She paused.
"I will pay the one hundred million dollars," Lana said evenly. "But if, after learning the truth, you feel even a shred of sha, then leave Monk Anaro in peace and offer him a proper apology."
Her figure receded, leaving Kevin rooted to the spot, his world quietly collapsing under the weight of truths he had never dared to consider.
With that, Lana walked past him without looking back. The cool night air brushed against her skin as she slid into the car, the faint scent of leather and tal wrapping around her the mont the door shut.
"Back to the mansion," she murmured.
The driver complied at once. The hum of the engine was steady, almost hypnotic, and by the ti they arrived, exhaustion had settled deep into her bones.
Lana returned to her room, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed onto the bed, barely having the strength to think.
The next morning, she woke up to an unfamiliar stillness.
No lingering images. No fragnted nightmares.
’Another dreamless night...’
Instead of heading straight for the shower, she reached for her phone. The cool glass felt grounding in her palm as she dialed the investigation team.
"I want the results on Kevin," she said calmly.
At the sa ti she contacted the people invovled in Kevin’s case and paid off the loan.
The day passed without incident. Silence stretched on until the following afternoon, when her phone finally rang.
Just as Lana had predicted.
Kevin’s father had indeed sched against Monk Anaro from the very beginning.
He had known he could never afford the healer whose fee reached a staggering one billion dollars.
Monk Anaro, however, had connections, reputation, and the possibility of securing loans. Faced with desperation, Kevin’s father had chosen that path, believing his plan would succeed.
Instead, everything spiraled into chaos.
Lana closed her eyes, her lashes casting faint shadows against her cheeks.
’Humans often believe they’ve won once a sche is set in motion... yet when it collapses, they’re the ones trapped inside it.’
She inhaled deeply, steadying herself.
"Alright," she replied simply before ending the call.
That night, she began packing. Tomorrow, she would be going on a picnic with her classmates.
Without hesitation, she folded clothes neatly, checked supplies, and packed far more carefully than an ordinary outing required. As she was organizing the last bag, a sharp ding echoed in her mind.
She paused.
Zephyr’s voice rang out with calmness, "You’ve unlocked new talismans."
Lana’s fatigue evaporated instantly.
"What kind?" Her eyes brightened.
"This ti, you’ve unlocked basic fire talisman and basic speed talisman. There’s also a basic air talisman."
Lana froze.
’Elental talismans?’
Her heartbeat quickened. She had never heard of such talismans being awakened so easily, let alone by soone at her stage.
Curiosity overtook her caution. She sat down and began to draw. As before, the first few attempts were clumsy, lines wavering under her fingers. But this ti, it only took ten tries before a talisman finally stabilized.
Without hesitation, she activated the fire talisman.
The paper burned away instantly, transforming into a blazing sphere of fire. Heat washed over her face as the flas crackled softly in the air. Lana’s pupils shrank.
’That’s... the size of a waterlon.’
She swallowed. Such power is normally required at least a level four or five cultivator.
Before she could fully react, the fireball lost its balance and slamd into the ground. A deafening crack echoed as the floor split open, scorched black around the fissure.
Lana stared, speechless.
Mr. Crow, who had been perched on her shoulder, nearly toppled off. "You’re finished this ti," he muttered weakly.
Lana pressed her lips together. "I’ll look into it."
Without wasting ti, she moved on. She drew a basic air talisman, followed by a basic speed talisman. Then ca the familiar ones, basic exorcism, cleansing, illusion, aura-hiding, and finally, a basic enhancent talisman.
The mont she activated the enhancent talisman, a subtle warmth flowed through her body. It was faint, but unmistakable.
"These... feel different," she murmured.
Mr. Crow frowned. "Different how?"
Before Lana could answer, Zephyr spoke up, "Due to your upgraded mystic energy, even basic talismans you create are approaching interdiate-level strength."
Lana’s eyes widened.
Mr. Crow sucked in a breath. "I’ve truly hit the jackpot with you as my master."
She snapped back to herself and laughed softly. "It really does feel like I have every cheat code imaginable."
Her gaze dropped to her hands. "So this is the power of yellow mystic energy..."
Even the talismans responded differently now.
She wanted to test the upgraded exorcism talisman, but there were no ghosts nearby.
Frowning slightly, she asked, "Zephyr, how effective is the basic exorcism talisman now?"
"Previously, it was effective against five- to ten-year-old ghosts and struggled beyond that," Zephyr replied imdiately. "Now, it can firmly suppress ghosts up to fifteen years old."
Lana’s eyes sparkled.
’Fifteen-year-old ghosts...’
With her own strength, she could already deal with twenty-year-old ghosts.
A quiet sense of relief settled in her chest. With these talismans and her mystic energy, she could finally stand on equal footing with her colleagues.
Satisfied, she put the talismans away and headed for the door.
Another day at the university passed uneventfully.
Then ca the day of the trip.
Lana arrived at the local bus station with the others. The air buzzed with chatter and the faint sll of fuel. As she scanned the group, her gaze paused.
Quinn was there.
’I didn’t expect him to join... but it doesn’t matter.’
Her attention shifted to Betty. She looked exhausted, her face pale. No matter how well Betty had tried to heal herself, a faint slap mark still lingered on her cheek.
’That must have been one hell of a hit.’
Layla stood nearby, repeatedly glancing at Betty with worry, yet never stepping closer. The distance between them felt heavy, deliberate.
’Did they... break up?’
The sorrow Betty tried to hide only confird Lana’s suspicion. Whatever fight had occurred, it had gone far beyond a simple argunt.
To ease the tension, Lana forced a bright smile.
"So," she chirped, "where are we headed?"
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