But Hera didn’t pause. Her movements were relentless and calcted, blending into the shadows of fallen trees and crouching low behind boulders. Even while hunting her enemies, her eyes constantly scanned the chaos, searching for Leo amidst the tangle ofbat and cover.


    Seeing Hera move so decisively, the others had no choice but to adapt. They followed her lead, silently taking down one enemy after another until dozens had been eliminated. But their sess couldn’tst in silence forever.


    As if on cue, the remaining enemies began regrouping at their original rendezvous point, ready to report back—only to realize several of their men hadn’t returned.


    A flicker of unease spread through their ranks. When minutes passed with no sign of the missing patrols, suspicion turned to rm. Rifles were shouldered, eyes scanned the treeline, and their formation shifted into high alert.


    Hera and her team knew the stealth phase was over. They had been discovered.


    Tension gripped the air like a vice. Everyone held their positions, waiting for the enemy’s next move. Meanwhile, the sniper unit worked quickly, scanning the terrain for their true objective—the extraction target.


    One sniper even climbed higher, repositioning himself for a better vantage point. He peered across the dense forest, hoping that Leo and the others were hidden somewhere deeper in the shadows, out of the enemy’s reach.


    That particr sniper continued scanning beyond the pinned-down zone, convinced that Leo and the others might have relocated to a more hidden, distant spot—somewhere far from where Hera and the main group were positioned. Sharing the same instinct, the first three scout teams quietly broke off from the main force, fanning out in different directions to search for Leo.


    Meanwhile, Hera’s main unit remained locked in tense silence, nerves strung tight as they waited. The uncertainty weighed heavily on them. What if they couldn’t locate Leo in time?


    Then, without warning—gunfire erupted from both sides.


    Meanwhile, at the IGI Expressions Competition, the judging had already begun. Hundreds ofpetitors had taken the stage to present their designs. Alice was there, her eyes scanning the crowd, but Hera was nowhere to be seen among the contestants.


    Smirking smugly, Alice let out a quiet snort. Thepetition was already halfway through, and the judges were starting to cast their votes for the standout designs.


    Alice’s turn was fast approaching, and with Hera absent, she no longer felt threatened. There was no one in her way—no unexpected rival to steal the spotlight.


    When her name was called, Alice stepped confidently onto the stage. As the female lead of the novel, with the world seemingly bending in her favor, she delivered exactly what was expected of her. Her presentation dazzled, and her designs drew wide smiles from the panel of judges.


    What impressed the judges even more was the fact that Alice was a newbie designer with no prior collections or mentorship. This made her a rare gem with untapped potential—someone many judges quietly considered taking under their wing.


    However, her design wasn’t without ws. While it was bold and eye-catching, itcked bnce. With too many ideas packed into one piece, it ended up resembling a peacock unting all its feathers at once—vibrant, but overwhelming.


    It needed refinement. The judges noted that Alice would benefit from learning how to streamline her concepts, rather than cramming them all into a single design.


    Still, this w worked in her favor. It showed she had an abundance of creativity—raw and powerful—just waiting to be shaped. In the end, the panel awarded her a solid average score of 8.2 out of 10.


    Considering the judges’ notoriously high standards—where even a veteran designer had only received a 7.5—Alice’s score caused a stir of excitement in the venue.


    Alice, of course, smiled smugly, basking in the attention.


    As soon as Alice stepped down from the stage after presenting her design concept and receiving her score, she was immediately swarmed by businessmen from various jewelry designpanies.


    Among them was Liz’s father—unaware that his daughter was close friends with Hera or that Hera had any history with Alice. All he saw was potential. From his perspective, recruiting Alice could be a great asset to hispany.


    But he wasn’t the only one with that idea.


    Representatives from some of the biggest names in the industry—Chanel, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, even Bvlgari—were also present, eager to extend their calling cards and offer opportunities.


    Though this wasn’t the final round of the IGI Expressions Competition, it was one of the most high-profile showcases, held across different regions. Only the top winners would be flown to France for the grand finale, where the ultimate champion would be crowned.


    Knowing that, these brand representatives had already begun scouting the most promising talents. Their goal was to get ahead of thepetition by establishing connections early, so they couldter screen and recruit these rising stars once the championship concluded.


    Seeing the representatives from major jewelry brands gathered around her, Alice was ted. Her face lit up with a wide, radiant smile—she felt as though she was soaring, finally catching the break she had long been waiting for.


    Although thepetition hadn’t ended yet, many of these industry giants had already turned their attention away from the stage. Instead, they focused on the judges’ scoring, listening only for names worth scouting while showering Alice with ttery in hopes of winning her over before anyone else could.


    They were eager for a definitive answer—something they could report back to their headquarters to begin nning her future under their brand.


    For neers like Alice, this was a golden opportunity. Thesepanies were already thinking a few steps ahead—considering which seasoned designers they could assign as her mentor to refine her raw potential and shape her into the next big name in the industry.