The codename Vulpisfoglia was quite famous among the five ruling Mafia families of Siracusa.
Though she was at the bottom of the list.
She was still considered one of Siracusa's few legendary assassins.
Each of these legendary assassins possessed the ability to easily assassinate the head of a small Mafia family and had ways to take out the head of a large one. Although they couldn't pose a significant threat to a top-tier Mafia boss like Lady Sicily, being targeted by one meant facing an endless stream of assassinations against high-ranking subordinates, which was untenable.
Generally speaking.
The major Mafia families were quite wary of the assassin profession. After all, these individuals could genuinely threaten many Mafia leaders.
And due to the unique nature of the assassin profession.
Many Mafia families would not actively recruit 'wild' assassins. After all, they were like untamed wolves, difficult to control and a highly destabilizing presence. Even if they were recruited, they were treated merely as sharp blades to be used and immediately discarded.
Even someone as formidable as Vulpisfoglia could not escape the reality of being a tool.
However.
Many would still scramble for a useful tool. No one fears a sharp blade first; after all, the heads of these powerful Mafia families had the confidence and strength to wield it.
Upon learning that Vulpisfoglia had a daughter, some of the ruling Mafia families had already planned to capture her to force Vulpisfoglia to work for them.
With her daughter in hand, there would be no need to worry about betrayal. However, for days, Vulpisfoglia and her daughter had vanished like stones dropped into the sea. Even though the major families had sent out spies, no one could find them. It was rumored that Vulpisfoglia had once appeared in a city controlled by the [Famiglia Venezia] family, but whether her daughter was with her, no one knew.
After all, she was the kind of ruthless person who would go to a meeting alone for her daughter's sake, showing she would do anything for her.
To think that Vulpisfoglia's daughter, whom none of the major Mafia families could find, would appear right before her eyes, and...
Lady Sicily looked at Lisa, who was holding hands with Jessica. She silently wondered, how could Vulpisfoglia's daughter be connected to the heiress of Raythean Industries...
Even the legendary assassin Vulpisfoglia was nothing before Raythean Industries.
Lady Sicily couldn't figure it out.
But she didn't need to know the reason why.
It was enough to know that Vulpisfoglia's daughter had a close relationship with the young heiress of Raythean Industries. Lady Sicily breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she had discovered this early. The other four Mafia families were probably still foolishly searching for Vulpisfoglia and her daughter.
Lady Sicily pretended not to recognize Lisa, mentally preparing to have her subordinates cancel the plan to find Vulpisfoglia's daughter after the meal. If she truly had a close relationship with the Raythean Industries heiress, there was no need for her to get involved. The trouble it would cause would far outweigh any potential gain; it wasn't worth the risk.
She continued to exchange pleasantries with Jessica for a few more moments.
She was now already looking forward to the scene when one of the other ruling families captured Vulpisfoglia's daughter. They would likely face the wrath of Raythean Industries.
Watching the fire from the other side of the river—who doesn't enjoy a good show?
And when the time came, her own Sicily family could even step in under the banner of being an ally of Raythean Industries. Not only would they have a legitimate reason to act, but they could also indebt Raythean Industries to them. A win-win situation.
After all, Lady Sicily had done her research. The Raythean Industries heiress held an extraordinary position within the vast commercial empire and was the sole heir. Barring any accidents, she was highly likely to be the new chairman of Raythean Industries in the future. Her anger, to a certain extent, represented the anger of Raythean Industries.
Killing with a borrowed knife?
Lady Sicily smiled faintly. She hadn't done anything, so how could it be called killing with a borrowed knife? She clearly didn't know Vulpisfoglia's daughter; she had never even seen her.
After the brief pleasantries.
Lucas Reeve and his group went to a nearby table for lunch, while Lady Sicily quickly clapped her hands, summoning the hotel's best waiters to personally attend to the Raythean Industries heiress and her friends.
"So, where are you all thinking of going for your trip?"
Lucas took a bite of steak, sipped the Coke in his wine glass amidst the elegant music. At this moment, Lucas felt as though the Coke tasted like red wine, and the clothes Lisa's arts energy had formed around him had turned into a tuxedo.
Neither Lucas nor Jessica had ever been to such a high-class restaurant.
Jessica didn't usually like going to such places either; she and her two seniors, Franka and Liskarm, preferred affordable, ordinary restaurants.
And, to be honest, this special physical body was identical to a real one. It had a sense of taste and touch, and even poking the skin would cause pain. Of course, piercing the skin wouldn't draw blood, since the entire body was made of Arts energy. And, of course, it lacked the ability to have children.
"Hehehe~"
Before Jessica could speak, Magallan let out a mysterious laugh, her cute little bob cut bouncing.
