《The Apocalypse: Creating My Own Harem[English]》


 Chapter1 - The Walls They Build

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    Sixty years ago, the Earth changed forever. A plague swept across the world, twisting the natural order beyond recognition. Creatures once thought to be mere legends now roamed freely¡ªgiant, bloodthirsty mammoths the size of mountains, ice wolves capable of freezing entire villages with a single breath. Humanity, once the apex predator, was now a fading echo in a world overrun by monstrous evolution.


    To survive, mankind retreated behind towering walls, cutting themselves off from the vast wilderness that had become a graveyard of civilizations. But even inside these walls, safety was an illusion. Humanity was no longer the master of the planet. They had become prey.


    Fortunately, the discovery of the original stone¡ªa rare stone of special power¡ªgave some humans the ability to tap into the Force that drifted through the universe. Awakeners, as they were called, emerged, their powers enough to hold their own against the legendary beasts and keep humanity''s fragile flame burning. But even the strongest awakeners couldn''t protect the entire world. They could only defend the land within the walls.


    And that was enough to keep the human race alive¡ªfor now.


    ....


    Axel sat in the back of the classroom, his eyes unfocused as the teacher droned on about the past. The students around him scribbled notes, their pens moving in sync with the rhythm of history lessons. They dreamed of becoming awakeners, of stepping into the world of the powerful, the elite.


    But Axel wasn''t like them. He wasn''t dreaming about the awakening test. He wasn''t imagining himself as some hero, standing tall against the beasts in the wild. He just wanted to survive.


    He wanted to keep himself and his sister safe from the chaos of the slums.


    The teacher''s voice cut through his daydreams.


    "If our class can produce two awakeners, I''ll wake up with a smile in my dreams," the teacher said, his voice full of an enthusiasm Axel could barely muster. "But remember, it''s not as glamorous as it sounds. You''ll fight the creatures of the wilderness, and you''ll need to be careful not to become infected."


    Axel snapped out of his trance and glanced up. The teacher asked, "Who can tell me what an infected person is?"


    A student raised their hand.


    "Everyone, survived the plague, were changed by it. When an awakener lose control of their power, the mutation spreads, and they would turn into monstrous creatures, feeding on human flesh."


    "If you are scratched or bitten by them, even if you don''t die, you will turn into a zombie-like monster in a short time."


    The teacher nodded, pleased with the answer, and continued lecturing. Axel''s gaze wandered again, out the window. His mind drifted to the streets outside, the world he truly knew.


    A month from now, all the children who were about to turn eighteen would be tested for their potential to awaken. The lucky ones would be selected. The ones who failed? They''d be forgotten.


    Axel knew he had no chance. His family had never been wealthy, and without the resources to get the right education or support, his future was already decided. He could barely afford to keep his sister alive, let alone aspire to a life behind the walls.


    His thoughts were interrupted as the bell rang. The classroom emptied quickly, leaving Axel alone to pack his things. As he gathered his worn books, his eyes wandered to the trash can in the corner. There, among discarded paper and lunch wrappers, were small, broken fragments of original stone.


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    Axel hesitated for a moment, then walked over, his movements cautious. He picked up the remnants¡ªleftovers from the other students who could afford more¡ªand wrapped them carefully in a scrap of paper. Only when you have a higher Force in your body can you reach the critical point of breakthrough and have a higher probability of becoming an awakener. Therefore, students with good family conditions will carry it with them for absorption.


    These fragments, though small, still contained some of the Force to help someone like Axel. He wasn''t like the others, with their fancy supplies and polished dreams. He had to take what he could get.


    Once his bag was packed, Axel made his way out of the school. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the crumbling city.


    Although there are awakened humans, their overall strength is not at the same level as the monsters in the wilderness. Therefore, nowadays, major cities have built huge walls, to resist mutant beasts.


    However, the land inside the city wall is very expensive, and not everyone can afford a house.


    Axel''s eyes flicked toward the city wall, where a small, hidden door allowed those who couldn''t afford housing to slip out into the wilderness. It was a quiet exit, the gateway to the forgotten world beyond the barriers.


    Life outside the walls was never kind. The slums were dangerous, a lawless place where survival meant taking risks every single day.


    As he walked past, his eyes fell upon a crumbling courtyard. It had once been home. Three years ago, his father¡ªan awakener¡ªhad vanished without a trace. His team, too, had been wiped out.


    When the investigation turned up nothing, his father was labeled a traitor to humanity, and Axel and Annabelle were also cast out into the streets.


    That year, Axel had been fifteen, and Annabelle had been ten.


    .....


    Axel continued down the road until the sound of raised voices caught his attention. People were gathered outside the slums, their faces anxious, filled with fear. Axel pushed through the crowd, his heart pounding.


    "Closure zone?" Axel asked, overhearing the murmurs around him.


    The sign in front of the gate confirmed it: "Closure Zone: No One May Enter or Exit."


    The guards stood firm, their armored forms blocking the entrance, and the crowd pressed forward, desperate to be heard.


    "There are infected people inside! You can''t leave us here!" someone cried.


    "Please, I can stay, let my child go out!"


    There are at least thousands of people in the c-zone slums. At this moment, they are holding the iron gate and crying desperately.


    Everyone knows how terrible the infected are. Infected people have appeared in other slums before, and hundreds of civilians have been devoured.


    Axel''s eyes swept through the crowd, but saw a thin little girl wearing a thin linen dress and a long braid, also holding the iron gate, looking out blankly.


    The moment he saw her, Axel felt relieved.


    .....


    Skye from the law enforcement bureau felt a surge of anxiety as he watched the crowd rush out in a frantic panic. With so many people packed together, if one of them was scratched by an infected person and suddenly mutated...


    It was impossible to predict how many would die before they could contain it.


    "Everyone, go home! We''ll lift the blockade once we''ve confirmed the infected!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos, but the panicked crowd couldn''t hear him over their own fear.


    "Stop lying! There was an infected person in District F last time! Hundreds died!"


    "You don''t care about us! You just want to trap us here!"


    Skye hadn''t expected his words to make things worse. The anger in the crowd grew, and a section of the barbed wire began to bend under the pressure.


    Suddenly, a figure zipped past him.


    "Hey! Watch out!" Skye shouted, but the man didn''t stop.


    Axel glanced back at Skye as he kept running. "I know. But I need to get home."


    Home? Skye froze for a moment. What home could he be talking about in this mess?


    Before he could process it, Axel darted past him, his hands gripping the wire as he vaulted over it.


    "Wait, what¡ª?!" Skye''s voice caught in his throat. Was this guy crazy? Didn''t he know that this was a quarantine zone?


    The crowd around them murmured in confusion. Even those who were trying hard to squeeze out were a little stunned when they saw someone coming in from the outside. Did he not understand the danger, or was he just crazy?


    "Brother," came a soft, weak voice from behind Axel.


    Axel stopped, and a fragile, pale figure pushed her way through the crowd, timidly pulling at his sleeve.

 Chapter2 - Go home

    Skye watched as Axel turned to face the girl¡ªa little girl, no older than eight or nine, dressed in a faded floral apron.


    The moment was still, and Skye did not miss this collective moment of silence and said immediately.


    "See? Even the kids aren''t afraid. Why should you be? If it were really that bad, would I let him in?" His tone was a little sharper now. The crowd fell silent, and as they realized the sun was setting, their anxiety shifted to fear. One by one, they started to disperse.


    Axel looked down at the girl, his eyes softening. "You?"


    Annabelle shook her head. "From outside."


    Their gazes met, and without other word, they seemed to understand each other. He gently brushed her hair back, and they began to walk away. But then, a stern voice stopped them.


    "Young man!" Skye called, his voice heavy now. "If you go in there, I can''t let you back out. You really think this is a joke?¡±


    Axel paused, glancing at Skye. There was no hint of defiance in his eyes, just quiet resolve. "I know."


    He touched the girl''s hair once more before he spoke, his voice soft but firm. "But I have to go home."


    Skye hesitated, his eyes flickering to the little girl beside Axel, so thin she looked like she might be swept away by the wind. His expression softened, and he lowered his voice, barely audible over the noise of the crowd. "Once the sun goes down, stay inside. Don''t go out. The infected only come out at night to hunt."


    Axel''s gaze sharpened slightly at the mention of "hunting." Then he nodded.


    The crowd who had not left were about to gather around to listen to the exchange.


    Just then, the sound of grinding metal filled the air, and a massive steel wall rose outside the barbed wire, completely sealing off the area.


    "Please remain calm," a loudspeaker blared, its voice cold and robotic. "The law enforcement agency will enter Zone C. Once the infected are neutralized, the blockade will be lifted."


    "Until then, stay inside. Especially after dark! Do not leave your homes!"


    The announcement echoed through the crowd, but despair filled their faces.


    The same nightmare had happened in the neighboring District F. In one night, hundreds of people were slaughtered by the infected, leaving the area a hellscape. Now, District C was locked down, and no one could escape, no matter how badly they wanted to.


    A few rays of the setting sun filtered through the streets, but Axel couldn¡¯t feel the warmth. He knew the sun would set in less than an hour, and they needed to get home quickly.


    "Brother, I''m hungry," Annabelle murmured, pressing against his side. Her thin, malnourished frame was barely visible under her loose clothes, and her once-lustrous wheat-colored hair now hung limp over her shoulders. Despite the chaos around her, she seemed oddly unaffected by the panic.


    "Just hang on, we''re almost there."


    As they walked, the crowd around them began to thin. The infected feared the sun, but darkness was their domain. Soon, the street was nearly deserted.


    People were hurriedly securing their homes, nailing boards over windows and doors, preparing for the coming night. Children, who normally filled the streets with laughter, had already vanished into their homes.


    After walking two more blocks, Axel and Annabelle finally reached a small wooden house¡ªtheir house. They had worked for over two years to buy this place, a tiny sliver of safety in a world falling apart.


    But as soon as they stepped inside, they froze.


    The house was already occupied.


    Several burly men were lounging inside, puffing on cigarettes. They looked up as Axel and Annabelle entered, and their initial surprise quickly gave way to smirks of relief.


    "So, it''s just two kids living here?" one of them sneered, his voice thick with malice.


    Axel''s eyes narrowed. His protective instincts flared as he stepped in front of Annabelle, keeping her hidden behind him.


    "This is my house. You''ve got the wrong place."


    The men exchanged amused glances, then laughed. The scarred man in the lead sneered and took a step forward.


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    "Your house? Do you see your name on the door? I''m telling you, this is my place now. Got a problem with that?"


    His gang chuckled in agreement, but their eyes lingered on Annabelle. Although she was only thirteen years old and still wearing tattered linen clothes, she looked pure and lovely, as charming as a fairy....


    They were all thugs who had been hanging around in the slums for many years. They had no house in Area C, so they just occupied one randomly. Unexpectedly, the owner of the house was two children, which saved them trouble.


    Axel''s breath caught in his chest, and a coldness settled in his gaze. His physical abilities¡ªthanks to Force¡ªcould help him take on a couple of them, but against this kind of slum scum, he couldn''t take the risk.


    Just as he prepared to speak again, he felt Annabelle''s hand grip his tightly, and then¡­ he sensed it.


    Behind him, her once-innocent eyes were now slightly bloodshot, and a faint, dark aura began to coil around her. The air around her grew heavy with barely-contained violence.


    Axel''s heart raced. He quickly turned to her, positioning his body in front of hers. His voice was barely a whisper, just for her.


    "Not now. Leave it to me."


    Annabelle''s bloodshot eyes flickered for a moment, but the dark aura receded as quickly as it had come. She returned to her quiet, innocent state, looking up at Axel as if she were nothing more than the frightened child she appeared to be.


    The scarred man''s voice interrupted the moment. "Hey, kid, I''m asking you a question!"


    The men chuckled, enjoying their little game.


    Axel turned toward them, forcing his expression into one of nervous submission. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.


    "Okay, okay¡­ no problem. I''ll get out of your way, just¡­ just let me grab something to eat from the kitchen first, and then I''ll leave."


    The men laughed harder, the leader of the group waved a hand dismissively.


    "You''ve got one minute. Don''t make us wait."


    Axel nodded quickly, not trusting himself to speak. He gave one last look at Annabelle before heading toward the kitchen.


    Inside the small, dimly lit kitchen, Axel paused for a moment. The two small dishes on the counter had been left cold¡ªprobably something Annabelle had prepared earlier in the day, before the chaos erupted.


    His gaze fell on something else¡ªAxel''s fingers brushed against a black button on the wall, and with a quiet click, he turned a hidden switch to its maximum setting.


    The kitchen fell silent, the only sound the faint hum of the switch activating.


    ......


    "Boss, you''re really just gonna let them go like that?" A yellow-haired man, sitting beside the scarred leader, grumbled, clearly frustrated. "That little girl... she''s so pretty. We haven''t had a woman in a while."


    The scarred man shot him a sharp look, his voice low and menacing. "The house is right here. Where are they gonna go? We''re waiting for the law enforcement to handle the infected. Keep quiet. If we make a scene, we''re all dead."


    The mention of the infected made the others visibly uneasy, fear flashing across their faces. The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut through with a knife.


    Axel held Annabelle''s hand tightly and quietly closed the door behind them. He scanned the room quickly, his mind racing.


    "Where are we going?" Annabelle whispered, her voice small, as if afraid to break the eerie silence outside.


    Axel took a deep breath, his gaze flickering to the setting sun that had just disappeared below the horizon. Usually, the slums would be alive with the sounds of people¡ªvoices shouting, arguing, cooking, laughing¡ªbut now, there was nothing. The whole street felt like a tomb.


    "We''re not going anywhere," Axel replied, his voice strained. He turned to face the closed door, a feeling of unease settling in his chest. The silence outside was suffocating.


    The two siblings sat together on the front steps, close, as if the proximity could protect them. Inside the house, the men sat motionless, too afraid to make any noise.


    After a long silence, the yellow-haired man shifted uncomfortably. His voice broke the quiet like a sharp crack in the air. "Boss, do you feel that? I feel... sick. Like I''m gonna throw up."


    The scarred man scowled at him. "Shut up and bear it. You''re just nervous. People get nauseous when they''re on edge."


    Normally, he might have let his younger brother step outside for a bit of fresh air, but not today. Today was different. They couldn''t afford to move or draw attention.


    The yellow-haired man grumbled but soon fell silent. The nausea faded, and sleep claimed him. One by one, the men in the room drifted off, unable to keep their eyes open.


    More than an hour later, Axel woke with a start. He looked over at Annabelle, who had fallen asleep beside him, her head resting against his shoulder. Gently, he shifted her, making sure she was leaning against the wall for support. He stood up quietly, careful not to disturb her, and reached into his boots for the dagger he kept hidden there.


    His fingers tightened around the handle as he turned toward the door.


    His eyes were cold now. All the panic and fear from earlier had been replaced by something harder. Axel and Annabelle had survived the slums for years, enduring countless hardships. They''d been bullied, pushed around, and forced to endure things no children should ever have to. But tonight¡ªtonight was different.


    Tonight, there were infected people outside. And he had to take his sister to live in the house!


    Axel stepped into the room.


    The sight that greeted him was worse than he''d expected. The men were sprawled on the floor, unconscious, some foaming at the mouth.


    The scarred man was the last to stir. His eyes fluttered open, and when he saw Axel standing there, his face twisted into an expression of disbelief. Axel, the same boy who had been so panicked and helpless earlier, was now standing tall, a cold fury in his eyes.


    He was holding a dagger.


    The scarred man tried to speak, tried to move, but his head was splitting with pain. He looked around, his gaze landing on his brother¡ªalready foaming at the mouth and out cold.


    The nausea. The vomiting. The sudden sleepiness of the others. The pieces began to click together in his mind.


    Gas poisoning.


    In that moment, the scarred man realized the truth. Axel had been planning this since he''d entered the house. He''d tricked them all¡ªhis earlier panic, his feigned fear, all of it had been a ruse.


    The scarred man''s heart pounded in his chest. He tried to speak, his voice weak with terror. "We can talk about this... we can¡ª"


    But Axel''s response was swift and brutal.


    "Shh."


    A spray of blood splattered across the scarred man''s face as Axel drove the knife deep into his chest. His eyes went wide in shock, and for a moment, his expression was frozen in disbelief.


    But his pupils rapidly lost focus as the life drained from him.

 Chapter3 - His awakening

    Thud. Thud. Thud.


    Axel''s heart was pounding in his chest. The moment his hand swung the knife, every ounce of strength in his body surged to its peak. It felt like his very cells were igniting with energy.


    Thud. Thud.


    The sound of his heart echoed in his ears. Blood splattered across his face, still warm, and his hands were shaking uncontrollably.


    The moment the scarred man collapsed, Axel heard something¡ªa subtle snap, almost like something breaking inside him.


    Crack.


    But there was no time to dwell on the sensation. Axel moved quickly to the kitchen, turning off the gas. He held his breath as he opened the window, letting the stale air escape before walking to the door, gasping for fresh air.


    Looking down at his bloodstained hands, he fell silent.


    Though Axel and Annabelle had fought off their share of slum thugs over the years, this¡­ this was the first time he had ever taken a life.


    "Annabelle¡­"


    He turned to wake his sister, but she was already awake, her large, doe-like eyes staring at him.


    More precisely, she was staring at the blood on his hands.


    She swallowed, her gaze unwavering.


    "Brother, I''m really hungry... If you take any longer, I might just go crazy."


    Axel wiped the blood off his hands with a steady, practiced motion and stepped into the room.


    The bodies of the four men were sprawled across the floor, lifeless. Axel could hear Annabelle''s breath growing more uneven behind him, a slight tremor to it.


    "Hold on. Just wait for me."


    He moved to cover the bodies with a large cloth, and Annabelle seemed to relax just a little, the tension easing from her small shoulders.


    He entered the kitchen again, taking out a needle. With a practiced hand, he inserted it into a vein in his arm, the blood quickly flowing into the small bowl in front of him.


    ........


    Axel watched in silence as Annabelle drank the blood in small, careful sips.


    Yes¡­ Annabelle was infected, too.


    But Axel still didn''t know why it had happened. In fact, the change in her began three years ago, after their father led a team out of the city. Since then, she could no longer eat normal food¡ªonly his blood could sustain her.


    But she was different from the others. She wasn''t afraid of the sun, and she didn''t lose control, turning into a mindless, ravenous monster like the others.


    Yet Axel knew the official stance on the infected. They were to be executed on sight¡ªno questions asked, no chances to explain. It was a secret only the two of them shared.


    Annabelle drank half the bowl, but her stomach still gurgled with hunger. She looked at Axel with faintly reddened cheeks, her eyes pleading.


    Axel stayed silent, his thoughts drifting.


    He couldn''t bleed any more. He hadn''t eaten anything all day, and his energy had been drained by the recent violence. His head was starting to spin.


    In the past, Axel had tried buying blood from livestock at the market, but one sip was enough for Annabelle to turn red all over, her body burning up as if she were losing control like the other infected. Only her own blood could keep her stable.


    And so, Axel had bled for her over the years. It was for this reason that he, who was once gifted, is now far from the standard of awakening in the Force.


    Looking at his little sister, frail and vulnerable, Axel stood up. "I''ll get more blood."


    In the last three years, Annabelle''s strength had grown, although Axel didn''t know how it compared to true awakened individuals. What he did know was that she could''ve easily taken care of the thugs¡ªif only they weren''t afraid of drawing attention, of attracting law enforcement or other infected.


    But her hunger was growing.


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    Axel grabbed a few mouthfuls of food and drank a large gulp of water before heading back to the kitchen to prepare more blood.


    "No, you''re in no shape. Eat something first." Annabelle''s cold little hand gripped his arm, her eyes firm with determination.


    "It''s fine¡­ I''m okay." Axel tried to reassure her, but as his eyes flickered to the white cloth on the floor, something in him stilled.


    "This¡­"


    He froze, staring at the cloth. Four faint, green orbs of light hovered above it, flickering like will-o''-the-wisps.


    Annabelle looked back, confused. In her eyes, the cloth was just a cloth, normal, no different than before.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked, not understanding Axel''s sudden unease.


    "This is¡­ strange."


    Axel couldn''t look away. The closer he got to the floating lights, the more his skin prickled. As he moved about half a meter away, the lights seemed to sense him¡ªalmost like they had a mind of their own¡ªand they attached themselves to his hands.


    A faint, cool sensation brushed against Axel''s hand. The green light balls gradually faded, and in their place, four small light-green crystals¡ªno bigger than a fingernail¡ªappeared in his palm.


    "What is this?" Axel muttered, turning the tiny crystals over in his fingers.


    Before he could make sense of it, he heard Annabelle''s breathing grow heavier behind him. Her wide eyes were locked on the crystals, and she stared at them like they were the only thing in the world.


    "You want to eat them?" Axel asked, surprised by her action.


    Annabelle nodded, her eyes shining. She instinctively reached out but stopped herself, glancing at Axel as she bit her lip in restraint.


    Axel was taken aback. For three years, he''d tried everything to find a substitute for blood, but nothing had worked. This was the first time Annabelle had shown any interest in something other than blood.


    "Then go ahead, try it. But hey, don''t eat them all," Axel teased, handing her two of the crystals.


    Annabelle quickly popped them into her mouth and then¡ªburped.


    "This?!"


    Axel''s jaw dropped. Two tiny crystals, the size of a fingernail, had filled her up?


    "Brother, where did you find this? Why didn''t you tell me about it earlier?" Annabelle said excitedly, her voice filled with genuine delight. She hadn''t felt full in so long.


    Axel stared at the two remaining green crystals, lost in thought. These had come from the bodies of the men he''d killed earlier, but Annabelle hadn''t been able to see the green light balls before. Could it be¡­?


    Maybe this was connected to his awakening?


    Every awakened individual had a special skill, but Axel was still far from becoming one. He thought back to the burning sensation in his body and the strange cracking sound he''d heard when he killed the scarred man. Could that have been when the change started?


    Though doubts lingered in his mind, Axel pushed them aside. The important thing right now was figuring out how to use this. If he could keep extracting these crystals from the corpses, he wouldn''t have to keep bleeding for Annabelle.


    He picked up one of the green crystals and stared at it, focusing all his attention on it.


    Axel instinctively channeled the Force, his body responding to the pull of the raw energy. The crystal began to glow faintly, and in the next moment, it seemed to melt away, merging into his skin.


    "Huh?" Axel exhaled sharply as a warm current coursed through his body.


    It was a sensation he knew well¡ªthis was the unmistakable feeling of his Force improving.


    For a moment, Axel stood still, his mind racing. For the past three years, Axel had struggled with his abilities, relying only on scraps from other awakened people. But it was barely enough to keep him going. He had almost given up hope of ever truly awakening, his dreams reduced to just surviving with Annabelle and trying to find their missing father.


    But now, for the first time in a long while, there was a glimmer of hope - the crystal.

 Chapter4 - Infected

    ¡°The ability to extract life essence from corpses?¡± Axel thought, his mind racing.


    Awakener abilities were diverse, with combat powers being the most common. But there were also those with life-related powers, which, though rarer, could be just as valuable. For example, some people could accelerate plant growth¡ªan ability that was incredibly precious in a world where land was scarce.


    Axel looked down at the last crystal in his hand. It was slightly larger than the others, and he recognized it as the one he had taken from the "scar-faced" man.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    He felt a distinct difference as he held the crystal. This one provided much more force than the previous ones.


    ¡°It seems... the strength of the crystal depends on the strength of the person who died.¡±


    The stronger the individual, the more potent the energy stored in the crystal. Axel could feel the power pulsing in his fingers, but a new question gnawed at him. Was this ability only effective for people he¡¯d killed himself? Or could it work with any dead body?


    For now, though, there was no time to test it. The sound of something scraping the earth outside suddenly interrupted his thoughts.


    A low, wheezing breath echoed through the cracks in the walls. Along with it, a thick, suffocating stench of blood flooded through the open window.


    Axel¡¯s senses went on high alert. He and Annabelle both stood up in unison.


    ¡°Infected.¡±


    He motioned for Annabelle to be quiet. He had absorbed the force from the crystals, but he still wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle an infected, especially one that had been transformed from an awakened individual.


    The breathing grew louder. The infected was getting closer.


    ¡°The smell of blood...¡± The words were almost a growl, coming from somewhere deep in the chest of the creature.


    Axel and Annabelle¡¯s eyes locked, both aware that the infected was now at their door.


    *Knock knock.*


    It was faint at first¡ªalmost like a drumbeat against the door¡ªbut the sound made their hearts race. Axel¡¯s eyes quickly flicked to Annabelle¡¯s face, where the red in her pupils had deepened.


    He pulled the dagger from his boot, feeling the cold metal in his grip as the seconds dragged on like an eternity.


    Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the sounds stopped. The heavy footsteps began to fade away, retreating into the distance.


    Axel and Annabelle let out breaths they hadn¡¯t realized they were holding.


    But their relief was short-lived. A voice suddenly came from the outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s been here, but now I don¡¯t know where it went.¡±


    Axel froze. He recognized the voice. It was the man from the Law Enforcement Bureau¡ªthe one who had warned him to stay inside after dark.


    In the major cities, the law enforcement bureau employed many awakened individuals to handle infected people and monsters. Axel had hoped to avoid them for now, but it seemed they were getting closer.


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    Another voice¡ªthis time a woman¡¯s¡ªspoke up. ¡°It¡¯s been fatally injured. It shouldn¡¯t be able to run far. We¡¯ll search the area.¡±


    Axel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. They were looking for the infected... but what about them? The strange and dangerous things in their house¡ªthe blood, the syringes, the covered bodies on the floor¡ªnone of it could be explained away easily.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll check on this house," the woman¡¯s voice said.


    Axel acted quickly, stepping up to the door and yanking it open.


    "Is it... is the infected gone?"


    The two law enforcement officers standing outside froze when they saw the terrified boy before them. Their eyes moved from Axel to the small, trembling girl standing just inside the door, her wide eyes peeking through the crack.


    The room behind them was dimly lit, with no other figures in sight.


    Skye, the taller of the two, smiled warmly, clearly trying to put Axel at ease. "It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re safe now. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re here to protect you."


    He reached out to pat Annabelle¡¯s head, but the little girl flinched away, she quickly closed the door, leaving just a tiny gap between it and the wall. She watched them cautiously, her eyes full of uncertainty.


    Skye chuckled, her tone light. "She¡¯s a smart one, isn¡¯t she?"


    Freya, standing beside Skye, smiled softly. "She¡¯s probably been through a lot."


