The air of the victory banquet, mingling fine champagne with the scent of triumph, had not yet entirely faded from Ye Li's senses when a more forceful power abruptly shoved the course of his life in a completely new, unknown direction.
The Mansion, whose luxury and emptiness he had only just begun to get used to, was transformed almost overnight into a heavily fortified stronghold. Workers' footsteps and the clanging of metal replaced the servants' hushed voices. Cold surveillance cameras peered like steel eyes from every corner of the ceilings, placing every inch of his space under unending scrutiny.
Giovanni's "generosity" went far beyond that. The three tokens, each bearing the sacred power of ice, lightning, or fire, were ceremoniously installed in the Mansion's central area. Arriving alongside them were Athena and her Personal Guard, a unit renowned for its ruthlessness and efficiency.
"Assist with the research." Giovanni's voice over the Communicator was steady and powerful, yet carried an unquestionable weight of authority.
Ye Li understood the true meaning behind those words-round-the-clock surveillance without a single blind spot. His every move, his every breath, would be recorded, analyzed, and ultimately presented to the man seated at the pinnacle of power. He had no choice but to accept. This was both a reward and a shackle.
At that moment, Ye Li sat alone in the very center of the temporary laboratory. Rather than a laboratory, it resembled an altar prepared for a god. The freshness of ozone and the chill of metal filled the air, mingling into a peculiar smell. Before him, the three tokens rested on specially designed levitation platforms, each radiating a distinct and powerful aura.
The stone tablet bearing an impression taken from the Ancient Ruins was rough in texture, its surface covered in ancient writing that looked