Master Feng gestured for his secretary to hand him his tablet. As he examined the calculated figures he had prepared, he announced to the entire audience, "The total amount for all the damages caused amounts to two billion Star credits. None of you will be leaving until the full payment is made." Master Feng's command triggered an immediate lockdown, with all hotel exits sealed shut.The crowd, realizing that even if they pooled their resources, they couldn't come close to two hundred billion, felt trapped. They also understood that they stood no chance against Master Feng if they united against him."Master Feng, please reconsider," one of the mercenaries pleaded, bowing his head on the ground, hoping to elicit some compassion. Seeing no other option, they all joined in unison, saying, "Master Feng, please reconsider." Among the hotel guests, Gwen and Talon remained motionless, while little David, engrossed in his own play, was excluded from the others' plea.Master Feng noticed Tal

Safe Zone...It has been four years since Gwen left the City of High-borns, fleeing from Paxton. She found refuge in the Safe Zone, where she managed to stay safe all this time. Nate, who aided her during her journey, arrived in the Safe Zone as well. Gwen believed that Talon had perished and was unaware that he was still alive. The events that unfolded four years ago had forever changed Earth Central, eradicating its laws and order.Talon's son, David, had turned four years old. He was already the youngest Awakened individual, inheriting all six Sentinel Professions from his father. Both Gwen and Nate, now S-Class Rankers, had become David's mentors. Gwen was astonished when David Awakened just a few days ago, yet his command over his abilities surpassed her expectations. Despite his young age, he had been diligently practicing martial arts.It was an afternoon and the sun was shining at its peak, the clash between the two warriors resounded with the clashing of steel, each blow exch

Master Feng stood firm, staring down at Talon, who lay on the ground, weakened by the backlash from the transcendence energy. Talon, though physically drained, was in shock. It wasn't just the energy's backlash that startled him—he couldn't believe Master Feng had somehow accessed his Astral Plane. The realization hit him hard. “H-how did you...?” Talon stammered, struggling to find the words. He couldn't fathom how it had happened. Master Feng's was furious as he addressed Talon's reckless actions. “Why would you be so foolish as to attempt such a dangerous experiment? Do you not realize the disaster you could have unleashed if the energies from your Astral Plane had spilled into the real world?” He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “Do you even understand the power of what you were trying to manipulate? You would have killed yourself—and endangered everyone around you.” Talon lowered his head, staring at his bloodstained hands, filled with regret. He had been warned by No

As they flew through clear skies, their was nothing much going on. "There was a time at the academy" Salvador recounted the events of their academy days with Talon, to the extent that Talon felt embrassed a bit. “i can remember the very day he saw Gwen!” Salvador laughed, slapping his knee.Talon was a bit sober hearing that name.“Sal, if I may ask...Have you heard from Gwen?Before Salvador could reply, a sharp alarm blared. [Warning: Multiple hostile entities detected. Demonic signatures confirmed.]The crew hearing this sprang into action, their relaxed demeanor vanishing instantly.“Where are they coming from?” Talon demanded.[Three o’clock, closing fast]Talon’s hands flew over the controls, turning the craft into a defensive position. Outside the windows, dark shapes began to emerge—winged demons.“Everyone, battle stations!” Mara barked. “Gregor, get those turrets ready!”“On it!” Gregor grinned, his fingers dancing over the weapons console. The craft’s side turrets swivele

A few hours earlier...[System Core unstable] [Craft probability of crash: 80%] Talon and several others on the craft heard the announcement made by AVA, and they were all surprised."I thought I had corrected the issues previously. What's the problem now?" Talon didn’t quite understand what was going on.Salvador was in the workshop, the special area in the craft designated for repairs. Hearing the feedback from AVA, he wanted to run a diagnosis to get the full details of the issue.He raised his hands to activate the holographic projection of their craft on the table in his workshop—Apex, as it was named.He began to zoom in and dismantle some parts of the craft, identifying a section that was beaming red. Then he saw that one of their thrusters was damaged."Problem identified!" Salvador exclaimed as he began searching for a solution.Talon, who had been in the cockpit, immediately rushed over to see for himself what was truly wrong with the craft. When he reached Salvador at