    "Annabelle, don¡¯t be afraid. These two are from the law enforcement. They¡¯ll keep us safe."


    Annabelle didn¡¯t seem fully convinced, but the mention of the law enforcement seemed to calm her a little, and she nodded, though she kept her distance. Axel turned back to Skye, who seemed satisfied by the response.


    Skye then nodded to Axel, a small grin on her face. "You did good, kid. Staying quiet and keeping your head in the middle of all this... I¡¯m impressed." He paused for a moment. "Are you two the only ones here? Where are your parents?"


    Axel¡¯s face darkened slightly, his gaze dropping to the floor. He didn¡¯t need to answer¡ªSkye and Freya saw it in his eyes.


    There were too many orphans in the slums, far too many. Parents who went into the wilderness, hoping to make a living, never returned. They were taken by mutated beasts, or worse, and left their children behind to fend for themselves.


    Skye placed a hand on Axel''s shoulder, her expression softening.


    Just then, the radio on Skye¡¯s belt crackled to life, the voice coming through sharp and urgent.


    ¡°Captain, I searched the area. There¡¯s no sign of infected #2. It looks like it¡¯s fled far.¡±


    Skye frowned, glancing over at Freya, who shared her confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean it fled? It should¡¯ve been seriously injured,¡± Freya remarked, her brow furrowing. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have gotten far.¡±


    Axel, standing near the door, looked out into the distance, his ability kicking in. From the sounds of the retreating steps, he knew the direction the infected had taken. But it was something else that caught his eye.


    Out beyond the dilapidated church, a flash of green light flickered. Axel¡¯s pulse quickened as he recognized it¡ªthe same eerie green glow that had appeared after the death of the scar-faced man.


    Skye and Freya didn¡¯t see the light. They couldn¡¯t.


    Axel looked at the green ball and felt a little moved. The scar-faced man was not an awakener, but a thug stronger than ordinary people. The crystals provided were enough to increase his force.


    If it is the life crystal produced after the death of the infected... Let''s not talk about the distant future. If he can become an awakener, then he has the capital to move to a safer city with Annabelle.


    "Where will it be?" Skye frowned. There were two infected people in total. If they killed one, they would not need to act separately, and things would be much easier.


    Axel turned to them, his voice calm but firm. ¡°I know where it went. I can take you there.¡±


    Skye looked at him, surprised. ¡°You saw it? Where?¡±


    Axel nodded. ¡°I saw it when it fled. I was scared, but when it passed by, I peeked out through the window. I can show you the way.¡±


    Skye and Freya exchanged a look of disbelief.


    Most people, especially children, would have been too afraid to even think about tracking the infected, let alone keeping an eye on it as it ran. But Axel had done just that, showing more courage than they had expected.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Skye said, a slight smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Alright, lead the way. Just keep within three meters of me. If we don¡¯t find it, I¡¯ll get you back here safe.¡±


    Freya raised an eyebrow, her concern still evident. ¡°Captain, is it really a good idea to bring a child along? It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Skye waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It''s okay. The other infected is still unaccounted for, and this one¡¯s injured and is under control. We¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    He turned to Axel again. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m Skye, captain of the law enforcement detachment. This is Freya, my deputy.¡±


    Axel nodded, his eyes drifting back to the distant green glow. ¡°Axel,¡± he said quietly.

 Chapter5 - Exposed

    Before Axel stepped out the door, he paused and exchanged a brief glance with Annabelle. Under the cold moonlight, she gave him a small nod and turned back into the room.


    The fear they had both felt moments ago hadn¡¯t just been from the infected. It was the law enforcement officers¡ªSkye and Freya. Though Axel and Annabelle had been forced into a corner by Scarface and his men, they had no choice but to act in self-defense. But now that those law enforcement officers had seen how Axel silently took down four strong men, they would definitely turn their attention to him.


    Axel had always kept a low profile, taking care to live quietly with Annabelle, but he knew that once the Law Enforcement Bureau started investigating, their lives would be under a magnifying glass. And if they focused on Annabelle, her identity would be exposed. That would be dangerous for both of them.


    Once Axel and the others left, Annabelle returned to the room. She worked quickly, tying the bodies of the four men with hemp rope and wrapping them in rough cloth. Then, with surprising ease, she hoisted the bodies up, holding them in her small arms...


    Her dark eyes widened slightly in surprise. She hadn¡¯t meant to carry all four bodies at once, but now she realized that her strength was greater than before....


    In the quiet of the night, a small figure, carrying a weight far heavier than her own, moved swiftly and silently through the alley like a cat¡ªnimble, efficient, and unseen.


    Meanwhile, Axel was leading Skye and Freya through the slums.


    "It should be around here," Axel said, trying to sound confident. He wasn¡¯t giving them the exact location yet, just guiding them in the general direction. If he took them directly to the bodies, that would inevitably arouse suspicion.


    Of course, Skye and Freya weren¡¯t relying solely on Axel¡¯s guidance. They were moving cautiously, alert to every sound, every shift in the air.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Freya said suddenly, her nose twitching as she looked toward the crumbling church ahead. Axel had already caught sight of it, only waiting for the two men to notice it.


    There, lying sprawled in front of the church, was a massive corpse¡ªmore than three meters tall. Axel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he felt a cold shiver run through him. The body had the outline of a human, but its head was unnaturally large. Its mouth was filled with sharp, bloody teeth, taking up half its face. Its limbs were twisted, covered in white barbs, with chunks of flesh and blood still hanging from them.


    Skye frowned, instinctively stepping in front of Axel, as if trying to shield him from the gruesome and bloody sight. But when she looked at him, Axel¡¯s face was only slightly pale¡ªhe didn¡¯t look faint or sickened.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some serious mental fortitude, kid,¡± Skye said with an approving pat on Axel¡¯s shoulder. Axel forced a smile. ¡°Do all infected look like this?¡±


    He took a few more steps forward, not showing any sign of hesitation.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Skye chuckled, waving off her concern. ¡°They¡¯re dead. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Look at the kid¡ªhe¡¯s not even flinching. And look at us¡ªsome of the new recruits at the War College would¡¯ve fainted just seeing this. How are they supposed to fight if they can¡¯t even handle a corpse?¡±


    Axel¡¯s heart skipped again when he heard the words War College. That was exactly where he wanted to go. To join the War College, a person needed a Force value of at least 100. It was the bare minimum to apply, but it was also the entry point for those hoping to become awakened.


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    The War College wasn¡¯t just a university¡ªit was a powerhouse in its own right. The instructors were all awakened, and the students who graduated could go on to defend entire small cities. It wasn¡¯t just about combat either; there were fields of research focused on mutants, infected people, and even awakened individuals.


    Axel had always dreamed of getting into the War College, the reason was simple: guaranteed job assignment and good treatment. As Skye and Freya chatted casually, Axel remained deep in thought.


    Skye shrugged, taking out a cigarette and lighting it, clearly feeling more at ease now that the first infected was dealt with. ¡°Those fresh recruits, though¡­ once they go through the trials, they¡¯ll get over it.¡±


    She exhaled a cloud of smoke, looking around the ruined slums. ¡°With infected #1 down, the rest should be a breeze.¡±


    Seeing that neither Skye nor Freya had noticed his movements, Axel kept a curious look on his face. He reached out carefully to touch the green light ball.


    "Hey, be careful."


    Freya¡¯s sharp voice made Axel freeze for a moment, a cold sweat running down his forehead. He thought for sure they¡¯d noticed something strange. But to his relief, Freya just gave a concerned frown.


    ¡°Being too bold isn¡¯t a good thing,¡± she said, her voice laced with caution. ¡°If you get too close, the infected could scratch you. That¡¯d be a huge problem.¡±


    She pulled him back to her side, her grip firm but not unkind. Axel exhaled a quiet sigh of relief and gave her a look. He had always thought that people in the law enforcement bureau were all dark and mysterious, with poker faces and trench coats, but Freya had the vibe of an older sister next door¡ªstern, but caring.


    Nodding like he understood, Axel quietly tucked the green crystal away.


    Skye, who had been watching the exchange, tossed his cigarette butt to the ground with a casual laugh.


    ¡°What are you worried about? It¡¯s not that easy to get infected.¡± He grinned, clearly amused. ¡°Let me give you a little lesson.¡±


    He turned to Axel. ¡°When awakened people get infected, that¡¯s when they turn into monsters. Their appearance can vary, but they¡¯re usually... pretty horrifying. They keep their wits, but all that¡¯s left is their killing instinct.¡±


    ¡°Regular people? They¡¯re more like zombies. Slow, mindless, and dangerous.¡±


    Once Skye finished explaining, he and Freya collected some of the infected¡¯s tissue samples, preparing to head back to base. They¡¯d need to run some DNA tests and treat the body with the antidote.


    Not long after, the body of the infected melted away into a thick, foul-smelling sludge.


    The carefree look faded from Skye¡¯s face, replaced by something more somber, a touch of sadness creeping into his expression.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said quietly, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to hunt down the infected. But... every infected person we face could¡¯ve once been an awakened human. They could¡¯ve been someone who fought to protect humanity.¡±


    A heavy silence fell over them. The air seemed to thicken with the weight of his words.


    Just then, Skye¡¯s walkie-talkie crackled to life.


    "Captain, we¡¯re on the north side of Area C. There¡¯s a garbage heap here, and we found four bodies¡­"


    Skye straightened up, his expression turning serious. ¡°What happened? Was it Infected No. 2?¡±


    ¡°No, it looks like poisoning. They didn¡¯t die from an infection.¡±


    ¡°Poisoning?¡± Skye¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Alright, leave it to the police for now. Wait, I¡¯ll head over and check it out.¡±


    Axel, even from a distance, caught most of the conversation. His heart sank when he heard it.


    The four bodies they¡¯d discovered had to be the ones Annabelle had discarded in the garbage heap. There was no other explanation.


    The garbage mountain in the northern part of the city was notorious, a dumping ground for the slums where the city¡¯s unwanted trash and bodies alike were discarded. It sat outside the city walls, beyond the reach of the government, where no one came to clean or maintain it.


    Over the years, a mountain of garbage had piled up there, stretching for hundreds of meters. Children from the slums often played in the area, and some had even found body parts among the trash.


    No one in authority paid attention to the people who lived in what many called the ¡°sewer¡±¡ªthe slums.


    Now, though, the Law Enforcement Bureau had found those bodies.


    The only small comfort Axel had was that they hadn¡¯t found Annabelle¡¯s involvement. But that wouldn¡¯t last. The police would eventually investigate the bodies, and the cause of death¡ªpoisoning¡ªwould point straight to the gas meters used in the building.


    Once they got those records, it would be easy to trace the gas consumption to Axel and Annabelle¡¯s house.


    If the police sent their findings to Skye, Axel knew their entire carefully crafted cover would collapse. Everything about him and Annabelle would suddenly become the most suspicious thing about the case.


    The more Axel thought about it, the colder he felt inside.

 Chapter6 - No. 2

    Next to the massive heap of garbage, piled high with household waste and construction debris, two law enforcement officers were casually fanning the air in disgust.


    ¡°Why is the captain so worked up about this?¡± one of them asked, flicking his wrist dismissively.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it,¡± the other replied with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s just Skye for you. Always wants to be in the thick of things. You know, a true criminal investigator.¡±


    Their voices were light, almost playful¡ªclearly, they had a comfortable rapport with Skye, or they wouldn¡¯t dare speak so freely about their boss.


    Nearby, four bodies lay scattered at the foot of the garbage mountain. In a small, inconspicuous pit, a fragile, tiny figure lay motionless, almost hidden among the debris.


    It was Annabelle. Her eyes followed the two law enforcement officers warily, guilt gnawing at her. If I¡¯d moved faster... she thought. She had only just untied the ropes and sacks around the bodies when she heard voices in the distance. She had to hide, quickly.


    But now, she heard their conversation¡ªSkye was coming, and soon. She knew that if he arrived, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay hidden for long. Skye was an awakened. He¡¯d be able to sense her, no problem.


    Annabelle stiffened, suddenly hearing the softest sound from a few dozen meters away. She peeked over the edge of the pit, her heart nearly stopping when she saw it.


    A creature¡ªno, a thing¡ªcrawled on all fours like a lizard. It was more than two meters long, its head grotesquely enlarged, mouth split wide across its face, yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. It was creeping toward the two law enforcers, who still hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Annabelle¡¯s chest tightened with panic. Should I warn them? She hesitated. If she shouted a warning, her presence would be exposed. But if she stayed silent, these two men would die without even knowing what hit them.


    The creature¡ªno longer a human in any sense¡ªslithered closer, its body blending with the trash, almost invisible against the backdrop of garbage. It was only 20 meters away now.


    Then, an old radio tumbled down the garbage heap with a loud clatter. The two officers looked up, distracted. In a blur, the creature lunged forward with inhuman speed, its limbs propelling it like a missile.


    ¡°Captain! No. 2¡¯s here! Coordinates¡ªgarbage mountain!¡± one officer shouted into his radio, but before he could finish, the infected¡¯s barbed, elongated arm slammed into the intercom.


    Thud!


    The officers didn¡¯t even get a chance to react before the infected struck again. One blow, and the two officers were down, bleeding heavily, their bodies already limp.


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    Annabelle watched in horror, her breath quickening as her heart hammered in her chest. She had hoped that, by warning them, she could¡¯ve saved their lives, but the infected¡¯s strength was far beyond what she¡¯d expected.


    I¡¯ve got to get out of here, she thought, panic rising in her chest. Her position had just been compromised. She needed to move, fast.


    Like a small, nimble cat, Annabelle carefully began climbing down the garbage heap, keeping her movements as quiet as possible. The sound of the struggle below faded as she moved further away.


    The battle was already over. The two law enforcement officers had barely managed to fire a shot before they were left behind, bloodied.


    ....


    Meanwhile, Skye was on his way, his mood growing darker the closer he got to the garbage mountain.


    Damn it. He cursed under his breath, running faster. He¡¯d been hoping for an easy night, because the first-level infected usually just run away when facing them. But now, there was a new threat in Area C¡ªa more dangerous infected, one that had taken the initiative.


    Within minutes, Skye and Freya arrived at the garbage mountain, their footsteps loud against the eerie quiet of the night. The ground was stained with fresh blood, evidence of the struggle that had just occurred.


    The infected had taken both officers.


    ¡°Captain!¡± Several of his team members appeared from all directions, their faces grim. They had been quick, but it hadn¡¯t been enough.


    ¡°Check everywhere,¡± Skye ordered, his voice sharp. ¡°Move fast, or they¡¯ll be gone by the time we get there. But don¡¯t spread out too far. Take all the guns.¡±


    Skye wasn¡¯t the friendly, easygoing ¡°uncle¡± anymore. His face was dark, tense, and marked with a cold fury that made the air around him feel heavier.


    His team moved swiftly, their guns drawn, advancing carefully toward the garbage mountain. The law enforcement team, though stronger than regular police, wasn¡¯t full of awakened individuals.


    Aside from Skye, the captain, and Freya, the deputy captain, the rest of the team had force values around 150. They were stronger than average humans but far from the kind of raw power that awakened individuals like Skye and Freya possessed. For them, guns were still their best weapon¡ªand capable of dealing with lower-level infected.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Axel, hidden on the roof of a nearby civilian building, lay still as a shadow, barely noticeable in the night. He had heard the scream moments ago, and when Skye and his team sped off, Axel couldn¡¯t keep up. It took him a while to catch up.


    ¡°The speed of awakened ones is something else,¡± Axel muttered to himself, watching as Skye and his team moved with precision. But then a creeping feeling settled in. Could No. 2 be¡­ Annabelle? His heart skipped. This was his worst fear.


    Annabelle and Axel had often scavenged the garbage mountain together. It wasn¡¯t just slum dwellers who tossed their junk here. Sometimes the city¡¯s sanitation crew would leave piles of garbage here to avoid the long trip to the proper disposal site. That¡¯s why Axel and Annabelle sometimes came here, hoping to find useful items¡ªlike the old TV they still used.


    As Axel scanned the garbage mountain¡¯s nooks and crannies, a small head suddenly popped out of one of the pits.


    A breath of relief escaped him. It wasn¡¯t Annabelle who had been found. But the danger was still real. Skye and his team would be here soon, and Annabelle¡¯s position would be discovered sooner or later.


    ¡°Captain, we found them!¡±


    A shout broke the stillness, and both Axel and Annabelle turned to look at the source of the voice.


    Skye¡¯s team had found two of their own, lying in the trash. Blood soaked their uniforms, and their arms were pierced with barbed wounds. It was a miracle their chests rose and fell in shallow breaths.


    The rest of the team rushed to their side, checking the injured. Axel¡¯s gaze narrowed as he observed from his perch on the rooftop.


    He had been taught that infected people only had one instinct: to kill and consume. But these two officers... Why hadn¡¯t the infected eaten them?

 Chapter7 - A Crazy Idea

    At that moment, Skye¡¯s instincts kicked in. Something was off. They had always treated the infected as mindless beasts¡ªdangerous, but predictable. But this one was different. From the moment it appeared, there had been something strange about it.


    Skye''s warning bells were still ringing in his mind when he suddenly felt something stir beneath his feet. Before he could react, a hissing sound filled the air. Yellow poisonous fog swirled up around them, quickly surrounding the team in a thick, suffocating cloud.


    ¡°This is an awakening skill¡ªhold your breath!¡± Skye shouted, his voice sharp with urgency.


    He was quick, jumping down from his perch, but the others weren¡¯t so lucky. The fog spread like wildfire, thickening in the air, and before anyone could escape, it was already inside their lungs. Freya, the only other awakened one, fought to climb down the garbage mountain, but within moments, she collapsed, unconscious.


    One by one, the rest of the team staggered, then fell to the ground, limp and unresponsive like drunkards.


    Skye¡¯s heart hammered as he fought to stay conscious. He gritted his teeth against the dizziness that clouded his mind. He barely noticed the fog lifting before his eyes fell on a horrifying sight.


    From the trash, a creature emerged, crawling on all fours, its body covered in shell-like barbs, its mouth stretching grotesquely to the roots of its ears. It glared at Skye with cold, yellow eyes¡ªits gaze wasn¡¯t one of bloodthirstiness, but of mockery, as if it was toying with them.


    Axel, still hidden on the roof nearby, froze. He had heard about the law enforcement had always been invincible in these kinds of situations, so how was it possible that this creature had taken down almost an entire team in one strike?


    This was no ordinary infected. Skye struggled to shake off the poison creeping through his system. His head was heavy, his body sluggish, but he drew his gun with his other hand, firing as fast as he could.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this," he muttered through clenched teeth. ¡°How can it still use its awakening skills after being infected? And it''s so... smart.¡±


    The file on Infected No. 2 had said it was a middle-grade first-level infected, but Skye had never expected this kind of resistance. Even though he was a high-grade first-level awakened, the poison fog had hit him hard. His vision blurred, and his movements were slow.


    *"I¡¯m probably going to die today."*


    The infected¡¯s barbed arm swung carelessly, smashing through a nearby brick wall. Axel¡¯s stomach twisted. If one of those strikes hit him, it would shatter his skull in an instant.


    The gunshots echoed, and blood splattered across the infected¡¯s monstrous form, but it didn¡¯t slow it down. The bullets were like they were hitting clay, leaving only shallow dents in the creature¡¯s thick, armored body.


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    Skye, already poisoned, was barely holding his ground. His steps were staggered, and his breathing ragged. He dropped his gun and drew a black, jagged blade from his waist. Close combat. That was his only choice now.


    Axel winced as he saw Skye fighting, injured, with his body slowing down. He was using his remaining strength to wound the infected, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before Skye became another casualty.


    Blood poured from the captain¡¯s wounds, staining his clothes and his vision with a haze of red. He was gasping for air, but his focus remained sharp. *If I run, I¡¯ll survive. But my team won¡¯t.*


    A wild, desperate idea took shape in Skye¡¯s mind. His movements were becoming more sluggish, his endurance draining fast. He staggered, struggling to stay on his feet. That¡¯s when the infected lunged. Its claws, sharp as knives, tore into his side, cutting through ribs like they were paper.


    Despite everything, despite the blood and the pain, Skye managed to smile¡ªa crooked, blood-soaked smile.


    Skye gripped the infected¡¯s arm with his left hand, his right hand stabbing the short blade into its body again and again. The infected, realizing that this was Skye¡¯s last-ditch effort, tried to pull its arm free, hoping to tear it out of his body and leave Skye to die. But it couldn¡¯t move its hand.


    Skye¡¯s ribs, already pierced, seemed to solidify, turning pale as stone¡ª**a body hardening awakening skill**¡ªlocking the infected¡¯s arm in place like a vice.


    The infected roared in angry, its other hand swinging wildly, pounding Skye with all its might. But Skye, gritting his teeth, ignored the pain, grabbing the infected¡¯s arm with one hand while stabbing relentlessly with the blade, carving bloody holes into its flesh.


    "Roar!" The infected howled, its body shuddering from the strikes.


    Axel and Annabelle, watching from their hidden spots, shocked. The violence before them was nothing like the cold, detached killings that had come before. This was raw, brutal, a battle between two beasts.


    But the poison was taking its toll. Skye¡¯s movements were slowing. The infected''s claws swiped at the short blade in his hand, knocking it out of his grip. The gun he had dropped earlier flew through the air, clattering against the wall of a nearby building before bouncing off a manhole cover and coming to a stop.


    Skye''s vision began to darken, his strength slipping away. The hardening on his body faded, and he knew his time was running out. As his body weakened, the thoughts of the day earlier flickered in his mind¡ªpromising to keep the fleeing residents safe, to bring them back to this broken slum. He had promised them, and now¡­


    *I¡¯m sorry...*


    He nearly closed his eyes, resigned to the end, when suddenly he noticed something. The expected fatal blow never came.


    *What?* Skye thought, confusion clouding his mind. Was the infected toying with him now? Did it want to watch his last moments?


    Half-dead and drenched in his own blood, Skye managed to raise his head, his weak eyes following the infected¡¯s gaze. The creature wasn¡¯t focused on him anymore, it was looking in the direction of the houses.


    Skye followed its line of sight, and his heart skipped a beat. Through the dim night, a thin figure stood, a gun gripped tightly in both hands, aimed directly at the infected¡¯s head.


    This was the third time today he had seen that face.


    He didn¡¯t know how the kid had gotten there, but all Skye could do, with his last breath, was try to warn him.


    ¡°*Run!*¡± he managed to croak.


    *Bang. Bang. Bang.*


    The sound of the gunshots drowned out every other noise in Skye¡¯s ears. In the chaos, Skye¡¯s vision blurred. The last thing he saw was the boy¡¯s nervous but unwavering gaze, and the infected, now a blur of motion, charging toward him.

 Chapter8 - Phantom of the Night

    Blood splattered across the infected''s body as Axel fired. His hands were shaky, and despite aiming for the head, due to his inexperience with guns, the shots landed on the creature¡¯s body, not the skull.


    The infected was a blur of movement, closing the distance between them faster than Axel could blink. The creature was so close now that Axel could almost feel its breath. It was a miracle Axel hadn''t been torn apart yet¡ªhe¡¯d only need one more hit to be finished.


    Axel¡¯s mind raced. He had calculated this moment, prepared for it. After firing five shots, he stepped back¡ªjust one small movement, but it was enough. The infected, in all its fury, lost track of him for a split second. It charged past the spot where Axel had been, crashing into the side of a building with a deafening thud.


    The creature, battered but far from done, struggled to get back up, blood flowing freely from its wounds. Axel could hear its angry growls as it made another lunge, this time heading straight for him. It was almost like a predator chasing down its prey.


    The infected stopped at a well, peering down into the dark depths. The stench of sewage and rot filled the air, but there was no sign of Axel. It leaned its long neck down into the well, sniffing around, searching for its quarry.


    "Bang!"


    The shot rang out again. Axel had already planned his next move. He¡¯d timed it perfectly, knowing that if the infected was going to keep charging, it would eventually stop at the well. Axel had already dropped down, and slipped into the narrow drainage channel below.


    It wasn¡¯t that Axel had reacted faster¡ªit was more that he had anticipated every step. The bullet hit the infected in the front teeth, and half of its chin was torn away, blood spraying. Axel cursed under his breath. He¡¯d thought the infected would drop after a clean shot to the head, but the creature''s defenses had proved stronger than he expected.


    "Roar!" The infected howled in rage, its fury consuming any remaining trace of rational thought. It squeezed its massive body into the well opening, its size too great for the narrow space. The creature was stuck, but still, its desperate thrashing scraped Axel, forcing him to block it with his gun, which snapped in two under the force.


    The infected¡¯s movements grew more erratic, and Axel, feeling the heat of the situation, knew he had no more options. His speed couldn¡¯t compete with the creature''s raw power, and the well was rapidly becoming a trap. So, he sat there, stared at the infected¡¯s eyes, pale and calm in the face of imminent danger.


    The creature¡¯s thrashing echoed in the night, an unnerving sound that shook the dark streets. If it had been a normal night, Axel was sure that some of the nearby residents would have come out to see what was going on. But tonight was different. The streets were eerily quiet, everyone hiding in the basement of their homes.


    Meanwhile, Skye lay unconscious in a pool of blood, his team scattered around him, all knocked out by the infected''s poison mist. The situation felt hopeless.


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    But then, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was small, fragile-looking, and at first glance, she seemed almost malnourished. Her braids were rough at the ends, and her body was thin, like she hadn''t eaten properly in days. But what she was holding in her hand... was a bloody black short knife.


    It was Annabelle.


    As Annabelle stepped closer to the struggling infected, her eyes, once soft, now shimmered with a deadly red glow. Her brown hair, usually plain and unremarkable, rippled as it shifted into a dark, mysterious purple-red. The weak, timid expression that had once defined her was gone, replaced by a cold, murderous intent.


    With a firm grip on the short blade, she reversed her stance and suddenly surged forward, her speed matching that of the infected in its prime.


    Axel, barely breathing, watched the crack in the well¡¯s wall widen as the infected¡¯s desperate struggle continued. The distance between him and the creature was dangerously small¡ªhe could practically taste its rancid breath. But just as it was about to strike, something unexpected happened. The infected let out a shrill, agonized wail.


    It tried to claw its way out, pushing against the well¡¯s walls, but its earlier carelessness had trapped it. It was stuck, but only for now. Axel knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before the creature managed to escape.


    And then, Axel did something irrational.


    In that crucial moment, as the infected struggled to free itself, Axel reached out and grabbed one of its arms with both hands, locking onto it as though it were a vice. The infected was taken by surprise¡ªit hadn''t expected him to be so bold. But this momentary hesitation gave Axel the upper hand.


