"What are we going to do next?!"

"That guy is dead, so are we going to target another one?"

A group of people laughed and talked in an abandoned building, where they usually hung out. However, there was something different this time.

There used to be at least thirty people guarding the area, but screams started to fill the abandoned building.

"Aaahhhh!"

"Khhh!"

Bang!

Boom!

The four people looked at each other, confused. One of them shouted, "Oi! Who’s there? Anyone attacking us?!"

Suddenly, they saw a shadow cast on the wall. They frowned and slightly raised their guard.

The one who appeared from the corridor was a middle-aged man they didn’t recognize. The man looked casual and tired as though he was just an office worker who just got out of work after working overtime.

Arnie walked into the room with a smile. "Hello, gentlemen. I wonder who is in charge and can answer my questions."

The moment they realized that this man had infiltrated their headquarters, they immediately raised their stance.

"You..."

"Kill him!"

They attacked at the same time.

"Okay. Play first and get to know each other later." Arnie smiled. Three guys approached him from different directions, while the last one was pointing his gun at him.

Arnie grabbed the sword coming at him from the left with his hand. The blade heated up and melted.

"!!!" The guy who attacked him panicked, but he tried to get away too late. Arnie simply grabbed the other half of the blade and stabbed him in the shoulder.

"Aaahhhh!" The guy screamed, but Arnie quickly grabbed his jaw.

"Now, now. It’s just a scratch. Take a seat first." Arnie smiled and tossed him onto a couch. His body bounced on the floor once before crashing into the couch. Then, a bullet reached him, only to be stopped by a barrier.

He then kicked the person coming at him from the front before slapping the guy from the right and pulling his hair.

"Aarggghhh!" They were screaming. The way Arnie dominated them made the last guy panic.

He tried to run away, but Arnie tossed the guy in his hand so that his body would hit the running thug. Arnie raised his hand again and saw the guy’s hair on his palm. "Well, looks like he’s going to be bald. It’s fine, I guess..."

The four men were scared. They had never expected someone like him to appear.

Arnie simply lined them up and smiled at them. "Okay, fellas. Let’s make this simple. I ask, you answer. You don’t give me the answer, you die. Easy, right?"

"Who are you, old man?"

"We have nothing to do with you!"

"Screw you!"

"Do you think you can get away after doing this to us?"

"I see." Arnie shrugged. "If you are relying on that officer, it’s quite easy to make him talk. I wonder how hard it is to make you talk. You know, I don’t understand why you criminal wannabes like using abandoned buildings like this. It’s hard to get electricity and so on."

Arnie walked to the side and grabbed a bucket. "Also, a building like this is easy to get a bucket and this little guy."

Arnie took a rat out of his pocket.

He grabbed one of them and pulled him to a table.

"Let go of me!" The man struggled, but Arnie completely overpowered him. tied his arms and legs to the table with zip ties and laid him down on his back. This way, he couldn’t get away.

"I’ve been meeting people like you who just love an abandoned place like this, and they always tell me after I do this." Arnie put the rat on the guy’s stomach and covered it with a bucket.

The rat was screeching as if it were panicking.

"Do you know that the rat will try to escape in this situation? When there is no path to escape except for one, what do you think it will do? Dig."

"!!!" The guy panicked, realizing what was going to happen. "No, stop. Stop, please!"

"Let’s talk, shall we? You better hurry. Oh, wait. You really need to hurry. After all..." Arnie raised one finger as a small fireball appeared on top of his fingertip. He put this fireball next to the bucket. "It’s going to be hot inside, so the rat is also in a hurry."

"No, no. NOOOOOOO!"

Arnie’s method was something that would be condemned by the laws and the people, but it didn’t matter as long as people didn’t know about it.

There were rumors about them, but it had never been confirmed.

It didn’t take too long for them to start speaking.

Once Arnie received his information, he stood on top of the abandoned building and called someone.

"Sir?"

"Jennifer, are you done with your task?"

"Almost, sir. However, I think I’ve gotten a rough idea of their scale of influence. I will send you the image."

Arnie looked at the map that had been marked. "A bit too big, isn’t it?"

"I will try to reduce it, sir."

"While you’re at it, I want you to check on the assassin that poisoned Axel Aheron. He must have died, but try to find any traces of him. Also, don’t contact the Aheron family during the investigation."

"Understood."

Once he hung up, Arnie shook his head helplessly. "These wealthy people... They think they can do anything. While they can do a lot of things and give people ’hush’ money, they just can’t kill those people. Mr. Dexter has just made me unable to question the assassin, who might have important information.

"I guess I should get to the next link." Arnie looked up at the sky, which had turned dark. "I wonder if there are any people who need some escorts. I wonder if I can fly with them in first class..."

...

While Arnie continued with his investigation, Auric focused on his store on the weekend. He was gathering information from his patients to create more artificial heart methods.

He immediately went to the Evolution Association when it opened on Monday. With a single message, he was able to meet President Gunther.

"Hello, President Gunther." Auric smiled.

"Good morning. What’s the reason for today’s visit? I have seen the teacher’s conference, so I guess you’re going to register your lightning element today?"

