NOVPUBAnna was startled and turned to look.
Seated on the guest sofa was a man in simple attire, his features obscured as if veiled by something invisible, blurred.
That voice... it was the man from this morning!
"Who are you?"
Anna forced composure, wisely refraining from asking how he got in.
In the corner of the desk lay a security alarm, untouched.
Firstly, if the man had malicious intentions, there was no need for him to alert her verbally; secondly, with his ability to appear and vanish at will, even security measures seemed futile.
"Who I am is not important. What matters is, do you like this gift?" Martin sat solemnly, his voice deep in inquiry.
Indeed!
Anna’s breath hitched, forcing herself to remain calm. This "gift," unsolicited as it was, could not be refused by her.
Thus, she attempted to inquire, "Why come to us, House Rosewood? Just in Riverland alone, there are families with deeper pockets than us, more than a handful."
Martin smiled faintly, rising and approaching step by step.
The clear sound of his footsteps made Anna suddenly realize that, somehow, even the hum of the air conditioning had vanished.
"Miraculous appearances, miraculous powers."
When elements of film and fiction manifest in reality, silent and unseen, they still deliver an immense shock.
"It’s due to a coincidence, and you," he stated, halting before the desk.
Facing his gaze, Anna struggled to not take a single step back: "What exactly do you mean?"
"Do you know, before the construction of your House Rosewood property in BB District, what used to be there?"
Martin’s gaze carried a certain oppressive force: "We aim to reclaim that place, but now it’s in the hands of House Rosewood, hence the coincidence, and that’s why I healed your father."
Anna felt a strong sense of contradiction within her, torn between absurdity and belief.
That ancestral property in BB District was actually established over two hundred years ago during the tumultuous period of the Lotus rebellion, intended as a retreat for House Rosewood when that area was still woodland.
But thereafter, House Rosewood never really had to resort to it.
As time passed, the current members of House Rosewood had all but forgotten the original purpose of that property, merely maintaining it like any ordinary ancestral estate.
Yet at least Anna knew that the estate had been established for well over two hundred years.
Since the man used the term "reclaim," it indicated that the place belonged to them even before House Rosewood’s time, so why had they neglected it afterward?
At the same time, his reference to "us" undoubtedly signified that he was from an organization, the superhuman organization at that!
And an organization always has its ups and downs, which undoubtedly added a degree of persuasiveness.
"But that’s all secondary. What’s most important is... you!"
"You are quite unique, your character and aptitude meet our criteria, and your abilities are what we need."
Martin’s tone shifted.
"Join you?" Anna said, taken aback.
Seeing her expression, Martin let out a soft laugh and sat in the chair opposite her.
"Join a superhuman organization, unlock the door to the mystical, gain extraordinary powers—such a pie-in-the-sky opportunity, why beat around the bush?"
"That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?"
Anna didn’t object: "Yes."
Martin swiveled his chair to face the window where the afterglow lingered, his demeanor reflective.
"Do you believe superhumans just happened to emerge? Do you think this world will remain peaceful forever?" The implication in his words gave Anna pause for thought.
The room suddenly darkened.
She watched the man still seated, suppressing the chaos in her heart, observing the transformation.
The scenery around slowly morphed into a land of wonders, where terrifying monsters were held at bay by invisible barriers.
As the perspective zoomed in, Anna, diminutive in scale, stood under one of these colossal creatures, only then realizing their immense size.
Oppression, shock.
The scene shifted again.
The monster from before roared across the land, igniting towering flames that turned wooden villages and stone-wall towns into scorching hells.
Smoke darkened the skies.
A warrior clad in armor, wielding a spear, leaped tens of meters, charging valiantly alone.
Anna saw the emblem from the white jade earlier on his armguard.
Then, the warrior was engulfed by flames.
The view elevated to reveal a scarred earth, where warriors bearing that emblem battled monsters in various places.
Some triumphed, others fell.
Those who were protected and fled their homes looked back at the figures being consumed one by one in their defense.
Fear, despair, gratitude, pain, valor...
Their emotions intertwined with Anna’s psyche.
She felt something lodged in her throat, nearly unable to breathe.
The visions slowly faded, and the office returned to normal, and with the vanishing scene, the mysterious man also disappeared.
Anna was dazed.
She almost forgot how she left the company, how she returned home.
Only the man’s parting words echoed in her mind:
"What has once happened, is about to happen again."
"To join us, to join Divine Shield, means not just the extraordinary, but also danger and sacrifice, as it has always been through the ages."
"You still have time to consider. Come to the BB District property tomorrow and tell me your final answer."
