What was happening? Was the treatment unsuccessful?It seemed impossible that Mister Morrison, the National Medical Research Institute director, could have failed.In the Imperial Capital, if a disease was beyond the healing abilities of Mister Morrison, the esteemed national medical sage, it was essentially a death sentence.After her initial failure, Ashton saw that Maeve had not sought his help through Aislinn. Her first contact was with National Medical Research Institute director Conner Morrison via Fjord.Too bad Conner Morrison was no extraordinary doctor. He was a national medical sage only because of money and connections. Actual high-profile Imperial Capital figures had private doctors and never allowed the institute's staff to treat them.Aislinn was the first to rush into the room.The sight surprised her.Maeve was drenched in blood, her mouth a ghastly purple-black, and a peculiar, foul stench radiated from her."What are you two doing?" Aislinn demanded, looking

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

"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

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

"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