"HISS—"
Sean Carson was about to help Morgan Vaughn, whose wrist was injured, when he suddenly heard the young lady summon The Golden Arowana. He couldn't help but turn around and laugh out loud.
He was laughing out of sheer anger!
What was this girl thinking? She wasn't just being unreasonable, she had actually hurt someone.
They hadn't planned on making a big deal out of it, just wanted to drive her away. But she'd taken a mile for every inch they gave, walking all over them!
And now she was making a big show of summoning The Golden Arowana.
'Is she crazy?'
The two of them, respected researchers from Stellan University, were having their plans for building an experimental zone ruined by a psychotic little girl.
Sean Carson's face was ashen. He was so angry he felt his lungs might explode.
"Have you no manners? Didn't your parents teach you how to be a decent person? You're completely out of line!" He took two steps forward, pointing a finger at Iris Dalton.
'I'm going to chew her out so bad she'll be too ashamed to show her face in public ever again!'
SWOOSH— SWOOSH—
Two blindingly straight columns of light suddenly shot down from the sky, followed by a tremendous blast of ultrasonic waves that enveloped the two trucks.
Sean Carson: "!!!"
'What is this? Are they shooting a movie?'
In an instant, the large trucks were melted by the concentrated, high-energy heat. With a HUM, they turned to smoke in the blink of an eye.
Billowing clouds of hot vapor rose into the sky, carrying a deafening roar of energy that spread outwards in ripples.
Everyone present felt their ears go numb. A vast, dispersing force struck them, shoving them back several steps.
Some, caught off guard, fell right to the ground.
They were dumbfounded!
In just a few seconds, the two large trucks before them had evaporated and vanished.
'Ahhh, this is terrifying enough to kill someone…'
The blinding columns of light dissipated, and everyone's vision went black for a moment, as if flash-blinded. When they recovered, they saw two scorched marks on the ground.
Nothing else remained.
Everyone: "!!!"
If not for the heavy, stone-like pressure on their chests, they would have thought they were dreaming.
None of it seemed real!
They had just had a brush with death. They felt unbelievably lucky to be alive!
"Holy crap, did we get struck by lightning!?" one of the underlings cried out, squatting on the ground with his hands on his head. His neck was stiff, and his voice was a grating noise, like a cracked gong.
Tyler Kwan didn't want to deal with anyone. His head was throbbing, and he needed some quiet.
The people around him were silent. No one made a sound.
The underling: "???"
'Am I the only one making a scene!?'
Morgan Vaughn's face was pale. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the two scorched patches on the ground, his lips trembling unconsciously.
He wanted to speak, but his throat felt sealed shut by the heat, unable to produce a single sound.
He had already forgotten his broken wrist, casting aside even the tearing pain.
His mind was a complete blank.
A chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar, his entire body frozen stiff.
The state of Sean Carson beside him was even worse. His legs had gone weak from fear, and he collapsed onto the ground, having wet his pants.
He lay sprawled on the ground, his hands digging into the dirt. He trembled like a leaf in the wind, his mouth twitching spasmodically as if he had Parkinson's.
'SOB SOB SOB, that was so scary!'
Just moments ago, he had been the closest to the trucks, less than five meters away.
When the columns of light struck, he didn't even know what was happening. He just felt as if he had been hit by a giant sledgehammer.
Then his vision blurred, and tears streamed down his face.
In that instant, the blood in his veins seemed to freeze, and his chest tightened until he couldn't breathe.
In a daze, he thought he was about to die.
Killed by a mysterious, immense power—an obscure and silent death.
'What a miserable guy. So pitiful!'
The people there were either squatting, kneeling, or collapsed on the ground, all frozen in shock, not even a groan escaping their lips.
Only Iris Dalton remained standing, towering over them.
The young woman's figure was slender, her back straight. Her expression was nonchalant, and a casual air about her eyes suggested that nothing had happened.
"Just two laser shells…"
'No big deal.'
Everyone couldn't help but shiver. 'Your Highness, can you please spare us mere mortals?'
'Are things like laser shells something we're worthy of witnessing?'
'No, you can keep them to yourself.'
'We're not worthy!'
They looked up. A few rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy, bathing the young woman in a mottled golden light. It was a magnificent sight; even the individual strands of her hair, stirring in the breeze, seemed to shimmer with gold.
Like a celestial being, not of this world!
The way they looked at her began to change. Their stunned gazes were now filled with astonishment, fear, awe, and adoration…
…and the deep trauma of what they had just endured.
"Got it? This is my territory. Don't come looking for trouble again. If you dare to come back, I'll dare to wipe you out." Iris Dalton's voice was soft and even, with a small hint of pride.