That night, Anna was plagued with insomnia, her consciousness wandering between sleep and wakefulness.
...
BB District.
The ancestral property of House Rosewood.
Martin paused, the dim light of night not obstructing his sight, the mottled traces on the gate fully visible to him.
"System, place the organization’s headquarters," he silently commanded in his mind.
"Please adjust the specific location for the host," the system responded.
A new perspective appeared in Martin’s mind, an aerial view of the location with the shadowy outline of a secret realm alongside it.
Appreciating the convenience of the system, he began to move the secret realm with his thoughts, making meticulous adjustments.
Finally, it was set!
There was no vibration, no change in spirit power — everything was accomplished in silence.
"Task completed. Reward: 100 Organizition experience points, the method to create Mystic Relics based on mystic runes."
A vast expanse of knowledge entered Martin’s mind.
With the system’s assistance, he almost instantly assimilated the information, understanding the specific uses of these objects.
Mystic runes were born naturally from the world of spirit power in its early formation, during the chaotic beginnings when the orders of the world took physical form through spirit power.
As everything gradually stabilized, mystic runes would vanish without a trace.
Choosing the right materials for refinement, creating the corresponding spirit power circuits, and embedding a sufficient source of spirit power would typically produce an ordinary Mystic Relic with fixed powers.
In gaming terms, such a weapon would provide fixed stat boosts, with generally low caps.
But Mystic Rune Relics were different; they added fixed values and also offered percentage enhancements, even giving a substantial boost to high-level superhumans.
More importantly, the higher-quality relics could manifest special effects.
Such as repulsion.
Or deceleration.
The potential of such nearly order-level effects of the relics was significant; any being with lower spirit power levels, unless they possessed at least one ORDER ability, would not be immune.
Mystic Circuit Relic, Mystic Rune Relic.
Above that was the realm of true ORDER Mystic Relics, which were considered divine artifacts.
Unapologetically, if the future members of Divine Shield could possess Mystic Rune Relics, their combat effectiveness against monsters would greatly increase.
In the future, Divine Shield would wield true Mystic Relics.
Suppressing his joy, Martin called up the system panel:
[ Host: Martin Organization Name: Divine Shield Organization Level: 0 (110/200) Organization Wonder: 1 Initial Task 3: Reach 5 members in the organization. Reward: 100 Organizition experience points, random reward. ]
With old tasks completed, new ones appeared.
He noticed that so far, all tasks came with a random reward, which indeed was something to look forward to.
...
Elsewhere.
In the middle of the night.
Anna, who couldn’t sleep, wore a light silk nightgown, her feet bare as she walked to the window, looking out at the remaining scattered lights outside.
In that illusion, she felt as though she truly became a member of Divine Shield.
Fighting in oppression, dying in agony, all for a glimmer of hope.
Blood loss, mangled limbs, death almost palpable and utterly real.
She had never faced such a difficult choice in her life.
Fear, timidity, longing, entanglement...
The chaotic emotions gnawed at her mind, causing her a night of restless pain and struggle.
"Sigh..."
With a light sigh, her fingers trailed over the slightly cold floor-to-ceiling window, she aimlessly paced around the house, and before she knew it, she found herself outside her mother’s bedroom.
Hesitating for a moment, she gently pushed the door and entered.
Perhaps because her father was getting better, her mother was smiling in her sleep, more peaceful than ever. The weariness from not resting well for two months was evident on her face, which pained Anna to see.
Suddenly, she remembered a phrase she had heard somewhere:
Regardless of poverty or wealth, everyone is ordinary, but some choose to be great at critical moments.
It was like a splash of cold water on Anna, snapping her awake.
Anna recalled her father, always feigning nonchalance; her mother, who steadfastly kept watch by the sickbed day after day; the way her family, on the verge of breaking apart, miraculously came back together, with tears, joy, and cherishment.
Her hand clenched tighter, a certain resolve shining in her eyes.
"Is it enough to cure dad’s genetic illness and then live a happy, peaceful life with my family?"
"The world is about to change dramatically, what are you dreaming for, Anna!"
’Is it her wish to bury herself in business every day and die as an ordinary person?’
’Or is she willing to put forth an effort to protect her family, to save this world, even if she dies in a blaze of glory?’
Perhaps it was a belated adolescent impulse, or perhaps it was her true nature surfacing, Anna felt a surge of passion rushing to her brain.
As a child, she studied diligently; as an adult, she took on the company’s challenges – she did well in everything.
But she never liked it.
