Chapter 490: Can’t Stop You from Courting Death

She was a teacher in name only. After Arabella Donovan flagged her as a person of interest, Ron Cole and his team had already made arrangements. They found an excuse to transfer her from her teaching post to another department, eliminating any chance of her interacting with students.

This also served as a reminder for Arabella Donovan. Having anticipated the current situation, but not daring to alert the targets and risk the source of infection spreading to unknown individuals, Ron Cole hadn’t forcefully cut off their contact with the outside world. Instead, he had chosen a more subtle approach, guiding them into a prepared quarantine environment without arousing their suspicion.

With the wealthy heir’s sudden death, the group was brought under control almost immediately, their contact with the outside world completely severed.

In the original script, the lawyer became the second victim because he had helped the wealthy heir slander Arabella’s third brother, aiming to seize his research for Julian Spencer to use.

He and the reporter were accomplices. One was responsible for steering public opinion, the other for exploiting legal loopholes to frame Aurora Donovan. The wealthy heir’s sudden death terrified the lawyer, who worried it was an enemy seeking revenge. That’s why he immediately went to his accomplice to discuss a plan and ended up getting infected.

‘But this time, the incident with Aurora Donovan never happened. They might not even know anyone named Aurora Donovan exists. And they’re all isolated from each other. So how did the lawyer meet his end?’

Arabella Donovan’s question was soon answered.

“After Yuri Quincy died, we immediately placed these individuals under surveillance. But none of them are the type to sit still. They’ve tried all kinds of methods to get out.”

It was also a matter of guilty conscience. Ever since escaping from that place, they had all become arrogant. Even before we started watching them, they had each been involved in shady dealings. So when they were placed in quarantine, they didn’t feel a sense of security at all. Instead, they felt the terror of a sword hanging over their heads, constantly scheming how to slip away right under our noses.

“That lawyer’s ability is a bit special. It’s something like fetching objects from afar. He can use Telekinesis to bring something he wants to him. The range is about one kilometer, and there are probably limits on the object’s size…”

Hearing this, Arabella Donovan’s eyes glinted, and she immediately grasped the key point. “What did he take with this ability?”

“Yuri Quincy’s phone. It had his blood on it.”

“…” ‘Even locking you guys up can’t stop you from digging your own graves.’

Knowing this information, it was easy to guess how the lawyer died.

A teammate who had your back through several dungeons suddenly dies, and you find yourself placed under surveillance. Anyone would panic.

Especially someone with an ability like his. Of course he wasn’t going to just sit back and do nothing.

As for why he chose to take Yuri Quincy’s phone, Arabella Donovan figured it must have been their pre-arranged communication device.

The original plot had mentioned that every time this team entered a dungeon, they would arrange secret codes and communication devices in advance. That way, if they accidentally got separated, they could use the codes to find each other or use the devices to get real-time information, allowing them to clear the dungeon more quickly and efficiently.

Based on the current situation, the group must have already contacted each other in the real world before this. And just like they did in the dungeons, they must have established secret codes and communication methods to prepare for any unexpected events.

Yuri Quincy died suddenly, so the rest of the main group must be in chaos, and they would be desperate to find out the reason for his sudden death.

Arabella Donovan guessed that Yuri Quincy’s phone was likely the communication device he had agreed upon with his partners. It probably contained all sorts of information and intel he had recently collected, and the phone’s password would be their pre-arranged code.

So, the moment something happened to Yuri, the lawyer acted. He was desperate to understand the cause of death and identify the enemy lurking in the shadows, so he immediately used his ability to retrieve the phone. He hoped to find the true reason for Yuri’s sudden demise within it, never imagining that this very act would become his own death warrant.

The staff member briefing Arabella Donovan finished his report with a regretful sigh. “If only we’d known his ability was so extraordinary, we would have had someone study it in advance. We might have been able to uncover the mysteries of the universe, to explore more enigmatic realms of this world. To watch such an opportunity slip through our fingers… it’s a colossal waste!”

“…” ‘Even at a time like this, he’s still thinking about applying his knowledge. You researchers really are born workaholics.’

Arabella Donovan rubbed her temples. The speechlessness passed, only to be replaced by a knot of anxiety.

‘The whole process was absurd, but it was a fact that through a bizarre twist of fate, it perfectly mirrored the original plot. Was this seemingly coincidental setup actually the work of that invisible hand, pulling the strings?’

“Keep a close eye on Miss Zimmermen from now on.”

This Miss Zimmermen was the former Brynn University professor, the original story’s female lead who died after Terence Lewis.

In the original story, her profession as a teacher meant she interacted with far more people than the others on a daily basis. This is what caused the situation to deteriorate rapidly, as if someone had hit the fast-forward button on the whole ordeal.

‘Now that she’s been quarantined early and separated from her students, will she still follow in the others’ footsteps? Or can she escape her fate?’

“Rest assured, with two targets dead in succession, Cole has assigned additional personnel to monitor the others’ movements. This time, we guarantee they won’t be able to get their hands on so much as a fly.”

“What about the reporter, Miss Griffin? Did you tell her about Yuri Quincy’s sudden death and the state of his body?”

“Someone has already told her.”

“What was her reaction?”

“She’s devastated. And full of guilt. She keeps muttering to herself that she’s the one who killed him.”

Arabella Donovan’s eyes glinted. It had been her idea to tell Miss Griffin about the cause and condition of Yuri Quincy’s death.

It wasn’t just because the two were boyfriend and girlfriend. More importantly, Miss Griffin, having personally experienced that “mountain village dungeon,” would surely be able to guess the cause of Yuri Quincy’s death from the state of his body.

Her lover, who had been through life and death with her, was gone—and at the height of her love for him. Worse, she believed it was her fault. This would be enough to shatter her defenses and compel her to reveal things they didn’t already know. And most importantly…

“…has she agreed to cooperate with your research?”

“Well…”

The young staff member hadn’t had a chance to answer before his phone rang. He gave Arabella Donovan an apologetic look before answering the call.

“Really? Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Hanging up, the young staff member couldn’t suppress the joyful look on his face as he eagerly shared the good news with Arabella Donovan.

“Miss Donovan, Miss Griffin has agreed to cooperate with our research.”