(Comment here for anything you want to see on a new YouTube video about this novel and please vote using powerstones and golden tickets to get us within the top 10!)


    Announcement: Please check the glossary/characters auxiliary chapter for updated concept art!


    --------------------------


    Vince rolled with a few other gym members while his friends were being taught the basics.


    Fortis wasn''t struggling as much as Jaden because he kept physically fit whilepeting in the APL. Likewise, Alice and Hailee weren''t doing too bad, considering it was their first time exerting themselves in such an odd way, like in Brazilian Jiujitsu.


    Alice attempted the fairly basic double-leg takedown on the muchrger ck belt and finally lifted the man using her hips and proper form after a few times.


    She was so excited and said, "I did it! I would never have thought I could lift a person twice my size."


    Tom interjected as a trainer himself and said, "Good job, Alice. And for your information. Helio Gracie developed BJJ to allow much smaller people to defend themselves againstrger enemies. That''s the whole point."


    Vince watched them while resting from a spar andmented, "The ground itself is a line of defense. Experienced practitioners can easily submit a trained fighter who isn''t used to grappling."


    Hailee felt a rush when she eventually learned how to execute a triangle choke properly from a closed guard position and said, "Vince, let me see what you can do!"


    Vinceplied and responded, "Alright, I''ll show you, but you have to be my sparring partner."


    Hailee was quite confident and immediately went into the starting position Tom taught her a few minutes ago.


    Vince didn''t want to go too easy on her, so he grabbed her right arm using the two-on-one technique and tripped her outer leg, forcing Hailee towards the mat.


    Hailee had no idea how to defend a guard pass properly, so Vince quickly transitioned to side-control without much effort.


    The entire sequence of events only took five seconds at most, but Hailee didn''t want to concede and attempted to push Vince off as an amateur would.


    Vince''s face was right next to hers, and he whispered, "You''re just wasting energy trying to push me that way. Instead, slide one side of your body and turn towards me, then push my body out with your legs."


    She felt like a lightbulb was turning on in her mind as she followed Vince''s guidance.


    She shrimped to the right and sessfully escaped Vince''s side-control without prior practice.


    Tom was impressed with how well Hailee took instructions andmented, "You''ll do well in this gym if you keep that attitude up. An open mind can go a long way in BJJ."


    Mr. Fury was watching them train for a while and interjected, saying, "It''s a cerebral sport, and I feel that''s why Vince excels in BJJ. Because the flow tests your mind over strength, and that young man may be the smartest person I''ve met."


    It was high praiseing from a man who''d been training people like Director Price, who was a genius in his own way.


    Fortis had a little too much fun submitting Jaden over and over again, practically bullying his cousin with a physique advantage.


    Alice and Hailee started to getpetitive and, like many newbies before them, pushed themselves too much and were tired before the session ended.


    Hailee was loving it and said, "Vince, I should have joined your sses much sooner cause this is pretty fun."


    [That''s what I''ve been telling everyone, but Kyle and the others are too stubborn.] Vince dejectedly pondered.


    Mr. Fury dismissed the ss when the clock rm rang and bade farewell to his new students before heading home until the evening session.


    The gym members knew who Hailee was because every one of them watched True Grit but treated her like they did Vince, with mutual respect and not asking for autographs.


    Vince and his friends change back into their regr clothes after taking a quick shower before inviting Tom to hang out with them.


    Tom considered the offer and said, "I don''t have to teach the evening ss, so I''m down to apany you guys around town."


    Hailee overheard the conversation and asked, "How about Jessica and others?"


    Vince was pleased Haiz was getting on well with his friends and replied, "I texted them earlier to join us wherever we go after the gym session."


    Vince requested the group to pose in front of the gym for a quick picture before boarding on the Flyga.


    Vince opened his Instagram app on an Infinity Phone and was surprised to see his earlier posts reaching 15 million shares and 70 million likes.


    His Instagram profile itself had ballooned since thest time he posted and already boasted 120 million followers.