    The well¡¯s mouth seemed to bleed with the infected¡¯s blood as it poured down, soaking Axel¡¯s face. He could hear the sickening sound of the dagger slicing into the infected¡¯s flesh, a hissing noise that reverberated in the air.


    *Bang!*


    Axel was violently slammed against the well¡¯s wall by the infected¡¯s monstrous strength. His throat burned with the metallic taste of blood, and he felt like his organs were being jolted out of place. Yet, despite everything, he stood his ground¡ªunmoving, a rock in the storm.


    An hour ago, Axel had killed for the first time. He¡¯d thought that was the craziest thing he would ever do. Now, he was living through something even more insane.


    After a few long seconds, the infected¡¯s strength started to fade. Its screams became quieter, weaker, as it bled out. Axel could sense the creature¡¯s life dying.


    Annabelle stood outside the well, the dagger in her hand had been plunged deep into the infected¡¯s back, turning it into a pincushion of blood and muscle. As she let the blade fall, it clattered softly to the ground. Her expression softened, her eyes reddened, and she spoke in a whisper, "Brother... brother..."


    For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence¡ªthe kind of silence that spoke volumes, like the weight of bad news settling into your bones.


    Axel coughed weakly, his voice hoarse but reassuring. "I¡¯m fine. Wait for me a bit," he said, each word a struggle.


    Annabelle¡¯s face lit up, relief flooding her features as she gazed at Axel. Her eyes were red and full of concern.


    When Axel quietly picked up the fallen gun and pointed at the dagger in the corner, she had known what Axel meant. The tacit understanding between the two of them had reached the point where they could understand each other''s thoughts without words.


    So she followed suit, but she did hesitate for a while. Now she was really scared, afraid that her momentary cowardice would lead to bitter consequences.


    He dragged himself, exhausted, toward the waterway beside the wall, the pain in his body threatening to tear him apart. Yet, through it all, a wicked grin spread across his face as he finally allowed himself to laugh¡ªrough, bitter, but freeing. His laughter echoed in the sewer, a release of every ounce of tension, as if the weight of the world had been lifted.

 Chapter 9: Aftermath

    Five minutes later, Axel emerged from another manhole cover, a good hundred meters from the scene. He was drenched in the stench of the sewer, but Annabelle didn¡¯t hesitate. She wrapped her arms around him immediately, relief flooding her face.


    Axel walked back to where the chaos had unfolded, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Infected No. 2. The creature¡¯s back was a mess of jagged, honeycomb-like wounds, evidence of the brutal fight it had just endured. Axel couldn¡¯t help but think: they say the infected are merciless monsters, but Annabelle was the most gentle and kind-hearted person he''d ever known. It was hard to reconcile the girl he saw now with the killer she''d just become.


    Annabelle¡¯s voice broke his thoughts. ¡°Brother, are we going to get caught?¡± She bit her lip, looking worried.


    For years, they¡¯d been doing everything in their power to keep their true identities hidden. They¡¯d lived in the slums, dodging the law and trying to keep a low profile. They¡¯d endured hardships, always hoping just to survive without drawing attention. But now, after what had just happened, their simple life felt like a distant dream.


    "Two kids killing an infected," she whispered. "Even if we don¡¯t get caught by the law enforcement bureau, they¡¯ll still investigate us. And if we get pulled in for questioning¡ª"


    Axel cut her off, his voice steady. "Don''t worry. Go home first, and leave the rest to me."


    He wasn¡¯t as concerned as Annabelle. In fact, he felt oddly calm. The hardest part of the plan was done. They¡¯d killed No. 2. Everything else would be simple now.


    Once Annabelle had gone, Axel turned to Skye. The man was pale, his breathing shallow, but miraculously still alive. His ribs were shattered, and his body was covered in deep, jagged scars.


    ¡°The resilience of the awakened... impressive,¡± Axel muttered under his breath. If he hadn¡¯t shot when he did, Skye would have been finished, killed by No. 2''s final attack.


    Axel rifled through Skye¡¯s jacket, recalling something from his memory. After a few moments of searching, he found a small yellow bottle hidden in a pocket.


    ¡°This should work.¡±


    With that, Axel walked to the well where No. 2¡¯s massive body was lodged. Floating there was a small ball of green light, roughly the size of a volleyball. Axel carefully collected it, watching as it transformed into a ball of green crystal in his palm.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could cover up the mess. No. 2¡¯s body would¡¯ve raised too many questions if it was left intact, especially with the damage Annabelle had done. If it was vaporized, though, there¡¯d be no trace left for anyone to find.


    Axel used the same method Skye had demonstrated earlier. After took a small sample of muscle tissue from No. 2¡¯s body, he dripped the liquid onto its body. Almost immediately, the air was filled with a pungent odor, and Axel watched as the infected¡¯s body began to slowly vaporize before his eyes. By the time it was almost completely gone, the shrunken remains fell into the well. Axel didn¡¯t bother pulling them back out.


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    The damage caused by Annabelle had been erased. That was all that mattered.


    Once he was satisfied with the results, Axel moved to the four bodies lying in a heap nearby. He repeated the process, pouring the liquid over their bodies. One by one, they vanished into the air, leaving nothing behind but the faintest trace of residue.


    This behavior seems a bit deliberate, yes, but Axel knew it had to be done. If their bodies were examined, the truth would come to light, and that was a risk they couldn¡¯t afford. Vaporizing them was the only way to cover their tracks.


    After finishing the cleanup, Axel found the medicine Skye had left behind and used it to rouse the man from his unconscious state. Skye coughed up blood, his body trembling with each breath. The first thing he said, weakly, was, ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    Skye¡¯s mind struggled to piece together the events before he lost consciousness. The boy, Axel, had grabbed a gun and fired randomly in the chaos. While Skye knew Axel meant well, he thought that the kid was as good as dead.


    But¡­ what had happened?


    His eyes flickered around. The towering form of Infected No. 2 was gone. Axel had somehow managed to save himself and was now going around waking everyone else up.


    Five minutes later, the team slowly regained consciousness. Everyone, except Skye, who was still sitting against the wall, battered and bruised, exchanged glances.


    "Captain, you¡¯re incredible," one of them said with a grin.


    Several team members knew Skye''s ability very well. His awakening skill was to strengthen his body. Therefore, his physical fitness was much stronger than that of awakeners of the same level. Although the injury was terrible, as long as his life was not in danger, he would recover soon.


    "You''re laughing while I''m in this condition? Forget about your bonuses this month," Skye muttered, his voice hoarse. "And I didn¡¯t kill No. 2."


    The team went silent, blinking at him in confusion. A few moments passed before they shrugged it off, thinking it was just Skye being his usual self. After all, they were all unconscious during the fight. If Skye hadn¡¯t stepped in, they probably wouldn¡¯t be alive to see the sun rise.


    But Skye¡¯s sharp eyes settled on Axel, and the realization hit the team¡ªmaybe the captain wasn¡¯t joking after all.


    "Axel, right?" Skye asked, his tone more serious now. "You should tell us what happened. Start from the beginning. How did you end up here?"


    Axel took a deep breath, the time for answers had come. But he had already prepared for this.


    "I heard noises from over here," he began. "I figured you¡¯d be taking down the other infected, and I didn¡¯t want to miss out on that. So, I just lay on the roof of that house over there."


    Skye winced at the thought. "You just lay there to watch? Are you always this brave? Most people wouldn¡¯t dare even make a sound."


    "I really am brave..." Axel smiled, clearly amused by his own response. "Or at least, I try to be."


    Skye couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. The kid had led them to Infected No. 1 before, and now this? His courage really defied logic.


    "Go on," Skye prompted.


    Axel continued. "I thought it¡¯d be an easy show, but I didn¡¯t expect all of you to be knocked out by the time I got here."


    The team exchanged awkward glances, a few of them lowering their heads in embarrassment. Skye shot Axel a sharp look and waved his hand dismissively. "Get to the point."


    While Axel had saved them all, Skye and the team needed to know what happened, and how.


    Axel nodded. "Well, when I saw your gun go flying, I realized you might not be able to beat No. 2. I got scared, too, and picked up the gun without thinking."


    None of the other team members knew these details, but they were the same as what Skye knew. Deputy Captain Freya, who was next to him, was already very grateful to Axel for saving her. Now, hearing this, her heart almost jumped out of her throat, and she looked at Axel more favorably.


    Axel continued. "Then, when you fell, I regretted getting involved. I figured, if I didn¡¯t shoot, I must also be dead."


    When he said this, Axel also looked frightened, and his face turned pale. At this moment, Axel was admiring his own acting skills.


    "But... guns didn¡¯t work on No. 2." one member asked, clearly confused.

 Chapter10 - Doubt

    Skye stared at Axel in silence, his gaze intense. As an awakener, he had fought Infected No. 2 to the death, so he understood the monster¡¯s terrifying power more than anyone else in the group. No one else here could comprehend how close they had come to dying at the hands of that beast.


    ¡°It really didn¡¯t work,¡± Axel began, his voice steady, ¡°so I planned an escape route in advance.¡± He gestured toward the open well in the distance. The ground around it was cracked, the cracks spreading out in jagged lines like a spider¡¯s web, as though something massive had slammed into it.


    Axel went on to explain what happened next, leaving out any mention of Annabelle¡¯s involvement. He only spoke about himself¡ªhow, after firing the gun, he jumped into the well, waited for No. 2 to stick its head out, and shot it several times to provoke it. When No. 2 went into a rage, its head got stuck in the narrow well, and Axel had used that moment to land a fatal shot.


    Despite Axel¡¯s calm retelling, the tension in the air was thick. The team was still trying to process what they had just heard.


    ¡°So, where is No. 2¡¯s body now?¡± Skye asked, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.


    Axel shrugged slightly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if it was really dead. I remembered your method of dissolving the infected, so I melted its body, too. But... the rest of it fell down the well halfway through.¡±


    ¡°And the bodies on the garbage pile?¡± Skye asked, his eyes narrowing.


    Axel¡¯s response was quick, as if it had all been part of his plan. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if those people were infected, so I melted them, too.¡±


    The room went quiet for a moment. Axel had been so calm in his actions, so matter-of-fact, that his words hit everyone harder than they expected.


    ¡°So, when you picked up the gun, you had already planned everything?¡± Freya muttered under her breath.


    The plan had been flawless: grab the gun, move the manhole cover, shoot, jump into the well, set the ambush... Even seasoned law enforcers would hesitate before pulling off something like that. Axel¡¯s actions were deliberate, calculated¡ªno one could deny that. And then, to calmly melt the bodies afterward, it was almost... clinical. It didn¡¯t seem like something a kid his age could do.


    It felt more like something a ruthless criminal would be capable of.


    Despite the unsettling nature of Axel¡¯s actions, the team couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. No matter how strange his methods were, Axel had saved their lives.


    "That¡¯s incredible," one team member said, breaking the silence. "Captain, you should bring this kid on board. He¡¯s got the guts for it."


    "Yeah, maybe we could offer him a non-staff position," another suggested, joking but with admiration in his voice.


    The tension in the air lightened as the group began to joke around, the relief of surviving making them a little too eager to celebrate.


    Freya looked at Axel, her expression softening with a trace of sadness. She knew his story¡ªhow he and Annabelle had survived in the slums, relying on each other to get by. That kind of life forced him to grow up fast, to harden himself.


    "We should reflect on this," Freya said, her voice firm but with a note of concern. "If it weren¡¯t for him, we¡¯d all be dead right now. I think we should apply for a reward for Axel."


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    Axel was taken aback, about to refuse. He didn¡¯t want the attention, staying low was his principle. But as his gaze drifted to Skye, he couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight of the man¡¯s eyes on him. Axel knew what he¡¯d done today wasn¡¯t the work of just any ordinary person.


    Killing infected people was one thing, but calmly melting their bodies afterward, disposing of the evidence without a second thought¡ªit took a certain kind of person to do that without hesitation. Axel could already tell what Skye was thinking. No matter how sharp your mind was, if you didn¡¯t have the capacity for cruelty, you wouldn¡¯t be able to follow through on something like that.


    Skye studied Axel closely, a knowing glint in his eyes. The kid wasn¡¯t as simple as he appeared. But the good thing was, he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, at least not so far.


    ¡°Axel, I¡¯ve got a question for you,¡± Skye began, his tone light, almost casual, as if they were neighbors chatting. ¡°After you took down the Infected, why didn¡¯t you wake us up first? Why go ahead and melt the body? And don¡¯t think I missed the fact that you melted the four bodies on the garbage pile, too.¡±


    Skye¡¯s smile was friendly, but Freya immediately noticed the edge of something else in his voice. She¡¯d been Skye¡¯s partner long enough to catch the hidden meaning in his words.


    Her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone shifting. ¡°Captain, what¡¯s that supposed to mean? The kid¡¯s barely older than a teenager, and he did all this for us. You look tough enough to survive a few hits. Are you really worried about your bonus? You know, I could personally fund it if you¡¯re that concerned.¡±


    Skye was overwhelmed as Freya¡¯s sharp words landed. He usually commanded respect in the team¡ªhe was the captain, after all¡ªbut when Freya got angry, even he didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    He raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it! I just thought the kid¡¯s actions were impressive, that¡¯s all. I was just asking out of curiosity.¡±


    He met Skye¡¯s gaze again, aware of the captain¡¯s subtle scrutiny. Skye might seem like a rough, laid-back guy on the surface, but Axel knew better, underneath that relaxed exterior, Skye was calculating, aware of everything around him.


    Axel took a deep breath, deciding to answer honestly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure it was really dead. From what I saw, it had too much vitality. I thought it would be smart to play it safe and keep myself alive first.¡±


    His words were blunt, but there was no shame in them. Skye nodded slowly, as if considering his reasoning.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± Axel continued, turning to Freya. ¡°Sister Freya, can I ask you for something? A favor, actually.¡±


    Freya raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don''t want a reward, just need some raw stones.¡±


    The team members blinked in surprise, exchanging confused glances. ¡°Raw stones?¡± one of them asked. ¡°Why would you want those?¡±


    Axel laughed softly, though there was a trace of self-mockery in his tone. ¡°Well, I¡¯m graduating this year. If I have a few raw stones, maybe I can awaken my abilities.¡±


    At that, the group erupted into laughter. Awakening wasn¡¯t that easy. Only a handful of people could awaken their powers, and those who did were usually highly trained. Even among War Academy graduates, most didn¡¯t end up with powers.


    But when Axel mentioned his background, Skye¡¯s face softened. Graduate, slum, orphan, he was ruthless and cruel after working among criminals. He acted after careful planning and did not pretend to be an honest man.


    These factors add up and it seems to make more sense. After all, in this era, there are even crazier people who want to become awakened.


    Thinking of this, Skye''s brows relaxed and his doubts gradually dissipated.


    ¡°Hey, Nash,¡± Skye called over to one of the team members. ¡°Do you have any raw stones left? I saw you brought some with you.¡±


    Nash pulled out a few stones. Skye took them and handed them to Axel. ¡°Here. Ten good-quality ones. You¡¯ll probably need them if you want to make it.¡±


    Axel¡¯s eyes widened slightly. The value of these stones was astronomical¡ªeasily worth 20,000 dollars. For someone like Axel, who had grown up in the slums, it was a small fortune.


    ¡°This is just a gift for meeting,¡± Skye added, ¡°but we¡¯ll discuss a more formal reward later.¡±


    The team members clapped Axel on the back, offering their thanks. Freya stepped forward, handing him a small vial. ¡°This is a pharmaceutical drug from Deep Space Pharmaceuticals. It¡¯s valuable¡ªif you¡¯re injured, it¡¯ll help you avoid infection. I know you¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±


    After Axel handed over the infected tissues he cut off, no one continued to ask about the four bodies. They were all busy salvaging the sunken infected bodies. No one knew that this was actually the most stressful part for Axel.


    He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the life crystals in his pocket. With a quiet exhale, Axel turned and made his way home, not looking back.

 Chapter11 - Observation

    Skye stood off to the side, watching his team work. They were busy retrieving the bodies, and despite the pain from his injuries, he couldn¡¯t stay down for long. After a few moments of rest, he slowly pushed himself to his feet.


    Freya caught sight of him and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re injured pretty badly, Skye. Don¡¯t you want to take a break?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a scratch.¡± He straightened up, flexing his chest muscles, but the movement pulled at the deep wound on his waist. He winced and hissed through clenched teeth.


    Freya rolled her eyes. He always have to be the hero. But if he hadn''t stepped in, they would''ve all been dead back there.


    Collecting the evidence and carefully inspecting the area,he walked back to the garbage mound, where the last traces of the dissolved infected remained. Pulling a cigarette from his pocket, he lit it and took a long drag, the smoke swirling around him.


    ¡°What do you think of that kid, Axel?¡± he asked, his tone casual, but his eyes still sharp.


    Freya paused for a moment, thinking. Axel¡¯s quiet demeanor had left an impression on her. "He¡¯s got potential," she said after a beat. "If he had a better start in life, a solid foundation, he could probably become an awakener. He¡¯s clever, resourceful. I¡¯d say he¡¯s got a bright future ahead of him."


    Skye didn¡¯t respond right away, taking another drag from his cigarette. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Freya glanced at him, a little confused by the question. "What else should I say?"


    Skye sighed, tossing the cigarette butt to the ground and grinding it out with his boot. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± he muttered, more to himself than to Freya.


    Axel¡¯s story had been smooth, too smooth, and that bothered him. Every detail was neatly in place, with no room for doubt. It was almost as if he had already anticipated every question Skye might ask. For someone so young, Axel had too much composure, too much control.


    Skye, a veteran of the Enforcement Bureau, knew when something didn¡¯t sit right. But he wasn¡¯t about to voice those just yet. After all, Axel had saved their lives. If Skye pushed too hard, Freya and the other team members would probably feel a little disappointed.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it,¡± Skye said with a shrug, trying to dismiss the thought.


    As he spoke, the team fished out the remains of infected No. 2. The body was mostly dissolved, but the upper half remained intact. Mud caked over the decaying flesh, making it look even more grotesque. The team muttered under their breath, clearly disgusted by the sight.


    ¡°This guy almost killed me,¡± one of them muttered angrily, taking a knife to the body and stabbing it a few more times, though the blade barely sank in.


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    "This guy is so tough! I wish I could become an awakener someday." The team member''s unintentional words made Skye''s pupils shrink.


    He pushed past the others and crouched down to examine the infected¡¯s skull. Despite the damage to its face, its skull was nearly intact, with only two bullet holes lodged deep inside. The rest of its body had been dissolved, but the brain¡ªthe most vital part¡ªwas still in one piece.


    He remembered what Axel had said earlier about the shooting, and a chill ran down his spine.


    Skye stood up quickly, his expression darkening. He called over Freya, pulling her aside to speak in low tones. Her face twisted in disgust as she listened, and she glared at him, clearly not thrilled by his request.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± she finally said, her voice sharp with disbelief. ¡°You want me to¡­ do that?¡±


    Skye¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t waver. He nodded, his jaw set. Freya hesitated, her eyes searching his face for a moment. Then, with an exasperated sigh, she relented. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m not happy about this.¡±


    "I''m back..." Before he could say anything more, he was wrapped in a fragile, trembling hug.


    Annabelle, now dressed in a simple, patched linen skirt, clung to him. Her face was streaked with tears, and her hands¡ªsmall and soft¡ªgripped him helplessly at the waist.


    "Brother... did I... did I kill someone?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, filled with fear and uncertainty.


    Axel¡¯s heart softened at the sight. He glanced over at the table where a few side dishes, untouched earlier, sat cooling. It seemed Annabelle had reheated them, the faint fragrance still lingering in the air.


    Without saying a word, he gently ran his hand through her soft hair, trying to offer comfort. It took a while, but slowly, Annabelle calmed.


    "What¡¯s going through your head? That was an infected person..." Axel began, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized the problem. Annabelle was an infected too. To her, they weren¡¯t monsters¡ªthey were just people like her. He quickly corrected himself. "If you hadn¡¯t done it, I would have been the one lying there. Do you want me to die?"


    Annabelle shook her head violently, her eyes filling with panic. "No, no! If you die... I¡ªI..." Her words faltered as the thought of losing him hit her too hard, her eyes were red.


    "Then you did the right thing," Axel said quietly, his voice soft but full of understanding. He sighed inwardly. Annabelle was sharp, always picking up on his plans, always doing her best. But she was still just 13.


    He patted her head gently. "Come on, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m starving."


    He reached for the old remote, his fingers brushing over the faded buttons. After a few tries, the screen flickered, showing static for a moment before the old cartoon series finally popped up. Axel smiled softly, the sound of the cartoon playing in the background.


    The two of them settled down on the worn-out sofa, their plates in hand. They ate quietly, the weight of the world momentarily forgotten as they lost themselves in the simple joys of shared meals and laughter.


    Annabelle, having been comforted by her brother¡¯s presence, soon became engrossed in the humor of the cartoon. A smile played at the corners of her mouth, her giggles punctuating the scenes as she watched.


    Time passed, and without realizing it, the pair leaned against each other. Their exhaustion caught up with them, and they both drifted into sleep on the old fur-covered couch, wrapped up in each other¡¯s warmth. In their tiny apartment, barely 30 square meters, they were just two lonely souls, clinging to one another for comfort.


    Outside the window, a figure silently watched the scene unfold. The person¡¯s eyes were red, and after a long moment, she quietly powered off the camera and slipped away, leaving no trace. The figure bolted down the street, a mix of anger and confusion bubbling inside.


    Freya didn¡¯t stop running until she found Skye, who was waiting at the street corner. He blinked in surprise when he saw her. "Back already? I thought you''d be longer."


    "Look at this. See for yourself.¡± She handed Skye the video footage. Skye watched in silence, his expression unreadable.

 Chapter12 - Interview

    Skye could feel Freya¡¯s murderous gaze burning through him, he knew she hadn¡¯t wanted to follow Axel. But the conclusion was far from what he expected. A pair of orphaned siblings, struggling but holding onto each other for warmth.


    After running Axel''s information through the law enforcement database, Skye discovered the boy was a complete orphan. He didn¡¯t even exist in the system until three years ago when he entered high school. In the slums, that was normal. Many people never had their files entered.


    As Freya shot him a pointed look, she shook her head. ¡°He saved your life, and you¡¯re still suspicious of him?¡±


    Skye didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he raised his hands in mock surrender. He pulled Freya aside, his expression softening a little. He fumbled for his wallet and pulled out a bank card, handing it to her with a little awkwardness. ¡°My salary from last month is in there. There¡¯s about 70,000, maybe 80,000 left. Please, help me get it to that kid.¡± He said it quietly, almost as if he was apologizing.


    Freya stared at him, surprised. As a high-ranking law enforcer and an Awakener, he received a generous allowance. But even for him, the costs piled up¡ªraw stones, supplements, medical treatments... it all added up to a small fortune. Yet, Freya knew most of Skye¡¯s money went to help the poor, the people who had nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call the team, we can chip in,¡± Freya said, but Skye stopped her.


    ¡°No,¡± he said quickly. ¡°The guys have families. They don¡¯t make enough to spare anything extra. If it comes to it, you can give some to the two kids, alright?¡±


    Without waiting for Freya¡¯s response, Skye turned away, limping slightly as he rejoined the team. Freya stood there for a moment, staring at the card in her hand, before glancing back at Skye¡¯s retreating figure.


    ......


    News of the infected being cleared from Area C spread quickly, but it still took ten days to fully unlock the area. During that time, Axel was focused on something else¡ªhis sister Annabelle. Thanks to the life crystal, she could absorb it in multiple times, otherwise he would have been sucked dry in ten days.


    Axel was also noticing a shift in his own abilities. His strength, speed, and mental focus had improved noticeably over the past ten days.


    The crisis had ended, but Axel couldn¡¯t ignore the changes he was feeling. The Force had to be increasing.


    While the team dealt with the aftermath of the outbreak, Axel went to gather life crystals from the infected remains. Twelve people had been consumed, six of whom turned into zombies. Those infected bodies had to be burned, but Axel was more interested in what, if anything, they left behind.


    When it was all over, Axel found something odd. One of the six burned bodies¡ªa burly man¡ªhad left behind a crystal the size of a fingernail. The others? Nothing at all.


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    ¡°Maybe my Force is too strong for ordinary infected to produce crystals now,¡± Axel mused. It made sense¡ªstronger people produced less crystal yield. It was like a leveling system in a game: the higher your level, the less experience you gained from lower-level enemies.


    Later that day, Axel¡¯s phone rang. It was his teacher, Grey.


    ¡°Axel, how¡¯s everything? The test is in two days. You need to come back. Even if you don¡¯t awaken, at least you¡¯ll have a higher Force value and can still find a good job.¡±


    Grey had always been long-winded, but Axel appreciated him. When Axel had first entered school, Grey had secretly helped him with living expenses, something Axel only found out later. But of course, Grey never admitted it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± Axel said, cutting him off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    .....


    Axel was watching Annabelle doing the housework, when a sudden frown creased his forehead. His expression shifted from calm to serious.


    In recent days, Annabelle¡¯s strength and speed had noticeably improved. Watching her made Axel realize that his own Force value must have changed too, even if he hadn¡¯t tested it recently. But that was the problem. Last time he checked, his Force value was just over 70 points. If it had spiked this time, wouldn¡¯t that raise some questions?


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. With an infected sister at home, Axel knew all too well that the official stance on the infected was clear: they were to be eliminated. So he had grown accustomed to considering every possible threat in advance.


    Just as he was lost in thought, a knock came at the door. ¡°Axel, are you home? It¡¯s Freya,¡± a familiar voice called out.


    Axel stood and opened the door to find Freya standing there, accompanied by a woman in professional attire. The woman appeared to be around 30, with neatly done makeup, and her eyes lit up when she saw Axel.


    "Who¡¯s this?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°This is Blaze,¡± Freya introduced with a smile. ¡°A reporter from *Dune Times*. She heard about your involvement in the operation and wants to interview you for a special report. Is that okay with you?¡±


    Axel hesitated. His instinct was to decline¡ªhe preferred to stay low-profile, after all. But then a thought struck him. This could be an opportunity to explain any sudden surge in his Force value. If he handled it carefully, maybe this would give him the perfect chance to cover his tracks.


    He thought through the explanation in his mind and finally agreed.


    Blaze and Freya took a few quick photos of Axel, and then Freya set a card and a small bag of raw stones on the table before heading out. She left Axel alone with Blaze for the interview.


