Mark’s mind was still reeling from the revelation that Sera had returned from the dead, now part-cyborg and under the control of the LaRues. But before he could fully process everything, he suddenly realized something.

  “Wait a minute,” Mark interrupted, shaking his head in disbelief. “You said Alexander is a Silver Ascendant? That’s rare in Arland.”

  Sera nodded, her expression as cold as ever. “Yes. Alexander was bestowed the title and the strength of Silver Ascendant. And don’t forget—his background is a mystery. No one truly knows where he comes from or how he gained his powers.”

  Mark fell silent for a moment, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of information Sera had just dumped on him. A Silver Ascendant in Arland has high potential. However, that was not supposed to be a surprise because Alexander was the adopted son of Victor LaRue, the current head of the family. He was not the original member of the LaRue family.

  As his mind raced, Sera spoke again, her voice colder this time. “There’s something else you should know.”

  Mark’s eyes darted back to her. “What now?”

  “Jordan is here.”

  Mark’s heart nearly stopped. “Jordan? You mean Ethan’s friend?”

  “Yes,” Sera confirmed.

  “Was he captured too?” Mark asked, his voice now filled with concern.

  “No. He was invited here.”

  “Invited?” Mark narrowed his eyes, confused. “For what purpose?”

  Sera shook her head slightly. “You’ll know soon enough.”

  Mark was left speechless. ‘Jordan… here? Invited by the LaRues? What kind of twisted game was being played?’

  Before he could ask more questions, Sera turned to leave, ending their conversation as abruptly as it had begun.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Ethan was deep in thought. After spending hours in Nemesis’s resource center, he came across information that detailed the properties of the Drakiel Stone.

  The stone had been used since ancient times to suppress the powers of dangerous Ascendants or imprison them, rendering them powerless.

  As he recalled the ancient texts, Ethan’s mind began to wander. Suppose the Drakiel Stone could weaken a powerful Ascendant; could it also be used against the artificial Ascendants the LaRues were creating?

  A thought struck him. ‘What if I could create a weapon?’ Ethan pondered. He envisioned a bullet made of Drakiel material, designed not to kill but to incapacitate. Something like a tranquilizer dart but far more potent—able to neutralize an Ascendant without destroying them.

  But Ethan’s excitement was tempered by a nagging doubt. According to the records, he recalled, most Ascendants can deflect bullets with their aura. Some even have auras that are completely impenetrable.

  He muttered to himself, “I’ll need to design something that can penetrate those auras. The Drakiel bullet needs to pierce through it.”

  He paused before adding to himself, “But is the stone easily available?”

  Ethan sighed. The more he delved into his research, the more complex his problems became. He was juggling too many projects at once—bio-weaponry, genetic research, artificial Ascendants—and now this new idea of aura-piercing bullets. But despite the overwhelming workload, he couldn’t help but believe in his ability to make it all happen.

  Just as he was about to take a break, his system interface flashed with a new notification.

  =====

  [New Mission Available: “Breaking the Aura Barrier”]

  Objective: Develop a prototype weapon using the Drakiel Stone that can pierce through Ascendant auras and neutralize artificial Ascendants.

  Rewards:

  1. Ascendant Leap Stone

  2. 5000 EXP

  3. 100 Ascension Points

  4. +100 points to all attributes

  =====

  Ethan stared at the mission screen, shocked by the generous rewards the system was offering. The Ascendant Leap Stone caught his attention—it was a stone that allowed an Ascendant to bypass minor bottlenecks in their growth, giving them a significant boost. He hadn’t seen such a rewarding mission in quite some time.

  A smile crept across his face. “Looks like the system wants me to succeed,” he said to himself. The excitement of a new challenge, combined with the promise of progress, reignited his determination.

  But even as his mind focused on the mission, another thought crossed his mind—something he had nearly forgotten.

  Theodore.

  Ethan had made a deal with Theodore a while back to purchase a football club. The pre-season was fast approaching, and despite everything going on, Ethan wasn’t about to go back on his word. The football club represented more than just a financial move—it was a long-term project that could benefit countless people.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Even though his life had been consumed by the chaos of Nemesis, the LaRues, and Ascendant politics, he couldn’t forget his other responsibilities. 'Life must go on,' he reminded himself. He resolved to set up a meeting with Theodore soon and finalize the deal, no matter how busy things got. Ethan had many people counting on him, so he couldn't let this chance go. He leaned back in his chair, thinking about his plans, ideas, and options.

  ***

  Jordan dropped onto the floor and groaned. His arms and legs felt like they were on fire. Every inch of his body ached, and the worst part? This was just the warm-up. He was inside a massive training chamber.

  “Get up,” Alexander said, his voice sounding through the intercom and carrying no sympathy.

  Jordan gritted his teeth. He had already been through three different training machines, each one seemingly designed to break him, and now Alexander was expecting him to just jump up like it was nothing?

  Jordan clenched his fists and forced himself back onto his feet. His legs wobbled, but he stayed standing.

  “Not bad,” Alexander said, folding his arms as he was watching from behind the glass. “Your body is already adjusting. Faster than I expected.”

  “Yeah?” Jordan exhaled sharply. “Feels more like you’re just trying to kill me.”

  Alexander smirked. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”

  Jordan rolled his eyes. “Comforting.”

  Alexander walked over to a control panel near the wall and pressed a few buttons. A mechanical hum filled the air as a cylindrical capsule came out from the floor.

  Jordan eyed it warily. “Another torture device?” he asked.

  Alexander ignored the sarcasm. “Get in.”

