The six boarded a limousine waiting to drive them straight out of Virginia...

On the way, they didn’t do much but chat leisurely among themselves — mostly Seth, Brandon, and Trisha doing the talking.

And what was worth noting was how comfortable Trisha had finally become around them.

Laughing and communicating as though they had known each other for years.

As they say, the deepest and fastest bonds are forged on the battlefield.

And without realizing it, hours passed, and their vehicle halted at its first checkpoint.

Looking beyond the windows, it was obvious they had arrived at their destination.

"I bet Cain will be surprised we finished this early..." Trisha said as she adjusted her blindfold.

"Hm? You have guts calling the president by his first name. You guys must be pretty close," Brandon joked.

Trisha just shook her head. "No, the president is actually a simple man. He prefers being called by name rather than his title."

And the conversation went on as the vehicle slowly drove past the security check station.

But surprisingly, Seth was the silent one this time around. He sat there lost in a daze.

When the president first announced his name, Seth hadn’t thought much of it. But now, hearing it from another’s mouth seemed to trigger something in his mind.

His mind drifted back to Adam’s figure... ’It can’t be right? They look nothing alike, so I might be wrong.’ He slowly pondered, his eyes flashing with self-doubt.

Besides, if Adam was still in Eden, his children had to be with him, right?

After all, it couldn’t be that the President Cain of the USA he knew was actually...

He shook his head, banishing the thought. He simply didn’t have enough grounds to speculate.

But there was one subtle detail that made Seth not give up on this sudden conjecture entirely.

He still didn’t know the president’s surname. It was a tiny detail the president had left out, knowingly or unknowingly.

And only by getting this clue could he affirm this theory of his...

Besides, that primal feeling he had gotten from Adam matched President Cain’s aura. This subtle correlation could be a coincidence — after all, both parties were leaders.

Only one hadn’t fully occupied the role of leading the human race completely.

Honestly, Seth didn’t know how to progress this thought process any further, and decided to shelf it.

"We have arrived!" The driver called from the front, signaling for them to alight.

As expected, agents were already standing in wait for them, leading them straight toward the conference room.

The moment the grand doors leading to the conference room opened, Seth and the others quickly located the waving president with their eyes.

But the seven unfamiliar faces that followed made their brows crease in confusion.

They had explicitly stated in their report that they had vital information to share with the president.

So it made more sense for him to come alone. And even if he was bringing trusted individuals with him, it didn’t make sense for them to be so young.

But regardless, they couldn’t keep the president waiting, so they stepped inside and took the seats they were offered after greeting him.

The room went silent as the five took time to scan the seven sitting beyond them.

And the opposite party did the same...

Seth caught sight of a ginger-haired individual among the bunch, and his gaze narrowed.

Naturally, that was the genetic trait of the Stidum family. And sure, there might be other figures out there with ginger hair unrelated to the Stidums.

But the trait was so iconic to the Stidums that seeing ginger hair subconsciously made one think of that family name.

And this time, Seth was right...

Lara’s eyes rested on Seth. Seeing his silver hair, one didn’t even need to guess who the Duskreaver in the room was.

And seeing as they were the obvious cause of the awkward atmosphere, Lara felt it was her responsibility to clear the silence.

So she stood up, her well-endowed figure subconsciously drawing the attention of Uriel, Jack, Brandon, and Seth — who was already staring at her from the start.

It wasn’t perverted intent from the guys; it was just that Lara’s figure was that provocative.

Even though her body was fully covered in an all-black combat suit, it didn’t dull her feminine allure in the slightest.

Added with her transcendent beauty, this lady was too beautiful a woman to be ignored by any straight male.

She cleared her throat, ready to speak, but the president cut in.

"No, no, no, sit. I brought you with me to meet them. Courtesy demands that I do the introducing."

With that said, Lara could only swallow her greeting and sit back down.

The president stood. "It feels so nice to have the brightest of the nation, if not all of mankind, sitting before me."

He waved to the right, wearing a smile. "Team Alpha, meet Apex. As their names suggest, they are the strongest Evolvers we are currently aware of.

The first humans to clear a corruption zone. Individually, they go by the names..."

"Elaine Griffith."

Hearing her name being called, she nodded toward the seven.

"Brandon Borant!"

He also nodded, not before giving Lara an extra stare. But the sharp sting on his waist forced him to avert his gaze with a hiss.

’What’s the problem with this wench!’ he cursed internally, glaring at Elaine.

"Jack Bane."

"Uriel Mormont."

"And finally, we have Seth Duskreaver!

Ah, and we can’t forget our precog, Trisha..."

The president finished, then turned to Seth and the others, introducing the seven on his left.

"Apex, meet Team Alpha — the only other team to clear a corruption zone after you.

The team consists of..." He paused, walking toward each individual, giving them a pat on the shoulder as he called their names.

"There’s Doyle Munroe, Evangeline Warren, Robert Ravenclaw, Lisa Kordack, Timothy Brown, Susan Bruce, and finally the spearhead of this lethal team, Lara Stidum!"

The seven nodded to Seth and the others. Seeing they’d gotten introductions out of the way, the president continued speaking toward Seth and the others.

"I know you have urgent information to relay, but I must plead for it to wait. Team Alpha wanted to meet you, and the true reason I accepted was in hopes you five can make true a request of mine."

Shifting uncomfortably in their seats, Seth and the others glanced amongst themselves...

The president didn’t mind their unease and posed his request straight away. "I would like you to help these seven ascend to the origin realm..."