    Blaze took a moment to look around Axel''s modest home, her eyes growing brighter as she surveyed the humble furnishings and worn d¨¦cor. Orphaned, a student, a slum dweller¡ªand now a hero. All these elements combined were more than enough to make for an excellent news story.


    As the interview went on, Blaze was taken aback by Axel¡¯s attitude. Despite the rough environment of the slums and the official neglect, Axel didn¡¯t utter a single complaint. Instead, he spoke highly of the law enforcement team¡¯s swift response and the effectiveness of the government¡¯s actions.


    Without any prompting from Blaze, Axel steered the conversation away from anything that could paint the system in a negative light. What a perfect interviewee¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t need to alter a thing in the article.


    When it was time to wrap up, Blaze asked, ¡°Finally, would you mind sharing a message for the law enforcement team?¡±


    Usually, Blaze wouldn¡¯t let anyone speak at the end of an interview, but Axel¡¯s responses had impressed her, and she was curious to hear what he had to say.


    Axel smiled and leaned forward, his tone earnest. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank the law enforcement team for clearing out the infected so quickly. And I¡¯m really grateful for the raw stones they gave me. I made the most of those ten days of quarantine. I used the time to practice every single day. You see, before, I didn¡¯t have the money to buy them. But after all that training, I¡¯ve gained a lot. Honestly, I have this feeling that I might even awaken during the graduation test!¡±

 Chapter13 - Nobles?

    Blaze couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit skeptical about Axel¡¯s words. As a reporter for *Dune Times*, she knew all too well how hard it was to make it into the War Academy. Every year, only about a hundred people passed, and of those, less than one in ten actually awakened.


    But she didn¡¯t need to focus on the reality of the situation. "Positive energy" stories were always welcomed by her editors. The more hopeful, the better. After all, leaders liked reading that kind of thing.


    ¡°Well, today¡¯s interview was very pleasant. Here¡¯s a little something for you from the government¡ªfive thousand dollars,¡± she said, stuffing a bank card into Axel¡¯s pocket.


    Axel smiled, the kind of sunny, grateful smile that was as genuine as it was infectious. After a quick photo, Blaze made her exit in a hurry.


    She was always happy to meet someone like Axel. He didn¡¯t complain about the slums or the hardships of life. He gave all the right answers, the kind the leaders would love to hear. It was the perfect interview.


    But of course, as pleasant as the interview was, she had no desire to get to know Axel better. The people from the slums and those from the city were simply from two different worlds.


    Once Blaze left, Axel looked down at the card in his hand, frowning slightly.


    Hadn¡¯t Freya already given him a reward? According to Blaze, this five thousand was from the government, but what about the money Freya had left on the table?


    Curious, Axel opened the package. Inside was a new card with a balance and password marked on it. There was also a small, heavy package. He opened it and carefully counted the contents¡ªtwenty fine raw stones, each one pristine.


    The value of the raw stones alone was at least 40,000 dollars.


    On top of that, there was the 50,000 dollars on the bank card. The total value of the reward from Freya and her team exceeded 100,000 dollars.


    Flipping through everything again, Axel found a small note written in beautiful handwriting: *¡°The captain was worried you¡¯d refuse, so he didn¡¯t bring it up. This is yours¡ªdon¡¯t turn it down.¡±*


    Axel was stunned. This was the greatest act of kindness he and Annabelle had received since they¡¯d been on the streets.


    Even though Skye came across as carefree and generous, Axel had sensed that Skye hadn¡¯t fully trusted him that day. But now, not only had he not investigated him further, he¡¯d given him such a large sum of money.


    "I¡¯m so sorry," Axel muttered to himself. He understood that the secret would never be uncovered.


    Axel knew better than to flaunt wealth, so despite the large sum of money he¡¯d just received¡ªstill far from enough to buy a house in the city¡ªhe decided to treat Annabelle to a meal at a restaurant.


    After dinner, Annabelle wore the cute rabbit headlamp they¡¯d gotten from the restaurant, smiling with genuine joy.


    For people in the city, a hot pot might be a regular meal, but for Axel and Annabelle, it was a rare luxury.


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    As they ate, Axel fiddled with his phone and noticed that his classmates had been mentioning him in their group chat.


    ¡°Wow, Axel is a hero!¡±


    ¡°Killed the infected?! Are you sure this isn¡¯t a joke?¡±


    Axel clicked on the news link, recognizing Blaze¡¯s fast reporting. The interview had barely finished in the morning, and by evening, it was already online. It seemed like Blaze had used most of his words verbatim.


    ¡°Confidence in awakening? That¡¯s... a bit much,¡± one comment read.


    ¡°Maybe Axel¡¯s never used a raw stone before. But it¡¯s good that he¡¯s optimistic,¡± another student replied.


    Many of his classmates were shocked by Axel¡¯s bold statement. While no one outright disagreed, it was clear from the comments that most thought Axel was being overly optimistic.


    Still, the fact that he had helped the law enforcement team take down a high-level infected was big news. It was something worth talking about at school.


    By the end of the day, Axel¡¯s name had spread through Dune High School.


    While admissions to the War Academy were based on grades, competition was fierce. And now, people were starting to wonder: Could Axel be from a hidden wealthy family?


    But after doing some digging, they all relaxed. There was no evidence of anything out of the ordinary.


    Axel¡¯s last test had shown a Force value of 72, far from the threshold needed to awaken, let alone qualify for the War Academy.


    Now, Axel''s role was clear: he was just a lucky pawn picked to cooperate with the propaganda¡ªset up as a folk hero to inspire confidence and give people something to look up to.


    As for his bold claim about breaking through after using fine raw stones? That was just the kind of thing someone with no raw stones and no real knowledge would say.


    Axel wasn¡¯t surprised by the comments. After all, his goal had already been achieved.


    ......


    Now that Area C had been unsealed, there were less than 20 days left before the Awakening Ceremony, and Axel was finally returning to school.


    Compared to more than ten days ago, he looked healthier and more energetic.


    On the one hand, he¡¯d continued using life crystals to boost his Force. On the other, after not having to bleed constantly, his malnutrition had improved, and his overall condition was getting better.


    That morning, as soon as he arrived at the school gates, someone stopped him.


    "Axel, come here. Master Ryder wants to see you."


    The girl speaking was Vale, a classmate from the next class over. She wasn¡¯t particularly striking, but she had long black hair, light makeup, and a pair of bright eyes.


    Axel recognized her. Vale was a social butterfly at School, known for befriending students with potential.


    When Axel had first entered school three years ago, his Force value of 42 had been impressive for his age, and Vale had gone out of her way to be friendly with him.


    But as his test scores dropped over the years, Vale''s attitude had cooled, and their relationship became more distant.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Vale gave him a faint smile. "It¡¯s something good for you."


    She looked him over, noticing the subtle change in his demeanor, but didn¡¯t think much of it.


    In the past three years, Vale had kept a mental list of everyone¡¯s potential, and Axel had long at the bottom of the table.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t dislike him, but in her eyes, it seemed like a waste of time to pay him much attention anymore.


    As they walked, Vale continued casually, "I heard you got a lot of fine raw stones from the Law Enforcement Bureau. Congratulations."


    She added, "And you were so brave, fighting against the infected. I honestly wouldn¡¯t have the guts to do that."


    She smiled, trying to flatter him. If it had been any other student, they might have started chatting right away. But Axel simply kept walking at his usual calm pace, talking casually in return.


    "By the way, Axel," Vale said, with a more pointed tone, "I know your test results are a bit far from the War Academy standard. I also know you don¡¯t have much money, and it just so happens that Master Ryder is looking to buy raw stones."


    Vale led Axel to a small group, where a pale-faced boy in a light-colored handmade leather jacket was absorbed in his phone, playing a game. A few others were gathered around, chatting. The boy didn¡¯t even look up from his game.


    "Why are you so slow? Is this Axel?" His follower, standing beside him and blowing out a puff of smoke, looked impatient. "Name your price. Master Ryder wants to buy your raw stones."

 Chapter14 - Transaction

    Axel frowned slightly. Vale seemed to have anticipated this moment. She quickly stepped between Axel and Ryder, wearing a smile.


    "Axel, you know Master Ryder isn¡¯t short on money," she said, her voice smooth. "This is a win-win situation. He¡¯s not very talkative, but he won¡¯t treat you unfairly."


    It was a lie about him being "quiet"¡ªRyder was deliberately distant, pretending to ignore Axel. Ryder was a rich, second-generation student at Dune High. His father was an awakener, and his family ran a well-known boxing gym in the city.


    Having an awakened father was far more powerful than simply being a rich second-generation kid in this era.


    In addition to his family wealth, Ryder was also a well-known vendor on campus. He frequently sold Force-enhancing items to other rich students, so he made a decent profit.


    However, Axel had no intention of selling. Not only was he low on raw stones himself, but was a gift from Skye and the others.


    "No sale." Axel¡¯s voice was calm as he turned and began to walk away.


    His response surprised both Vale and Ryder. Then he quickly set down his phone.


    "Axel, don¡¯t rush off. It was my follower who was out of line. He should apologize," Ryder said with a smile. It was all an act. As a second-generation awakener and vendor, Ryder had his follower intimidate Axel in hopes of bargaining.


    "The price is negotiable," Ryder continued. "If you¡¯re low on raw stones, I can offer you an exchange. One raw stone for three of yours. You know my reputation."


    Axel didn¡¯t really care about the exchange rate. In addition to raw stones, he had life crystals¡ªmuch more efficient for cultivation than raw stones.


    Vale noticed Axel¡¯s silence and hurriedly leaned in, whispering, "Axel, it¡¯s rare for you to be friends with someone like Master Ryder. Don¡¯t miss this chance."


    She sounded so anxious, as if she genuinely cared about him.


    "Sorry, I¡¯m planning to use them myself," Axel said, shaking his head. "I really don¡¯t want to sell."


    His refusal made both Vale and Ryder frown in frustration.


    At first, Ryder thought Axel was just playing hard to get, trying to raise the price. But seeing his serious face now, Ryder wondered if Axel really wasn¡¯t going to sell.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider?" Ryder pressed. "These stones are useless to you. If my follower¡¯s attitude was bad, I¡¯ll apologize on his behalf."


    Ryder was genuinely puzzled. Did Axel really believe he could awaken with these raw stones?


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    "I¡¯m not reconsidering," Axel replied firmly, not wanting to waste any more time. Even though he was poor, he never intended to build any kind of relationship with Ryder.


    "Axel!" Vale¡¯s face flushed with frustration. She had promised Ryder she would make this deal happen. In her eyes, it was a done deal.


    "Why are you holding on to these? Do you really think you can awaken just by relying on some lucky stones?"


    "That¡¯s enough," Axel said, his tone final. He was done with this conversation. Even if their attitude hadn¡¯t been outwardly bad, the condescending superiority and the thinly veiled mockery they couldn¡¯t hide was enough for him to walk away.


    "Are you really not going to do me this favor?" Ryder¡¯s voice darkened. He hadn¡¯t expected dealing with a garbage from the slums to be this difficult. But so many people wanted these fine raw stones, and the thought of missing out made his face waver between irritation and calculation.


    Seeing Ryder¡¯s expression, several of his followers immediately understood the signal and quickly surrounded Axel, blocking his way from all sides.


    Axel¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly. So, was Ryder planning to rob him openly now that the deal had fallen through?


    Even though Axel had no powerful background, there were still rules on campus. How dare they be so bold?


    The followers surrounding him all exuded Force energy, their auras becoming aggressive. Ryder, however, remained silent, as if he was mulling over something.


    But despite the tense situation, Axel couldn¡¯t help but smile. He felt a spark of excitement. He¡¯d never had the chance to properly test the extent of his Force, but from the way these lackeys carried themselves, their Force levels seemed weak.


    "Huh?" Ryder noticed Axel¡¯s expression and continued to apply pressure.


    Axel¡¯s earlier thoughts had been spot on. Even if Ryder came from an awakened family, there were still rules in place. It wasn¡¯t like Ryder could just take someone else¡¯s resources without consequences. If Axel showed fear, this situation could be settled without bloodshed.


    But then Ryder noticed Axel¡¯s eyes, and something shifted inside him.


    Axel was completely calm, but his body had subtly shifted into an almost imperceptible combat stance, his eyes sharp as knives. He looked like a predator ready to strike at any moment.


    Even though Axel wasn¡¯t directly facing Ryder, the older boy¡ªwhose Force was over 90¡ªfelt an instinctive sense of danger.


    ¡°Is he really only at 70 Force points?¡± Ryder thought, genuinely surprised.


    "What''s this? Bullying people?" A lazy voice interrupted the standoff. A girl with short hair, a tall figure, and confident posture stepped into the scene.


    ¡°Cassia?¡± Ryder blinked in surprise.


    "Ryder, you¡¯ve got guts, trying to mess with *my* friend?" The girl, Cassia, stood next to Axel, a boy with glasses and a medium build following her closely.


    "It¡¯s just a business transaction. Since Axel doesn¡¯t want to sell, I won¡¯t bother you anymore," Ryder said quickly, his tone turning friendly again.


    Cassia, like Ryder, was among the top ten students in terms of Force value. She¡¯d even ranked slightly higher than him in the last test. While she might not awaken on the upcoming awakening day, she was practically guaranteed to awaken once she entered the War Academy.


    Axel knowing someone like her was unexpected. Ryder realized that his chances of making a deal with Axel had just evaporated.


    Although he was frustrated, Ryder remained calm, managing to maintain a faint smile. "Since you insist on keeping it, Axel, I¡¯ll wait and see."


    Ryder was referring to the awakening ceremony. After the ceremony, if Axel failed, his fine raw stones would be nearly impossible to sell for a while.


    At that point, Ryder believed, Axel would regret turning down such an easy deal.


    "Ah, Axel¡­" Vale sighed, looking disappointed. "You had the opportunity, but you missed it."


    With that, Vale followed Ryder, leaving Axel standing there.


    After everyone had left, Axel felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Cassia standing there.


    "Thanks," Axel said simply.

 Chapter15 - Final Force Test

    Before Cassia could respond, the guy with glasses next to her spoke up, sounding a bit annoyed. "Thank her, not me? You value your women more than your friends."


    The moment he finished, Cassia swung a punch at him. "Drayke, if you keep talking nonsense, I swear I''ll knock you out! Axel and I are friends, and that''s all there is to it." Drayke winced, holding his shoulder, his face turning a shade of blue.


    "Besides," Cassia continued, "I know your Force is only 82 points. If those lackeys had started fighting, you would¡¯ve been the first one on the ground."


    Axel couldn¡¯t help but smile at the playful bickering between Cassia and Drayke. His two closest friends. Cassia, his deskmate, was incredibly talented, and her family was rich, so she never lacked for raw stones. Yet, despite all that, no one seemed to know much about her background¡ªno wonder Ryder was so intimidated by her.


    Drayke, on the other hand, sat behind him in class. He was full of gossip and always had the latest rumors. He might be a bit of a know-it-all, but he was one of the few people Axel considered a true friend.


    "Friendship? Do you think I didn¡¯t notice the huge bag you gave Axel?" Drayke teased, retreating behind Axel as Cassia glared at him.


    "A big bag?" Cassia waved her hand dismissively. "It¡¯s just some scraps of raw stones."


    "Scraps? Please. You barely used half of them! If you¡¯re going to throw them out, just give them to me. I could still make good use of them," Drayke said, clearly envious of Axel¡¯s good fortune.


    "Alright, alright, enough talk. We¡¯ve still got that test today," Cassia said, clearly eager to change the subject. Though she had given Axel some good raw stones, she didn¡¯t want to keep discussing it. The three of them quickly walked toward the classroom.


    ......


    "Master Ryder, I didn''t handle this situation well," she said, her voice filled with self-reproach. "I didn¡¯t expect a waste from the slums to be so hard to deal with."


    "It¡¯s fine," Ryder said casually, chewing gum and sounding completely unbothered. "He¡¯s just a loser who doesn¡¯t know his place. When he realizes he can¡¯t awaken, no matter how hard he tries, he¡¯ll come crawling to me."


    Vale nodded, agreeing with Ryder¡¯s assessment. Most people¡¯s Force growth was only about 50 points after three years. Only true geniuses could hit 70 or 80, breaking through the minimum threshold for awaken in. It was not just about resources¡ªtalent and hard work played a huge role. Axel was one of those people who thought his Force was low just because he didn¡¯t have enough raw stones. She had seen it a hundred times before.


    She felt a sense of relief when she saw that Ryder didn¡¯t blame her. In her mind, Axel was just a self-righteous waste, was bound to stay in a completely different world from hers.


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    Along the way, Drayke couldn¡¯t stop asking Axel for more details about his encounter with the infected.


    "Nothing really happened. It was mostly luck. The monster was already seriously injured when I showed up. I only fired a few shots." Axel shrugged.


    Drayke clapped his hands together, grinning. "See? I told you it was just luck!"


    Cassia rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t bother to engage.


    Turns out, Drayke had already told the whole class his theory shortly after the report came out. It seemed, he was right.


    "But seriously, you¡¯re brave. If it were me, I¡¯d have stayed home," Drayke said, his grin widening. "But you were lucky. With so many fine raw stones, even if you sell them, you¡¯d make a fortune."


    As Axel entered the classroom, he noticed that many of his classmates had already returned. After three years, not many people were still familiar with him. Most of them glanced at Axel with a mix of envy and curiosity. After reading the report, their attention had immediately shifted to the raw stones he had received from the Law Enforcement Bureau.


    As for the whole ¡°killing the infected¡± thing? Most of their opinions were just like Drayke¡¯s¡ªa matter of luck or chance.


    In this era, hope was a rare commodity, especially in the slum districts where the infected often roamed, sowing panic among the people. These areas, despite their poverty, were densely populated, and the residents were responsible for the city¡¯s basic labor. As such, the authorities couldn¡¯t afford to ignore them. Setting an example, like Axel''s, was meant to show that the infected weren''t as terrifying as people thought.


    A few familiar faces came over to speak to Axel, but most kept their distance. The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and in walked a middle-aged, slightly overweight man. He cleared his throat before addressing the room.


    "Ahem. What time is it, and you''re still chatting away? You all should be more focused!" The man¡¯s voice carried a gruffness, but his eyes lacked real reproach.


    There were less than 20 days left until the awakening ceremony, meaning that his time with these students was coming to a close.


    "First things first¡ªwelcome back, Axel! As everyone knows, Axel cooperated with the law enforcement team to take down a real infected, which has brought honor... to me... I mean, to our class."


    The homeroom teacher, Mr. Grey, flashed a grin. It wasn¡¯t just a boost to Axel¡¯s reputation¡ªit had helped Mr. Grey gain some recognition too.


    "Alright, now listen up. In a bit, the school will organize the final Force test before the awakening. I¡¯ve got two announcements to make."


    "First, anyone who scores over 90 in this test will be eligible for special training over the next ten days."


    Everyone already knew about this¡ªit was essentially an opportunity to bring the best students from the whole grade together for intensive training. The instructor for the class was an awakener, making it a sought-after opportunity. But the catch was that only the very top students could get in.


    "Storm and Cassia were the only ones to break 90 in the last test. For the rest of you, I hope you¡¯ll surprise me. The bonuses for this year depend on you guys!" Mr. Grey said with a joking tone.


    The class glanced over at a quiet figure sitting off to the side, his bangs covering his eyes and his posture stiff and upright. His expression was emotionless, this was Storm, the top student.


    As Mr. Grey spoke, many of the students in the room couldn''t help but look a bit ashamed of themselves.


    Mr. Grey had done more than just teach. He had helped all of his students¡ªunlike other teachers who only focused on the top performers, Mr. Grey had given attention to everyone. Still, for most of them, it had all been in vain. Despite the extra effort, their grades had never improved enough.


    "Alright, and here¡¯s the second big announcement!" Mr. Grey¡¯s tone shifted, becoming more serious.

 Chapter16 - Greys Past

    Grey¡¯s usual relaxed expression had disappeared. Instead, he looked unusually serious. "Someone from Shadowridge High has awakened this year."


    As the words left his mouth, a murmur spread through the classroom. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for some students to try awakening on the official awakening day when there would be equipment to assist them, but those who could awaken earlier on their own were undeniably special. Genius, even.


    Brookhaven High, though considered the best in Dune, had never had a student awaken early.


    Of course, there were those who couldn¡¯t awaken on the official day but eventually did so after months or years of training. However, these were typically students past their prime, with limited potential. It was a rule that had been established over many years.


    "The school is under a lot of pressure because of this, so they¡¯re offering a huge reward," Grey continued, pausing for effect. "Anyone who awakens on the official awakening day will be given a cash prize of one million!"


    The room erupted into whispers. For most of the students, whose parents worked regular jobs and earned only six or seven thousand a month, a million dollars was an astronomical amount. With that kind of money, you could move to a safer city or buy all the training resources you needed¡ªit was more than enough to change your life.


    "I guess I won¡¯t be getting that," Drayke groaned, speaking for most of the class. "Storm, Cassia, you two have the chance."


    Cassia twirled a pen between her fingers, seemingly uninterested, while Storm sat rigidly, his eyes fixed ahead, radiating an aura, "don¡¯t talk to me."


    Axel couldn¡¯t hide the slight quickening of his breath. He had scored in the low seventies on his last test, and while he was envious of the opportunity, his goal was simple: to increase his Force just enough to get into a good university.


    "Alright, let¡¯s head to the test," Grey said, snapping everyone back to attention.


    The hallway buzzed with noise as the students made their way to the playground. With graduation fast approaching, everyone¡¯s nerves were on edge. A crowd had already gathered outside, and each class had a designated teacher for the test. Grey led the way as Axel and the others followed.


    "Congrats, Wraith, looks like your class has three standouts!"


    A loud, booming laugh came from nearby, and Axel turned to see a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a layer of powdery makeup beaming with pride. He was speaking to the dean of teaching, a dark-skinned, no-nonsense figure.


    "Haha, I''m just lucky," Wraith said with a smirk, though his face already gleamed with satisfaction.


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    There were twelve classes in the grade, and typically only two students per class could score above 90 on the test. So far, Wraith¡¯s class had managed to surpass the average, and he was clearly enjoying the attention.


    "Hmph, what a sycophant," Grey muttered as he led the class past the exchange.


    Grey seemed to sense the murmurs and turned sharply, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Enough! What are you all mumbling about? Get in line and start the test. Drayke, if you talk nonsense again, I¡¯ll make you run laps!"


    Drayke feigned innocence, holding his hands up in protest. "Teacher, I¡¯m not the one talking!" he said, earning a few eye rolls and glares from the others around him.


    The testing machine was simple¡ªa square box with a sensor. All they had to do was stretch their arms over it, and after ten seconds or so, the result would be displayed. Whenever someone scored over 90 Force, they''d be called over to register individually.


    "Tsk, tsk, I¡¯m so envious. Look at that group," Drayke said, gesturing toward a dozen or so students standing off to the side.


    There was an obvious difference in the way they carried themselves¡ªconfident, full of energy.


    "Those are the prospects for the special training class. Cassia and Storm from our class will definitely make it in. The awakened ones will personally train them¡ªit¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that a lot of people dream of," Drayke sighed, his voice filled with a touch of longing.


    Cassia shot him a sharp glare. "What¡¯s so special about the training class? Most people of them also don¡¯t even manage to awaken. Keep your head up, maybe you¡¯ll surprise everyone and make huge progress after graduation. There are plenty of people who¡¯ve done it."


    It seemed like Wraith heard him, but when he caught sight of Grey, the smile on his face turned into a faint disdain, and he walked off to chat with some of the other teachers, clearly ignoring him.


    "Grey and Wraith still don¡¯t get along." Axel overheard some of his classmates gossiping as they walked to the test station.


    "Yeah, Grey was supposed to be selected as a city-level advanced teacher," Drayke said, his voice filled with mock seriousness. "But you all know how he is¡­"


    "Too arrogant!" one of the other students added.


    "Exactly. Even though that honor should¡¯ve been his, he didn¡¯t bother with the gifts and favors to leaders¡­" Drayke continued, his tone full of gossip.


    "But Wraith? He gave a really generous gift, and rumor has it, that¡¯s what sealed the deal for him," Drayke said, lowering his voice.


    "Besides, Grey went straight to the media with it, exposing the whole thing, which pretty much killed his chances for any future evaluations."


    As the students continued to chatter, they glanced over at Grey, who stood alone in front, wiping his eyes as the wind blew through. He wore an old shirt, his thinning hair fluttering slightly in the breeze. On the other side, Wraith and the other teachers were laughing and chatting, oblivious to Grey¡¯s presence.


    It was a little uncomfortable to watch, and the students couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for their teacher.


    The students took their turns, stepping up to the testing machine one by one. It had only been a month since the last test, so most weren¡¯t expecting huge improvements. Still, there was a glimmer of hope in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    "Drayke, last time you were at 73, now you¡¯re at 75."


    "Storm, last time 93, this time 97."


    The tester looked up at Storm, who didn¡¯t seem particularly surprised. He had the same cool, distant expression as always.


    "Storm, please head over there. We¡¯ll register you in a moment."


    People from surrounding classes glanced at Storm, their eyes filled with envy. 97 Force! So close to the threshold of awakening. Even if he didn¡¯t awaken, with that kind of power, he''d easily get into one of the top schools within the city walls.

 Chapter17 - Is this wrong?

    Storm didn¡¯t seem to care about the stares. He nodded to Grey and made his way to the registration area. As soon as his back was turned to the crowd, a small, carefree smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.


    "This guy¡¯s still pretending to be all cool," Cassia muttered, rolling her eyes. Unlike most people, she didn¡¯t seem nervous at all.


    "Cassia, last time 95, and now... 101!" The tester¡¯s voice rang out, and a collective gasp rippled through the room. That was top-tier strength, easily in the top three for the entire grade. She¡¯d broken 100 before the awakening ceremony¡ªher chances of awakening were looking very promising.


    "Teacher, I¡¯m done." Cassia said, giving a quick nod to Grey as she turned to leave. Once they entered the special training class, they wouldn¡¯t be attending regular classes anymore. They were still technically part of their original class, but the focus would shift to one-on-one training, leaving them largely separated from the others.


    Grey smiled, watching her go. Storm and Cassia were his best students, and in the entire grade, they were among the elite.


    After a short wait, Axel¡¯s name was called. His heart started to race. Even though he had the raw stones and the cash from the law enforcement team, those were just a drop in the bucket compared to what he truly needed. He had to get into a war school at all costs, and with a Force below 80, it seemed nearly impossible.


