"The National Medical Research Institute heads are this incompetent? I've wasted half a year waiting. What a fool I've been.""Please, show our guests out!"Starting today, we're suspending our investment with them.""Missus Maeve, about the final payment—""Leave!"The two despicable men had nearly killed her, and they had the audacity to bring up the final payment—the nerve of them."Hmph, leave it to me, Ashton.""When did Ashton start studying medicine?" Alaska asked, tilting her head in curiosity.She was well-educated and knew that mastering medicine was no easy task. Medicine required years of study and practical experience. If anyone wanted to be a professional in the medical field, they would have to study abroad to learn the latest medical theories. It was a long and arduous process.It was even more challenging when it came to ancient techniques. Despite its mystique and the miracles it had produced, many of its traditions had been lost over the generations, making
It was a small world indeed. He had left Edren County, yet he still managed to bump into her multiple times in the Imperial Capital. She was the heiress of the Latham family, but she associated with such a ragtag group of social youths. When did her standards slip that low?He had heard of the Everwood Triad Society six or seven years ago when they had tried to recruit him. He had declined. From what he knew, the society's main aim was to enlist the offspring of the Imperial Capital's elite families to grow stronger by leveraging their influential backgrounds.That group of so-called members were nothing more than opportunists. Judging by the situation, Alora had been duped into joining them, and they were planning a celebratory feast. What a fall from grace.However, it seemed Alora was already prepared for her uncertain future. The failure of the La Verdure Pill launch had cast a shadow over her status as the heiress of the Latham family. She felt like a convict on death row and t
"I'm not sure if I'm a lost cause, but what amazes me is that after everything, you still think you matter," Alora said, her voice dripping with disdain."Alora, you don't actually believe you're on my level, do you?"Ashton chuckled, his gaze drifting past the private room's window to the street below, where he spotted Aislinn and a squad of soldiers marching into HerbHaven Eatery. The issue was settled. Someone else had stepped in to handle the mess, which freed him from further involvement."It doesn't matter if we're on the same level. What matters is you've crossed the Everwood Triad Society. You're finished. You're clueless about who backs the group's boss—the Navy King of the North Sea, a top dog among the border's military elite," Alora said icily.She had her reasons for rubbing shoulders with those shady figures. It was all about the group's boss. She wanted to play a game of connections, aimed to cozy up to the boss and tap into the powerful network behind him. That was
"My apologies, Mister Levin. I did not think things through," Jared said as he entered the room, offering his apology first.He and his fellow deputy took their seats across from Ashton. Ashton noted the deputy was quite young, yet her figure seemed to defy the constraints of her formal attire.He quickly looked away."That's the least of my concerns. I want to know why you're here," Ashton said, cut to the chase."Let's wait for the meal. We'll talk over dinner. This deal is a win-win, and I'm sure you'll find it intriguing," Jared said confidently."Let's hope so," Ashton replied, not dismissing the idea.The meal arrived promptly, and the restaurant manager threw in a bottle of limited-edition wine to make amends. He knew well enough the influence of someone who could effortlessly dismantle the Everwood Triad Society; those were not people to underestimate.With the wine delivered, he respectfully excused himself.Alora seized the moment and slipped out from the side passage
Alora's glare was lethal; if her eyes were weapons, Aislinn would be nothing but crumbs.Her eyes blazed with a wild mix of rage, loathing, and sheer hysteria. However, Aislinn ignored the glare.The fury of the powerless was as harmless as a child's tantrum, utterly incapable of touching her. Instead, it was almost laughable."You have no right to preach at me!" Alora hissed.Aislinn's smile was calm and dismissive."Who's preaching? I'm simply pointing out that you've squandered the one real shot at climbing the social ladder. You'll never break through that barrier, no matter how hard you try. You're too arrogant." Aislinn shook her head and retreated to the private room.Alora's fists were balled up tight, her face twisted into an expression that was hard to pin down. "Arrogant? Just wait until I'm the one you're all looking up to. Let's see if you'll still talk down to me then."The dinner party wrapped up, and Ashton's group went to Decapilion Airport, where they boarded a
Ashton stood by the helicopter's side door, his hand on the latch. The door swung open, and a gust of wind blasted through the cabin, forcing everyone to shield their eyes."What's the hold-up? Aren't they landing?" Voices from below said.The 100 Invisidrakes watched the sky for what would happen."Look, someone's coming out!"The shout came from nowhere, and all eyes turned to see a shadowy figure at the doorway."That's not Deputy General Campbell or Deputy General Avelora. It looks like the new head instructor. What's he up to?" The scholarly man with glasses pushed them up the bridge of his nose; his eyes twinkled with an enigmatic smile."Is he about to give us a parachuting demo?" Ironwolf quipped with a smirk. Parachuting was an old hat to them; they did it daily, and each one was a pro at it. That was like a novice trying to show off to the masters."Ironwolf, is your brain rusty? You can't parachute from a hundred meters. There's no time to deploy a chute at that heigh
The Invisidrakes looked like ordinary folks, wide-eyed and slack-jawed with shock.A 100-meter free fall without gear was unheard of, channeling fictional superheroes."Whoa, my eyes must be playing tricks on me. Did he just leap out of that chopper?" Ironwolf's voice cracked as he held his head, struggling to believe what he had just seen."Unless we're all hallucinating," the guy with glasses quipped, managing a strained smile. He'd been the first to catch the jaw-dropping stunt.No tricks, no safety nets, just a freefall from a hundred meters up—it was the kind of drop that would generally turn anyone into a pancake.Yet there he was, without a scratch. He stood tall and composed as if he had strolled out of a shopping mall, not a high-flying death machine.As Ashton approached, the crowd's shock turned to awe, and they finally got a good look at him. Underneath that mop of black hair was the fresh face of a 20-something, decked out in a casual shirt and slacks that seemed to
"Chief instructor, you're not pulling our leg, right? Will all our attributes double? Does that even keep us human?" The smart guy with glasses could not help but ask the burning question.He was not alone in his concerns. Everyone wondered if they would become something other than human.When something seemed easy and required less work, it was more likely to be a trap.Drugs could work wonders when used right. It could double the results with half the effort, but if they messed it up or popped the wrong pills, they would be dead.Luckily, Ashton did not leave them hanging. He was all too happy to clear things up."Let me lay it out for you straight—you'll still be human. This little upgrade will not harm you. It will not mess with your life or your future, not one bit."But there's no such thing as a free ride, right? There is no magic bullet that has all the perks with no downsides. The catch with my little trick here is that once you're boosted, that's it. You're topped out f