"A very mysterious place within Siracusa's borders."
"?"
The steak that Lucas was about to put in his mouth fell off his fork.
"You dare go to a place Miss Magallan suggests? Have you forgotten the last time?"
Lucas was referring to the Blackflow Sea of Trees in Bolívar, where they had inexplicably encountered a bizarre tree monster. Thankfully, Lucas had powered up, otherwise everyone would have been done for. Moreover, that strange dream had been a source of immense social embarrassment for Jessica and Franka for a long time.
"Are you being polite, Mr. Reeve?"
Magallan expressed great dissatisfaction with Lucas's skepticism.
"Trust me!! I've been to this place once before, it's very safe, believe me! I'm Rhine Lab's most famous explorer, very experienced."
Lucas's mouth twitched. He felt like he had heard those exact words somewhere before.
"By the way, why did you all agree?"
Lucas looked at Jessica and the others.
Jessica answered truthfully: "Actually, Miss Magallan wasn't part of our original itinerary. But it just so happened that she was also planning another trip to Siracusa. After learning that we were going too, she hoped we could accompany her. Besides, with Mr. Reeve here, I feel that no place is too dangerous. And Miss Magallan said she's been to this place once before and that it's very safe."
"Our luck can't be that bad."
Franka: "With the invincible Lucas around, I don't care."
Liskarm: "Same here."
Ceobe: "Hwaiter (Waiter), five more steaks!"
Lucas sighed and glanced at Lisa beside him.
"Lisa, you've been training for so long. Want to go on a trip together and relax for a few days?"
Lisa didn't hesitate, saying somewhat timidly.
"Wherever Teacher Reeve goes... I'll go...."
Although she was very worried about her mother, Lisa knew her strength couldn't be improved in a short time. A balance of work and rest was necessary for better training. Besides, she trusted her mother's strength. Nothing could happen to her mom; she had promised to return safely.
Magallan: "Mr. Reeve, you're really asking for it."
"Cuff 'im."
"So, where are we going?"
Seeing that no one had any objections, Lucas was out of options.
For some reason, he had a bad feeling again. He felt that Miss Magallan had the makings of a disaster tour guide. She was fine on her own, but as soon as she had teammates, she instantly became a jinx, some kind of bad-luck-spreading constitution.
When asked about the destination.
Magallan immediately perked up, leaning her body forward slightly, her considerable figure pressing firmly against the table. Lucas hadn't noticed before, since Magallan always wore Rhine Lab's custom-made, board-like uniform, but now that she had changed into casual clothes, he had to admit, the little penguin's physique was quite impressive and pleasing to the eye. Though not on Franka's level, it was still quite good.
"Let me tell you."
"A legend circulates in the northern part of Siracusa. It's said that somewhere in Siracusa, there is a gate to the Netherworld. The mountain spring there seems to contain the power of the Netherworld, mingling with the legendary Netherworld River. A sick person needs only to take a sip to be cured immediately. A heavily injured person takes a sip, and their wounds heal completely within a few breaths. And if a dying person takes a sip...."
Lucas: "They come back to life?"
"Oh... it's not that miraculous. A dying person who takes a sip can have their life extended by a few days."
Magallan spoke as if telling a story, leaving Jessica and Franka feeling a bit bewildered, like they were listening to a little ghost story.
Franka raised her hand: "One question."
"Please."
"Why would water from the Netherworld River save people? Shouldn't one sip send you straight to the afterlife?"
"..."
Magallan fell silent.
"I don't know either. That's just how the legend goes. You can ask whoever came up with the first version."
Lucas clicked his tongue.
"This sounds so dangerous..."
Magallan shrugged nonchalantly: "Don't worry, I've been to that place once. I even found the legendary Netherworld River. I even took a few barrels of water back to Rhine Lab for research, but it was just ordinary river water with no other energies. I'm just coming back this time to get a few more barrels for Rhine Lab. Besides, the scenery there is beautiful, perfect for camping."
"And anyway, it's an urban legend. They're totally fake. Who believes in urban legends these days?"
Hearing that Magallan had been there before, Lucas felt a little relieved.
However.
The flag Magallan had just planted made Lucas feel a bit... uneasy.
What a jinx.
Magallan was now like an old general on a stage, covered in flags.
Everyone finished their meal quickly.
They didn't set out that day. In the afternoon, Jessica paid a symbolic visit to the newly established branch office to observe and learn. The incoming general manager of the branch was incredibly attentive, introducing the company's situation to Jessica.
The Raythean Industries branch required a huge number of employees, from janitorial staff to professional experts and scholars, totaling over ten thousand people.
