Cassian followed Jasmine into the living room, deliberately slowing his pace so he could walk closer to her. Jasmine sensed him invading her personal space, but she did her best to remain professional."Please, have a seat, Mr. Reyes," Jasmine said, gesturing toward the sofa. "I'll call my husband right away.""Wait a second."Cassian suddenly grabbed Jasmine's wrist, stopping her before she could turn around. "Why the rush? We’ve only just started getting to know each other."Jasmine quickly pulled her hand away, her expression turning cold. "Mr. Reyes, I think you're crossing the line."Cassian smiled, showing no intention of backing off."Crossing the line? I just want to get to know the beautiful woman who runs a business this successful. Is that so wrong?""Yes, it is inappropriate," Jasmine replied firmly, her voice rising. "I'm a married woman, Mr. Reyes. I expect you to conduct yourself with respect."Instead of backing away, Cassian stepped even closer, cornering Jasmine agai

The new cooperation policy with Valemoor had been published by Iris, and that night she contacted Thom through a secure private channel.The response from other business leaders was that it was an excessive move. Thom, however, couldn't care less. He had done it for one reason only: to protect the woman he loved."Everything has been taken care of.""Good work, Iris.""King, I've finished investigating Cassian Reyes' background. He's officially registered as a businessman, but his company was only established eight months ago, and the source of its funding is unclear."Thom nodded. He had expected as much."Any connection to the Obsidian Circle?""There's no direct evidence yet, but his pattern of approach is suspicious. He's trying to get close to your family on a personal level, not just through business.""He likes Jasmine," Thom said quietly, his jaw tightening. "Whether that's part of their plan or simply his own personal interest, I won't allow it to become a weakness they can e

Thom stepped back, narrowly avoiding a punch powerful enough to crush an ordinary person's ribs. His breathing grew heavier, but his mind remained calm, calculating, observing, searching for patterns.Now, beneath the warehouse's dim lighting, Thom could finally get a clear look at the Nullborn surrounding him.Their bodies were enormous and heavily muscled, far beyond the proportions of any normal human, as though their muscles had been forcibly enhanced beyond natural limits. Their skin was a pale gray, crisscrossed with bulging veins that pulsed faintly with the same bluish glow radiating from their eyes. Small metal rings were embedded around their necks and wrists, blinking rhythmically. Those devices continuously pumped pain suppressants into their bloodstream. Their faces were almost completely expressionless, their jaws tightly clenched. There was no sweat, no sign of exhaustion despite their relentless movements. They looked like machines wrapped in human flesh, dressed in ti

"Take cover!" Red Dragon shouted, lunging toward the nearest person he could reach. He slammed into Baldric and shoved him behind the twisted remains of the steel storage rack that had collapsed earlier.Freya, standing closest to both Thom and the medallion, used the last of her strength to shove Thom toward a narrow gap between a stack of wooden crates. It was pure instinct, born from years of military training."King, get down!" she cried.A split second later, the world around them erupted.BOOM!BOOM!The first missile slammed into the front of the warehouse, reducing the old wooden wall to splinters.The second exploded in the center of the building, precisely where Freya had been standing after pushing Thom away.The third struck the section where the remaining chemical drums were stored, triggering a far more devastating secondary explosion that illuminated the entire valley with a blinding orange blaze.Thrown into the narrow space between the crates by Freya's desperate shov

Meanwhile, elsewhere...Thom managed to pull himself out of the rubble unnoticed. He couldn't afford to let Master Wen get any farther away.Despite the wounds covering his body, he forced himself forward, his eyes burning with unwavering determination.He pressed on through the darkness of the forest, his steps unsteady but relentless. One hand clutched his cracked ribs, every breath ragged with pain. Yet his nose—the sense he had unknowingly honed over years of military service, remained far sharper than his battered body.Ever since his days in the military, Thom's sense of smell had been far beyond that of an ordinary person. He could detect the scent of gun oil from dozens of meters away, distinguish the sweat of fear from the sweat of exhaustion, and even smell subtle changes in the air long before rain began to fall—faster than anyone else in Valemoor.He rarely revealed that ability, but tonight, it was the only compass he had.He stopped at a fork in the forest trail, closed