    "Axel, last time you were at 73, and now¡­"


    The tester paused, staring at the screen in confusion. Axel could see the man¡¯s hesitation, and the growing discomfort in his expression.


    "Wait, let me test again," the tester muttered, eyes narrowing in disbelief. How could someone improve so drastically in just one month?


    Axel stood still, slightly puzzled but ready to go along with it.


    Grey, noticing the pause, walked over. "What¡¯s going on?" he asked, hands clasped behind his back. He had always admired Axel¡¯s attitude. The kid might not have much, but he was incredibly hardworking and had a mature way about him.


    The tester didn¡¯t answer right away, double-checking the numbers. He then looked at Axel, a strange expression on his face.


    "Axel, last test you were 73, this test... 90."


    A shocked silence fell over the room. 90 Force! It wasn¡¯t an extraordinary number compared to Storm or Cassia, but the jump from 73 to 90 in just one month was shocking¡ªan improvement of 17 points. Even geniuses like Storm and Cassia only gained about 6 points in that time.


    The silence was short-lived, and the first to break it was Drayke, who slapped Axel on the back with a loud cheer.


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    "Fucking! Man, you were hiding this whole time!" Drayke said, half-laughing, half-stunned.


    Cassia, who had been walking away, turned around at the sound of the commotion. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. No one knew better than her how hard it was to make such a massive improvement in just a month.


    "Grey, congratulations. Your class has three students over 90 points. Huge potential," the tester said with a smile.


    Grey, however, was looking at Axel with an expression of surprise, not fully processing the numbers yet.


    Everyone already knew that a class with two students over 90 Force was impressive, and three was exceptional. Grey''s class had made the cut for the elite.


    The news quickly spread, and within moments, several teachers gathered around to congratulate Grey.


    "90 points already?" Grey said, grinning from ear to ear.


    "Three from your class over 90? Not bad at all! Grey, you really surprised me this time." The dark-skinned director also approached, clapping Grey on the back.


    Though Axel had only just scraped past the 90-point threshold, barely making it into the special training class, the news was still a big deal. Every extra student was a nice surprise.


    "Heh," Grey scratched his head and smiled, a little embarrassed but proud. Seeing Wraith in the distance, he felt more proud.


    The congratulations kept coming, but the most surprised person was Axel himself.


    "So the life crystal is really that powerful?" He knew he¡¯d made some progress, but he¡¯d been hoping just to break 80. After all, Storm and the others had only gained about six points in a month. The life crystal had given him an enormous boost¡ªhe couldn¡¯t believe it.


    It was clear now: the life crystal was on a whole different level compared to the regular raw stones. If the life crystal had helped him reach 90, what would the piece of infected No. 2 do? Could it push him further? Suddenly, Axel regretted not taking the crystal more seriously before.


    Before long, the news of Axel¡¯s massive leap¡ª17 points in just a month¡ªspread through the special training class gathering area.


    This was a place reserved for the top students, those with immense potential. Even they were surprised. Axel¡¯s growth rate was something most of them couldn¡¯t even dream of.


    Vale and Ryder stood off to the side, listening as the news reached them, both entering the special training class with 90 points. But now, hearing about Axel¡¯s unexpected rise, their expressions froze in disbelief.


    "Axel, 90 points?" Vale¡¯s voice was sharp, her usual confidence shaken. She was known for her ability to spot talent, and she prided herself on making the right connections. But now, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯d missed something huge.


    "I should¡¯ve known," she muttered under her breath. She never wasted time on people with no potential, but clearly, Axel wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Ryder stood there for a while, staring ahead before finally muttering a curse under his breath. "I messed up. I didn¡¯t realize those quality raw stones were so strong. If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve bought them all, no matter the price."


    He had originally expected Axel to come crawling to him for a deal, but now, it seemed like Ryder had completely misjudged the situation.


    "Ryder, what¡¯s going on? Do you know this guy?" Someone standing nearby asked, curious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him? That¡¯s Axel, the one who¡¯s been making waves around here,¡± Ryder joked, his voice light. The group around them looked at Axel with newfound interest.


    After all, the story of Axel helping the law enforcement team take down the infected had been all over the news.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this guy to actually have some skills. Didn¡¯t you say his test scores were average before?¡± one of the onlookers remarked.


    Although the group was surprised, they didn''t seem too rattled. After all, 90 points was the minimum threshold to enter the special training class. And with the awakening ceremony just around the corner, no one really expected much from someone with an unremarkable score. His awakening was as tough as a miracle.

 Chapter18 - What a pity!

    "Yeah, that''s what I thought," Ryder sighed, shifting the conversation. He casually mentioned how he¡¯d been planning to make a deal with Axel for the raw stones in the morning.


    Most of the twenty students here came from wealthy families, so they weren¡¯t concerned about raw stones. But when they heard Ryder¡¯s story, they quickly put the pieces together. The fine raw stones the law enforcement team had given Axel were stronger than they realized. If Ryder had bought one, seeing Axel¡¯s progress now, they''d be more than willing to pay top dollar to get their hands on it.


    "Congrats, Axel," Cassia, who had been standing off to the side, snorted and made her way over to Axel. He looked up to see that everyone had fallen silent, and their eyes were all on him. He quickly realized they must have been talking about him.


    At that moment, most of the group had gathered around Ryder, the big shot trader, and nobody was bothering to come over and greet Axel.


    But it didn¡¯t bother Axel. He wasn¡¯t one to chase attention.


    Just then, Storm walked over, his expression as blank as always. "Congrats," he said in a flat tone, before turning and walking back to his original spot with a hint of arrogance.


    "Tsundere," Cassia muttered under her breath. Axel could see Storm pause for just a second.


    The rest of the group kept chatting, moving easily between conversations. Vale, ever the social butterfly, was introducing people to one another, making the atmosphere feel warm and lively.


    Meanwhile, Axel, Cassia, and a few others who were standing on the outskirts seemed a little isolated.


    .....


    Meanwhile, not too far away, Mason, the principal of DuneBrookhaven High, stood alongside a burly man with a scar running down the corner of his eye. They both watched the students quietly.


    "Kieran, what do you think of this year''s crop of students?" Mason, the principal, wore a frown, his plump face filled with concern.


    Nowadays, although schools also value the number of students admitted to prestigious schools, the real decision for school resources is still the awakened and high-level force users.


    ¡°Same as last year. We have 26 students with a force value over 90,¡± The scarred man stood there with his arms folded. Although the principal was next to him, he didn''t feel any restraint at all.


    Mason sighed deeply. ¡°Yeah, Shadowridge High is coming on strong this year. I¡¯ve heard they have 19 students with scores over 90, plus one who¡¯s already awakened early. Our resources are probably going to get stretched thin.¡±


    Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Awakening early¡­ that¡¯s impressive." He himself is also a real awakener, and naturally knows that those who can awaken by themselves before the awakening ceremony are all top talents without exception!


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    Mason turned to look at the group of students, scanning them one by one. ¡°Do you think anyone from our batch has a shot at awakening early?¡±


    Kieran squinted, watching the students in the distance. When his gaze landed on Vale and Ryder, and saw them mingling and chatting with their sleeves rolled up, he shook his head in slight disapproval. "These kids are too focused on connections. They think they¡¯re the chosen ones just because they stand out at DuneBrookhaven. They¡¯re not even awakened yet, but all they¡¯re doing is networking. It¡¯s a waste of time."


    He paused, but then a small smile crept onto his face. "However, there are still a few worth watching. For example, Theo."


    Theo!


    The top performer in DuneBrookhaven High''s multiple assessments, now with a Force value of 109. He was the most likely to successfully awaken on the upcoming awakening day.


    "I heard there¡¯s a surprise today?" Kieran¡¯s voice was curious.


    Mason nodded. "Axel from Grey¡¯s class. His Force is now 90."


    Axel? Kieran had heard the name, but hearing it now, he paused, surprised at first. Then, his expression shifted to something more complex.


    "So, he broke through to this level in such a short time after using the raw stone?"


    Mason nodded again, confirming Kieran''s suspicions.


    Kieran fell silent for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh. "What a pity, what a pity..."


    Mason understood what Kieran meant. The school had been helping promote Axel¡¯s name, but it was only about boosting his reputation. His Force had always been rather average.


    But now? He¡¯d jumped up to 90.


    "It¡¯s a pity," Mason continued. "He''s already eighteen. It¡¯s too late now. Even with resources, he¡¯ll still be slower than others. Even if he does awaken, it¡¯ll be a long way off."


    Mason¡¯s judgment was clear. Axel had made rapid progress, but it was obvious that his potential had been suppressed for a long time due to his poverty and lack of resources. Now, as he started to catch up, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean he¡¯d keep growing at this rate. What he was doing now was making up for lost time.


    "I should¡¯ve done more to help him earlier. That¡¯s on me," Mason sighed. Kieran didn¡¯t respond¡ªhe was just a temporary teacher assigned to guide the special students, and he knew better than to get involved in matters like this.


    Mason¡¯s gaze shifted to Grey, who was standing across the playground, talking to his students. His expression turned thoughtful.


    Grey had often raised the issue of increasing subsidies for underprivileged students, but Mason hadn¡¯t taken it too seriously at the time.


    ¡°After this round of graduates leaves, we should propose another evaluation for Grey,¡± Mason said, his tone contemplative.


    The looming threat from Shadowridge High had put Mason on edge. If he lost the loyalty of talented students for the sake of political maneuvering, it would be a major setback.


    Mason gave a slight nod. "Alright. Then I¡¯ll leave these students to you."


    .....


    The test was over, and it was time for everyone to head home. Axel felt surprisingly good as the sun set, casting an orange glow over the horizon.


    The school¡¯s reward for any awakened student was a million-dollar cash prize. He was only ten points away from that threshold!


    For the first time in a long while, Axel felt a spark of hope. He couldn¡¯t wait to share this news with Annabelle.


    When he passed by his old house in the city, he stood at the door and looked for a while. The single-family home, now long neglected and falling apart with peeling walls, held all their cherished childhood memories. They had never really considered buying it back before.


    But now, maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªthere was a chance.


    At that moment, two figures in dark gray police uniforms entered the slums. Their heavy boots, with their hard soles, left deep impressions in the mud as they walked.


    The sight of law enforcers in the slums always caused fear. Many residents hurriedly looked away, avoiding any direct eye contact.


    But the two officers seemed indifferent to the people around them. Step by step, they made their way to the door of a small, run-down shack.


    "This is it. This is the boy¡¯s home," one of them said, his voice flat.


    Without another word, the two officers pushed open the door and entered.

 Chapter19 - Interrogation

    Axel bought a bottle of beer and a pound of beef, his mood lightened by the simple pleasures. But as he walked back through the slums, he noticed the curious stares of the neighbors. Did they hear about my Force test? he wondered.


    He pushed open the door, only to find two unfamiliar figures sitting on the well-worn sofa inside.


    They were dressed in police uniforms. Annabelle sat between them, visibly fidgeting, her eyes downcast. Two cups of steaming tea sat untouched on the table.


    "You must be Axel," one of the officers said, a slightly overweight Mediterranean man in his forties. He rose, walking over to Axel with a smile and clapping him on the shoulder. With his other hand, he casually closed the door behind him. The room grew dimmer.


    "My name is Cross, deputy director of the Dune Police Department. Don¡¯t be nervous. We just have a few questions for you."


    The Police Department? Axel nodded, sitting next to Annabelle. They exchanged a brief glance, and he saw the calm in her eyes. That was a good sign.


    Cross eyed Annabelle for a moment before continuing, "This must be your sister, right? She''s adorable, though she doesn¡¯t speak much. A few days ago, when you helped the law enforcement team, you... melted a few bodies. Is that right?"


    Axel¡¯s heart skipped. So it¡¯s about that. He had hoped that the law enforcement team would handle everything and no one would ask questions afterward, but it seemed his actions were still causing ripples.


    Still, something about the two officers felt off¡ªthis wasn¡¯t just a routine inquiry. Axel had already prepared for a situation like this, so he took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "Yes, that¡¯s correct. Is there a problem with that?"


    Cross smiled, leaning back in his chair as if casually pondering the matter. "I¡¯m curious, though. You just fought the infected, shouldn¡¯t you have been scared? Why did you decide to melt the bodies?"


    Axel noticed that while Cross spoke, the other officer, a man with a hooked nose, kept glancing back and forth between him and Annabelle. The silence in the room was heavy, and the man¡¯s sharp, darting gaze made Axel uneasy, even though he hadn¡¯t said a word yet.


    Axel kept his voice steady. "Well, the school teaches us that anyone who¡¯s scratched or bitten by the infected might turn into a zombie. I was worried the bodies might still be dangerous."


    It was the same explanation he had given to Skye, and Axel knew that, despite being separate systems, the law enforcement team and the police would have shared their information by now. There was no need for him to lie.


    Cross nodded, wanting to take a sip of his tea. But when he saw the chipped and worn teacup in front of him, he frowned slightly and opted to tap his fingers on the table instead. Dong, dong, dong. The sound echoed in the quiet room, filling the space with an almost oppressive rhythm.


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    The silence stretched. Cross didn¡¯t speak, and neither did the hook-nosed man. Axel and Annabelle remained still, the tension in the air was thick.


    Cross wasn¡¯t surprised by Axel¡¯s answer. He had heard similar explanations before, even from the law enforcement team, and they hadn¡¯t raised any questions. What caught Cross off surprised was Axel¡¯s demeanor. For a high school student, Axel was unnervingly calm.


    Typically, when someone died in the slums, the locals didn¡¯t call the police. It was written off as another attack by the infected. But this time, it was different. It''s just that someone investigated this matter today, and he was not a small person. So he had to come, and Axel was recently promoted by the media as a civilian role model, so it was not convenient for him to use some means.


    After a long pause, the officer with the hooked nose squinted and finally spoke. "By common sense, after killing an infected, shouldn¡¯t you have contacted the law enforcement team immediately? Shouldn¡¯t you have been scared?"


    "With them here, even if a zombie shows up, you won¡¯t need to do a thing."


    The officer with the hooked nose leaned in, his voice cold and threatening. "Besides, Skye was seriously injured at the time. Instead of helping him, you chose to melt the bodies? Boy, I suggest you be honest with me and tell me what you know." His eyes gleamed with cold malice, and his gaze bore into Axel like a venomous snake.


    For a brief moment, Axel''s brow twitched involuntarily, and his heartbeat quickened. This man had just asked the one question Axel most dreaded answering. Fortunately, Axel had already prepared himself for this.


    He took a deep breath, his expression hardening. "Officer, please watch your tone. I¡¯m cooperating with your investigation, not being accused of a crime. And as you said, it''s common sense, right?"


    Axel leaned forward, his voice steady but firm. "According to common sense, I''m just a high school student. I shouldn''t be expected to deal with infected people. In that situation, I thought about saving my life first. What''s wrong with that?"


    The hook-nosed man¡¯s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flickering within them. Axel felt a shiver run down his spine as the man¡¯s glare turned almost tangible.


    What a dangerous guy!


    Axel had sensed from the beginning that while Cross seemed to be the one in charge, the real authority here was the man sitting across from him. The man¡¯s presence felt suffocating, like an oppressive weight hanging in the air.


    Could he be an awakener? If so, who was it that he had killed? Four slum thugs wouldn¡¯t have warranted the attention of someone like this.


    "Frost, watch yourself," Cross said sharply, breaking the tense silence. The man named Frost straightened up, his intense aura fading away.


    Axel exhaled quietly, trying to regain his composure.


    Cross smiled lightly, but his eyes were calculating. "Axel, you don¡¯t understand. We¡¯re actually trying to protect you here. Your actions, while bold, were commendable. But there¡¯s one problem."


    Axel raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue.


    Cross leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "One of the people has... well, a complicated background. Wolfe. Does that name ring a bell?"


    Seeing the confusion in Axel''s eyes, Cross shook his head and said mysteriously. "Wolfe¡¯s a well-known entrepreneur in Dune. He runs a number of martial arts schools and entertainment businesses. One of the people, his cousin, was sent to collect a debt. The next day, Wolfe got the bad news."


    A chill ran through Axel as the pieces clicked into place. Wolfe¡­ an entrepreneur running martial arts schools and entertainment venues? He¡¯s got to be someone with ties to both the legal and illegal worlds.


    No wonder the deputy director himself had come here. Axel couldn¡¯t help but curse in his head. This is my fucking bad luck.


    Cross¡¯s expression softened, but Axel could tell it was an act. "You¡¯ve done nothing wrong. But Wolfe¡¯s the kind of guy who doesn¡¯t take things lightly. He might not be as friendly as we are. If you know anything, now¡¯s the time to speak up. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid Mr. Wolfe will pay you a personal visit."


    If he tell the truth, he¡¯ll be dead for sure.

 Chapter20 - Mutation

    "It¡¯s useless for him to come at me. I really don¡¯t know anything." Axel spread his hands, his expression helpless. But the man sitting next to Cross shot him a cold, intense look.


    Cross frowned, clearly losing his patience. He stopped smiling and leaned forward, tapping the table slowly with his fingers.


    "You''re really not going to cooperate?" He said, his voice steady but laced with threat. "You¡¯re a graduate of Dune Brookhaven High this year. Do you believe I can make a phone call and stop you from graduating smoothly?"


    It was an overt threat, but Axel, who might have been intimidated by this in the past, was no longer so easily shaken. After today¡¯s test, things were different.


    "I don¡¯t believe," Axel replied, staring back without flinching.


    Cross couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, surprised by Axel¡¯s defiance. This idiot really thought he couldn''t do it?


    "There are about 600 students graduating this year, and only around 20 or so in the special training class. I just happen to be one of them." Cross let the words hang in the air, his meaning clear.


    "I was just joking," Cross said with a forced laugh. "How could I do something like that?"


    Axel narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Cross waved his hand dismissively, signaling Frost to get up.


    Axel thought they were about to leave when something unexpected happened. Frost¡¯s cold gaze met his, and in that instant, Axel¡¯s vision blurred. His whole body felt heavy and numb, as if his limbs weren¡¯t his own.


    To an outsider, Axel¡¯s pupils looked empty, distant¡ªas though he were a lifeless shell of a person.


    "What did you take from those four men?" Frost¡¯s voice was flat, but it carried a strange, compelling force. Axel¡¯s heart raced, but his body wouldn¡¯t obey. He had the overwhelming urge to tell the truth, to confess everything.


    This man, Frost, wasn¡¯t just some officer¡ªhe was an awakener, and from the way he controlled the conversation, Axel realized that Frost¡¯s ability was a rare one: a spiritual awakener. They had lowered his guard, subtly draining his will to resist. And now, Frost was using his power to manipulate Axel¡¯s mind.


    "I didn¡¯t take anything," Axel muttered, his voice sounding stiff, disconnected from his thoughts.


    Cross visibly relaxed, relieved that Axel had given the "right" answer. Frost seemed slightly more at ease as well. But then, Frost asked the second question.


    "How did they die..."


    Before Axel could respond, Annabelle suddenly rushed forward, practically throwing herself at him. She hugged him tightly, glaring at the two men with fierce eyes. Cross barely had time to react.


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    "Is this how you handle things, huh?" Axel shouted, finally snapping out of the daze. His sister¡¯s sudden appearance had shaken him back to his senses, and now he was fully alert.


    "Hmph." Frost muttered, his cold gaze lingering on Axel and Annabelle for a moment before he turned and walked out, ignoring their presence completely.


    Cross cursed inwardly. These people really do things without scruples. If things had gone sideways, he¡¯d have a hard time explaining himself to his superiors.


    "Axel, thanks for your cooperation. It¡¯s just routine, you understand." Cross forced a smile, his tone casual, before following Frost out the door.


    Once they were gone, Axel let out a breath.


    "Annabelle, I¡¯m fine," he said, ruffling his sister¡¯s hair. If Annabelle hadn¡¯t stopped him in time, he might have been forced to speak under Frost¡¯s influence. The power of an awakener was no joke¡ªit was dangerous and hard to guard against.


    "Brother, are we safe?"


    Annabelle¡¯s voice trembled with worry as she looked up at Axel. He smiled and gently patted her head, trying to calm her.


    "It¡¯s okay."


    But even as he said it, Axel couldn¡¯t shake the unease gnawing at him. It was strange. He¡¯d underestimated this so-called Wolfe. To send an awakener¡ªa rare, spiritual awakener, no less¡ªto investigate him?


    People like that were dangerous. What¡¯s worse, Axel had clearly seen the cold, indifferent murderous intent in Frost¡¯s eyes when he left.


    If Axel had been just another regular student from the slums, he wasn¡¯t sure what kind of tactics they might have used against him today. Luckily, he had revealed his status as a special training class student, which made the two men a little more cautious than they might have been otherwise.


    "Yo, Axel! You¡¯ve gotta protect me from now on!" Drayke¡¯s voice crackled through the speaker, clearly excited.


    "Cut the crap. I need info on someone. You know a guy named Wolfe?" Axel interrupted, getting straight to the point.


    Drayke paused, clearly surprised. "Wolfe? Why the hell are you asking about him? Dude, you really messed with him, didn¡¯t you? You better run while you can."


    "Seriously," Axel said, annoyed. "You really wanna get hit?"


    Seeing Axel wasn¡¯t in the mood for jokes, Drayke quickly switched gears. "Okay, okay, seriously though, I¡¯ve heard some stuff. Wolfe¡¯s one of the top ten entrepreneurs in the city, runs the sanitation company, and pretty much controls the underground. I mean, the guy¡¯s got nightclubs, casinos, black-market boxing rings, you name it."


    Axel frowned, trying to take in everything Drayke was saying. "You know all this?"


    Drayke seemed offended by Axel¡¯s doubt. "Of course, I know! This stuff isn¡¯t even secret anymore. Wolfe couldn¡¯t care less about hiding it. His underground boxing ring alone brings in billions in tax revenue every year for Dune. Who would even bother going after him?"


    "Hold on," Axel cut in, "anything else?"


    "Well, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯ve heard," Drayke said, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "It¡¯s said that Wolfe runs a water prison¡ªa place for debtors. The life there is worse than death. People go in, and you hear the screams for miles. That¡¯s why no one dares owe him money."


    Axel¡¯s frown deepened, but Drayke added, "I heard it from this weird private forum, so take it with a grain of salt."


    Axel hung up, his heart sinking.


    He''d been lucky. The truth he''d confessed earlier had been enough to convince Frost, but damn... Wolfe''s background was a hell of a lot bigger and darker than Axel had expected.


    What were they really after?


    Axel didn¡¯t waste another moment. He started tearing through the house, checking every corner, from the floorboards to the seams of the sofa cushions. Nothing was going to be left unchecked.


    "Boss, I''ve finished questioning him. That kid doesn''t know anything."


    "Alright, I used memory interrogation. Got it."


    Outside the slums, Frost and Cross stood by the roadside, speaking with Wolfe on the phone.


    Cross let out a relieved breath and flashed a smile. "So, does that mean we¡¯re done with this kid?"


    Frost stared into the dimly lit slums with an emotionless gaze. "Is it hard to make him disappear?"

 Chapter21 - List

    Cross froze, his smile faltering. He glanced at Frost, confusion written all over his face. "Didn¡¯t we confirm he didn¡¯t take anything?"


    Frost didn¡¯t bother explaining. His tone was calm but stern. "Make sure it''s foolproof."


    Cross¡¯s expression turned pale, then a deep shade of blue. Though he was getting paid well by Wolfe for the job, the casual talk about murder in front of him left a sour taste in his mouth. It felt like Wolfe didn¡¯t even care him.


    "We can¡¯t do that now," Cross said, his voice laced with hesitation. "He just made the newspaper and got into the special training class at Brookhaven High. The timing¡¯s too sensitive."


    Frost considered this for a moment. He had just had his men dig into Axel¡¯s background. The special training class was legit, but Axel''s Force level was only 90¡ªjust scraping by. The pariah didn¡¯t have a real shot at awakening on the Awakening Day.


    So, if Axel didn¡¯t awaken, Brookhaven wouldn¡¯t be interested in him much after graduation. He¡¯d just be another ordinary kid. Frost nodded.


    "After this is dealt with, I...," Cross started.


    "Boss will handle it."


    Cross nodded, his smile returning. He seemed satisfied with the arrangement. Then, as if remembering something, he leaned in and whispered, "What is Wolfe actually after? It won¡¯t end up in the hands of law enforcement, right?"


    Cross knew Wolfe well. He controlled a hell of a lot¡ªbusinesses above and below the law. His connections were solid, so he wasn¡¯t concerned with the rumors about him. But whatever Wolfe was so desperate to find must be something big.


    Frost¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. "Don¡¯t ask what you don¡¯t need to know." He looked into the slums and checked Axel''s home address again before turning and walking away.


    "Such a cold bastard," Cross muttered under his breath.


    .....


    Axel had searched everywhere but nothing. If whatever they were looking for had been in the house, Annabelle would¡¯ve found it before. She was obsessed with cleanliness.


    "No," he muttered. Even though Frost and Cross had left, Axel couldn¡¯t shake the unease gnawing at him. Drayke¡¯s gossip and Frost¡¯s attitude kept him on edge.


    "Annabelle, pack up your things. We need to leave for a while." Axel¡¯s voice was calm, but his mind was racing. Leaving would make them look strange, but staying here? It was too dangerous. The slums were a graveyard for people like him. Living in the city, even if they had to sleep under a bridge, would be safer. Cameras were everywhere.


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    "Brother, are we in danger?" Annabelle asked, still wearing the new dress Axel had bought her. She looked every bit the innocent girl, but her face was filled with worry.


    Axel''s heart softened. He forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "It¡¯s just so it¡¯s easier to get to school. Soon, I¡¯ll be admitted to the War Academy."


    The War Academy. If he could make it into one of the top four academies, that would be the key to his future. The status alone would be his ticket out of here.


    Annabelle nodded, then went to pack her things. Axel decided to check again. The body had melted, but if the item wasn¡¯t on the body, it had to be somewhere along the path Annabelle had taken to the garbage dump.


    Taking advantage of the night, Axel went back out to search again. But he found nothing.


    When he returned home, Annabelle had packed two suitcases and several small bags. She was dragging a large suitcase and carrying a smaller bag, looking like a child was about to wander.


    "Brother, it''s packed." Annabelle smiled warmly, her small hands gently holding Axel¡¯s cold ones.


    Her touch sent a comfort through him. For years, they''d lived a hard life, but Annabelle never once complained or cried. And now, in this moment, she was the one who calmed him down, just when he needed it most.


