A cry of "Lord Ruth" made Ariel's just-relaxed nerves tingle again, and goosebumps broke out all over his body.
"Laic, can you speak properly?"
Ariel walked over, feeling somewhat helpless.
"When did you get here? You didn't even give me a heads-up."
Ariel actually had a good impression of this nominal Superior of his.
Laic didn't put on any airs of a leader; he was usually shiftless, but he was reliable at critical moments and had indeed given him a lot of substantial help.
"If I had told you in advance, would I have been able to see such an exciting assessment?"
Laic chuckled, stood up straight, and casually straightened his collar, which wasn't even messy.
However, after finishing this action, the cynical smile on his face quietly faded away.
The surrounding air also seemed to grow a bit heavier as his expression changed.
Laic's eyes, which usually held a hint of playfulness, became deep at this moment. He stared at Ariel and asked word by word:
"Ariel, do you know what being a core member of Team Rockets actually means?"
This sudden seriousness caused Ariel to put away his relaxed state of mind as well.
He didn't answer, just looked at Laic, signaling him with his eyes to continue.
Laic glanced at the empty corridor and lowered his voice even further, speaking with unprecedented solemnity.
"The status of a core member, on the surface, is an internal direct line of Team Rockets, similar to those genius Trainers the League raises from a young age. They enjoy the best resources and execute the most core missions."
"But it also has another name."
Laic leaned in a step closer, his lips almost touching Ariel's ear, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, he uttered an earth-shattering word.
"Successor!"
This word swirled in Ariel's mind, bringing a feeling that was both surprising and yet somehow expected.
He savored the word carefully, feeling its heavy weight.
This wasn't just a promotion; it was a fated guidance, a clear path to the core of power, linking him closely with Ariana.
He vaguely understood that what he was about to inherit was very likely Lady Ariana's position.
Laic's expression was serious now, his voice low and steady.
"The so-called core members, or Successors, are young geniuses secretly trained by the four Special-Grade Executives of Team Rockets. They are the ones who can reach the pinnacle of power in the future."
He paused, his gaze falling on Ariel with a hint of profound meaning.
"But remember, the title of core member has no practical meaning until it is truly finalized. Because every Special-Grade Executive will train more than one core member."
Ariel's brow twitched imperceptibly.
"training several?"
This fact was like a cold stone dropped into the calm lake of his heart.
This meant a silent competition, a cruel screening process.
Laic continued:
"core members will be directly assigned missions by the Special-Grade Executives, which they execute individually to be tested and judged in actual combat. The one who is finally chosen is the true core member, the future backbone of Team Rockets."
"training several, but only choosing one in the end?"
Ariel spoke softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Selecting talent and then focusing on their training—how similar this was to the League's rules.
Those great families pour all their resources into training Superiors, and the League officials also spare no effort to discover potential Newcomers.
Because no matter how powerful the various forces were now, in ten or several decades, it would always be the young people who decided the landscape!
Whoever could train a stronger younger generation would have a greater say.
Whoever could train an existence like Lance, capable of crushing the geniuses of the same generation, could act without restraint in the future.
Team Rockets, in their confrontation with the League, had a desire for geniuses that was even greater. As an evil organization, they needed sharper blades and more powerful weapons.
Ariel gazed at Laic and asked:
"Why are you telling me this?"
His tone was calm, yet it held a hint of inquiry.
Laic spread his hands in a casual gesture, as if speaking of an insignificant trifle.
"What does it matter? Even if I didn't say it, Lady Ariana would tell you herself sooner or later."
The corner of his mouth curled into an imperceptible arc.
"After all, the core members Lady Ariana trained before have all been left behind by you now. At this moment, you are Lady Ariana's genuine Successor."
Hearing this, Ariel gave a light laugh and muttered to himself:
"Have I already surpassed the others without even realizing it?"
He never feared opponents and was full of self-confidence.
But when victory arrived unexpectedly, when he found he had already taken a step ahead, that feeling was one of unexpected composure.
Without intense competition or deliberate plotting, simply by naturally displaying his abilities, he had already stood out.
But Ariel knew that being chosen didn't mean it was over.
One had to know that even among the four Special-Grade Executives of Team Rockets, there was a hierarchy in status!
Archer, Ariana, Proton, and Lambda—the four Special-Grade Executives—would all have their own Successors by then.
Presumably, there would be no lack of overt and covert struggles between the Successors when the time came.
Moreover, Ariel's goal had never been just to become a Special-Grade Executive of Team Rockets.
Laic patted Ariel's shoulder with a strength that carried a hint of approval.
"The first time I met you, you were able to decisively give orders at a critical moment, disregarding the lives of everyone on the ship just to preserve your identity. I knew then that you, kid, were destined to become Lady Ariana's Successor. It seems my judgment was good."
He withdrew his hand and extended a fist, a new glimmer of expectation in his eyes.
"I used to be your Superior in name, but from now on, we are both Intermediate Cadres and colleagues. And our boss is Lady Ariana."
"Isn't that right, Lord Ruth~"
Ariel shook his head, a trace of a smile hanging on his lips.
"You,"
He sighed softly, his tone carrying a bit of teasing.
"Are reliable occasionally."
He extended his fist and lightly bumped it against Laic's.