orion woke up in high spirits. Their plan for the gold mar