    Axel was about to head out the door when something caught his eye¡ªsomething in the corner of the sofa. A pile of old linen sheets stacked haphazardly. It was the same pile they had used to wrap the body that day... They hadn¡¯t thrown it out yet, figuring they could wash it and use it again later.


    Axel froze. He walked over, unfolded the sheets, and shook them out. A black card fell to the ground.


    His heart skipped. He bent down to pick it up, and the two of them stared at the small memory card inside. It wouldn¡¯t be readable on a regular phone, but Axel¡¯s old phone¡ªthe one he kept for no reason other than it still worked¡ªwas just right for the job.


    He slotted the card into the phone, and the screen blinked to life. It displayed a table, listing several names and their profiles:


    "Bloodworth, 69-year-old male, early-stage first-level awakening, right leg shattered and fractured. Current residence..."


    "Reid, 72-year-old male..."


    There were over a dozen names. The common thread? All were older awakened individuals, most of them disabled or seriously ill.


    At the bottom of the list, there were small notes written in red: Rejected or Accepted.


    Axel¡¯s mind raced as he quickly copied the table to his phone and backed it up, then sat back to think.


    Old, disabled, or sick... awakeners? The list felt important, but Axel couldn''t make sense of it. What the hell were these people tied to?


    ¡°Wait... These two names look familiar,¡± Axel muttered, scanning the list again.


    Phoenix, Quinn.


    He had seen those names before, maybe from somewhere in passing, but couldn¡¯t place them. It was a fleeting feeling, but it nagged at him.


    ¡°What now...?¡± Axel thought, staring at his phone. He quickly discarded the idea of taking it to the police. If even a deputy director like Cross had come to question him, there was no way he was sending this information into the lion¡¯s den. They¡¯d chew him up and spit him out.


    So, who could he trust? His thoughts were racing when his phone rang, cutting through the silence of the dark room. The ringtone¡ªgentle, almost too soft¡ªfelt jarring against the stillness of the night.


    "Hello?" Axel answered, unsure who it was.


    "It''s Skye," came the voice on the other end. "Did someone named Wolfe send people after you today?"


    Skye. The captain of the law enforcement team. Axel¡¯s feelings about him were complicated. On the one hand, he had fought beside him against the infected, his bravery still clear in Axel¡¯s mind. And he had paid Axel handsomely with rough stones and cash.


    On the other hand, Axel knew Skye wasn¡¯t just some careless grunt. The man was meticulous, calculating. And with Annabelle¡¯s special identity, Axel had been avoiding dealing with him.


    But now? Now, it seemed like he had no choice.

 Chapter22 - Taboo

    Axel quickly briefed Skye on everything that had happened earlier.


    A low curse slipped from Skye¡¯s lips. ¡°Damn it, I knew it. That bastard is scum. Using awakening skills on kids... sickening.¡±


    After venting, Skye¡¯s tone softened, but there was a hard edge beneath it. ¡°Listen, Axel. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have someone protect you.¡±


    Axel hesitated for a moment. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should tell Skye the truth right now. If Skye was working for Wolfe, he was as good as dead. Axel had survived in the slums for so many years by keeping his wits sharp. If he didn¡¯t think things through, he¡¯d already be buried in some nameless grave.


    ¡°What are they after?¡± Axel asked, deciding to keep his cards close for now.


    Skye¡¯s voice turned serious. ¡°Since you¡¯re involved, I¡¯ll tell you straight. I don¡¯t know exactly what they¡¯re looking for, but if you hear anything or find anything suspicious, you have to tell me immediately.¡±


    ¡°I suspect Wolfe¡¯s linked to the two infected people we encountered that day.¡±


    Infected? Axel¡¯s pulse skipped. The thought hit him like a cold slap. He¡¯d guessed that the list might be tracking debts, maybe evidence of Wolfe¡¯s violent debt collection methods, but this was a whole different level. The infected? This is an absolute taboo of the entire official at present, whoever touches it will die!


    Skye went on. ¡°We¡¯ve been investigating the source of the infection. We finally tracked down a lead¡ªtwo maniacs were seen running out of Wolfe¡¯s underground casino that day. They hurt a few people before disappearing.¡±


    ¡°Before The infected are fully infected, they start showing signs of madness, losing control.¡± Skye continued. "The two madmen disappeared in the end, and their identities are also in doubt. Otherwise, by comparing the names with those of the two infected people, we can lock in Wolfe''s suspicion."


    Maniacs?


    Axel¡¯s mind buzzed. He suddenly understood why the names Phoenix and Quinn sounded familiar. Those were the names of the infected he had seen in the reports¡ªhe¡¯d barely skimmed the news at the time, so they hadn¡¯t stuck.


    Accepted.


    What the hell did ¡°Accepted¡± mean? Did it mean those two were approved as infected? Axel felt a chill run down his spine. If that was true, Wolfe was playing a dangerous game. That memory card wasn¡¯t just evidence about his business¡ªit could bring him down completely. It was a death sentence in the making.


    Up until now, Axel had hoped Wolfe might just forget about him, that he wasn¡¯t important enough to be a target. But now? Now, that hope was gone.


    "Axel, you still there?" Skye asked, his voice laced with concern. "Did I scare you?"


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    Axel paused for a moment, then asked with calm, ¡°This is... a lot. If this is true, why aren¡¯t you arresting him right now?¡±


    Skye sighed, clearly frustrated. "Axel, you¡¯re sharp, but you¡¯ve got a lot to learn. Investigations take time. I¡¯m not the head of the Dune Law Enforcement Bureau¡ªI can¡¯t just march into a big-shot like Wolfe''s office without solid evidence. Hell, even if I had evidence, I¡¯d need the Bureau¡¯s approval to move on him."


    Axel frowned, but Skye wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°Look, since you didn¡¯t see anything directly, don¡¯t worry about it. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear a damn thing. Focus on your exams and stay safe.¡±


    Axel scrolled through the list on his phone, his eyes narrowing as he hit a name.


    ¡°Ashford, 72 years old, address: Block 2, C District, Slums Outside the Wall, Building 37. Reject.¡±


    Axel¡¯s brow furrowed. That address¡­ it was dangerously close to where he lived. The two names that had been marked as ¡°Accepted¡± before had turned into infected, so what about the one marked ¡°Reject¡±? Was he dead? Or still alive? If he was alive, what could the rejection mean for him?


    These people on the list were the key. If he could figure out what had happened to them and post the info online anonymously, Wolfe would have nowhere to hide.


    But there was a problem. These were all awakened people. Even the youngest was over 50, and Axel wasn¡¯t about to risk it. He needed to play this carefully.


    As Axel weighed his options, Skye¡¯s voice broke through his thoughts.


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m hanging up. Don¡¯t overthink this. The most important thing for you right now is the Awakening Day exam.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Axel cut in, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got something. It¡¯s in my hands.¡±


    On the other end of the line, Skye¡¯s easygoing smile vanished.


    Axel smirked. ¡°Come get it yourself.¡± Then he hung up.


    Annabelle, who had been sitting quietly beside him, noticed Axel¡¯s tense posture. Her eyes were wide with worry, even though Axel hadn¡¯t said a word. Over the years, she had come to recognize this expression on her brother¡ªsomething big was coming.


    ¡°Annabelle,¡± Axel whispered, leaning close to her. He shared his plan with her, and though she wasn¡¯t happy about it, she reluctantly agreed. Her eyes remained clouded with concern, but she trusted her brother.


    At the Law Enforcement Bureau, Skye gathered a few of his key subordinates within minutes.


    "Captain, it¡¯s late. Why are we still having a meeting?" one of them asked, voice laced with confusion.


    "We were just having a good time....." Another team member, still half-relaxed, saw the serious look on Skye¡¯s face and immediately stood at attention.


    Skye scanned the room, his eyes sharp. ¡°In the past six months, we¡¯ve had six separate cases of infected people attacking civilians. That¡¯s way more than a city with a million people should be seeing. We¡¯ve been investigating this for a while, and here¡¯s the strange part: these infected aren¡¯t usual suspects.¡±


    ¡°Usually, it¡¯s younger awakened people, or those in their bottleneck phase¡ªhungry for more power, desperate enough to mutate. We track those cases, keep tabs on them, and typically nothing happens. But these recent ones? They¡¯re all older, primary-level awakeners, most of them in their twilight years. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    The team exchanged uneasy looks. A infection was humanity''s worst nightmare, right next to wild beast attacks. Who the hell would risk stirring up that hornet¡¯s nest?


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a suspect,¡± Skye continued, his voice low. ¡°His name is Wolfe.¡±


    Wolfe was dangerous¡ªeveryone knew that. He had too many connections in both the legal and illegal worlds. But the idea that Wolfe might be linked to these infected people? That was a whole new level of dangerous.


    Skye¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. The six of you will pair up and monitor Wolfe¡¯s casino, his black-market boxing ring, and his so-called entertainment complex. Report back to me with anything unusual. Immediately.¡±


    Skye¡¯s eyes flicked to each member of his team. He hadn¡¯t called the whole group in for a reason. If Wolfe was behind this mess, the fewer people who knew, the better.


    ¡°Freya, I¡¯m leaving the dispatch to you. I¡¯ve got other business to take care of.¡±

 Chapter23 - Probing

    Skye arrived at Slum Area C just outside the city. It was already well past ten o¡¯clock in the evening, and the streets were quiet, the narrow alleys dark and empty. In places like this, criminals prowled under the cover of night, and ordinary people locked themselves away early, afraid to leave their homes after dark.


    A figure stood a short distance away, leaning against a wall in a black shirt, waiting.


    "Where''s the thing?" Skye¡¯s voice was tense, his impatience showing.


    Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black memory card, handing it over quickly before stepping back into the shadows.


    Skye didn¡¯t seem to notice Axel¡¯s subtle retreat. After taking the card, he didn¡¯t even look at Axel; instead, he immediately pulled out a small device with an LCD screen and slid the card into it.


    Axel exhaled in relief. It seemed like things weren¡¯t going sideways. Skye didn¡¯t appear to be working for Wolfe. If he had been, Axel would¡¯ve been dead already.


    The device¡¯s screen remained blank. Skye frowned, confused.


    ¡°Uh¡­ actually, this is the wrong card. It¡¯s mine,¡± Axel said casually, stretching out his hand to retrieve the memory card.


    Nothing had gone wrong so far, and Axel kept his cool. Skye, on the other hand, looked at him with confusion. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± He scratched the rough stubble on his chin, still perplexed.


    Without answering, Axel gave a sharp whistle.


    The whistle cut through the night like a blade, sharp and clear in the otherwise silent street.


    A moment later, a little girl in a worn-out linen dress appeared cautiously from around the corner, handing Axel a black memory card.


    ¡°Here, it¡¯s this one,¡± Axel said, offering the card again.


    Skye chuckled, a mix of amusement and embarrassment. He slapped his waist and shook his head. "Seriously? You¡¯re playing these games with me?" He stopped mid-sentence, a realization dawning on him.


    This kid was smart¡ªway too smart for his age. Axel had already felt the weight of Wolfe¡¯s threat before he¡¯d even called Skye. If Skye was working for Wolfe, Axel would¡¯ve been dead the moment the card was in his hands. But Axel had been one step ahead. He¡¯d made sure Annabelle took the memory card and hid it in case things went south. If Skye turned on him, Axel would have leverage¡ªsomething to fight for.


    Skye¡¯s eyes softened as he watched the two siblings. The earlier frustration from being doubted evaporated. Before their meeting, Axel had already prepared for the worst, a dangerous gamble.


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    He glanced back at Axel and Annabelle, two orphans who¡¯d registered their names just three years ago. Before then, they¡¯d never received any official assistance, scraping by on their own. The slum hut they lived in had been bought with the little money they could scrounge together. While other kids lived carefree under their parents¡¯ protection, these two had been fighting to survive every day.


    Skye¡¯s voice softened, and he gave Annabelle a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡±


    Annabelle blinked, still nervous, but nodded.


    Skye inserted the memory card into the device again. The table appeared on the screen, and Skye¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed as he scanned the names. When he saw the two infected people, his expression darkened.


    ¡°The two that were marked ¡®Accepted¡¯¡­ those are the infected people from Area C, right?¡± Skye asked.


    Axel nodded. ¡°Yeah. So, is this enough to convict him?¡±


    Skye¡¯s gaze stayed fixed on the screen as he thought it over. ¡°The evidence chain has to be solid. This alone can link his men to the infected people, but it won¡¯t be enough to lock him down for good.¡±


    He paused, then looked at Axel, his voice more serious now. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. No one who dares mess with taboos like this will get away. This is enough to get him arrested. Once he¡¯s in custody, I¡¯ll make sure he confesses one way or another.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t about torture. In the Awakener era, making someone talk wasn¡¯t as difficult as people thought, especially someone like Wolfe, who wasn¡¯t an Awakened.


    But this wasn¡¯t as simple as Skye was making it sound. He was only trying to put Axel and Annabelle at ease.


    What Skye needed to do now was dig into the rest of the people on that list¡ªfigure out what ¡°accepted¡± and ¡°rejected¡± really meant. He could already guess the worst-case scenario: that all of them would be gone by the time they found them.


    The moment Skye had seen that list, he had a bad feeling. Wolfe wasn¡¯t just some petty criminal. The whole damn list was made up of Awakened people¡ªelderly, yes, and in the early stages, but still dangerous. Most of them were disabled or incapacitated, but killing them all? That would be a heinous crime.


    But if Wolfe was behind the infected outbreaks, Skye knew he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to slaughter them.


    "Freya," Skye said as he sent the list to his second-in-command, "I need you to find these people. Protect them. Then have the others dig up any connections to Wolfe."


    Skye¡¯s gut told him that he was already too slow.


    As his eyes scanned the list again, he caught sight of a name that made him pause¡ªa person living in Slum C. It was strange for an Awakened to be in the slums, and while Skye didn¡¯t have many trustworthy people right now, he¡¯d have to handle this one himself.


    He sighed and turned to Axel and Annabelle. "You two..." He knew he¡¯d been overconfident earlier. Axel¡¯s sharp instincts had clearly picked up on the danger. ¡°You guys should stay out of this. It''s too dangerous.¡±


    "We¡¯ll follow you," Axel said with quiet determination. "We might be able to help."


    This kid, he thought, had guts. Still, he wasn¡¯t about to throw him into the fire. The three of them made their way to the address on the list. When they arrived, the building stood out. It was completely different from the rest of the slums¡ªan elegant two-story house with a small courtyard in front, though it was dark and lifeless at the moment.


    Skye eyed the place carefully. "I think we¡¯re too late."


    He glanced around and realized the place had been recently occupied. The door was clean¡ªno cobwebs, no dust¡ªand the plants in the yard looked well-kept.


    Axel looked around too. This area was at the edge of the slums, and beyond it, the woods stretched out, their shadows deep in the dark. The place might have been a hellhole, but the view wasn¡¯t bad, if you ignored the ever-present threat of wild beasts that lurked outside the walls.


    But it wasn¡¯t the view that caught Axel¡¯s attention. In the woods not far away, a faint flicker of light was visible. It wasn¡¯t the usual eerie green glow of infected¡ªit was red.

 Chapter24 - Skill Awakening

    As Skye entered the house, Axel moved quietly toward the spot where he¡¯d seen the strange flickering lights. When he got closer, he realized it wasn¡¯t just one ball of red light, but also a small green one the size of a melon seed, flickering beside it.


    Axel picked both up, and as soon as he touched them, the lights transformed into two small crystals¡ªone red, the other green. He didn¡¯t rush to absorb them but instead took a moment to study the surroundings.


    There were no signs of a struggle or any fight. The ground was solid, with no odd smells lingering in the air. It didn¡¯t look like the person had been buried here after death.


    However, something on the ground caught Axel''s attention¡ªa faint black-and-red mark that seemed out of place.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Axel¡¯s mind clicked. He remembered a similar mark from when Skye and his team dealt with the infected. They had used some kind of special solution to melt them down, and the solution left a similar mark. Axel had been intrigued by it back then and made a mental note.


    The mark was so small and nondescript, it didn¡¯t have a distinct odor. If not for Axel''s awakening abilities, he doubted anyone else would have noticed it.


    "The person is dead." Skye¡¯s voice broke the silence as he walked back outside, spitting and puffing on a cigarette. "Fuck."


    The house''s owner hadn¡¯t been gone for long¡ªonly about two or three days¡ªbut that meant Wolfe had already taken action ahead of time. Sure enough, just as he suspected, he got a call from Freya moments later.


    "Captain, I¡¯ve checked. All these people are missing."


    "How long?" Skye''s voice was tense.


    "Some have been missing for months, others just in the last few days." Freya rattled off names and details.


    Skye scrolled through the list on his phone, matching them to what Freya had said. "Those who were marked ¡®accepted¡¯ have been missing for months... But the ones who were marked ¡®rejected¡¯¡ªthey¡¯ve all vanished recently..."


    The pieces started to fit together. There was only one explanation. They¡¯d been silenced by Wolfe.


    "Alright. I understand." Skye crushed out his cigarette, irritation creeping through. Normally, with an ordinary case, he''d simply arrest someone and be done with it. But not now¡ªnot with Wolfe involved. It felt like his hands were tied.


    Then Axel spoke up, waving from the side.


    "I found something."


    Skye''s eyes narrowed, and he walked over, still chewing over the problem. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Axel pointed at the faint black-and-red marks on the ground. Skye barely glanced at it at first, but then, after squatting down and getting a closer look, his eyes widened in surprise.


    "Is this¡­ the trace of corpse-dissolving fluid?!" Skye¡¯s voice dropped as he realized what it was.


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    Axel nodded. "I found this outside while you were inside. Do you think it¡¯s possible the person was¡­ dissolved?"


    Skye¡¯s face tightened. "It¡¯s very possible," he muttered. Not many people had access to corpse-dissolving fluid. Those who wanted to make someone disappear completely¡ªwho didn¡¯t want a body to ever show up¡ªwould use it.


    "Shit, you really are something, Axel." Skye grinned. "If no school wants you after graduation, you should come work for us. With your skills, what do we need a bloodhound for?"


    Axel''s expression darkened, and he turned away, not wanting to talk.


    Skye laughed heartily, not noticing Axel¡¯s irritation. He pulled out a small shovel and began scraping up the soil stained with the corpse-dissolving fluid, dropping it into a transparent bag. The dirt oozed a dark, blood-red color, just like dried blood.


    "Wolfe¡¯s people really aren¡¯t thorough enough. But I guess we can thank them for that."


    At this moment, Skye was glad he¡¯d brought Axel along. Sure, he might¡¯ve eventually found that if he had sent a search party, but there were still so many names on the list. Once the victims in the city were killed, their bodies couldn¡¯t be disposed of like they would be out in the wilderness. The urgency of the situation meant they could easily miss key evidence.


    "Is this enough evidence?" Axel asked, his relief evident. His curiosity, however, was now fully on the red crystal he¡¯d found.


    Skye shook his head, looking at Axel with some joking. When Axel didn¡¯t react, Skye sighed. "You know, kid, being too damn smart isn¡¯t always a good thing. Well, it¡¯s not *enough* to lock him up, but I can still catch him." He smiled wickedly. "I¡¯ll put him in a cell for 48 hours. Whether he confesses or not, that¡¯s not his call."


    Axel felt a shiver run down his spine at Skye''s vicious grin and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry for Wolfe. Then again, Skye wasn¡¯t just any cop¡ªhe was the captain of the city¡¯s law enforcement bureau.


    "Hey, Freya, we¡¯ve got evidence! Let¡¯s arrest him now!" Skye¡¯s voice was loud through the phone. "What do you mean, don¡¯t act rashly? Just lock this bastard up for me."


    Once Wolfe was in custody, Skye planned to confirm the DNA from the bloodied soil. As soon as it matched the missing person from the list, he could tie Wolfe to everything. The ones who "accepted" the offer became infected, and the ones who "rejected" ended up dead or disappeared. Don''t you have to explain?


    Don''t tell?


    If it''s the police, there may be no way to force him, but Skye can, and the law enforcement bureau can.


    As for Wolfe''s local connections and his impact on the local economy, sorry, he has just been in Dune for a year and doesn''t know many people, so he doesn''t give face to anyone.


    A couple of hours later, after learning that Wolfe had been arrested, Axel finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned home. Now, it was over for him. He¡¯d done his part, and everything else was out of his hands.


    But what was really on his mind now was the red crystal.


    "Green crystals directly enhance the Force¡­ What about the red ones?" Axel wondered.


    Previously, he¡¯d worried about leveling up too fast and drawing attention, but after the encounter with Wolfe¡¯s men, Axel realized that strength was the real foundation of survival.


    "To hell with it. Let¡¯s see what this does," Axel muttered to himself. He locked himself in his room, holding the red crystal. In an instant, the crystal dissolved into a flood of red light that swept through his body. The world around him spun violently.


    He kept his eyes open, but something strange happened¡ªhe could suddenly see the meridians and spiritual pathways inside his body. In the deepest part of his spiritual world, a massive tree appeared.


    It was enormous, its peak seeming to pierce through the dark clouds above, but the tree itself was withered and dry, except for the roots at the very bottom, which pulsed with a faint vitality.


    Then, a white ball of light appeared at the base of the tree, as if it were a new sprout gently emerging from the trunk.


    "What the hell is this?" Axel gasped in awe. He had never seen anything like it in any of the records about Awakened individuals.


    But before he could get a deeper understanding, the strange vision suddenly snapped away, forcing him out of the trance. However, a sudden realization surged within him. The white ball of light seemed to represent an awakening skill.


    Axel hesitated, then focused on it, silently activating it within himself. The next moment, an incredible sensation flooded his senses.

 Chapter25 - Capture

    After a long day of dealing with the mess, Axel had finally gotten rid of the last of the hidden dangers. He was exhausted¡ªphysically drained¡ªbut there was something about the energy inside him that made him feel like he was soaking in hot water. His fatigue seemed to melt away, replaced with an unfamiliar sense of vitality.


    "Ugh..." Axel couldn¡¯t help but groan. "This... this is definitely an awakening skill." After regaining most of his strength, Axel could feel the force value in his body ebbing away.


    He let out a deep breath, trying not to laugh too loud, though his grin only got wider. "This ability... this is insane."


    At first, Axel had thought that his ability to extract force crystals from corpses was already overpowered. But now? He could extract the ¡°awakening skills¡± of the dead.


    Most awakened individuals could only grasp awakening skills that matched their own attributes. Take Skye, for example¡ªhe had the body-hardening ability, so his awakening was probably focused on strengthening his physique, especially his defense.


    But Axel''s new skill¡ªthis ¡°recovery¡± ability¡ªwas an auxiliary one, common but incredibly useful. It let him convert his own force to restore a significant amount of physical stamina. Axel recalled the towering tree he had seen within his spiritual world. If it were filled with awakening skills... could he become the legendary "universal awakener"?


    The idea had been proposed by a few scholars before¡ªsomething about letting a body-strengthening awakener learn mechanical transformation skills, or mixing various skills. But in the end, it only led to strange, unstable awakeners.


    Still¡­ Axel had picked up this skill. Awakening skills usually took years of practice to master, with some first-level awakeners struggling to activate them at all. But Axel felt like he had used the "recovery" skill countless times before¡ªit came naturally.


    Of course, becoming a ¡°universal awakener¡± was just a fantasy for now. After all, finding the corpse of a fellow awakener wasn¡¯t exactly easy. Axel wasn¡¯t tired yet, so he took out the fine raw stones that Skye had given him and started absorbing them. Sure, the process was slow compared to directly refining crystals, but at least it was progress.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the heart of Dune, where the city¡¯s wealthiest lived, the Red Flag Avenue blazed with lights well past midnight. In a pristine mansion that looked like a castle, Wolfe, dressed in a dark green nightgown, relaxed with a beautiful woman in his arms. He listened to a report from his subordinate, Frost, detailing Axel''s interrogation.


    Wolfe¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he listened.


    ¡°Once the storm dies down, find a way to get rid of this guy.¡±


    Frost nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±


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    Just then, the door suddenly flew open.


    "Wolfe, sorry to bother you," a gruff voice called out. ¡°I''m Captain Skye, from the Enforcement Bureau. I suspect you''re involved with the infected people appearing in Area C of the slums. You¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    Wolfe raised an eyebrow. As he glanced at Frost, a slight smirk tugged at his lips. He¡¯d known that the Enforcement Bureau had been sniffing around after the two infected people had escaped from his casino, but he was sure they didn¡¯t have anything concrete on him. If they had, he would have been arrested by now.


    "Captain Skye," Wolfe said, feigning politeness. "What¡¯s this all about? Can''t we talk about this tomorrow? There¡¯s no need to make such a big fuss."


    He wasn¡¯t panicked. Wolfe was familiar with the Bureau¡¯s tactics. They¡¯d intimidate some people into confessing, but he wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Skye replied, flashing a relaxed grin as he casually dropped onto a large leather sofa across from Wolfe. He popped a few grapes into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated enjoyment, the juice splattering. "Wolfe. You know that matters involving the infected aren¡¯t something to take lightly. I¡¯m in a bit of a bind myself. If I¡¯m wrong here, I¡¯ll personally come and apologize to you. How does that sound?"


    Wolfe studied Skye carefully, his sharp features unreadable. His gaze flicked to the seven or eight officers standing at the door, and he exhaled sharply. It seemed like things were worse than he¡¯d anticipated. Skye wasn¡¯t bluffing. He really had something on him.


    Wolfe sat in silence for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright, I''ll go with you. But let me make a quick phone call first."


    Skye made a casual gesture, signaling that he didn¡¯t mind. "Do whatever you need."


    Two minutes later, Frost watched with a scowl as Wolfe stepped into the Enforcement Bureau¡¯s car. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed.


    With Skye right there, some things couldn¡¯t be said too openly. Frost had to give a bit more explanation now.


    "A captain from the Enforcement Bureau dares to arrest Wolfe?" Frost muttered under his breath, his voice full of disbelief.


    In Dune, every captain in the Enforcement teams had a close relationship with Wolfe. Hell, even the head of the Bureau had to show him respect. There was no one else like Skye.


    As he looked at Wolfe, who sat calm and composed in the car, Skye wiped the smirk from his face. Despite having something on Wolfe, Skye didn¡¯t have the direct evidence he needed. He knew that Wolfe was likely sitting on a backup plan, just waiting for Skye to make a move.


    This could screw up Skye¡¯s entire operation, but he had to keep pushing¡ªonly by forcing Wolfe¡¯s hand could he continue to dig for more clues.


