Though Michael had expected visitors to arrive sooner or later, he hadn't expected the first ones to appear barely two hours after his return to Aurora.
Fortunately, he had long since prepared for such a possibility.
Immediately after settling down, Michael had done a little persuasion work with his family and succeeded, with Jester taking the lead.
At this very moment, Aunt Mia, Lily, and Jester were no longer inside the apartment. Michael had quietly sent all three into the Mausoleum of Endless Dominion.
After everything he had experienced over the past year, Michael had learned one lesson better than most.
Never underestimate a supernatural. Confidence and carelessness were two entirely different things.
Before any potential conflict could arise, he had already ensured that the two people he cared about most in this world were somewhere no ordinary means could reach.
As for himself, he wasn't particularly worried. Michael had absolute confidence in his own ability to survive.
As long as the one pursuing him wasn't a Demigod, he believed himself to be within a relatively safe range.
Even if a Demigod truly decided to make a move, they would first have to catch him.
A faint smile appeared on Michael's face. Over the past several months, he had quietly left spatial portals throughout Aurora. bined with Wisdom's spatial abilities, his escape methods had long since reached an astonishing level.
If Michael truly decided to disappear, even the entire Federation would likely have to mobilize all of its forces just to begin searching for him.
Whether they could actually find him was another matter entirely.
Inside the apartment, Michael calmly poured himself a cup of tea before taking a slow sip. His expression remained relaxed.
He wasn't afraid of the Federation. Nor did he intend to bee their enemy. At least, not unless they forced him into that position.
pared to worrying, he was more curious about who would arrive first. The Federation. The Academy. Or perhaps someone from beyond Aurora.
Just then, a gentle ripple spread through the apartment's defensive formation. This was something he and Jester had created months ago for security reasons, given the watchful eyes outside.
Beyond its defensive features, the formation also had the ability to create illusions and launch attacks, though those functions were relatively weak. Its greatest purpose was to act as a radar for supernaturals in the vicinity.
Michael slowly opened his eyes.
"They're here."
His spiritual sense quietly spread outward. Outside the apartment building, four figures had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. To his surprise, he could immediately recognize all four.
Turning to look at an undead beside him in its humanoid form, Michael gave a quiet order.
"Go open the door for our guests."
Outside the apartment, Director Lin turned her head toward the elderly man standing beside her and smiled.
"So the Federation really came."
The old man wore a perfectly tailored black suit. Despite appearing no different from an ordinary elderly gentleman, the faint pressure surrounding him revealed he was anything but ordinary.
Standing beside him, Teacher Brian smiled politely.
"Director."
Director Lin returned the greeting with a nod before her eyes shifted toward the old man. Teacher Brian spoke first.
"Allow me to introduce him. This is General Caelum."
Director Lin smiled.
"So it's General Caelum." She then gestured toward the woman standing quietly beside her. "And this is Instructor Yara."
The beautiful woman gave a slight nod. General Caelum acknowledged her with the same courtesy before falling silent once more.
Director Lin suddenly laughed.
"I have to admit, General, I'm a little surprised." Her tone carried a hint of teasing.
"Shouldn't the Federation be drowning in work right now? The whole universe is practically knocking on Aurora's door." She tilted her head. "So what brings the Federation all the way here?"
General Caelum's expression remained unchanged.
"The affairs of the Federation… have no relation to outsiders."
Director Lin blinked. Then she placed a hand over her chest with an exaggerated look of grievance.
"Outsider?" She smiled helplessly. "General Caelum, your words really hurt. I was born in Aurora. I grew up in Aurora." She sighed dramatically. "And yet you call me an outsider. I think you've broken my heart."
General Caelum merely looked at her. His expression did not change in the slightest. He simply ignored the plaint as though he hadn't heard a single word.
Seeing that she had failed to provoke even the slightest reaction, Director Lin clicked her tongue in disappointment.
"You Federation folks are boring as ever."
