GASP!
Sean Carson wanted to help Morgan Vaughn, whose wrist was injured, but suddenly heard the girl summoning The Golden Arowana and couldn't help but turn around and laugh out loud.
He was laughing out of sheer anger! What was this little girl playing at? Not only was she completely unreasonable, but she also physically assaulted someone. They hadn't planned to hold it against her—they just wanted to chase her away—but she was pushing her luck and walking all over them! And now she was actually putting on an act of summoning The Golden Arowana. She had to be out of her mind!
To think that two dignified researchers from Stellan University had their plans to build an experimental zone ruined by a deranged little girl. Sean Carson's face was livid; he was so furious his lungs were about to explode.
"Do you have any manners? Didn't your parents teach you how to behave? This is utterly absurd!" He took two steps forward and pointed a finger at Iris Dalton. He intended to curse her out so thoroughly that she wouldn't dare show her face in public again!
WHOOSH—WHOOSH—
Two blinding, straight pillars of light suddenly shot down from the sky, immediately followed by a massive ultrasonic blast that completely enveloped the two trucks.
Sean Carson was speechless. He wondered, "What is this? Are they shooting a movie?"
In an instant, the heavy trucks were melted by the concentrated, high-intensity heat. With a loud HUM, they turned into ash in the blink of an eye.
Billowing, scorching vapor soared straight into the clouds, churning up a deafening surge of energy that rippled outward in expanding rings. Everyone present felt their ears ringing numb. A majestic, dispersing force hit them, violently shoving them back several steps. Caught off guard, some fell straight to the ground.
They were utterly dumbfounded! In mere seconds, the two heavy trucks right in front of them had evaporated into thin air. It was terrifying to the core!
The blinding pillars of light then dissipated. The crowd's vision went dark for a moment, as if flash-blinded. When their sight recovered, all they saw were two scorched, black marks on the ground. Other than that, nothing remained.
The crowd was entirely speechless. If it weren't for the crushing, stone-like pressure on their chests, they would have thought they were dreaming. None of it felt real! They had just brushed past the Grim Reaper and were actually still alive. They couldn't be luckier!
"Holy crap, did lightning just strike!?" A lackey squatted on the ground, clutching his head with both hands. His neck felt stiff, and his voice sounded like a torn, broken gong, grating and unpleasant.
Tyler Kwan didn't want to engage. His head was pounding; he desperately needed a moment of peace. The surrounding people were dead silent. No one made a sound. The lackey was confused. Did he just make a fool of himself?
Morgan Vaughn's face was deathly pale. His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at the two scorched marks on the ground, his lips trembling unconsciously. He wanted to speak, but his throat was sealed by the searing heat, unable to produce even a sliver of sound. In that moment, he had completely forgotten about his fractured wrist. Even the tearing agony was thrown to the back of his mind. His mind was entirely blank. A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. He felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar, his entire body frozen stiff.
Beside him, Sean Carson was in an even more pathetic state. His legs had given out from terror, and he had collapsed onto the ground, directly wetting his pants. He sprawled on the earth, both hands desperately clawing at the dirt. He was trembling like a leaf, the corners of his mouth spasming and twitching uncontrollably as if he had Parkinson's.
Oh God, it was too terrifying!
Just now, he had been the closest to the trucks, less than five meters away. When the pillar of light struck, he didn't even know what happened. He just felt as though his entire body had been heavily smashed by a massive sledgehammer. Then his vision blurred, and tears streamed down his face. In an instant, the blood in his veins seemed to congeal, and his chest felt so tight he couldn't breathe.
In a daze, he thought he was going to die—killed by a mysterious, colossal power, dying an inexplicable, silent death. What a tragic, pitiful man!
The people present were either squatting, kneeling, or collapsed on the ground. Every single one of them was rooted to the spot, not even uttering a groan. Only Iris Dalton remained standing in place, towering noticeably over them. The young girl had a slender, graceful figure and a straight posture. Her expression was indifferent, and there was an understated, casual air about her, as if nothing had happened at all.
"Just two laser missiles..."
What was the big deal, really?
The crowd couldn't help but shudder. They thought, "Little grand-aunt, could you leave a way out for us mortals? Is a laser missile something the likes of us are worthy of witnessing? No, you keep it to play with yourself. We aren't worthy!"
They looked up. A few rays of sunlight filtered through the shade of the trees, coating the young girl in a dappled, golden layer. She looked magnificent; even the strands of hair floating in the wind were gleaming with gold. She looked like an immortal, entirely out of place in the mortal realm!
The crowd's gaze toward her gradually shifted. Within their dumbfounded stares lay shock, fear, awe, and adoration... along with the deep trauma of having just been mentally tortured.