She stood casually, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, exuding the air of a powerhouse who looked down on all creation.
Everyone: "…"
'This girl is the real deal!'
The more nonchalant she acted, the more level her tone, the more it made them shudder with terror.
A single casual sentence from her was like a summons from hell, raising goosebumps all over their bodies.
The two drivers were the first to react. They scrambled up from the ground, gave Iris Dalton a trembling bow, and then turned and ran.
They fled for their lives, not daring to look back, as if a ghost were chasing them.
Iris Dalton: "…"
'They're so scared. What a lack of respect for a beautiful girl like me.'
Sean Carson couldn't get up anymore. Morgan Vaughn, despite his own disabled hand, endured the excruciating pain to help him up.
Both men were drenched in cold sweat, their faces a ghastly white. They were utterly dejected, like two defeated roosters.
They stammered for a moment, unable to get a single word out.
Their courage had been completely shattered. They didn't dare look at Iris Dalton. In the end, they lowered their heads, turned, and left in a state of terror and humiliation.
Their stooped figures and difficult, shuffling steps made for a particularly bleak picture.
"What about you? Are you going to stay and farm?" Now that the irrelevant people were gone, Iris Dalton turned to Tyler Kwan and his men and asked in a serious tone.
Tyler Kwan and his underlings: "…!!"
'So sudden. We're terrified all over again.'
Tyler Kwan was already the calmest one in the group.
After all, he had traveled far and wide with Master Dalton and seen his fair share of big scenes. He could still hold it together.
The scene just now had been completely beyond his imagination—he'd been so scared he'd even dropped the cigarette from his fingers—but he managed to steady his nerves in the end, avoiding the utter disgrace of a public breakdown.
"Miss Iris…" His throat was dry, and his voice was off-key, like a broken string on a battered old instrument.
At that moment, several of his underlings were still squatting on the ground like a pack of animals that had suffered a massive blow, their eyes fixed on Iris Dalton with a pitiful look.
'They can't get up…'
'SOB SOB SOB, how helpless and sad!'
Just then, Tyler Kwan composed himself and pushed himself up, his hands on his knees.
Making sure his voice was steady this time, he nodded in sincere admiration. "Miss Iris, no one would dare say no to your orders. We'll definitely work hard and do a good job farming. If you don't mind, from now on, we'll be your underlings!"
When he remembered his disdainful attitude toward Iris Dalton when they first met, a thousand emotions churned within him. He was kicking himself.
'Why was I so stupid? How could I have had the audacity to doubt Miss Iris's abilities!'
'Master Dalton sent The Centurion Mercenaries to help Miss Iris, which shows how highly he regards her. Even if I didn't believe the little girl had great power, I should have trusted Master Dalton!'
'An absolute, complete idiot!'
Tyler Kwan was so vexed he wanted to slap himself a few times. The young lady fired laser shells at the drop of a hat. Just what Star Level powerhouse was she?
'On UmbraNet, she has to be at least Seven Stars or higher!'
'A chance to latch onto such a powerful backer was offered right to me, and I didn't take it.'
'I totally missed it…'
'How dare my weak, pathetic self look down on someone so powerful?'
'I'm such an idiot!'
"My underling?" Hearing this, Iris Dalton shot him a sideways glance, not bothering to hide the disdain and contempt in her eyes.
'Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?'
'He's quite the drama queen.'
Tyler Kwan: "…" 'I'm going to go curl up in a corner now.'
He gritted his teeth, bowed sincerely to her, and apologized profusely.
"Miss Iris, please forgive my previous rudeness and ignorance. I am truly sorry. Rest assured, we've accepted the mission and will handle it perfectly for you. If any other idiots show up to cause trouble, you won't have to lift a finger. I'll lead the men and take care of them on our turf!"
Iris Dalton's clear eyes showed little emotion. Her tone was flat. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's perfectly normal to be unhappy about an UmbraNet Star Level member being sent to my place to plant herbs."
She gave him a knowing look.
'It's just human nature. Totally understandable.'
'Let him figure it out himself.'
Tyler Kwan was a bit embarrassed. His face flushed red with shame, and he wished the ground would open up and swallow him.
He, a grown man, had been more narrow-minded than a needle's eye, not nearly as open and magnanimous as the young lady.
'So embarrassing!'
Iris Dalton didn't want to press the issue. There was no point.
UmbraNet members were all exceptionally skilled, so it was inevitable that they would be proud, arrogant, and look down on others.
She didn't care about any of that, as long as they could get the job done properly.
'They're just tools to get the work done!'
DING—
[Slick]: "Broadcasting an important notice. The LuminNet Special Division has intercepted a laser weapon attack signal and is currently tracing the origin of the weapon."