Neither continued the topic. Standing behind the two Rank Four supernaturals, neither Brian nor Instructor Yara uttered a single word. They were already accustomed to scenes like this.
The Awakener Academies and the Federation had maintained a plicated relationship for centuries.
Although both ultimately served Aurora, their philosophies differed greatly.
The Federation valued centralized authority and stability.
The Academy valued freedom and nurturing exceptional individuals.
Because of that, their senior figures rarely missed an opportunity to exchange subtle barbs whenever they met.
Fortunately, this much was practically routine. No one genuinely expected the other side to bee angry over a few sarcastic remarks.
Just then, the apartment door slowly opened. A figure stepped out.
The figure standing in the doorway possessed striking emerald-green eyes. Neither Teacher Brian nor General Caelum appeared surprised by that detail.
Even Director Lin merely glanced before looking away. By now, the information surrounding Michael Norman had already spread through Aurora's highest circles.
Any major organization with even a moderately petent intelligence network had discovered one recurring trait among Michael and his undead.
Green eyes.
Whenever an apparently human individual possessed those distinctive emerald irises while remaining closely associated with Michael, there was an overwhelming probability they were one of his undead. That much was no longer considered a secret.
Yet only a few meters away from the figure, the three couldn't help but feel a trace of genuine amazement. If they hadn't deliberately examined him with their spiritual senses, nothing about him suggested he was undead.
He seemed to even carry the warmth of a living person, though with a somewhat cold demeanor.
He looked alive. pletely alive.
Teacher Brian's eyes flickered slightly. He had seen intelligent undead before. He had even seen undead capable of disguising themselves as humans. But none had reached this level. It wasn't simply a disguise.
It was perfection. It resembled less a reanimated corpse and more one of those undying races like vampires, who could reproduce and lived with the warmth of life.
However, the undead itself wasn't the only matter occupying their thoughts. The image of Michael's two family members surfaced in all three of their minds.
Both possessed the same emerald-green eyes, and both had undergone obvious changes in appearance over the past several months.
bined with everything they had learned about Michael's undead, the similarities became increasingly difficult to ignore.
Of course, no one present believed Aunt Mia and Lily had bee undead. Their life force had always been genuine. They were unquestionably alive. But the resemblance was enough to raise questions.
Questions Michael himself had already anticipated. He knew perfectly well that this wasn't something he could hide forever. Nor had he truly intended to, since he already knew what others would most likely attribute it to the moment they noticed.
And he was right. Many people thought the changes in the two were the result of biological engineering. After all, biological engineering had always been one of the many branches explored by necromancers.
From enhancing physiques to repairing damaged organs to improving bloodlines, countless necromancers had studied and practiced similar techniques.
Would some people consider it disturbing? Certainly. Would others find it unacceptable that he had altered the bodies of his own family? Probably. But Michael simply didn't care.
Their opinions held no value to him. The only people whose thoughts mattered regarding that decision were Aunt Mia and Lily themselves. As for everyone else, they were outsiders.
However, it wasn't only the undead's emerald-green eyes that drew the attention of the four visitors. It was the aura surrounding him.
The undead was dressed in simple casual clothing. A black shirt. Dark trousers. Nothing about his attire was particularly remarkable. Yet his physique certainly was. He stood well over two meters tall with broad shoulders and a powerfully built frame that seemed carved from stone.
His skin possessed a healthy bronze tan. His facial features were sharp. His jawline was perfectly defined. bined with his emerald-green eyes and calm expression, he looked like a man in his late twenties or perhaps early thirties.
A mature, handsome man.
Instructor Yara's beautiful eyes couldn't help but brighten slightly. Even Director Lin found herself taking another glance. Teacher Brian and General Caelum exchanged a subtle look.
For a brief moment, the same thought surfaced in all four of their minds.
Did Michael seriously have nothing better to do than make his bat undead this handsome?
None of them voiced the thought.
Their attention quickly shifted elsewhere. To the undead's aura. The moment their spiritual senses carefully brushed against it, the expressions of all four changed almost imperceptibly.
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