Blue Star Military Academy. The defensive system protecting the campus slowly activated. The oval energy shield covering the entire campus opened up like a sliding window. Several aircraft shot out through the opening. Once they left Specter Island, they split off in different directions, heading for destinations across the world. Shirley leaned against the window, looking down at the endless blue far below. "Thora, where are we headed?" Standing in the cockpit, Thora kept her eyes forward. "Novaland." Shirley was stunned. Wasn't Novaland the city with Sky Casino? The rest of the cadets were just as confused. Was the counterfeit group really hiding there? "Novaland sits in eastern Chaules," Tristan explained. "That's also where most of the counterfeit cash is circulating. Casinos see the largest and fastest money flow." As soon as he said it, it all made sense. Even after leaving the academy, their first hurdle was still finding the counterfeit ring's base. That tested both the commander's strategic thinking and the team's collective analytical ability. Once the mission came in, Thora had already studied the spread of counterfeit bills with Tristan and a few key members. The last time Darius visited the academy, he'd mentioned that the Blackwoods' businesses were having some trouble. Thora dug into it afterward and found that the biggest flow of fake cash was tied to the Blackwoods' Skybound Group—specifically, areas covered by Skybound's industries. Across Chaules, and even all of Blue Star, large payments were mostly electronic now. Cash was usually only used by everyday people or in special cases. Casinos were the exception. For excitement and thrill, they still ran purely on cash. That made them the biggest concentrated cash hubs in the world. Moreover, Sky Casino belonged to the Blackwoods. That discovery caught Thora off guard. Like most people, she'd always thought Sky Casino was run by Dorian. After all, the Ironblade Pack's main base was in Novaland. And three years ago, during one of her missions, Dorian had used Sky Casino as his base of operations. But if Sky Casino belonged to Darius, then it was her turf. At some point, Thora had already claimed everything belonging to Darius as her own, marking it as her domain. And her domain tolerated no intruders. Novaland, Sky Casino. "Boss." The guards at the entrance immediately bowed respectfully. Darius, dressed in a silver-gray suit, strode inside and sat down directly in the executive chair.The suited manager hurried forward and handed him a report. "Boss, these are the casino's operating figures from the past few months." Darius nodded and flipped through it at high speed. "Found the targets?" he asked casually. "Yes, Boss. We've marked several suspicious people, but they move around a lot. We can't confirm who they are yet," the manager replied carefully. Darius stopped turning pages and set the report down. He tapped his thigh lightly, thinking. "I get it. You can go. Keep watching them closely." His voice cooled. "Yes, Boss." The manager bowed deeply and slipped out. "Boss, Mr. Cipher is here," the guard reported again. Darius looked up, clearly not surprised, and waved them in.The guards stepped aside as Dorian entered with two aides, walking straight toward Darius. This time, Dorian wasn't wearing a mask. He smiled and dipped his head. "It's been a while, Jason." Jason was the alias Darius used in Novaland. Darius returned the smile lightly. "Hope things have been going well, Mr. Cipher." Dorian made himself at home, sitting across from him and studying Darius with interest. "For someone who's always been a hands-off owner and never bothers with Sky Casino, your sudden appearance is quite a surprise." "You seem pretty relaxed lately," Darius replied with a faint smile. Dorian didn't answer. He turned his eyes toward the window. This was the room where he and Thora had their last showdown back then. From here, the entire casino floor was visible. The hall below was still packed with people, loud and bustling, yet the staff kept everything tight and orderly. That was the foundation of the world's largest casino. "I hear your casino hasn't been very peaceful lately," Dorian said, breaking the silence. Darius's smile faded, turning cold. "Not just my casino. At this pace, all of Novaland might start shaking." Dorian's expression darkened at once. His voice hardened. "Someone daring enough to cause trouble on my ground?"