"A bird who lost her wings?" Rina repeated Hebel's statement in a questioning tone, as if she wasn't quite sure what Hebel meant despite knowing what he meant."What else should I call you?" he jeered, "A jobless bum? A has-been? A washed-up failure?" Hebel continued to list off insults to berate Rina, relishing the opportunity to finally express his true feelings towards her and taking pleasure in doing it. Despite Hebel's continued verbal assault, Rina simply picked up the tablet she had brought and opened it, paying no heed to his insults.Afterward, she opened a picture on the tablet and slid it towards Hebel, who was still in the midst of his verbal onslaught. The sudden movement caught his attention, causing him to pause and take a look at what was on the screen.As Hebel picked up the tablet, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the image displayed on the screen. In an instant, all the pleasure and satisfaction he had been feeling just moments before vanished, replaced by a sud
The realization made Hebel even more fearful of Rina than he already was. It meant that Rina likely had even more evidence against him than what she had already shown, and based on his actions, cuckoldry might be the least of his problems if his assumption was true.'I shouldn't attempt to go against her unless I am confident that I can escape unharmed,' Hebel realized. However, to him this seemed like an impossible task since Rina could have a backup plan in which, if he failed to stop its release, it would send all of the information to anyone she deemed powerful enough to use it against him as leverage or even the family head for worse.Hebel's assumption was correct, but he was wrong about where the backup data was stored. Once Ava finished decrypting the data, she immediately sent it to her mother. She had finally found a way to send a large amount of data without raising suspicion by initiating it on the day when the private network was due for an update. This ensured that no
Inside the simulated universe.Aron quickly turned to Nova and asked for her opinion on how to handle the dictator's demand, saying, "What do you suggest?"{I don't see any difference in agreeing to the condition or not doing so,} Nova said nonchalantly as she materialized chairs and a table for them to sit on during the remainder of their conversation."What do you mean?" Aron asked curiously as he sat on one of the chairs that Nova had materialized for them.{How long do you think it will take to buy and combine the companies into a unified operation?} Nova asked, as she conjured a tea pot and cups, poured tea into them, and pushed one towards Aron to drink."About three months at the earliest," Aron answered after taking a sip of the delicious tea.Nova took a sip of the tea before asking, {After the completion of the company acquisitions, how long do you think it will take for the revolution to be complete?}Aron quickly responded, "The earliest would be six months and the latest
Thursday.Felix had made a conscious decision to postpone taking action until the deadline set by the dictator had nearly expired and only one day remained to make contact with them."Hello, Your Excellency," Felix greeted as soon as he was informed that the phone was in Adolf's possession."Did you call to inform me that you've accepted my offer?" Adolf cut to the chase, not interested in small talk and wanting to make the most of his time."Yes, after discussing the matter, the headquarter decided to accept your proposal," Felix stated."Good. Then come tomorrow with the contract so we can sign it," Adolf said, his voice filled with a hint of excitement and joy."But the main headquarters has given us some conditions that need to be included in the contract for agreeing to your terms, Your Highness," Felix said, waiting for Adolf's excited voice to subside before adding his own input."What are the conditions? Go ahead and state them," Adolf said, but this time his tone held no hint
A week later, Friday.Rina had finally finished collecting the oath of loyalty from all the board members, if you don't count her brother and the board chairman who she didn't try to make him swear his allegiance to her as he was the family head and her father.Another reason was because no matter how she threatened him nothing will come out of it as he usually doesn't interfere with the competition between the family member for the next family head as he considered it the way to weed out the weak competitors for the next family head so nothing good will come from antagonizing him.Following the completion in turning all the board members loyal to her, he contacted each member individually and gave them instructions on what to do in the upcoming board meeting.She wasn't going for anything groundbreaking like firing her brother or something, as that would raise suspicion in her brother's mind that she had all the board members on her side due to him having heard about her visit to al
"They accepted our offer, and it appears that the dictator's words were the decisive factor in their swift agreement." Felix relayed the news to Aron."Has he asked about his $20 million remuneration?" Aron inquired while he was at Professor Janusz A. Zajdel's residence, where he was collecting professor's brain data, while conversing with Felix."He didn't directly state it, but he insinuated it, and in response, I assured him that I would transfer the money to whichever bank account he preferred," replied Felix."Once he provides you with the account number, forward it to me so that I can promptly initiate the transfer, as we wish to avoid any misunderstandings" instructed Aron."Sure.""Now that we have completed Phase One of the plan, let us immediately start with the consolidation of the company without delay," Aron said."Of course. When will you be sending us the details for Phase Two?" inquired Felix."I just sent it to you now, read it and call me back if you have any questio
In the hospital.Terry, barely opening his eyes, woke up after three long weeks of recovery following his operation. His gaze was fixated on the ceiling, but it was evident that his eyes were filled with hopelessness and despair.As the reality of his situation sunk in, Terry couldn't help but question his own actions. "Why did I do that?" he murmured to himself, his voice trembling with emotion. The memory of the incident that resulted in him getting shot was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't shake off the regret and the pain.The weight of his mistakes seemed to bear down on him as he lay there, alone with his thoughts. The once energetic and carefree Terry was now a shadow of his former self, consumed by the consequences of his actions.Just as he was about to continue to berate himself for doing that and thinking of ways to save himself, someone entered the room but since he could not turn due to his body still being in pain he could do nothing but wait for the person to mo
Rina continued her conversation with Ava after she calmed down."Now that I have been assigned to the financial company, as you guys wanted, can you show me the plan?" She had previously asked to see the plans, but she was told that it was not yet completed and was still being collected.{A few hours ago, the plan was sent to me. My mother said that it had gone through a few revisions to fit the conditions of your assigned company. Here it is,} Ava replied as she immediately pulled up the plan on her screen to show it to Rina.Rina wasted no time and started reading through the plan immediately. She had been eagerly waiting for this information for over a month, being told repeatedly that it was not yet complete.As Rina finished reading the first page, she had to pause and take a deep breath. The information on that single page had almost made her forget to breathe from fear."Are you sure that they really came up with this plan?" Rina asked as the plan was something a level higher
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra