The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection
With Husband 701

Chapter 701

Inside a temporarily requisitioned shop opposite Tranquil Clinic, everyone wore tense expressions. Their disbelief was evident in their furrowed brows and doubtful gazes.

"Confirm the information again. I find it hard to believe," said a burly middle-aged man, his imposing presence hinting at years spent in a position of power.

He was none other than the Warlord of Thunder, one of Dragonia's five mighty warlords, and a figure of immense authority and influence.

"The suspect currently holding a hostage in the clinic has claimed over the phone to be Candace, ranked as the Five of Hearts among the Thirteen Aces, a group of 'Super S-rank 'wanted criminals. It's still unclear whether the claim is genuine," Alistair reported. This was precisely why the Warlord of Thunder was skeptical. The Thirteen Aces, and not just any member but the fifth-ranked, appeared suddenly in a bustling city and personally called the authorities-it was absurd to the extreme.

Xena, the Phoenix Warlord, was also in the room. She frowned deeply, clearly finding the situation equally troubling. "Has Candace made any demands yet?"

"No, not yet," Alistair replied.

Xena, who had been attending a meeting at Gray City's outskirts base along with the Warlord of Thunder, found herself pulled away mid-session to handle this emergency.

Xena frowned deeply, sensing how complicated the situation was. If it were a regular hostage situation, it wouldn't require someone of their rank to step in. But dealing with a figure like Candace, a member of the Thirteen Aces, was an entirely different matter. Standard procedures, like conducting investigations, simply didn't apply. Playing by the book was almost guaranteed to fail against someone like Candace.

Before Xena could speak further, the Warlord of Thunder waved his hand decisively." Deploy the assault team for a feint."

The assault team was merely a decoy designed to distract Candace. The Warlord of Thunder himself was prepared to take action-after all, dealing with a top-five Super S- rank wanted criminal almost always required a warlord's personal intervention or a headquarters- dispatched elite, like the Hellbringers.

Without such firepower, the likelihood of the target escaping-or worse, launching a deadly counterattack-was simply too high. This was the strategy that had been meticulously planned in advance.

But Xena objected immediately. "Warlord of Thunder, wait. The owner of Tranquil Clinic is on their way. It's best to understand the situation first."

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Chapter 701

25 BONUS

The Warlord of Thunder cast a cold glance her way. "Phoenix Warlord, the command authority for the operation is mine. Don't overstep your bounds."

He already didn't think highly of Xena, and now that she had risen to his level, it only stoked his irritation further.

Yet Xena remained firm. "We need to assess the situation carefully. This is Candace, the Five of Hearts, we're dealing with, and in a crowded area, no less. Even with the street sealed off in time, we've only managed to block one road. If we lose control, the casualties could be catastrophic."

Her reasoning was sound, but the Warlord of Thunder dismissed it with disdain. "Hah! Do you think everyone is as weak as you? If I take action, taking down someone like Candace won't take more than a minute."

Xena didn't react to the insult. Among the warlords, her combat strength was indeed the weakest a fact she didn't deny. But she was young and confident she would catch up in due time, so there was no need to argue over it!

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The tension in the room thickened, teetering on the brink of escalation, when Alistair suddenly interrupted, his voice urgent. "Sir! Candace just called again. She's demanding that the owner of Tranquil Clinic enter the building. If not, she'll kill the hostage and unleash chaos in the marketplace."

The room fell silent. Even the Warlord of Thunder frowned, his aggressive stance momentarily subdued.

Candace's threat left no room for error. Acting recklessly might lead to her capture or death, which would be ideal. But if innocents were harmed in the process, even a warlord would be held accountable.

After all, Candace was no ordinary criminal. Her strength, honed during her time in the Oceanus Realm, had likely grown even more formidable.