    "As expected of Wolfe," Skye muttered to himself. "You''re the only one who can stay so calm in this situation."


    The car hit a few bumps as they drove, and Wolfe glanced over at Skye. The man didn¡¯t quite fit the usual law enforcement mold. He didn¡¯t have the polished, bureaucratic vibe that the others did. Instead, he had the air of a seasoned street boss¡ªrough, sharp, but composed.


    Wolfe had never heard of any influential family having ties with Skye. Most of them thought the guy was a poor, socially awkward man who worked himself to the bone. Now, Wolfe could see that those assumptions were wrong.


    "I¡¯m a legitimate businessman," Wolfe said with a slight smirk, turning his attention away from Skye. "I have nothing to worry about."


    Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the law enforcement bureau. There were two other cars parked outside, and a group of well-dressed, middle-aged men stood waiting. Their calm, sophisticated air told Skye that these weren¡¯t just random people¡ªthese were serious players.


    Skye narrowed his eyes as he spotted one of them. The higher up the chain these guys were, the colder he felt.


    "Director Nash," Skye greeted, his tone shifting to one of politeness as he stepped out of the car. "It¡¯s late¡ªwhat brings you out here?"


    A playful smile curled on Skye¡¯s lips, but his eyes remained calculating.

 Chapter26 - Pressure

    Nash was a rising star in Dune¡¯s political scene. In his early thirties, he¡¯d already secured the position of Director of Taxation, and many saw him as the future governor of the city. Skye knew that someone like him, with so much potential ahead, wouldn¡¯t risk his neck over something like Wolfe¡ªnot unless there was a much bigger picture involved.


    But here he was¡­ This told Skye that Wolfe had connections far deeper than he had originally thought. The stakes were higher, and the web was more tangled than he had imagined.


    Skye couldn¡¯t help but mentally curse himself. I really stepped into a mess this time.


    He forced a smile and walked over to shake hands with Nash. The man was the picture of youthful strength and confidence, his eyes sharp with an easy charisma. He greeted Skye with a smile that appeared both friendly and calculating.


    "Captain Skye, I hear you¡¯ve got a great entrepreneur in our city in cuffs? What¡¯s going on? Why the big show?"


    Skye threw a casual grin. "Oh, it¡¯s just about the infected folks from a few days ago. You know how these things go¡ªwhen it comes to infections, nothing¡¯s ever simple. I¡¯ve just invited Mr. Wolfe in for a little chat. If all goes well, I¡¯ll personally see him off."


    Watching the two of them banter like old friends, Freya and the other members of Skye¡¯s team stood stiffly nearby, looking straight ahead. They were more frontline officers, not accustomed to this kind of polished, smiling diplomacy. They understood the job, but they didn¡¯t do it with the same smooth charm.


    Nash nodded, acknowledging Skye''s words but shifting the conversation to more serious ground. "Infections are serious, no doubt about that. You front-liners really have a tough job." He paused, then asked, his tone cooling slightly, "But tell me, Captain¡ªhave you got conclusive evidence?"


    Skye¡¯s smile tightened, but he kept his cool. "I can¡¯t say it¡¯s conclusive yet, but Wolfe certainly has some explaining to do."


    The change in Nash¡¯s demeanor was subtle but noticeable. His smile faded, replaced with a sharper, more calculating gaze. "Skye, you know Wolfe isn¡¯t just another businessman in this city. He¡¯s part of the fabric here¡ªhis family¡¯s been entrenched for years. If you¡¯re linking him to these infections without solid evidence, it could wreck his reputation, harm his business, and tarnish the city¡¯s image."


    He let that hang in the air for a moment. "If you find something concrete, I won¡¯t stand in your way. But if you don¡¯t¡­ this whole method of yours could be seen as, let¡¯s say, a bit rough."


    The edge in Nash¡¯s words was sharp, though his tone remained cool. In terms of rank, Nash was far above Skye. And while the law enforcement bureau technically wasn¡¯t under his direct jurisdiction, it didn¡¯t mean Nash didn¡¯t wield significant influence. Every officer looking to stay in Dune long-term knew what that kind of pressure felt like.


    Skye¡¯s grin didn¡¯t waver. He kept his tone light but firm. "Oh, there¡¯s definitely evidence, Director. But you know, until the case is wrapped up, I¡¯m not in a position to share details."


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    Nash¡¯s eyes flashed with a flicker of annoyance, but he kept his composure. This guy¡¯s persistent, he thought. But how confident can he really be without hard proof?


    "You¡¯re crossing the line here, Skye," Nash said, his voice low but threatening. "You can¡¯t just treat one of this city¡¯s prominent entrepreneurs like this. Not without concrete proof."


    Nash stepped forward, his men in black suits closing ranks behind him, standing firm in front of Skye.


    Skye, however, didn¡¯t even flinch. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag, enjoying the smoke as it curled around him. The scene grew heavy with tension, the silence almost palpable.


    For a moment, it seemed like Nash had the upper hand¡ªlike Skye was about to back down. But then Skye¡¯s smile spread even wider, and his eyes flickered with a dangerous gleam.


    He leaned back slightly, showing a flash of his yellow teeth and cigarette-stained grin.


    "Director Nash," he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade, "when it comes to infected people, you don¡¯t get to decide what happens. That¡¯s not up to you."


    No matter how well Nash had cultivated his tone, his face turned dark with fury when Skye mocked him in front of all his subordinates. Just as he was about to snap back, Skye stubbed out his cigarette and his expression suddenly grew icy cold.


    ¡°Or do you want to go inside and talk about it, Director Nash?¡± Skye¡¯s voice was low, coming from deep in his chest, his eyes locking onto Nash with a chilling, unspoken threat. The pressure of his Force surged around him, and the hairs on the backs of Nash¡¯s men stood on end.


    ¡°You¡ª!¡± Nash flinched, his legs trembling slightly. By the time he regained his composure, Skye and his team had already entered the building, their footsteps echoing.


    From a distance, Nash could only hear Skye¡¯s voice, his words hanging heavily in the air. "I found a list with Wolfe''s men, and the names match the infected we¡¯ve been dealing with. Everyone else on that list has either disappeared or turned up dead at their doorstep. That¡¯s enough reason to hold him for 48 hours."


    Nash froze, the cold weight of those words sinking in. Wolfe¡­ was this bastard really unreliable? Nash felt a chill run down his spine, his stomach twisting with unease. He understood now¡ªSkye hadn¡¯t revealed everything right away to test his response. And some of Nash¡¯s own actions had likely made him a target in Skye''s eyes.


    His face darkened even more. He pulled out his phone and started dialing, urgency lacing his movements.


    Meanwhile, Skye walked calmly into the hall, his pace steady. Freya, trailing behind him, couldn¡¯t hide her concern. She whispered quietly, ¡°Skye, did you push him too hard?"  She know he was stubborn. Otherwise, with his track record, he should¡¯ve at least been made Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau by now, not stuck on the front lines.


    Skye grinned, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. ¡°Right now, they should be scrambling. I was hoping to catch a bigger fish, but it looks like this one will have to do for now.¡± With a smirk, he pushed open the door to the interrogation room and entered, his men following behind him. He threw a bright smile toward Wolfe, his voice light but with an underlying edge. ¡°Mr. Wolfe, sorry for the delay. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    The moment Wolfe heard Skye¡¯s voice, his carefree demeanor evaporated. He slowly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the man who seemed entirely unfazed by the situation. It took him a few moments to process what was happening. He hadn¡¯t expected this¡ª Even the outside forces couldn¡¯t stop him.


    Wolfe sneered, his tone dripping with warning. ¡°You¡¯re playing a dangerous game here, Captain Skye. Do you really think you can handle this? You¡¯re way out of your depth.¡±


    Skye¡¯s grin didn¡¯t fade. He removed his coat, his eyes sizing Wolfe up like a predator examining its prey. ¡°Cut the bullshit,¡± Skye said, his voice cold, all trace of politeness gone.

 Chapter27 - "Simple" Training

    The next morning, Axel woke up early. Today was the first day of training for the elite class, and he was curious to see what kind of instructor the school would bring in to teach them.


    "Axel, over here!" As soon as Axel stepped onto the playground, he spotted Cassia hanging from the horizontal bar, swinging her long legs back and forth while waving him over.


    Nearby, a few other students stood in small groups, chatting casually. As soon as Cassia called out to him, they all turned their attention to Axel.


    Even in the elite class, there were cliques. Ryder and Vale were clearly the social butterflies in the crowd. So naturally, a group of students had gathered around them.


    For Axel, their reaction had been mild. His Force rating of 90 was just barely enough to qualify for the class, so the other students were more curious than impressed. They''d been surprised yesterday, but that was about it.


    Cassia, however, was among the top students in the class. Too bad for Ryder and Vale¡ªthey¡¯d tried talking to her a few times, but quickly realized she wasn¡¯t interested in them, so they stopped wasting their time.


    The rest of the students were still chattering, and Ryder and Vale had already started a group chat, pulling everyone in.


    It had to be said, the two of them were good at getting the crowd going. Before long, the awkwardness faded, and the students began warming up to each other.


    "In the future, we¡¯ll all be awakened," Ryder said, speaking with a smile. "Even if we¡¯re not in the same city, we¡¯re still classmates. We can help each other out."


    His words seemed to have an effect, as many of the students straightened their backs, feeling a sense of pride and unity.


    Axel didn''t comment, but he knew better. A Force rating of 100 was just the minimum threshold for awakening. Even if you reached it, there was no guarantee you would successfully awaken.


    And having even ten people in their class actually succeed would be considered a major win.


    "I wonder who the substitute teacher is today?" someone asked, breaking the silence.


    "The principal''s the only awakened one at our school, right? He''s a first-level Awakener in the Department of Life. You think he might show up?"


    "Not a chance."


    "That would be boring as hell. Are seriously getting someone with a lower Force rating than our?"


    The group chuckled, their confidence high. After all, this was Brookhaven High, the top school in the city, and they were the best of the best here. They were in high spirits, feeling like they had the world at their feet.


    Just then, the roar of an engine shattered the calm. A black motorcycle came speeding down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust as it barreled toward the crowd like a beast on the prowl.


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    The rider, a man with a scar on his face and wearing a black leather jacket, was casually holding a cigarette as he tore through the playground.


    At this speed, the motorcycle would crash into the group, knocking people over. The students instinctively jumped to the side, trying to avoid the impending collision. But instead of braking, the man slammed his foot onto the ground and leapt into the air, the bike still gripped firmly in his hand.


    The bike flipped through the air, spinning like a toy before landing smoothly at the side of the road.


    The man shrugged off the dust, coughing once before speaking. "Hey there, everyone. I¡¯m your special training instructor, Kieran."


    The entire group fell silent. Their mouths went dry as they took in the sight. The motorcycle, which looked like it weighed several hundred pounds, was a toy in the man''s hands. He handled it with ease, as if it were nothing more than a bicycle.


    The display was clearly meant to shock them, and it succeeded. The students, who had been casually chatting moments before, were now wide-eyed, their earlier cocky attitudes completely evaporated.


    They had thought that the ten days of special training would be a waste of time. But now? Now they could see that their instructor was on an entirely different level. Their expectations had just shot up.


    "I get your situation," Kieran said, his voice casual but carrying a weight of authority. "But this next round of training might be a bit intense. If you¡¯ve got any physical conditions or you can¡¯t handle strenuous exercise, step forward now."


    There was a collective chuckle from the group. There were different types of awakenings, but combat type was always the focus. These people were the elite, the ones with a Force rating above 90. They were in prime physical condition, far stronger than normal humans, so any kind of basic exercise should be a walk in the park for them.


    "Alright, looks like no one has any issues," Kieran continued, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Let¡¯s get started. It''s 8:30 AM. You¡¯ll be running laps around this playground. You¡¯ve got three and a half hours. The more laps you complete, the bigger the reward."


    At this, the group froze, confused.


    "Wait... running laps?" A chubby kid whined, his voice tinged with frustration.


    It wasn''t that he was worried about getting tired. It was the fact that this training was so... basic. Running for hours? Seriously? He¡¯d rather spend his time absorbing raw stones.


    "Yep," Kieran said, eyes twinkling. "And not just today, but for the next five days. Laps every morning." He casually hopped up onto a raised platform, leaning back with a grin. "Have fun."


    There was a collective groan as students exchanged glances. Some of them even muttered under their breath.


    "This is it?" someone asked, incredulity in their voice.


    "Is this really the special training we were promised?" another muttered.


    Kieran didn¡¯t flinch at the whispers. "Don¡¯t like it? Well, you can leave," Kieran said, waving a dismissive hand.


    The chubby kid¡¯s face reddened.


    "Instructor Kieran, we invited you to help us awaken. You¡¯re really just going to make us run laps? Isn¡¯t that a bit lazy?" he said, louder now.


    Silence fell over the field. The audacity of it hung in the air. Normally, no student would ever speak like that to a teacher, especially not at a school like this. But these were the elite students, the children of the wealthiest families in Dune. They were used to getting what they wanted, and they didn¡¯t fear confrontation.


    "How I teach is up to me," he said, his tone unbothered. "If you¡¯ve got a problem with that, feel free to report me or quit. I don¡¯t care."


    The chubby kid¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, but he didn¡¯t dare speak again.


    "By the way," Kieran added, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "I almost forgot to mention¡ªfirst place gets a Force-recovery Pill. The top five get Force-increasing Pills."


    At the mention of the Force-recovery pills, all the murmurs stopped.


    The mood shifted instantly. The students from wealthy families suddenly stood up straighter. Force-recovery pills. The real deal. Even they knew that these were valuable, precious items, things you couldn¡¯t just buy at the corner store.

 Chapter28 - Internal Appointment

    Force-Recovery Pills, developed by Deep Space Pharmaceuticals, were a game-changer for anyone who had exhausted their Force. These pills could quickly replenish large amounts of Force energy. Typically, only the military had access to them, but some awakened individuals and wealthy families can also get their hands on them as well.


    "For a single dose, you¡¯re looking at $500,000 on the black market," Ryder muttered under his breath. His words hit the crowd, and the eyes of the students around him began to widen. Though many came from well-off families, Dune was still a small, border city, and $500,000 wasn¡¯t exactly pocket change. Even the richest here couldn¡¯t always afford that kind of price.


    Kieran, unbothered, waved his hand dismissively. "The school applied for these. There¡¯ll be one available each day for the next five days. Whoever wants to take it, just run the laps. Simple as that."


    He wasn¡¯t just talking about Force-Recovery Pills either¡ªthere were also Force-Increasing Pills on the line. Though not as potent as the recovery pills, a single one was still worth around 50,000 dollars each.


    While running laps didn¡¯t seem like anything extraordinary, the reward was real, and that caught the attention of the students. A few were still hesitating, but the majority had already moved to the track, each determined to get in on the action.


    "Jesus, Cole, you¡¯re shameless! You were just complaining, and now you¡¯ve already knocked out half a lap!" someone yelled from behind.


    "What? No, I just started running," Cole replied defensively.


    "Wait up!" Another student shouted, sprinting after him.


    Seeing the others take the lead, the rest of the group slowly fell in line, running with the same quiet desperation to not be left behind.


    As the students started running, Kieran casually plucked a blade of grass, pulled out his phone, and recorded a quick video to send to Mason.


    "Kieran," Mason¡¯s voice came through, light with amusement. "The Force-Recovery Pills were going to Theo, Cassia privately. Why set up a competition like this?"


    The five Force-Recovery Pills were meant for Theo and the other top students. They had the highest chance of breaking 100 Force or even awakening in the grade. But Kieran, always a stickler for fairness, decided to make a competition out of it.


    Most of these elite students didn¡¯t take physical fitness seriously; they relied more on the Force they already had. For most of them, running a few laps would barely be a challenge. So, with a little nudging, Kieran could turn it into something that actually made them push themselves.


    "If I don¡¯t make it a competition, none of these geniuses are dumb enough to run laps for me," Kieran said with a smirk, his eyes still following the students. "But this? This makes them fight for it. No danger, just a chance to push their limits. It''s exactly what they need."


    He paused, watching the runners with a knowing expression. "And as for the pills... in the end, only a few of them will actually get them."


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    Kieran''s gaze sharpened as he scanned the field. Theo! Cassia!


    Before today, only these two broke the 100 mark. They were the ones with the highest potential, and the pills had been prepared specifically for them. Kieran was using this as a bargaining chip to motivate the others.


    But 100 was the magic number. No one in this class could match Theo and Cassia in terms of pure physical strength and fitness. Kieran knew this, and Mason understood it too. So, the competition, such as it was, was already decided. The difference in Force was simply too great.


    Thirty students were running hard on the 400-meter track now, their form similar in the early stages.


    .....


    One hour later...


    "Have you heard? The elite class is running laps around the playground."


    "No way. Is this their so-called ''special training''?"


    "Yeah, they''ve been at it for almost an hour now."


    The students, who were initially curious about the elite class, had gathered near the railings of the teaching building to watch the spectacle.


    "Sure enough, Theo¡¯s still leading."


    At the front of the pack were Cassia and Theo. They weren''t speeding ahead, maintaining a steady pace that kept them just under ten meters ahead of the rest of the class.


    This gave some of the onlookers a glimmer of hope. Ten meters isn¡¯t much¡ªif they pushed themselves, maybe they could catch up.


    "It''s like boiling a frog in warm water," Kieran said from his seat, tossing the grass stem he had been chewing to the side.


    Theo and Cassia were clearly exceptional. Not only were they talented, but they were also seasoned. They could push themselves harder, but they were pacing themselves for the moment that counted. Their strategy was simple: conserve energy, force the others to fall back, and then when the time was right, they¡¯d step it up and leave the competition behind.


    Just as Kieran was thinking of ways to provoke the others into making a move and creating chaos, a loud, unexpected sound interrupted his train of thought.


    Pffftttttttt¡ªpuff puff puff!


    It was the unmistakable sound of air escaping rapidly, followed by a long, continuous hiss¡ªlike a balloon deflating.


    Kieran¡¯s face dropped, his eyes scanning the scene. A faint yellow smoke was rising from the crowd. And then...


    "Jesus Christ, Cole! Are you even human?! You trying to suffocate us all?!"


    "Cough, cough, cough... I''m dying over here!"


    "What the hell did you eat last night, man?!"


    It was Cole¡ªthe chubby kid who had questioned Kieran earlier¡ªlooking positively relieved. "Ah, finally! Got it all out!"


    Fuck.


    The carefully arranged formation of runners broke apart instantly, as if someone had tossed a stone into a calm lake. The chaos sent more than a dozen students scrambling, covering their noses, and quickly overtaking Cassia and Theo in the process.


    "Well done," Kieran muttered, a satisfied grin creeping onto his face. This was exactly what he had been hoping for.


    Though Theo and Cassia were thankfully oblivious to the smell, they had no choice but to speed up in order to regain their position at the front. The ripple effect of the yellow smoke was pushing everyone to run harder.


    But Kieran¡¯s smile quickly faded. As the wind shifted, the smell of Cole''s ¡°release¡± began drifting toward him.


    His face went purple with disgust. "What the hell did that kid eat? shit!"


    Meanwhile, the students on the railings of the teaching building were in tears, laughing at the unfolding chaos. Their opinion of this "special training" had taken a sharp nosedive.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, Axel held his breath and surged forward, moving up into the lead pack.


    A few minutes of mayhem later, the group began to settle back into a rhythm. Now, there were six students in the front, alongside Theo and Cassia. But the surprise for everyone was that Axel was among them!


    Kieran glanced at his watch, his brow furrowing. One hour and thirty-three minutes left.


    "This guy¡¯s got some fight in him."


    Kieran glanced over at Axel, who had been steadily pushing himself in the front pack. He knew a little about Axel¡ªmost of the info coming from the principal.


    Watching Axel in the lead made Kieran feel a slight pang of regret. It would¡¯ve been great if such a promising student had been discovered earlier.


    Ninety points of Force¡ªthe gap is indeed a bit big.

 Chapter29 - Little Tricks

    "How the hell did he end up up here? Does he seriously think he can win this thing?"


    After Cole¡¯s dramatic stunt, the group had settled back into a more stable rhythm. The longer they ran, the more the gaps between the students became apparent.


    The last ten were trailing with Force values around 93, while the next group¡ªRyder, Vale, and others¡ªwere somewhere in the middle. At the front, there were five people with a Force of over 98, plus Axel, who stood out like a sore thumb in that elite crowd.


    Vale snorted, clearly unimpressed. Even though she¡¯d missed her chance to befriend Axel earlier, she had thought about it after the fact.


    One more is too many, one less is fine.


    Ryder had suggested she make nice with Axel, but Vale had brushed off the idea.


    Ninety points of Force? When she joined the War Academy, Axel were in an entirely different league from her.


    The midday sun was unbearable, the heat almost felt like being baked alive. The students who had been watching the elite class had stopped laughing. They¡¯d finished a class and come out, only to find these guys were still running. It was clear¡ªthey didn¡¯t have the stamina for this kind of endurance.


    Sweat soaked through their clothes, clinging to their skin, and Axel could feel a slight burn in his lungs. He wasn''t sure where his Force level was now; he¡¯d absorbed some raw stones and crystals the day before, so it had probably improved. But compared to the top two, Theo and Cassia, his own Force was still lacking.


    He could easily got the Force-Recovery Pill¡ªhe had a secret weapon: his awakening skill, Recovery.


    It would burn through a lot of Force, but it would bring him back to peak condition.


    The catch? Axel wasn¡¯t planning on using it. Not because he had a competitive spirit. He¡¯d thrown that out the window three years ago when he and his sister had been on the run.


    The real reason? He wasn¡¯t sure if Kieran would be able to see the awakening skill in action. If Kieran did notice, it¡¯d be a massive problem. Awakening a skill before breaking 100 Force? That would make headlines all over the country.


    Axel couldn¡¯t afford the kind of attention that would come with that.


    "This kid¡¯s a little strange." Kieran murmured to himself, adjusting his position under the blazing sun. He glanced at his watch, and his expression shifted to something more serious.


    The students were showing more drive than he¡¯d expected. Axel, in particular, had been holding his own at the front for so long.


    "Last half hour," Kieran muttered. Time was ticking down, and if Theo and Cassia were going to win this, they couldn¡¯t leave anything to chance.


    Just as Kieran had predicted, Theo and Cassia picked up the pace. The gap between them and the rest of the pack started to widen as they pushed ahead, pulling away from the others.


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    The students in the back echelon had long given up on winning first place. Some in the second echelon were struggling, gritting their teeth and pushing through the pain, but seeing Theo and his team picking up the pace, the others couldn¡¯t help but feel a little defeated.


    Vale and Ryder weren¡¯t among them, though. They had their eyes locked on one of the stronger runners in the front group.


    Knight.


    The guy had the highest Force value in their small circle¡ª99.


    When Knight closed the gap, Vale and Ryder exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with relief.


    They weren¡¯t dumb. They knew this whole thing was rigged. The reward was always going to go to Theo or Cassia. But they had found a loophole, a chance to slip by and grab a Force-Recovery Pill for themselves.


    Knight was the key.


    As Knight made his move, Theo and Cassia were a little surprised to see him closing in, but neither said a word. They were both over 100 in Force, and the gap between them was too small to make a real difference. One deep breath would probably be enough to sway things.


    The gap between the top two and others, was getting wider as they surged ahead.


    Behind them, Knight was in third, and Axel had managed to slip into fourth.


    While Axel was impressively holding his own, the real drama was still in the top three.


    There¡¯s still a gap.


    Axel stayed calm. If he couldn¡¯t get the Force-Recovery Pill, he could at least snag a Force-Increasing Pill, which was still a good prize.


    The third echelon was beginning to fall behind the top three, unable to keep up with their pace.


    Kieran watched Knight carefully, noticing the way the guy¡¯s face was turning purple. He frowned.


    Pushing past one¡¯s limits was part of his strategy, but there had to be a limit to how much pressure they could take. Was Knight really trying to compete with Theo and Cassia for first?


    Just as Kieran was about to consider intervening, something unexpected happened.


    Knight pulled a red pill from his pocket while running, popped it in his mouth without hesitation, and swallowed it.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Kieran muttered under his breath. His eyes widened in shock. ¡°These kids are way too fucking smart for their own good. I miscalculated!¡±


    Knight had just taken a Force-Increasing Pill, a second-tier reward meant to boost his Force. It wasn¡¯t as good as a Force-Recovery Pill, but still pricey¡ªand a lot easier to get. For a student like Knight, it would almost instantly replenish his drained Force, and maybe even leave him with some extra.


    Knight only needed half the pill. As soon as it kicked in, his face flushed back to normal, and the exhaustion seemed to melt away. He powered forward, sprinting with renewed energy.


    ¡°Hell yeah, that¡¯s more like it!¡± Knight grinned, feeling the surge of energy. He wasn¡¯t even winded anymore.


    While picking up speed, he couldn¡¯t help but think, Ryder and Vale, you guys are genius-level strategists.


    Taking the pill wasn¡¯t the most honorable move, but technically, Kieran hadn¡¯t said anything about not using meds. It wasn¡¯t in the instructor¡¯s rules, and it was his first day on the job. He couldn¡¯t exactly backpedal now.


    Knight wasn¡¯t about to win against Cassia and Theo in Force, but with half a pill, he could definitely close the gap enough to make a good run for the top.


    ¡°What the fuck, Knight¡¯s going crazy?¡±


    ¡°Did you see that? He just took meds!¡±


    As the race neared its end, some of the students who had just finished their class came out to watch, catching the last part of the action.


    Theo and Cassia exchanged a quick look when they saw Knight speeding up behind them. They were surprised for a second, but that was all.


    They both kicked into high gear again, but after all the hours of running, they were reaching their limits. They could feel Knight pulling ahead.


    Wait, what the hell? Did he just take a pill?


    Axel, who was trailing about half a lap behind them, had noticed the move as well. His heart skipped a beat.


    As everyone¡¯s focus shifted to the top three, Axel used the opportunity to catch his breath and push forward. With a subtle burst of energy, he started to close the distance.

 Chapter30 - Being trapped

    Axel''s vision blurred as his remaining Force was drained in an instant, and for a moment, it felt like he was going to collapse.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Force, no one would be able to push themselves through so many laps¡ªAxel included.


    But in this moment, even though his Force had been emptied out, he felt an unexpected surge of energy. The exhaustion faded, his legs felt lighter, and his body was reinvigorated.


    Kieran checked his watch again, his brow furrowed. Five minutes left. He hadn''t expected these students to be so damn strategic about getting the Force-Recovery Pills.