    [People are really into the superficial, huh?] so Vince pondered as he uploaded the new photo for his fans before tagging his friend''s social media ounts.


    While Vince had the most followers on Instagram in the group, Fortis, Tom, and Hailee were not far behind, with around 80 million each.


    It made sense because of the many features Future Tech had added to Instagram since 2012, like Vince''s suggestions favored by young TikTok fans in 2021, like short videos and algorithmic rmendations.


    Instagram had garnered mainstream poprity and had 300 million users in the North American market, not to mention people in Asia, Europe, and Africa; proving Infi-AI autotrantion built-in the app had greatly benefited foreign users.


    Saturday afternoon spots around Austin were usually hiking trails orzy rivers. Still, Vince''s entourage was a bit too tired for another physical activity and so decided to chill out at the Digital Den instead.


    -------------------


    Meanwhile, a few thousand miles away in Syria, a Future Security fireteam rendezvoused at one of the CIA''s safehouses.


    Director Price had formed plenty of connections with international intelligence agencies through working with Interpol, and a few owed him a favor or two.


    A deep-cover CIA agent weed the neers and guided them towards the briefing room in preparation for the mission.


    The three operators from Future Security were two veteran marines recently cleared from training at the Austin FS barracks while the third was a previous NSA analyst and one of Anthony''s subordinates.


    They were equipped with thetest light infantry power armor and standard-issue modded FA-416 rifle. But as a reconnaissance force, they also employed one dragonfly each and a NetServmunication console, while an FS ASR-1 recon drone supported them from above radar detection.


    The CIA agent started by saying, "Your mission is clear. Identify the anomalous ship''s sensitive cargo, and report to base. No casualties, civilian or otherwise, until we are allowed to engage. I''ll provide an encrypted list of our other safehouses in case things go south but don''t expect back up from us."


    Thehunter patiently replied, "Understood. We''ll deploy once we confirm the ship has docked at the Tartus naval facility and track the sensitive cargo from afar until an opportunity presents itself for confirmation."


    The CIA agent added, "You can''t fly FAV-1s around here without anyone noticing, so I took the liberty in procuring amon local Toyota pickup truck for your transportation. If you need anything else, I''ll be in the basement."


    The three operators found a room with enough privacy and applied what they''ve learned from the updated operator training agenda at the FS Barracks.


    Thehunter proceeded to set up a mobile data ess node while the two marine veterans ensured their upgraded dragonflies were inbat-ready condition.


    Director Price and Anthony designed FS equipment to allow operators local ess to support devices like the ASR-1 drone to decrease reliance on centralized authority at FS headquarters.


    These men had plenty more agencypared to the "sit and wait" orders they would usually receive in the US military due to intelligence dys.


    Thehunter logged into the ASR-1 recon drone and watched the gged cargo ship gliding across the Meditteranean.


    Hemented, "The target''s estimated time of arrival is about 12 hours from now. We don''t know where the item is headed after the port, so prepare for any type of engagement."


    The two veterans nodded in agreement as they trusted the squadhunter before they began an internal briefing regarding potential exits the transport trucks would take leaving the facility.


    ----------------------


    Half a dayter, a ship docked at a location the regr merchant marines weren''t too familiar with as a few Russian porters assisted them in unloading the cargo, included in Hades'' deal with Kadrovik.


    The agreement stipted the use of a few Russian military instations as drop points for their illicit products. Anarchy sold, and one of the locations was Tartus in the middle east.


    The Russians asked no questions and barely mingled with the ship''s crew before forcing them to leave as soon as possible.


    A small group of Syrian soldiers was waiting by a truck to transfer the warheads to a military base near Damascus.


    Meanwhile, the three operators were waiting outside thepound while monitoring the unloaded crates with the ASR-1 dedicated to their mission.


    Thehunter perked up and said, "I''ve confirmed our target.. It''s the Syrian military truck exiting south. Let''s rollout, boys!]