The elderly woman began speaking.
She explained the details of Reliance and how Herbal X’s research team had supposedly discovered a way to enhance cultivation with no side effects.
How they had discovered a breakthrough technology after years of research and revolutionary results.
Basically the usual corporate speech.
Redy barely listened.
Instead, her attention shifted elsewhere.
Soone had stopped in front of her.
Agent Ross.
Or rather, Mr. Cross.
He stood calmly, hands folded behind his back.
"I didn’t expect the great Miss Eve to attend our launch event."
Redy didn’t answer imdiately.
During the Herbal X representative’s speech, several people had already approached her.
So to greet her.
So to introduce themselves.
So to test the waters.
It seed Ross had finally decided to do the sa.
Redy lifted her glass slightly.
Her lips curved into a polite smile.
"Mr. Cross," she replied smoothly. "Who would have expected Hyper’s chosen host to be soone so... respected?"
Ross smiled back.
But his eyes remained cold behind the tinted glasses.
"I hope Hyper and the Eden Group can do business together in the near future."
Redy took a slow sip from her drink.
"That," she said calmly, "depends on how the launch goes tonight."
For a brief mont, Ross’s smile faltered.
Just slightly.
Then it returned.
"Well," he said lightly, "I certainly hope things go well."
He inclined his head.
"If you’ll excuse ."
Redy gave a small nod, Ross turned and walked away.
But this ti...
The faint smile on his face had disappeared.
What is that brat planning?
Across the hall, the Herbal X representative finished her speech.
She stepped away from the podium and looked out at the audience.
"So," she said.
"Are there any questions?"
The questions began imdiately.
Hands rose across the hall.
Most of them were predictable.
"How will Reliance be distributed?"
"What will the pricing model look like?"
"Will there be more drugs like this in the future?"
The elderly representative of Herbal X handled them smoothly.
She answered with confidence, occasionally referring back to points she had already ntioned in her speech. Like distribution networks, controlled rollout, future research pipelines.
Standard corporate answers that were t with a calm, controlled and professional atmosphere.
Until...
One reporter raised their hand.
"There are rumors," he said clearly, "that the drug Reliance isn’t what you claim it is."
The Herbal X representative’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"And what would it be, then?"
The reporter didn’t hesitate.
"Our sources say the drug is actually a slow poison."
A ripple spread across the hall.
"And eventually," he continued, "anyone who takes it will beco a mindless zombie."
The entire hall froze.
Even the waiters stopped moving.
Redy took another sip of her drink.
So this is what they ant by ’moderate.’
The source the reporter ntioned, was her.
Redy had been feeding information to this particular dia outlet for a long ti.
Always anonymously.
Using a carefully crafted alias.
And every piece of information she had given them in the past had been correct.
Those reports had elevated the outlet from a minor publication into a legitimate rival to the city’s larger dia organizations.
Because of that reputation, they trusted her completely.
Of course, she had originally asked them to keep their questioning moderate.
But this?
This was less "moderate" and more like kicking a tiger in the rear.
Still, Redy didn’t mind.
It served the exact purpose she intended.
Doubt.
Seeds of suspicion began spreading quietly through the room.
Several powerful figures in the audience had already narrowed their eyes.
Among them, mbers of the alliance.
Even the manager of Tristan’s Mission Hall.
And there was a reason for that.
Just yesterday, they had received the sa information.
But they had dismissed it.
In their minds, it was nothing more than a competitor attempting to sabotage Herbal X.
After all, they had personally witnessed the testing phase.
Reliance had passed multiple trials.
Every result indicated it was completely safe.
Which ant one of two things.
Either this dia outlet was being recklessly foolish.
Or...
They knew sothing the rest of the room didn’t.
And suddenly, everyone in the hall was paying very close attention.
The head of Herbal X sighed softly.
"Well," she said, looking at the reporter, "do you have proof for these claims?"
All eyes turned toward him.
The reporter lowered his gaze slightly.
"...No."
A ripple of irritation passed through the audience, as several guests narrowed their eyes.
The Herbal X representative folded her hands calmly.
"You see," she continued, "when accusations are made without evidence—"
The reporter interrupted.
"We have a source."
The woman paused.
Then she smiled.
"A source with no na."
"No face."
"And apparently... no evidence."
The reporter fell silent again.
Her smile sharpened slightly.
"I didn’t take the people from Abels Publishers to be so efficient at producing fake news."
A few quiet chuckles spread through the hall.
"It makes wonder," she added smoothly, "how legitimate your previous reports have really been."
The reporter couldn’t respond.
Across the hall, Redy watched quietly.
She wasn’t surprised.
The people at Abels Publishers were passionate.
But they weren’t particularly subtle.
And that had always been the point.
No serious dia organization would publish accusations like this without solid evidence.
Most of the information Redy had provided them in the past had also lacked direct proof.
Which ant they had taken risks.
Until now.
The Herbal X representative straightened slightly.
"Since there appear to be no more legitimate questions—"
She gestured toward the stage.
"Let us proceed with the launch."
Ross returned to the stage.
Assistants carried several sealed packets of Reliance forward and placed them on display.
The crowd quickly lost interest in the embarrassed reporter, as the event moved forward.
The head of Herbal X stepped forward slightly.
"To begin—"
The lights suddenly went out, as the hall plunged into darkness.
A few startled voices rose imdiately.
Then...
A sickly green skull lit up in the center of the room.
Ross’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Before anyone could react a massive shape crashed down from the ceiling.
BOOM.
Dust exploded across the floor.
When it cleared a body lay on the ground with grey skin and distorted veins.
The unmistakable look of a Reliance-induced corpse.
It was still breathing.
Thin layers of frost clung to its wounds.
Cryogenic ice barely holding its injuries together.
But the crowd wasn’t staring at the corpse.
Their eyes were locked on the figure standing on top of it.
A person in a dark green jacket.
A large scythe rested across their shoulder.
A bone mask covered half their face.
And their cold gaze swept across the entire hall.
Ross’s pupils shrank.
His voice ca out as a whisper.
"...It can’t be."
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