Fortunately, with Lady Sicily's help, the recruitment information for Raythean Industries was spread throughout all of Siracusa.
As for the salary.
The person in charge of this branch company did his best to push it down.
The annual salary for a regular receptionist was set at ninety thousand Lungmen Dollars, while manual labor like cleaning was set at just over one hundred and ten thousand. As for programmers and engineers, the median annual salary was set at seven hundred thousand.
The head of this branch was already trying his hardest to suppress the wages. After all, at headquarters, the minimum annual salary for programmers and engineers was seven hundred thousand, with the median being one million eight hundred thousand.
When he set the salary at seven hundred thousand.
The branch's general manager even felt a twinge of guilt. Slashing the salary from one point eight million to seven hundred thousand... this... was too ruthless!!
However...
The moment the notice was issued.
The median annual salary of seven hundred thousand detonated a bomb across Siracusa. What's more, even receptionists and cleaning ladies had an annual salary of a hundred thousand!!!
Holy crap!
What kind of god-tier company is this!!!
The general manager finally realized how small his perspective had been. He had finally witnessed what a... Siracusa company was.
He couldn't even comprehend.
Why companies in Siracusa could offer such low wages.
Unimaginable.
Just as the people of Siracusa couldn't imagine Columbia, he couldn't imagine Siracusa.
The next day.
Jessica, Lucas, and the others set off in a custom Raythean Industries land-runner.
Magallan knew the way, so she drove the entire time.
Jessica had intentionally brought this land-runner.
It was her personal vehicle, and with Lucas's modifications, its entire body was lavishly made of Nirvana Alloy for Jessica's safety. He had even installed numerous offensive and defensive modules, as well as a water-travel module and a short-distance gliding module. In truth, Raythean Industries had the technology for these auxiliary modules, but Lucas trusted his own skills more.
Though the land-runner didn't look big, it was like a mobile iron fortress, extremely safe. Few weapons could penetrate its armor in a short amount of time.
*La-mei'er~ Fa-ke'er~*
Accompanied by a bizarre, brainwashing song, the land-runner sped away from the mobile city, driving across the vast wilderness.
"....."
"I say... Miss Magallan, can we please change the song? The one you're playing is a bit... intense."
Lucas complained helplessly.
Why were Magallan's tastes so strange? She liked to eat Surströmming and listen to intense songs.
Magallan, on the other hand, found it odd.
"Is this song that bad? This is from the Leithanien Caster and legendary singer 'Demon King'. I think it has a great vibe, and I can't understand what he's singing anyway."
After three straight hours of driving.
Lucas had to admit, Magallan's phone playlist was a bit 'strange'.
It had everything from 'La-mei'er, Fa-ke'er' to traditional Yanese opera. At Jessica's suggestion, Lucas had also installed a karaoke function in the car. After all, long-distance travel could be very boring without being able to play on your phone, so why not sing?
These three hours weren't boring; everyone was talking and laughing, and time flew by.
Just then.
Magallan suddenly said: "By the way, do you know what the most terrifying thing in the wilderness is?"
"Originium monsters?"
Jessica answered tentatively.
After all, on their last trip to Bolívar, those wretched Originium monsters had nearly overturned their vehicle. But this time, their car wouldn't have that problem. The Nirvana Alloy on the exterior couldn't be pierced by those damn bugs even if they broke their claws trying.
"NO!!"
Magallan shook her head.
"It's an Originium Storm!"
"It's an extremely, extremely rare natural disaster in the wilderness. Anyway, I've never encountered one, but I heard about an unlucky explorer who ran into a once-in-a-decade Originium Storm. Later, the grass on his grave grew ten meters high, and his wife had three kids with someone else."
"Theoretically, this Originium Storm isn't that scary. Inside, there are countless small particles of Originium dust. But the terrifying part is its incredible speed. Think about it, even a light little ball can punch through a wooden board when accelerated to the speed of sound, and the rotational speed inside this storm far exceeds that. These hard and sharp little bits of Originium dust, though small, are sharper than countless tiny knives. A person's body would be instantly disintegrated upon contact, and even a steel plate like on a land-runner would be torn apart in a second."
Franka quickly rapped Magallan on the head.
"Don't say such unlucky things! Wait until we get to our destination, then you can say whatever you want!"
Magallan shrugged nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter, we'll be at our destination in half an hour anyway."
Just as Magallan was about to put on some more music to relax.
Suddenly...
Lisa's somewhat timid voice came from the back.
"Miss Magallan, what does an Originium Storm look like?"
"Um... it's like a huge tornado, purplish-black on the outside, and there's even purple lightning inside."
"Then.... is that it over there....."
Lisa's eyes widened as she pointed out the window.
Everyone: "????"