As he spoke, he struggled forcefully, trying to pull his hand back.
However, Ariel's hand remained utterly motionless.
That force was steady and immense, something his body, hollowed out by wine and women, simply couldn't withstand.
The Manager's face flushed a liverish purple from the strain, veins bulging at his temples. The excruciating pain shooting from his wrist brought cold sweat beading on his skin.
Ariel's expression didn't change at all, remaining as indifferent as ever, as if he wasn't gripping a person's wrist but a lifeless piece of wood.
His gaze rested calmly on the Manager's face. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the entire corridor.
"Your hand is filthy."
These three words, devoid of any emotion, were more insulting than any curse.
"You!"
The Manager trembled with rage, pointing his other finger at Ariel's nose.
"Do you have any idea who I am? If you start trouble here, I have a hundred ways to make you..."
Ariel couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense.
His backing was none other than Ariana. Competing over connections within Team Rocket?
He truly wasn't afraid.
Moreover, if it weren't for the fact that his special identity was known to few, and he had to be discreet about it...
Otherwise, upon seeing Ariel, the Manager before him would have to stand ramrod straight and respectfully address him as "Boss"!
He merely increased the pressure in his hand slightly.
*Crack.*
A faint sound of bone displacement rang out.
"Ah——!"
The Manager let out a piercing shriek, his entire body instantly slumping. Cold sweat cascaded like a waterfall from his shiny forehead.
That heart-piercing pain choked off all his subsequent threats in his throat.
Yuki was stunned by the sudden turn of events. Her mouth agape, she looked at the Manager contorted in pain, then at Ariel, whose expression hadn't changed and who hadn't even raised an eyebrow. Her mind went completely blank.
She had never imagined that this young man, who looked a few years younger than her, possessed such terrifying strength and nerve.
Ariel still hadn't released his grip. He simply watched the Manager wailing under his hand calmly, as if observing a noisy insect.
He felt somewhat irritated inside.
He hated trouble, especially trouble caused by pointless people and trivial matters.
This was a complete waste of his life.
The fastest way to deal with such people was to use the most direct force to make them understand the gap between them.
"Now, can she lead the way?" Ariel asked, his tone as flat as if inquiring about the weather.
"Yes... yes..."
The Manager, grimacing in pain and devoid of any of his earlier arrogance, nodded repeatedly.
"You... you're right. It was my fault, my fault..."
Only then did Ariel release his hand.
The Manager felt as if granted a great reprieve. Clutching his nearly broken wrist, he scrambled back several steps, only feeling a sliver of safety when his back hit the cold wall.
The look he directed at Ariel had transformed from anger into sheer terror.
Ariel didn't even glance at him again, as if he had merely swatted a fly.
He turned to look at Yuki, who was still frozen in place, his brow imperceptibly furrowing.
"Let's go."
"Huh? Oh... oh! Right!"
Yuki snapped out of her daze, her body subconsciously trembling. She nodded hastily, forcing her somewhat weak legs to move as she hurried to walk ahead.
She didn't dare look back at the Manager's pallid face, nor did she dare meet Ariel's gaze directly.
Her head lowered, her heart pounding wildly, her thoughts a jumbled mess.
Who exactly was this man?
His decisive action, his ruthlessly cold gaze—everything about him sent shivers down her spine.
He was from an entirely different world compared to the low-level personnel she usually interacted with or bullying Managers like the one before, all bark and no bite.
Silence returned to the corridor, broken only by Yuki's somewhat flustered footsteps and Ariel's unhurried, steady ones.
The Manager leaned against the wall, panting heavily. Only when the two figures disappeared around the corner did he dare slowly straighten up.
He finally realized what kind of iron plate he had kicked.
Someone who could act so brazenly within Rocket Hideout and dare to directly lay hands on a mid-level department Manager like him was definitely no ordinary character.
His pitiful bit of authority was nothing in the face of real power.
The light in the corridor was cut into long, narrow bands of brightness and shadow, projected onto the cold alloy walls.
Yuki followed behind Ariel, her footsteps light and frantic, like a frightened rabbit.
She didn't dare look at Ariel's profile again. The indifference in his eyes when he acted earlier still chilled her heart to recall.
That wasn't the look of an ordinary person.
She had seen the ferocity of low-level grunts and the bullying arrogance of Managers who borrowed authority, but none were like this man.
His coldness seeped from his very bones, as if all life held no weight in his eyes.
"Thank you, Boss."
Finally, as they neared the next corner, Yuki mustered her courage, her voice as small as a mosquito's hum.
Ariel's steps didn't falter in the slightest; he didn't even turn his head.
Yuki felt a pang of disappointment, yet it seemed fitting.
How would a big shot like him care about the thanks of a small fry like her?
She stole a glance upward, only able to see his broad, straight back. Each step he took was steady and powerful, as if nothing could shake him.
At the end of the corridor, a massive circular gate slid open silently to both sides, revealing a completely different space.
It was a huge circular arena, at least two hundred meters in diameter.
The vaulted ceiling soared high, densely packed with complex piping and lighting fixtures that cast an icy white glow, illuminating the entire area as bright as day.
The ground was covered with professional soil, marked with dark scorch marks and claw prints that silently spoke of the fierce battles that had taken place here.
Surrounding the arena was a thick ring of blast-proof glass. Behind the glass was a higher-level observation deck and control room. At the moment, some staff in white lab coats could be seen moving about busily inside, their expressions serious.
The entire space exuded an atmosphere of cold, austere lethality.
"The Test Pokémon is being transferred from the Breeding Area. Please wait a moment," a staff member in a standard uniform approached and said respectfully to Ariel. His posture was submissive, not even daring to meet Ariel's eyes.
Ariel gave a slight nod and walked over to the nearby rest area on his own. It was a row of metal seats embedded in the wall, cold and hard.
The moment he sat down, another staff member immediately approached, offering a steaming cup of coffee with both hands.
"Lord, please."
Ariel took it. The coffee's aroma was strong, but the taste was purely bitter.
He fished a sugar cube from his pocket, dropped it in, and stirred gently with a small spoon, watching the tiny white cube spin, dissolve, and finally vanish in the black liquid.
That was more to his taste.
Yuki stood not far away, looking somewhat at a loss.
She had thought her task was merely to lead the way. She hadn't expected the scale of this boss's test to be so high that even a lowly recorder like her was required to stay and document the entire process.
Looking at the solemn-faced staff, the intricate and complex instruments, and then at Ariel leisurely sipping his coffee, her awe deepened.
But with it came even greater worry.
That Manager... he definitely wouldn't let it go.
She was just a low-level staffer. They'd see each other constantly. He had plenty of ways to make her life difficult.
What should I do... Yuki bit her lip, her small face scrunching up as she began muttering to herself softly.
"It's over, it's over, I'm dead for sure. That fatso is definitely going to hold a grudge... Yuki, oh Yuki, you're such an idiot..."
She scratched her hair in frustration. Suddenly, as if grasping at a lifeline, her eyes lit up.
"That's right! Think about it, what would Lord Ruth do if he were here?"
*Pfft—*
An abrupt sound.
A mouthful of coffee Ariel had just sipped sprayed out without warning, splattering a small patch of the floor in front of him.
He coughed violently several times, causing the nearby staff to anxiously gather around.
"Lord, are you alright?"
Yuki was also startled and hurried over, asking with concern, "Boss, what's wrong? Is the coffee too hot?"
Lord Ruth?
Ariel's mind buzzed.
Ruth?
Wasn't that his codename?
Was this excitable little girl his admirer?