Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 148: Preparation to Find Alex

Chapter 148: Preparation to Find Alex

A Few Hours Earlier...

Unlike Alex, who had just arrived in the city, Lauren had been working long before the sun reached its peak.

The European branch of the Global Association stood at the heart of the fortified capital, an architectural marvel of white marble, reinforced mana glass, and steel. While not as towering as the central skyscraper in the East, the structure commanded attention with its broad, multi-leveled design.

Its wide, crescent-shaped front was flanked by two smaller wings, giving the building the air of an ancient temple fused with cutting-edge mana technology. Flags lined the front, swaying rhythmically in the cool breeze.

The insignia of the Association—a glowing silver circle bound by three intertwining bands—was carved into obsidian stone above the arched entrance, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

As the black, rune-etched vehicle came to a stop before the grand stairway, silence rippled through the crowd gathered at the front plaza. Agents, officials, and staff from various departments, many mid-conversation, fell quiet as the doors opened.

Lauren stepped out first.

She wore a sleek, navy-blue coat embroidered with faint silver patterns—subtle enchantments woven into the fabric that shimmered under the sun. Her dark heels clicked sharply on the stone steps, her long hair tied into a tight ponytail, revealing the sharp lines of her jaw. Her expression was unreadable, composed, eyes carrying a quiet but unshakable confidence. The kind that made people move without her saying a word.

Behind her stepped Liam—taller, broader, his jacket unbuttoned, revealing a partially armored undersuit that hugged his athletic frame.

He moved with an easy calm, like someone who had seen violence so often it barely registered. His gaze was relaxed, but not careless, sweeping the area once, noting exits, faces, threats.

Trailing them were thirteen elite escorts dressed in matching black combat suits, marked only by the glowing insignia of Central Command on their right shoulders.

Whispers broke the silence.

"Wait—are those the Central Envoys?"

"Who is she...?"

"Damn She looks hot"

"Do you guys know anyone from the group?"

Lauren became the center of attention among the men. They couldn’t help but look at her, more than once, some not even trying to hide their lust as they stared at her, but none approached. Liam, meanwhile, drew curious stares from the women. His to reap and huge body, as it made some ladies even fan themselves, even though there where no heat.

Inside the Association headquarters, the decor shifted from ceremonial to operational—walls embedded with mana runes pulsed at regular intervals, projecting shields and communication barriers to ensure complete privacy. Holographic maps floated in some rooms, while crystal panels tracked threats and bounty targets in real-time.

They entered Erik’s personal office—spacious but practical. The furniture was made of dark oak reinforced with metallic edges, and the floor was covered with an enchantment-inscribed rug, designed to suppress external surveillance.

Lauren entered first but made no move to take the main chair. It would’ve been inappropriate. This wasn’t her base of power, even if her presence outstripped everyone else’s in authority. She instead sat in one of the two guest chairs, crossing one leg over the other in a composed, elegant motion. Liam remained standing at first before settling into the chair beside her, resting his arm on the back casually.

Erik seated himself behind the desk with a short exhale, then immediately turned to his secretary. "Bring the files. All of them."

She gave a nod and left without a word.

Moments later, she returned, placing a thick, leather-bound folder on the table before Lauren with both hands. Lauren reached out, fingers gliding across the folder’s cover. She opened it and began reading, her expression unreadable but fully focused.

The pages inside were a mixture of redacted reports, bounty details, witness statements, and images—some blurry, others enhanced by magic tech. As she flipped through them, she absorbed every detail: the strange lack of origin, the bounty issued by one of the Higher Clans, and the vague descriptions that all led to a singular truth: this individual did not officially exist.

After several minutes, Lauren passed the folder to Liam, who accepted it with a quiet hum and began scanning it himself.

Then Lauren spoke, her tone flat and slightly sharp. "So, everything written here... is just speculation."

Erik hesitated before nodding. "Yes. Unfortunately. We’ve had agents tracing the bounty for over a week, but nothing concrete has come up."

Lauren’s gaze locked on him. "Then what can you say?"

He sighed, leaning forward slightly. "We don’t know why they issued it. The man in question can’t be found in any of our records. No birth records. No affiliations. Not even a trace of mana signature. It’s like he’s... a ghost. Or someone not from here."

She said nothing.

Liam closed the folder with a soft thud. "There’s no way he could go unnoticed unless someone erased him deliberately. And I don’t buy the whole ’under a rock’ theory."

His tone sharpened. "Which means either one of the Higher Clans is protecting him... or they’re covering their tracks."

Erik’s fingers tightened on the desk, the implications weighing heavily in the room. "If they’re covering something... why issue a bounty at all? Especially a dead or alive one?"

"Desperation," Liam muttered. "Or misdirection."

Lauren had remained silent throughout their speculation, her mind running down its chain of reasoning. Then her eyes dropped to a line near the end of the bounty report:

The subject is reportedly accompanied by a small white tigress, believed to be a bonded beast. Intelligent.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I want a full scan of the continent. Anyone with a bonded beast that matches this description—tigress, especially white-furred—flag them. I want their names, locations, and movement logs."

Erik nodded without protest. "Understood. I’ll mobilize the department immediately."

As her colleagues moved, Lauren remained still, flipping the page one last time.

She didn’t say it aloud, but her instincts whispered it already—she made sure that she would find him before anyone did.

Even if it meant digging through the rot they’d buried for decades.