It seemed she never had something she truly loved,
something that would exhilarate her the moment she woke up, that would keep her working late into the night unwilling to rest, something she could give her all to without reservation.
But now, she felt she had found it.
...
Dawn was breaking.
Anna set off after a sleepless night.
The car drove through the streets under the rising sun. Riverland was still somewhat tranquil, with breakfast vendors just opening up.
Anna’s gaze was exceptionally determined.
Soon, the old house came into view.
After getting out of the car, she walked down the path lined with fragrant grass to the front door of the old house.
She unlocked and pushed the door open directly.
A chill from the long-unoccupied house hit her in the face.
There was nothing inside.
She stepped in with a trace of confusion.
"Have you made up your mind?" Martin suddenly appeared beside her.
He had been keeping an eye on Anna, and to be honest, her decisiveness was quite surprising.
Anna jumped, turning her head.
It was the man who claimed to be the president of Divine Shield.
With a solemn nod, Anna affirmed her decision, "I choose to join Divine Shield."
"Then push open that door," Martin said, his voice low.
Anna looked at the door and then back at him. She might not have lived on this side, but that didn’t mean she was unaware of the situation here. In her memory, opening that door should lead to a small courtyard at the bottom of the hill.
But since he had said so, there must be something behind it that she was not aware of.
Thus, she walked over and stretched out her hand to push.
However, Martin suddenly spoke out, "Are you sure you’ve thought this through? Once you open this door, there’s no turning back."
The corners of Anna’s mouth curved slightly, displaying the determination and confidence of a woman in control of a multi-billion dollar empire.
"I am certain of my choice."
With that, she pushed open the heavy wooden door amid a creaking sound. Warm light poured out.
Anna squinted against the brightness, but her nostrils caught the scent of grass and leaves.
’What?’
She slowly opened her eyes to find a white stone archway standing before her, with thick, lush vines tangled and hanging over, obscuring half the entrance.
On the columns of the archway, one could visibly see the growth of bright green moss.
Looking further into the distance, the low hills were covered with dense, ancient trees, lush and verdant.
The massive tree at the top of the hill was so large it was breathtaking, its branches spread out, nearly covering a third of the sunlight on the hilltop, like a giant standing firm at the summit.
Upon closer inspection, she could occasionally spot the corner of a blue-tiled roof peeking out from among the layers of vegetation, adding a touch of human presence to the scene.
"This…"
Anna’s mouth opened wide in astonishment.
She stepped back a few paces, passing under the eaves of the old house to view the mountain behind.
It was still as she remembered it.
Approaching again, looking through the gate, it appeared entirely like a lost sanctuary of mystery.
One door, two worlds.
Although she had pondered the reality of superhumans, this scene still surpassed Anna’s imagination.
"This is the headquarters of Divine Shield, a secret realm that has been sealed for hundreds of years. This is why I needed to take back this place," Martin explained.
Saying so, he stepped over the threshold and walked in.
"Let’s go."
After speaking with Anna last night, Martin had come here to set up the headquarters’ secret realm.
Honestly, even having seen a preview of the scene, he was still shocked when he personally entered it.
That sense of ancient abandonment couldn’t be fully grasped without being close.
’Headquarters, sealed...’
Anna gleaned certain information from these words.
She followed him inside, then turned back to look.
On either side, there were no walls, just a solitary wooden gate standing in the air, disconnected from anything.
Looking back, circling the mountain, was a flatland overgrown with weeds, with the occasional beautiful wildflower.
Martin turned his head, saw Anna standing still, curiously looking around, and called out, "Come with me."
The two passed through the white stone arch.
The vines above were thicker than a person’s waist, having grown for who knows how many years.
Beneath their feet was a path paved with bluestone, with weeds filling the gaps between the stones. Not far along, the path was split into two by a huge stone stele.
The stone stele bore the outline of a shield with a pattern of a circle within it.
"This must be the emblem of Divine Shield!"
Following the man’s steps, Anna was led to a main hall under the giant tree.
Everything along the way was full of marks of the years.
’How long has this place existed?’
Looking up at the tree canopy as large as clouds above her, Anna felt more and more shocked and reverent.
’Such a huge tree, a few hundred years would be far from enough; it must be measured in millennia at least.’
Upon entering the great hall, she saw a red carpet that stretched to the end, with an extraordinary brightness on both sides despite the absence of windows.
Looking up, the roof seemed to vanish, with light pouring down directly from above, and a red Divine Shield emblem floating at the apex.
Every part of this place thrummed with an extraordinary power.
Anna, who was originally not any domineering CEO, now approached almost with a pilgrim’s reverence.
