The Female War God

"Knock, knock, knock"

The door was gently rapped upon.

"Come in."

Behind a mahogany desk, a young woman, petite in stature, dressed in dark green attire and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, spoke.

"General Fatima, here is the black coffee you requested."

A person dressed as a secretary entered the room, placing a cup of black coffee on the desk.

Fatima nodded but noticed the secretary had no intention of leaving and thus inquired,

"Is there something else?"

The secretary hesitated and then spoke,

"There is something I need to report to you."

"The Awakener Integrated Control Center has sent a message. A level 45 elite team captain has suddenly fallen."

The pen on the paper ceased its movement.

Fatima remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"In these turbulent times, every high-level awakener is a precious asset to humanity."

"His sacrifice will be remembered."

"If he has a family, issue them a condolence payment in my name."

The secretary nodded and praised Fatima,

"His family will surely remember your kindness."

Fatima nodded, rubbing her temples with a hint of a headache.

"Where did he fall? In which dungeon?"

"Magus Domain."

"What?" Fatima was momentarily stunned, finding it hard to believe.

"I recall the Magus Domain is a level 30 dungeon... How could a level 45 warrior die there? Have the circumstances and causes of the incident been investigated? Tell me about it."

In the alliance, an awakener reaching level 45 is considered among the elite. 

This implies that these individuals generally have a wealth of experience, and ordinary dangers should not pose a threat to their lives.

Fatima had assumed that this person had encountered trouble in a dungeon above his level, not that he had fallen in a level 30 dungeon.

"The fallen warrior was named Leonard. He and his squad had just completed a dungeon trial."

"In this dungeon, they acquired some magical items and equipment that were not of great use to them. So, they decided to sell these items at a local black market."

"However, in the black market, they had a disagreement, and Leonard's position as the team captain was challenged."

"Eventually, he decided to leave the squad and entered the Magus Domain alone, and then the news of his demise came."

"It sounds like a simple accident caused by a rash decision."

Fatima pondered for a moment, then spoke,

"However, I believe that as a level 45 elite team captain, even in a reckless state, he would have had a considerable ability to protect himself."

"And in a level 30 dungeon, there are few things that could pose a threat to him, unless there is something we have overlooked."

"Magus Domain..."

Fatima recalled her own experience entering this dungeon years ago. 

A prodigy since childhood, she had navigated the dungeon with relative ease, almost breezing through the challenges. 

However, she always felt as if something was watching her during her time there. 

She had initially thought it was the military elders secretly sending someone to protect her, but now she wondered if there might actually be something concealed within.

"Immediately elevate this matter to an 'A' priority level. Dispatch a team to investigate any anomalies in the Magus Domain."

"If they encounter danger, they must withdraw from the dungeon without hesitation."

"Furthermore, I want a detailed report on the conflict that occurred in the black market between Leonard's squad and the items he purchased. You have half an hour."

"Yes!" The female secretary instantly tensed up. After leaving Fatima's office, she hurriedly coordinated with other relevant personnel to handle the matter.

Fatima sat in her office, eyes closed in deep thought.

"According to the prophecy, the apocalypse is set to erupt in these next few years."

"Its characteristics could well be accumulating from these small incidents, one after another."

The minute hand on the wall clock quickly completed half a revolution, and the female secretary, with hurried steps, returned to Fatima's office. 

Her face was flushed, and she was out of breath.

"General, I have gathered all the information you requested."

"Leonard purchased an item of mysterious nature from that black market shop."

"According to the shop owner, the item's effect is as follows: The bearer may attract the attention of a mysterious figure from another world, potentially bringing good fortune."

Fatima frowned slightly and said,

"The gaze of a mysterious figure from another world? Sounds like it forcibly binds certain consequences. It's possible this mysterious item led to his mishap in the Magus Domain."

"We also obtained the guest list from the black market shop on that day. There's a name you might find familiar..."

The secretary hesitantly handed over the document to Fatima.

Fatima, expressionless, took it and scanned through, her gaze suddenly freezing on a name.

"Emily."

She stared at the name for a long time before finally asking,

"I remember she was supposed to be leveling up in a dungeon with a level 25 female soldier secretly arranged by our military. How did she end up there?"

"Our informant reported that the lady seems to have found a new team and joined them," the secretary said, somewhat hesitantly.

"Moreover, the [Elder Relic] purchased by Leonard was originally from the team Emily is now a part of."

"Although Lord Nair has some differences with you, General, after all, she is your younger sister. Should we secretly..."

Fatima raised her hand to stop the secretary from continuing and spoke calmly,

"As a member of our Farid family, she is certainly aware of the meaning of our family motto 'Self-reliance and strength'."

"I have already arranged for someone to accompany her in leveling up. If she still needs my protection everywhere, she will become the laughingstock of our family."

"But after all, she is the lady. If something really happens..."

Fatima spoke sternly,

"No need to say more; I have my plans for this matter."

The secretary nodded and discreetly exited Fatima's office.

After a moment,

Fatima pulled out a photo from a pile of thick files on her desk, staring at it, lost in thought. 

In the photo, two little girls were joyfully playing on a swing in a park. 

The slightly younger one was clumsily pushing the older one on the swing.

"My sister, do you still hate me so much?"

...

"Emily, why did you bring a whole bag of toilet paper to my house?"

Henry looked puzzled at Emily, who walked in clutching a stack of toilet paper almost taller than herself.

Blushing, Emily stammered,

"I noticed that your house runs out of toilet paper quickly, and there was a sale downstairs, so I bought a whole bag."

Though Henry was baffled by this unusual housewarming gift, he politely thanked her.

"How's the information about the house I asked you to look into?"

Henry asked.

Since returning from the black market, finding a more suitable house for his current income had been on Henry's agenda.

Emily readily took on this task, willing to use her social connections to contact some well-known local real estate companies.

"I found this villa on Brown Street Riverside Park based on your requirements of a detached house with at least six bedrooms."

"It's not too far from the city center and has excellent greenery around, with high-quality residents. If you're a pet lover, there are several pet shops nearby to choose from."

"What I'm more interested in is the price."

Henry said bluntly.

"Based on the information I gathered from the real estate agent, this property is priced at about 1200 gold coins."

"If you pay in full at once, you can get a discount of 15%. Of course, you also have the option to rent it, which would only cost 8 gold coins a month."

Expensive.

Henry frowned slightly. 

After earning 89 gold coins from the black market, he thought he was wealthy. 

But now, it seemed a luxurious property was still far out of reach.

"Let's go for the purchase, but I can't pay the full amount at once. I'll need to pay in installments."

Emily nodded.

"I'll do my best to negotiate the lowest possible discount for you."