The mont lingered, heavy with tension. Redy hadn’t just forced her way past security, she had defeated Cornelia’s secretary, soone who rarely failed. That alone justified her presence here. But it wasn’t brute strength that caught Cornelia’s attention. It was control.
Redy hadn’t relied on reckless power. She had executed every move with precision, revealing herself not only as a supre master, but as soone wielding two supre spirits. That alone was abnormal. Almost impossible. A clear sign of a divine spirit bloodline.
And yet... she was human.
That detail alone made her dangerous.
Cornelia leaned back slightly, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied Redy more carefully. A human possessing such a bloodline was rare enough. But one bold enough to walk into her domain, challenge her authority, and now propose terms? That crossed into sothing else entirely.
Interest.
Even the ntion of Project Orion hadn’t triggered imdiate retaliation. Under normal circumstances, that knowledge alone would have been enough to erase soone. But talent like this... could be repurposed and controlled.
Still, there were limits.
Now, this sa intruder stood calmly, as if she belonged, offering to "correct" her domain and proposing a wager. Cornelia couldn’t tell if it was arrogance, stupidity, courage or a dangerous mix of all three.
Her voice remained calm, but carried weight.
"And what exactly," Cornelia asked, her gaze locking onto Redy, "does a master think she can offer a monarch?"
The air tightened slightly.
Redy didn’t hesitate.
"If I fail to improve your domain," she said, her tone steady, "I’ll work for you."
A pause followed, just long enough to sharpen the stakes.
"But if I succeed... you give us access to Orion."
Cornelia didn’t respond imdiately. Instead, she watched. Every detail, posture, breathing, confidence. There was no visible bluff or hesitation. That alone made the situation more complicated.
Then she asked the real question.
"How did you find out about Project Orion?"
Redy t her gaze without flinching.
"I have sources in high places."
For a brief mont, Cornelia’s thoughts shifted. The Core Region. That was the only place capable of leaking sothing like this. But probing too deeply now would expose more than she intended.
So instead, she made a decision.
Cornelia straightened slightly, the faintest hint of a smile touching her lips.
"...Deal."
****
Redy held Cornelia’s gaze after the agreent, her expression calm and steady. On the outside, nothing changed. But inside, a quiet surprise spread through her thoughts. That worked... easier than expected.
She had prepared for resistance. In every scenario she had considered, Cornelia wasn’t supposed to accept so quickly. The plan had been layered, starting with cooperation, then pressure, and finally the leverage hidden inside the flash drive.
If she had refused, Redy would have pushed. If she hesitated, Redy would have baited. That had been the path.
But none of that happened.
Cornelia had agreed.
It threw off the rhythm she had built in her mind. The escalation, the tension, the mont where she would reveal just enough of the flash drive’s contents to corner her. All of it... unnecessary now.
Her eyes flicked briefly, studying Cornelia again.
Why accept so easily? There was no visible weakness or desperation. If anything, the woman looked even more composed after agreeing.
That made it more dangerous.
Still, Redy didn’t dwell on it. A smoother path was always better than a forced one. If she could achieve her goal through cooperation instead of pressure, then she would take it without hesitation.
It also opened another angle.
Working with Cornelia gave her ti. Ti to build trust, to prove value, and to approach things from a position that didn’t imdiately trigger hostility. That alone made the situation far more flexible.
Better to be useful than threatening... at least for now.
She knew exactly what kind of person Cornelia was. Control-driven. Calculating. Soone who didn’t tolerate weakness or unpredictability. Forcing her hand too early would only invite retaliation.
So instead, Redy would guide things slowly. Show results, establish credibility and push boundaries one step at a ti until resistance faded into acceptance. And if that failed...
Her mind brushed against the backup plan.
The contingency still existed. A move she was certain Cornelia wouldn’t be able to handle if things turned hostile. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough to guarantee she wouldn’t walk away empty-handed.
For now, though, none of that was needed.
This was the better outco.
Redy let a small breath settle in her chest, then straightened slightly. The deal was made. The next step was execution, and hesitation now would only weaken the impression she had just built.
"Alright," she said, her voice steady, cutting cleanly through the room’s silence.
"Let’s get to work."
****
Outside Cornelia’s office, Ivy remained seated in the waiting area, her posture stiff and controlled. The tension from earlier hadn’t left her body. Across from her, the reptilian receptionist moved efficiently, cleaning the scattered ss left behind from that brief clash.
It hadn’t even been a real fight yet it left such a ss.
Ivy’s fingers tightened slightly against her knees as the mory replayed. Clash was a generous word. She hadn’t been defeated directly, but the gap had been clear. Redy had outclassed her without effort.
The state of the room proved it.
Chairs had shifted, surfaces scratched, and subtle damage marked the area despite how short the exchange had been. The receptionist worked through it calmly, as if this level of disruption was nothing new to her.
Then she stopped.
Her gaze shifted toward Ivy.
Ivy felt it imdiately. Her shoulders tensed, spine straightening on instinct. "You can relax," the receptionist said after a mont. "If the boss agreed to et her, then you’re no longer considered unwanted guests."
Ivy forced a small nod, but the tightness in her chest didn’t ease. If anything, it shifted into sothing else. Uncertainty. The kind that ca when things moved too smoothly in a place like this.
The receptionist noticed.
Her eyes lingered for a second longer before she let out a quiet breath, her expression turning slightly thoughtful. They’re completely different, she noted silently but she didn’t dwell on it.
Instead, she shifted the conversation.
"If I may ask," she continued, her tone more casual now, "what exactly did you co to discuss with my boss? From what I know, Project Orion isn’t even complete yet."
Ivy hesitated.
Just for a second.
"We found a way to handle that," she said, keeping her voice steady. Just enough to answer without giving anything away.
The receptionist didn’t press further.
But Ivy’s eyes had already drifted.
She looked toward the closed office door, her focus narrowing as her thoughts began to spiral again. Before any of that matters... Rem has to succeed first.
Her chest tightened slightly.
The flash drive.
The contents inside it weren’t sothing to take lightly. Even thinking about it made her pulse pick up. If things went wrong in there... if Cornelia reacted badly...
Ivy exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself.
But the truth remained.
She had no idea what was happening behind that door.
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