"Have you memorized it? This is my territory. Don't come looking for trouble in the future. For every time you dare to come, I dare to annihilate you." Iris Dalton's voice was soft and flat, carrying a trace of smugness. She stood casually, twirling her hair around her finger with the imposing aura of a supreme boss looking down upon the masses.
The crowd was speechless. She truly was a terrifying little grand-aunt!
The more careless and nonchalant her tone was, the more terrifying and spine-chilling it became. Any casual sentence from her sounded like a summons from hell, giving everyone full-body goosebumps.
The two drivers were the first to react. They scrambled up from the ground, fearfully bowed to Iris Dalton, and then turned and bolted. Fleeing for their lives, they didn't even dare to look back, as if a ghost were chasing them.
Iris Dalton was speechless. She thought, "Being scared like this shows a real lack of respect for a beautiful girl."
Sean Carson could no longer stand. Morgan Vaughn, with one crippled hand, endured the agonizing pain and helped him up. The two men were drenched in cold sweat, their faces ashen and bleak. Downcast and thoroughly defeated, they looked like two beaten roosters. They stammered for a moment, unable to form a single sentence. Their courage was utterly shattered. They didn't dare to look at Iris Dalton at all. Finally, they lowered their heads, turned around, and left in terror and frustration. Their figures were hunched, their steps difficult and staggering, looking exceptionally desolate.
"And you? Are you going to stay and farm?" Seeing that the irrelevant people had left, Iris Dalton turned her head and asked Tyler Kwan and the others in a serious tone.
Tyler Kwan and his lackeys froze. It was so sudden that they were startled all over again.
Tyler Kwan was already the calmest among the group. After all, he was someone who had traveled far and wide with Master Dalton and had seen major events. He could still hold his ground. The scene just now had completely exceeded his imagination, scaring him so much that the cigarette between his fingers had dropped. But he finally managed to steady his emotions so as not to break down on the spot and lose face entirely.
"Miss Iris..." His throat was dry, and his voice sounded like a broken zither with snapped strings, slightly out of tune.
At this moment, the lackeys were all squatting on the ground, looking like a pack of hounds that had suffered a massive blow. They stared fixedly at Iris Dalton with pathetic expressions. They simply couldn't stand up... It was incredibly helpless and tragic!
Tyler Kwan composed himself, leaning his hands on his knees to stand up. Testing his voice to ensure it wouldn't crack again, he nodded in complete submission. "No one would dare say 'no' to your orders, Miss Iris. We will definitely work hard and farm diligently. If you don't mind, we'll be your loyal lackeys from now on!"
Thinking back to his contemptuous attitude toward Iris Dalton when they first met, his heart twisted in a hundred different ways. He was consumed by regret. Why had he been so stupid? To actually have the gall to doubt Miss Iris's abilities! Master Dalton had sent The Centurion Mercenaries to help Miss Iris, which clearly showed how much he valued her. Even if he hadn't believed the little girl was capable, he should have trusted Master Dalton! He was an absolute idiot!
Tyler Kwan was so frustrated he wanted to slap himself. The young girl fired laser missiles right out of the gate—what kind of high Star Level big shot was she? She had to be at least a Seven-Star Level member on UmbraNet! Such a powerful figure had willingly extended a hand to him, and he hadn't seized the opportunity. He completely missed it... How did his thin, weak little arms dare to look down on such an absolute powerhouse? Damn it!
"Be my lackey?" Upon hearing this, Iris Dalton cast him a sidelong glance, her undisguised disgust and disdain plain to see.
Wasn't he overthinking things? He was quite good at giving himself extra importance.
Tyler Kwan was speechless. He wanted to curl into a ball. Gritting his teeth, he bowed to her with a sincere attitude, apologizing profusely. "Miss Iris, please forgive my previous rudeness and ignorance. I am truly sorry. Rest assured, we have already accepted the mission, and we will definitely handle everything flawlessly for you. If anyone else blind enough comes knocking to cause trouble, you won't need to lift a finger—I'll lead my brothers and trap them like dogs!"
Iris Dalton's distinct black-and-white eyes held little emotion, and her tone remained flat. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's perfectly normal for UmbraNet Star Level members to feel uncomfortable being sent here to plant herbs for me."
She shot him a knowing look. It was human nature, completely understandable. She'd let him figure it out himself.
Tyler Kwan felt awkward. His face flushed red with shame, wishing the ground would swallow him whole. He was a grown man, yet his mind was narrower than a needle's eye, not even matching the magnanimity and openness of a little girl. It was too humiliating!
Iris Dalton didn't want to pursue the matter further; there was no point. Members of UmbraNet were all exceptionally skilled. It was inevitable that they would be arrogant and look down on others. She didn't care about any of that, as long as these people could get down to earth and do their jobs properly.
To her, they were just competent human tools!
DING—
[Slick]: "Broadcasting an important notice. The LuminNet Special Division has intercepted a laser weapon attack signal and is currently tracking the source of the weapon."