The air in the room felt heavy, as if the weight of Professor Roman''s revtion had sucked out all the life from their once lively atmosphere. The mention of the Metorion, parasitic invaders disguised as humans, was enough to send chills down everyone''s spine. The cloudy feeling of dread seemed to settle over them like a dark fog.


    Roman continued, his voice steady but grim. "The Metorion infiltration has been going on for years. I estimate that they''ve already taken control of a million humans, maybe more, across the globe. And the worst part?" His gaze swept over the group. "One of us could be a Metorion right now, pretending to be our ally, all while reporting our every move."


    Axel, sitting rigid in his chair, stared hard at the table. His mind wasn''t focused on the possibility of one of them being a Metorion, though it wasn''t something he couldpletely ignore. What truly unnerved him was the aliens'' strategy—enving humans like parasites.


    "Do you think the portals were just a distraction?" Axel asked, his voice low and tense. "To keep us upied while they infiltrated us?"


    Roman nodded gravely. "Exactly. The portals were nothing but smoke and mirrors. While we were busy dealing with those, they sneaked in Metorion, who slowly worked their way into society, spreading and multiplying, until they reached key positions of power. That''s why I believe Hendricks is one of them."


    Loki, who had been pacing around the room like a caged animal, suddenly stopped, his face twisted in frustration. "How the hell do you know it''s him? You better have proof because if these things have been living among us for this long, they''re way too good at blending in to let any change in behavior slip."


    Roman sighed, lowering his head as he traced his fingers along the edge of the ss table. "It''s not easy to prove, but there are certain tells—subtle ones. For one, they can''t consume alcohol. Their bodies reject it. Second, they don''t sweat. And third, their blinking rate is slightly offpared to normal humans.


    It''s almost imperceptible."


    The group sat in stunned silence, digesting the new information. Loki folded his arms, visibly tense, his sharp mind working through the possibilities. Hera stared at Roman, her face pale with realization. This wasn''t just some alien invasion—they had been living among them for years, manipting their society from the inside.


    Axel, who had remained quiet for most of the discussion, began to think back to his own encounters. His mind flicked through various faces, memories of interactions. His gut twisted as one particr face floated to the forefront.


    Rowin.


    Axel''s mentor had always seemed off, especially during their most recent encounters. His desk was always littered with empty ale bottles, but Rowin never seemed to get drunk. Was it possible that he had been purging the alcohol from his system? Was he a Metorion? The thought sent a shiver down Axel''s spine, but before he could voice his concern, a different question crossed his mind.


    "Do the Metorion consume blood?" Axel asked, his voice cutting through the tense silence.


    Roman flinched at the question, ring at Axel. "First off, I''m Roman, not Johnathan," he corrected sharply. Then, after a pause, he answered, "By theory—though we haven''t fully tested it—I''m ny percent sure they find raw human flesh... appetizing."


    Hera let out a small gasp, the horror sinking in. "This is worse than anything we''ve faced. Worse than the Fatek''s increasing portal numbers. If they''ve infiltrated the military and the board, there''s no stopping this invasion. If theyunch an attack from space, we''d be fighting on two fronts—one from the sky, and one from within."


    Axel could feel the same grim conclusion dawning on everyone in the room. They were already toote. The Metorion had spread too far, and now they were on the verge of executing their final move. Short of wiping out all of humanity, how could they possibly stop the parasites?


    "It''s almost like the end is already here," Loki murmured, his face grim. "If Seo Jihnyuk dies in two days, it''ll send everyone into a state of chaos. The board will be thrown into turmoil, and in that moment of weakness, the Metorion willunch their attack from space. We''ll be too disoriented to mount a proper defense."


    Axel''s pulse quickened. Loki was right. Seo''s execution was the lynchpin, the moment that could break their already fragile state.


    Breaking the silence that had settled over the room, Wukong finally spoke. His deep voice was calm but filled with urgency. "Roman has developed a solution—a way to identify and eliminate the Metorion. We''ll announce their existence to the world, and arm civilians with special sonic-bound guns. The guns emit energy waves that will make the Metorion''s heads explode on impact.


    We''ll distribute these weapons, free of charge, giving people three shots each."


    The room buzzed with the weight of Wukong''s words. It was a bold and potentially effective n, but the risks were massive. Trisha frowned deeply, her eyes reflecting both fear and doubt.


    "It''s a good n," she admitted, "but... the announcement alone will cause mass panic. Riots will erupt globally, and countless innocent people will be caught in the chaos. And you''re trusting civilians, most of whom have little to nobat experience, to defend themselves against parasitic aliens. They may have weapons, but they aren''t trained to use them effectively.


    The death toll will be catastrophic."


    Axel nodded silently in agreement. She was right. This n, while practical, would throw the world into chaos.


    Wukong, however, remained unmoved, his voice carrying the cold wisdom of someone who had seen countless battles. "For change to arise, pain must take its toll. There is no peace without suffering, Trisha. This is the only way."


    His words felt like a punch to the gut, and the room fell silent once more. The grim reality of their situation settled over them like a suffocating nket.


    Finally, Roman broke the silence, his eyes dark with concern. "We have a n for the Metorion, but what about Seo Jihnyuk''s execution? If he dies, all of this will be for nothing. The real mole will still be out there, ready to strike. How do we stop the execution?"


    Axel''s mind raced. For once, even Roman didn''t have an answer. But as the silence stretched on, something clicked in Axel''s mind. A wild, dangerous n began to form, one that could potentially save them all—if it didn''t get them killed first.


    Grinning, Axel raised his hand and pointed at himself with his thumb, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Leave that to me. I''ve got a n that will definitely work."


    The others turned to him, eyes filled with a mixture of hope and doubt. Whatever Axel had in mind, it was their only shot.