Lola Goes Missing (1)

The Nature Church again? Green thought, a faint smile touching his lips. It seemed this trip had not been in vain.

The three mercenaries who worshipped the Nature Church clearly knew whom they were looking for. After kicking down the door, they swept fierce gazes over the four people in the room. Their eyes settled on Tina, and one pointed at her. "Little girl, come here."

Wood was just an ordinary college student. He had never encountered anything like this and froze, staring in terror. Joey had more courage. He stepped in front of the others and shouted, "Who are you?"

The three men, each burlier than Joey, gave savage grins. They paid no heed to the wet-behind-the-ears boy. One stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. Bang! Joey struck the bed. The force and precision of the kick gave him no chance to react. He passed out on the spot and lay motionless on the floor.

Wood and Tina grew even more frightened. Tina clutched Wood's arm as though it were a lifeline, but he lost his nerve. He pulled away and retreated, his face full of fear. He looked one breath away from telling those fiends to take Tina and leave—she had nothing to do with him...

Tina stared at him in disbelief. She had thought she could entrust her life to this man, yet at the crucial moment, his ugly cowardice had laid itself bare.

Two of the mercenaries exchanged knowing sneers. "Come along quietly, little girl. There's no need to be afraid. This is your chance to leave an ordinary life behind and become a Transcendent." One of them shot Wood a warning glare.

"What? A Transcendent?" Tina looked at him in astonishment. She was a student at Ferren Technical College. Though