  Jordan glanced at the capsule again. It looked high-tech, sure, but also vaguely like something that might melt his insides. He hesitated. “What exactly does this thing do?”

  “It accelerates your body’s natural adaptation process,” Alexander explained. “You are still weak right now. Your muscles, bones, and body are trying to get stronger, but they're struggling. This capsule helps speed up that process by making your body adapt to controlled pressure.”

  Jordan looked at the glass and gave Alexander a skeptical look. “And you’re just telling me this now? After throwing me through all those machines?”

  “You needed to be warmed up first,” Alexander said. “Otherwise, you’d pass out.”

  Jordan stared at him, then sighed. “Fantastic.”

  He took a deep breath and entered the capsule. As the door shut, a cool mist sprayed over him, creating a brief chill. Then he felt pressure as if he had been dropped into deep water. His muscles strained under the weight he couldn't see. He clenched his jaw and made himself breathe evenly.

  “Relax,” Alexander’s voice came through the intercom inside the capsule. “Don’t fight it. Let your body adjust naturally.”

  Jordan grunted. “Easy for you to say. You’re not in here.”

  “You’re the one who needs this,” Alexander replied. “You’re too soft. If you want to stand on the same level as Ethan, you need to push past human limits. The body has to be refined first before the core can form.”

  “Ethan…” The name of the one he believed as his best friend rose up mixed feelings. However, Jordan’s mind latched onto that last part. “The Ascendant Core,” he muttered. “You mentioned that earlier. What is it, exactly?”

  “It’s what separates those who are truly Ascendants from those who are just strong humans,” Alexander said. “It’s the foundation of real power. The point where your strength stops coming from just muscles and bones and starts coming from something deeper.”

  Jordan let the words sink in. He had seen how powerful Ascendants were, but this was the first time anyone had explained what made them different from regular fighters.

  “So how do you get one?” he asked.

  Alexander’s voice remained steady. “You need to push your body to its limits. This means breaking through the barriers that keep most people weak. I’ll teach you the technique later, but first, you must strengthen your body through training. That’s what you are doing right now.”

  Jordan exhaled slowly. “Looks like I’m going to have to deal with a ton of crap before that actually happens.”

  Alexander replied, “At least you’re learning.”

  Jordan stayed silent for a moment, his mind turning over everything he’d heard. If what Alexander was saying was true, then maybe—just maybe—he wasn’t as out of his depth as he thought.

  Then, without warning, several mechanical needles emerged from the chamber’s inner walls.

  His eyes widened in panic. “The hell—”

  Before he could react, they plunged into his arms, legs, and spine, injecting a silver liquid directly into his bloodstream.

  His whole body convulsed. A sharp, searing heat spread through him, burning through his muscles like wildfire. His vision blurred, and his mind teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

  From the outside, it looked like pure torture.

  Each injection delivered controlled amounts of the LaRue-enhanced serum, engineered to break past human limitations and force his body into rapid evolution. His breath hitched, his eyes bloodshot as his nerves burned under the pressure.

  Outside, Alexander stood with his arms folded, his gaze fixed on the holographic display hovering above the control panel. A red progress bar flickered at the top, reading:

  [Ascendant Evolution Process: 97% Complete]

  "Almost there," Alexander muttered to himself, his golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

  The data scrolling across the screen showed rapid cellular restructuring, increased muscle density, and a surge in aura activity. Jordan’s transformation was nearing completion—faster than any previous subject they had experimented on.

  Then, the doors to the lab burst open.

  Professor Jermaine stormed inside, his face etched with a mix of frustration and panic. "Alexander, do you have any idea how risky this is?!"

  Alexander didn’t even look away from the screen. "I do. That’s why I’m doing it."

  Jermaine marched toward him, his tone sharp. "If you push him too far, he could collapse entirely. His body might reject the transformation or worse—his Ascendant Core could fail to form, leaving him permanently crippled!"

  Alexander smirked. "If we followed your pace, it would take years to get the results we need. That’s not an option."

  Jermaine clenched his fists. "This isn’t just about you, Alexander! We can’t afford to lose good subjects like this. Jordan is different from the others—we need to take things slowly."

  Alexander finally turned to face him, his smirk fading. "And that’s exactly why I’m doing this. You and I both know that our artificial Ascendants will never reach true Ascendancy unless we take this step. If we make Jordan into a true Silver Ascendant, then we’ll finally have what we need to step up our research."

  Jermaine hesitated. His eyes flickered to the screen, watching Jordan’s vitals fluctuate. The experiment was brutal, but he couldn't deny the results.

  Alexander continued, his tone smooth but firm. "With Jordan and my blood essence combined, we can perfect the process. We can make sure every future subject reaches at least a Bronze Core or Pseudo-Bronze Core. You know what that means, don’t you?"

  Jermaine’s jaw tightened. Of course, he knew. If they succeeded, the LaRue family would no longer have to rely on natural-born Ascendants. They would be able to produce their own—stronger, more controlled, and completely loyal.

  The implications were massive.

  Jermaine took a deep breath, rubbing his temple. He hated to admit it, but Alexander wasn’t wrong.

  "...I just hope you know what you’re doing," Jermaine muttered.

  Alexander’s smirk returned. "Trust me. When have I ever failed?"

  Jermaine shot him a glare but said nothing. He turned his attention back to the chamber, watching as Jordan's body continued to endure the excruciating transformation.

  The progress bar flickered again.

  [Ascendant Evolution Process: 99% Complete]

  It was almost time.

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