"Actually..." Auric took out his silver badge and showed his lightning.

President Gunther was startled when he saw the lightning. Its power was clear.

"You... have evolved? How about your other elements?" President Gunther stood up, observing him.

"Unfortunately, only the lightning element for now. However, I think my wind or plant element is going to evolve soon."

"Is that so? Is it that easy? How are you evolving them... No, never mind that." President Gunther immediately stepped back, knowing that if Auric wanted to reveal that information, he would have done so. This also meant that Auric could evolve easily.

He might be able to evolve his avatar to the adult form as well.

Hence, President Gunther didn’t bother to ask unnecessary questions. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"I actually have a small request. Can I work in the association as a silver-grade evolution master?"

"With your lightning? What about your shop?"

"I haven’t publicly released the fact that my lightning element has evolved, so I will just wear a mask and work here outside my store’s schedule, of course."

"Your store only opens on weekends, right?"

"Yes."

President Gunther crossed his arms, contemplating. "Let me confirm this one straight. You don’t want anyone to recognize you?"

"Yes."

"With your black hair and white eyes, it doesn’t look easy."

"I will wear contacts."

"Fair enough." President Gunther didn’t really have a problem with such a skilled silver-grade evolution master working here.

However, he was a bit disappointed that he wasn’t the first person who gave him the silver-grade evolution master.

So, President Gunther raised one finger. "I have a condition."

"What is it?"

President Gunther smirked. "Next time you’re going to upgrade your status, make sure you do it here. Your wind and plant elements? That’s two badges."

Auric smiled wryly. It wasn’t a hard request, so Auric nodded. "Sure."

"Great. We have a deal." President Gunther nodded, satisfied. "What is your preferred schedule? How long do you plan to work here?"

"I am thinking of either Monday or Friday. I still need to attend my classes, so I can’t spend too much time. As for how long, I’m not entirely sure."

President Gunther thought for a moment. "For now, let’s have you as a special evolution master. This way, your schedule will be flexible. I will give you a room for your practice, and there will be an assistant to help you. Every Friday, you can come and treat patients. Just don’t be late. It’s only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so don’t complain about the work hours."

"Understood. Thank you for the help, President Gunther."

President Gunther waved his hand. "You’re welcome. Don’t forget to upgrade your status here. You promised me."

"I know." Auric chuckled. He knew President Gunther was also thinking about his other elements. He might not have revealed them yet, but President Gunther must have expected that he had other elements.

While Auric was solving his problems one by one, the same couldn’t be said about Ellia.

Eric and Milinda’s families were harmonious and supportive. However, they didn’t have the power to make a big change.

It was different for Ellia. Just like Auric, the people from Ellia’s side were also moving, but the problem was that Ellia only mobilized her own status, not her family’s influence.

But as expected, they also heard about this matter.

Ellia was sitting in front of her parents. Her eyes were calm. There was a trace of coldness in her gaze, but she maintained her poker face well.

Her father was a thin man. He used his suit and slightly larger clothes to make himself look larger to the people he spoke to.

Meanwhile, her mother didn’t even conceal the annoyance on her face. She crossed her legs and arms, staring at her.

Her father slammed the table and said, "We’ve let you do whatever you want long enough. Look at the current situation. You are using the family’s status to influence the government? Other families will be laughing at us."

Ellia spoke calmly. "I am not moving the family’s status. Besides, the people I asked are purely from my connections. There is nothing for you to worry about."

He raised his voice. "You still dare to talk back? This is why I have never agreed to let you go out. If you just did your part and marry someone we pick, you won’t give us this headache!"

Ellia’s eyebrows twitched. "I don’t think I have done anything wrong in this matter. I was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t think you can blame anyone for that."

"You listen to me! As of right now, you’re going to drop out of school and go back to the capital city. We’re going to choose your spouse and you’ll get married right away!" Without wasting any more time, he grabbed Ellia’s wrist.

When he was about to push her, Ellia pushed down her wrist as if trying to pin her own wrist on the table.

"!!!" He glared at Ellia. "What are you doing?"

"I have enough of this." Ellia’s gaze turned completely cold. "I’m staying."

"You..." He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, trying to pull her up.

Since Ellia was weaker than her father, she was overpowered.

"You are hurting me..." Ellia was still calm because two people suddenly entered the room. They were the bodyguards she’d hired.

Her father pointed at them. "Back off. This is a family matter. I’m the master of the family!"

Normally, people would stand down. To his surprise, these two people raised their arms in his path, preventing him from taking Ellia.

"You fucking dogs! Who do you think you are to stop me?!"

"Can’t you even see what is happening right now, Father? Maybe I should stop calling you "Father" at this point. I don’t think you’re worthy of that title anymore."

"What did you say?" Her father glared at her. "How dare you speak like that to your father?!"

"This is why the only person that I respect in this family is Grandpa. You can’t see what’s going on around you..." Ellia sighed.

Her father wanted to slap her, but the two bodyguards caught his hand immediately as if seeing him as nothing but a stranger to Ellia.