Chapter 7

Chapter 1

Wilson didn't stick around after their conversation. He quickly filled Emerson in on his apprentice's situation, they agreed on a meetup spot, and he took off down the mountain.

Emerson watched him go, feeling oddly nostalgic. That kid who used to follow him everywhere had really grown up.

Then his face completely changed and he smacked himself in the forehead.

"Shit, why didn't I ask more questions? Idiot!"

While Wilson had been there, Emerson managed to keep it together. Now that he was alone, reality hit him like a truck.

He was kicking himself for agreeing to Wilson's request without thinking it through.

At first, he'd just assumed Wilson's apprentice was some guy and didn't think much of it. He figured Wilson was in some kind of trouble and needed a safe place to stash his student.

Emerson had it all mapped out—when the apprentice showed up, he'd use the same training methods that worked on Wilson years ago. With that success story, he was confident he could handle teaching another student without breaking a sweat.

But what he never saw coming was Wilson—this intimidating guy who could clear out a room just by walking in—taking on a young woman as his apprentice.

It was completely out of character. Shouldn't someone as intense as Wilson pick some big, tough apprentice who matched his energy?

"Does this guy have a secret soft side or something?" Emerson muttered, rubbing his stubbled chin while mentally cursing Wilson.

He filed that away for later investigation. If he got the chance, he'd definitely dig into Wilson's motivations.

He headed back toward his house. A promise was a promise, and now he had to figure out how to deliver.

His little breakdown was just Emerson's way of processing stress. After spending most of the last few years alone in the wilderness, he'd picked up the habit of talking to himself.

As for Gyarados, back when he was still a Magikarp, the little guy couldn't survive outside water. Emerson hadn't dared let him out in the jungle—he would've been lunch for any passing predator.

Later, after Magikarp evolved into his current massive form, Emerson was reluctant to release him casually because of his intimidating size and power.

He could communicate with Gyarados through the Pokéball, and despite being way smarter than others of his species, Gyarados still couldn't talk. Their conversations were limited to various roars that Emerson had learned to interpret.

All that isolation had shaped Emerson's solitary habits.

His yard was small, so he reached the house in just a few steps. He dropped into his chair and pulled out his phone, quickly typing a message.

"Drop whatever you're doing. I need your help with something."

The response came back almost instantly, like she'd been waiting by her phone.

"Got it, boss."

This was Emerson's solution. Since he'd have trouble training a young female apprentice himself, he'd find someone who could handle it.

The moment he'd thought of that, one face immediately came to mind—pretty, smart, and always wearing that knowing smile.

Anna, his only real employee.

He'd been the one to find Anna.

A few years back, he'd been deep in the jungle hunting for rare natural treasures. On his way out, he'd found Anna unconscious in the woods.

Emerson never learned about Anna's past. She never volunteered the information, and he never pushed for details.

He knew there had to be a story—you didn't end up unconscious alone in the middle of nowhere without one. But he hadn't been interested in Anna's secrets back then. All his focus was on Gyarados and training.

Anna had chosen to work for him out of gratitude, and he'd accepted her offer. But instead of keeping her close, he'd given her startup money and asked her to handle various business ventures.

He'd agreed to let her work for him, but he hadn't really expected much. The business arrangement was mainly his way of giving her a stable situation.

Who knew Anna would take his initial investment and build something substantial? She'd gradually taken over managing everything in his life—food, housing, transportation, you name it.

Anna had become the first person to really understand the details of his situation.

But bringing Anna along this time wasn't just about teaching Wilson's apprentice.

Emerson was also ready to start revealing certain things to Anna.

Years of observation had given him a clear read on her character. Plus, he'd learned enough about the various powerful organizations in this world to know these massive entities weren't interested in bothering with someone like him.

He was finally ready to start putting certain plans into motion, and he needed reliable help.

Besides Wilson, Anna was probably the person he trusted most.

That's why he'd decided to include her in this operation.

Honestly, Emerson's real confidence came from Gyarados's upcoming final evolution. He believed that once Gyarados completed that transformation, most supernatural threats wouldn't be able to touch them.

With that kind of power backing him, he wasn't worried about these concerns anymore. Even if Anna turned out to be some incredible actress planted by an organization, it wouldn't matter in the long run.

What he planned to reveal would eventually become public knowledge anyway. Interested parties would just learn about it a little sooner.

After reading Anna's reply, Emerson set his phone aside.

He had no idea that at that very moment, in the city below his mountain, a beautiful woman was staring at her phone with a puzzled expression.

Her long black hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. A tactical vest showed off her impressive figure, while cargo pants and combat boots made her legs look even longer.

Anna was sprawled on her couch, trying to figure out what Emerson was up to.

She'd been working for him for years now, and she knew exactly what kind of person her boss was. Usually he either disappeared into the mountains or stayed home—he rarely went anywhere else.

For him to suddenly contact her like this, there had to be more to it.

Unfortunately, her boss was annoyingly secretive and always operated with an air of mystery. No matter how sharp she was, without concrete clues, there was no way to guess his plans.

Anna thought about it for a while but came up empty. Finally, she decided to stop overthinking it.

She'd figure it out when she got there. By going along, she'd eventually understand what he was planning.

She sank deeper into the soft cushions, and whatever thought crossed her mind brought a mischievous smile to her lips.

But peaceful moments never last. Anna's phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.

"Wasn't my text clear enough?" she answered, obviously recognizing the caller. Whether she was annoyed at the interruption or for some other reason, there was an edge to her voice.

"I just wanted to tell you—next time you need something, call instead of texting."

The guy clearly didn't care about her attitude and hung up after his brief message.

Anna stared at her phone in disbelief.

She wanted to throw the thing across the room, but after a moment's thought, she held back.

After a long pause, Anna let out a bitter laugh.

"I should never have gotten involved with you in the first place!"

A stunning woman with no one around to appreciate the view.