    Ryder and Vale had already started to ease up on the pace. They weren¡¯t going to crack the top five, but the plan was still on track.


    Cassia and Theo, on the other hand, weren¡¯t backing down. The two of them clenched their teeth, eyes narrowed. There was no way they were going to be beaten like this.


    Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted.


    ¡°Axel¡¯s charging up!¡±


    ¡°Shit, he must¡¯ve used the raw stones. This is crazy!¡±


    From their vantage point, the students could clearly see Axel closing the gap. Everyone leaned forward, shocked.


    ¡°Wait¡­ this kid¡¯s still got some in the tank?¡± Kieran muttered under his breath. He hadn¡¯t been paying attention to Axel at first. Based on his observations, Axel had managed to hang around the top five because of his decent physical conditioning, but the gap in Force was hard to overcome.


    But now? This was¡­ unexpected.


    ¡°Damn, this whole thing¡¯s getting interesting.¡±


    Two minutes later, Axel had blown past both Cassia and Theo, leaving them behind, their figures becoming smaller and smaller in the distance.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Before Knight had overtaken them, Theo and Cassia could at least understand why¡ªKnight¡¯s Force was practically on par with theirs. But Axel? This was a whole other story.


    Vale and Ryder¡¯s faces changed too. They were near their limits. Others weren¡¯t even able to catch their breath anymore.


    Where the hell did Axel find the strength?


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s my guy!¡±


    Drayke yelled from the corridor, slapping his chest as if he¡¯d run the whole race himself. His face was flushed with excitement.


    Axel, for the first time, realized just how powerful his awakening skill was. Even though he felt like he was nearing his limit, he knew deep down that he could keep running¡ªhis body was still primed to go, thanks to his fitness and his awakening.


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    Knight was running at his own pace, taking it easy since he had a good lead on Cassia. But when he turned a corner, his eyes widened in shock. A figure was closing in on him with impressive speed.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Knight¡¯s body tensed. He was already starting to feel the strain, but seeing someone approaching from behind made his nerves spike.


    He was about to pick up his speed to keep his lead, but then something clicked in his mind.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ wasn¡¯t this guy last in the class?¡± Knight thought, a smirk forming on his face. Did I trap him?


    When Knight had been up in the front group, he¡¯d barely noticed Axel. After all, Axel had been at the back of the pack, so naturally, Knight assumed Axel had been left behind by the rest of the class.


    Knight didn¡¯t think anyone else had taken drugs ahead of time, and he was certain Axel didn¡¯t have a chance¡ªeven if Axel had used some.


    So Knight sneered and let Axel pass, no longer worried.


    ¡°Tsk. You¡¯re just some dumbass I left behind.¡±


    Knight was already thinking about how much money he¡¯d pocket after winning the championship. With the Force-Increasing Pills Ryder had given him, after deducting the costs, they¡¯d split the remaining money between them.


    But behind him, Ryder and Vale were fuming. They were both shocked and pissed off by what they were seeing.


    It wasn¡¯t much¡ªjust half a Force-Increasing Pill¡ªbut the boost it provided was more than enough to keep Knight in the lead. Even with Axel pushing himself, Knight should¡¯ve had enough energy to maintain his distance. Why the hell did Knight just let Axel pass so easily?


    ¡°What the hell is he doing?!¡± Vale was stunned.


    ¡°Shit, this idiot must think Axel got trapped by him!¡± Ryder could barely hold back his anger. Seeing Knight so relaxed about it made him want to punch him right there. Instead, he held back his rage and yelled, ¡°Knight, you better fucking chase him! He wasn¡¯t trapped by you!¡±


    That shout left Ryder gasping for air, his lungs burning.


    ¡°What?!¡± Knight''s mind went blank. He wasn¡¯t trapped?


    Kieran, who had been watching from the stands, chuckled to himself and rubbed his face. Sure, if Knight had taken the pills to secure first place, he would get it, otherwise it would ruin his reputation as an instructor. But now? The situation had shifted, and it was actually looking even better.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Knight pushed himself harder, but Axel wasn¡¯t slacking off. The gap between the two was closing, but even with all his effort, Knight still needed at least another ten minutes to catch up.


    Axel was gaining ground, and the crowd watching was going wild.


    ¡°Damn, this is the dark horse¡¯s comeback!¡±


    ¡°I guess the rumors were true. Axel really did help out the Enforcement Bureau.¡±


    The students weren¡¯t concerned about Force levels or anything like that. They just wanted to see a real underdog story. Compared to the other privileged students, Axel felt more relatable to them.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± Kieran called out, signaling the end of the race.


    At the start, it had all been about the Force-Recovery and Force-Increasing Pills, but now, most people had given up hope. They didn¡¯t want to come in last, so they pushed themselves to avoid humiliation.


    Exhausted bodies lay sprawled on the ground, clothes drenched in sweat, not a single person moved.


    Axel, hands on his knees, gasped for air. He looked behind him at Knight, who was slumped in despair, barely over a hundred meters away.


    ¡°Ahem, I declare Axel the champion of this competition!¡± Kieran¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°He¡¯ll be awarded the Force-Recovery Pills. In second to fifth place: Knight, Theo, Cassia, and Storm.¡±


    After announcing the results, Kieran hopped down from the stands and walked over to Axel.


    Looking at the pale, exhausted figure before him, Kieran couldn¡¯t help but touch his chin thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m really curious¡­ how the hell did you pull that off?¡±


    Some things can be accomplished with willpower, but there¡¯s always a limit.


    People love to talk about spirit or resilience, admiring those who push through tough situations using sheer will. But the truth is, if you don¡¯t have the ability to back it up, it¡¯s not going to work.


    Kieran understood this better than anyone, which is why he was so intrigued by Axel.


    When Axel heard Kieran¡¯s comment, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He¡¯d used the awakening skill, but it seemed like Kieran hadn¡¯t noticed.

 Chapter31 - Original Pool

    An hour later, Kieran handed out the rewards and made an official announcement that no drugs would be allowed in future training sessions. Then, he dismissed the group.


    The mention of pills had everyone eyeing Knight.


    At this point, Knight looked like a lost soul, standing there like he didn¡¯t know where he was. Ryder and Vale, on the other hand, looked like they might explode. The Force-Recovery Pills¡ªthose could¡¯ve gone for at least 500,000¡ªand now? Gone.


    ¡°You¡­ I really don¡¯t know what to say to you.¡± Ryder threw up his hands in frustration. The money was wasted, but there was no way he could ask Knight to return it, not without completely ruining the cohesion of their little team.


    ¡°He must have taken the pills,¡± Knight said, his voice full of conviction. Vale nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, I think so too. Otherwise, it would be impossible.¡±


    When they said this, some of the others in their little circle felt a bit more at ease. If Axel had beaten them without taking anything, they¡¯d never accept it.


    Ryder sighed heavily. ¡°Does it matter whether he took the pills or not? The Force-Recovery Pills were gone. And honestly, even if he did, he kept it way more low-key than you did.¡±


    Knight just shut up. He didn¡¯t have anything to say to that.


    Meanwhile, Cassia, Storm, and Drayke, who¡¯d heard the commotion, were all surrounding Axel with smiles plastered on their faces.


    ¡°Axel, from now on, you¡¯re my big brother. You took the medicine without anyone noticing!¡± Drayke clapped Axel on the back.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take the pills,¡± Axel said, genuinely bewildered.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t play dumb. You hid them from us, huh?¡± Drayke grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t rat you out.¡±


    Cassia, putting on a mock pout, put her hands on her hips. ¡°Give me the pill and I won¡¯t report you. Axel also learned to play dirty.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t take anything,¡± Axel said, rolling his eyes. Was everyone seriously convinced he¡¯d popped a pill?


    ¡°Look at this guy¡ªhe not only has the Force increased, but now he¡¯s got acting skills too! No way, he made a killing today, and now he¡¯s gotta treat us to dinner!¡± Drayke was practically glued to Axel, not letting him escape. In the past, he and Axel had been at the bottom of the totem pole among their friends. But now? Now Axel was his big brother.


    ¡°I¡¯m with Drayke,¡± Storm said in his usual deadpan voice.


    Axel wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry. He could barely afford a meal at this point, and 500,000 wasn¡¯t exactly pocket change.


    Treat them to dinner? His pockets were emptier than his face.


    At that moment, footsteps echoed, and Kieran walked up to the group, a smile on his face. ¡°Axel, come here for a second. You guys, go on and get some rest. We¡¯re back at it tomorrow.¡±


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    Drayke and the others thought Kieran was going to pull Axel aside for some special treatment. They were envious, but one by one, they headed off to get some rest.


    But Axel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Did he figure out I used the awakening skill? His mind raced, thinking of excuses and how to explain himself later.


    Kieran and Axel made their way to a lounge near the playground. As they walked, Kieran kept glancing at Axel. The kid had a maturity to him that was way beyond his years.


    He had just finished informing Principal Mason about what happened today, and, of course, Mason had a lot to say about it.


    After all, the Force-Recovery Pills had been bought by Mason himself for a specific purpose.


    "Relax, I¡¯m not here to steal your stuff. Sit down."


    Axel gave off a clear "don¡¯t get too close" vibe. Unlike the typical respect students had for teachers, Kieran could tell this was just a defense mechanism, something Axel had built up over time. "If I¡¯m not mistaken, your Force has improved a little more since yesterday. Am I right?"


    Axel nodded. Aside from the small piece of red crystal he¡¯d gotten last night, he¡¯d used up everything else.


    "What a monster," Kieran murmured under his breath.


    The raw stones were useful, sure, but they were just a supplement. Axel¡¯s rapid growth could only mean one thing: his natural talent was extraordinary.


    "But that Force-Recovery Pill?" Kieran continued. "I suggest you wait a few days before taking it."


    Axel gave him a puzzled look, and Kieran smiled knowingly. "Don¡¯t think of awakening as something that¡¯s easy to handle. Your Force is increasing so fast because your body can actually handle it. Think of it like this: inside you, there¡¯s a small pond."


    "The Force is like the water in that pond. If you use raw stones to replenish it, the pond keeps filling up."


    Axel listened carefully.


    "When the pond¡¯s not full, you can keep adding water, no problem. But what do you think happens when the pond¡¯s almost full, and you keep pouring in more water?"


    Axel thought for a moment and answered softly. "It will overflow."


    "Exactly." Kieran nodded. "Most of the Force will just spill over and be wasted. A small part, though, will slowly expand the pond, make it bigger."


    Axel understood now.


    "You should¡¯ve noticed that the efficiency of absorbing raw stones has slowed down recently. That¡¯s because your original pool, as we call it, is almost full."


    "Original pool?" Axel repeated. He¡¯d never heard that term before. Still, thinking about it, he hadn¡¯t really felt a dramatic slowdown, either.


    Kieran saw Axel nod and assumed he understood. He gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.


    "To expand the original pool, you need to push your body¡¯s limits and use your original Force to nourish it. That¡¯s why I had you run so much."


    "You¡¯re almost at your limit now, so I suggest you take the pill after a few days of special training."


    Axel raised an eyebrow, clearly concerned. "A few days? Will that be enough?"


    Kieran smiled slightly. "Not quite enough, so I recommend you take the medicine after the awakening test day. But it could affect your final results, so that¡¯s your call."


    Axel was a bit surprised.


    Kieran, noticing Axel¡¯s look of surprise, shrugged. "Axel, don¡¯t look at me like that. The world¡¯s not full of bad guys. Otherwise, do you think this wall could stop those mutant beasts outside? It¡¯s the human heroes and the army that keep it all together, you know."


    Kieran gave him another pat on the shoulder. "One more thing I need to remind you about¡ªthough the chance is small¡ªI still think it¡¯s worth saying."


    Axel¡¯s attention sharpened.


    "Don¡¯t get into any fights before the test day. If you get hurt, especially seriously, it¡¯ll mess with your results. Even a little blood loss can have a huge impact on your performance. Your Force levels will dip for a while, and it¡¯ll take time to recover."


    Kieran said it casually, but it made Axel feel uneasy.


    That was the last thing he wanted to hear. It threw a wrench into his plans.


    The green crystals were almost used up. Axel had been hoping to use his few remaining savings to treat himself to something nice, and continue to feed Annabelle with his own blood.

 Chapter32 - Gang Meet-up

    "Thank you, Instructor Kieran."


    Kieran watched Axel walk away with a complicated look on his face. From the school''s perspective, he really shouldn¡¯t have said what he did today.


    If Axel took the Force-Recovery Pills, there was a real chance he could hit a Force level of over 100 by test day!


    That¡¯s exactly what Principal Mason would want to see. If word got out that Kieran had trained a student from a Force level of 90 to 100 in just ten days, it would look amazing on his resume.


    But even so, Kieran had still left the decision in Axel¡¯s hands. It was up to him to decide how to move forward.


    ....


    "This is a bit tricky." Axel¡¯s body ached with exhaustion, and he clutched the Force-Recovery Pills tightly in his arms, thinking someone would try and take them from him.


    But then, as he looked down at his worn-out clothes, Axel couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter laugh. He probably looked too poor to even be worth robbing.


    He thought back to Kieran¡¯s words. With only a small piece of green crystal left, things were looking tight. If he couldn¡¯t bleed in the next few days, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his sister fed.


    "Where the hell can I find more green crystals?" Axel muttered to himself. Not every body yielded a green crystal¡ªhis Force had to be at a certain level first.


    And as his Force grew, the conditions for producing green crystals became even more stringent. If it was that easy, Axel would just head to the hospital or cemetery and collect what he needed.


    With that thought, he left the city walls and made his way into Slum Area C. Today, the streets seemed quieter than usual, but Axel was too caught up in his own worries to really notice.


    .....


    "Brother, you¡¯re home."


    Axel barely heard the soft voice until he was greeted by his little sister, Annabelle. She came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of shredded potatoes and fried meat, wearing an apron that looked a bit too big for her.


    The table was already set with three side dishes¡ªthough it was clear only Axel would be eating.


    But despite the food, Axel couldn¡¯t focus. He ate absent-mindedly, pushing the food around in his bowl without really tasting it.


    Annabelle, sitting across from him, noticed something was off. Her dark eyes flickered with concern, but she said nothing. Instead, she hurried off to the house and started rummaging around.


    A moment later, she came out wearing a faded floral skirt. The skirt was old and worn, but Annabelle¡¯s beauty still shone through. As she spun around, her eyes squinted into crescents, a wide grin on her face.


    "Brother, look! Look at the new skirt I found today. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?"


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    For a moment, Axel just stared at her, stunned. He had never realized how beautiful she had grown. In his memory, she was still the little girl with a runny nose, clutching a tattered teddy bear, trailing behind him as they begged for scraps.


    For three years, she hadn¡¯t gotten a single new thing. Everything she had, she¡¯d found in the garbage bins in the richer parts of the city.


    Axel¡¯s heart sank. His sister was still hungry, but she was trying to make him happy. He suddenly couldn¡¯t taste the food anymore, no matter how much he chewed.


    He forced a smile, but it felt like his heart was being ripped out.


    "It¡¯s fine. Even if my Force is a little lower, it doesn¡¯t matter," Axel thought. He didn¡¯t want to tell Annabelle the truth. She would never be able to handle it.


    With a heavy heart, he stood up and walked to the kitchen, already planning to cut himself open again and bleed to keep his sister from starving.


    Axel heard footsteps approaching from outside, a steady thumping that sounded like a large group of people moving down the street.


    When he¡¯d come back earlier, the roads were nearly empty. Where had all these people suddenly come from?


    Wait...


    Axel¡¯s mind clicked, and he leaned closer to the kitchen window to look outside.


    Most of the people walking by were wearing black leather jackets, carrying various knives, batons, and other weapons. They swaggered down the street, shouting crude jokes and lewd comments.


    "Is this a gang meet-up?" Axel thought, narrowing his eyes.


    Where there¡¯s light, there¡¯s always darkness. Especially in the wasteland era, many places outside government control have birthed large and small gangs.


    Axel had heard that the two largest gangs in Dune¡ªCrimson Vipers and Ironfang Syndicate¡ªhad leaders who were all awakened.


    Gambling, illegal fighting rings, and smuggling operations were always run by people like them.


    Usually, these gangs kept the peace. But when a gang recruits someone powerful, or if their members grow stronger, the balance tips, and things can get ugly.


    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t dare stir up trouble inside the city walls. The outskirts, however, were a different story.


    ¡°No wonder the streets are so empty today,¡± Axel muttered to himself.


    People often glamorize gangs, but Axel knew better. They were violent, ruthless, living life on the edge. Guys like Wolfe weren¡¯t scared of them, but small vendors, people like Annabelle¡ªthey were vulnerable.


    The likelihood of a gang fight wasn¡¯t high, but Axel grabbed a black denim jacket, changed clothes, and slipped a rusty hatchet into his belt.


    "Annabelle, I¡¯m going out for a bit. Stay inside and don¡¯t leave the house. I¡¯ll be back soon."


    Annabelle nodded quietly, though as Axel left, there was a trace of worry in her eyes. She knew that her brother was going out for adventure again.


    Axel followed them from the shadows, keeping his distance. After a while, he blended in with the main group unnoticed.


    Turns out, he had been overthinking it. The gang had sent over 200 people, and his presence didn¡¯t draw a second glance.


    He stayed with them for ten minutes, listening to their conversations, and felt a bit disappointed. The gunfight he had imagined wasn¡¯t coming.


    The gang was called Crimson Vipers, and the group they were meeting up with, the Ironfang Syndicate, were the two biggest players in Dune.


    Every once in a while, the leaders of these two gangs would sit down and discuss their turf, dividing up their businesses. If the talks broke down, they¡¯d settle it in the ring¡ªone-on-one, life or death.


    Tonight was no different. Each gang would send one fighter to the ring, and they had to be members.


    Only new gangs fought tooth and nail like that. The old forces, like these two, didn¡¯t need to risk it. A real fight could hurt everyone, and in the end, it was the small fry who benefited from the chaos.


    The only thing that caught Axel¡¯s attention was the Crimson Vipers¡¯ confidence. They were sure they¡¯d win tonight because the person fighting was none other than the son of the gang¡¯s leader.


    Tyler.


    The name rang a bell. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ What a coincidence.¡± Axel thought, recalling a memory from his time at school. A student had raped a girl after a failed confession, and it had caused a huge scandal. The police got involved, but Axel didn¡¯t know the final outcome.


    All he remembered was the bastard swearing that not a single hair on his head would be harmed¡ªand then he just disappeared from the news.


    Axel had always assumed the guy ended up in prison, but now hearing that name again here?

 Chapter33 - I admit Defeat

    After another ten minutes, the group finally stopped, and Axel saw what they had been walking toward: a large dirt ring, about 20 meters in diameter. The sound of metal clanking and the buzz of voices filled the air as a thin, grim-looking man hopped into the ring.


    Axel narrowed his eyes. Despite the year that had passed, he recognized him immediately.


    It was Tyler. He really was the son of the Crimson Vipers¡¯ boss. No wonder he wasn¡¯t locked up in some prison.


    ¡°Haha, Griffin, you really trust your son.¡± A voice boomed across the scene.


    A huge man, easily over 1.9 meters tall, stepped into view. His ears were adorned with massive, fist-sized iron rings that caught the light.


    Axel could feel the mood around him shift. The gang members who had been laughing just moments ago suddenly quieted, their voices dropping.


    Griffin, the leader of the Crimson Vipers, stood at the front with a confident air. Unlike Orion, the leader of the Ironfang Syndicate, Griffin was lean and dressed in a suit, making him look more like a university professor than a gang boss.


    "As for my son, he needs to see the world," Griffin said, his voice calm but firm. "Don¡¯t underestimate him. My boy is strong."


    From their conversation, Axel couldn¡¯t shake the impression that they weren¡¯t just two gang bosses at odds with each other, but old friends with a shared understanding.


    Axel pushed his way to the front through the crowd, trying to get a better look. It wasn¡¯t long before he saw the representative from the Ironfang Syndicate step onto the stage.


    The man was young¡ªabout Axel¡¯s age. But unlike Tyler, who was full of cocky confidence, the young man¡¯s face was blank, almost numb.


    ¡°Heh, I bet he knows he¡¯s screwed,¡± Axel overheard a Crimson Viper grunt.


    He frowned at the conversation. "Why would they send someone to die? Doesn¡¯t that just guarantee the Ironfang Syndicate loses?" Axel asked softly.


    Two muscular men standing nearby glanced at him. One of them, a one-eyed giant, sneered and responded.


    "Kid, are you new here?"


    Axel nodded quickly, trying to show respect. "Yeah, I just joined the gang a few months ago."


    The one-eyed man¡¯s demeanor softened a bit. He seemed pleased by the respect and leaned in to explain.


    "Well, if it was something major, it wouldn¡¯t be settled in this small arena. This is just a routine thing. Our young gang leader¡¯s doing it himself, and Mr. Orion''s gonna show us some respect by being here."


    He chuckled darkly. "This is just a head to send over, let the young boss see some blood."


    ¡°Send a head?¡± Axel thought, realizing what they meant. No wonder the young man on stage looked so defeated before the fight had even begun. His expression was numb, his body tense with fear and anger, though he made no move to fight back.


    Axel didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on the young man on the stage. Maybe there¡¯s a chance...


    Axel began to scan the surroundings. The area was sparse, overgrown with weeds and littered with uneven hills and swampy patches¡ªperfect for hiding, if anyone needed a quick escape.


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    Suddenly, the sound of a heavy drumbeat cut through the tension, signaling the start of the fight.


    Tyler wasted no time, launching himself at the young man with a brutal flurry of punches and kicks. Axel could immediately tell that Tyler¡¯s Force was definitely over 90. He moved with the kind of precision and strength that was only possible with power like that.


    At first, Tyler had the complete upper hand. The young man could only block and dodge, grunting in pain as each hit landed.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Knock him out cold!¡±


    ¡°Come on, fight back! beat the shit out of him!¡±


    The crowd of Crimson Vipers roared in approval, urging Tyler on as he pummeled the young man. Axel, standing at the front of the crowd closest to the ring, couldn¡¯t help but feel a little surprised.


    Although the young man had been sent up as cannon fodder, he didn¡¯t seem nearly as weak as everyone was making him out to be. Sure, he was getting hit, and his movements were mostly defensive, but he wasn¡¯t crumbling under the pressure. He wasn¡¯t seriously injured, and his feet stayed steady despite the relentless assault.


    It was clear to Axel that Tyler had the support of his massive gang and an awakened father backing him up. But the young man in the ring? He didn¡¯t seem to want to fight back at all.


    "You''re too weak."


    Tyler grinned as he battered the young man, treating him like a human punching bag. He¡¯d done this countless times before, but doing it in front of hundreds of people¡ªwell, it made a sickly flush creep across his face.


    A few minutes later, the young man was barely recognizable. His face was swollen beyond recognition, blood dripping from his nostrils like two little snakes slithering down his face.


    "You''re tough, I''ll give you that," Tyler sneered.


    With a brutal kick, the young man spat blood, his body flying out of the ring, crashing into the dirt with a cloud of dust.


    The young man staggered to his feet, raising his hands in surrender. His voice cracked as he shouted desperately.


    "I lost, I admit defeat!"


    The crowd went dead silent. Everyone stared at him¡ªsome with pity, others with mocking sneers. Axel could only sigh inwardly. It was clear now¡ªonly one person was walking out of this ring alive.


    Suddenly, laughter erupted from all around. It was deafening, and it made the young man, covered in blood, look even more lost.


    "I¡¯ve surrendered! Look at me, I¡¯m beaten to hell! Why won¡¯t you just let me go?" he shouted, his voice raw, filled with a primal desperation to survive.


    Tyler wiped his hands on his pants, then jumped down from the ring, grabbing a long knife from one of his gang members as he made his way toward the young man.


    The crowd watched in rapt attention as the young man trembled, trying to stand, but the Crimson Vipers were already closing in around him, forming a wall, pushing him back into the center.


    "The fight¡¯s not over yet," one of them sneered.


    "Trying to run?" another taunted.


    Axel stood close, watching as the young man was pushed back, inch by inch, while Tyler¡¯s steps grew louder, closer. Tyler was panting. Although the other party was just passively beaten, his force was not low, and he had been protecting his vitals. Therefore, he was exhausted now and just wanted to finish him off quickly.


    Axel saw the look in the young man¡¯s eyes¡ªdefeat, terror. Then he did something unexpected. He stepped forward, right into the thick of it.


    "You think you can run?" Axel spat, his voice cutting through the air. "You''re dead already, what are you still afraid of? Coward!"


    Axel shoved the young man forward, knocking him back into the ring. The gang members around them laughed, mocking the helplessness of the situation.


    But the young man wasn¡¯t looking at them anymore. He wasn¡¯t looking at Tyler. His gaze fixed on Axel, his eyes wide with confusion.


    What¡¯s happening? The young man¡¯s mind raced. For a split second, he felt something he hadn¡¯t in a long time: strength. Power. It was like someone had plugged him into a fresh source of energy. His body felt lighter, his mind sharper, like a fresh surge of blood and air was pumping through his veins.


    The roars of the Crimson Vipers faded into the background, drowned out by the rush in his ears. The moonlight bounced off the torches and blades around him, making everything feel dizzying and strange. And Tyler¡ªTyler¡¯s footsteps sounded so much closer now, so much louder.


    Why won¡¯t they let me go? the young man thought. Why are they still trying to kill me?


    Fear and rage began to warp inside him. Axel wasn¡¯t a magician¡ªhe didn¡¯t pull a rabbit out of a hat. But Axel had awakened his skill, Recovery, giving the young man something that was long lost in his battered body¡ªhope.


    At that moment, Tyler swung the knife down without hesitation. He wasn¡¯t even trying anymore¡ªjust a quick, careless slice to finish the job.


    But just as the blade descended, Tyler froze.


    What the hell?


    A pair of bloodshot eyes locked onto his. Eyes full of fury, full of life.


    Ding!


    The clash of metal rang through the air like a bell, sharp and jarring.

 Chapter34 - Robbery

    In an instant, the young man grabbed a machete from a gang member nearby, ignoring the cut on his hand as blood dripped down.


    The blades collided with a deafening crash, sparks flying in the air. Tyler stood frozen, stunned by the sudden shift. Before he could react, the young man let out a guttural roar, like an animal unleashed.


    Blood sprayed in every direction, and the flames from the torches cast a hellish glow over the two fighters. Tyler, now feeling the full force of the young man¡¯s power, could only register the numbness in his arm and the cold chill creeping up his throat...


    Then, in one smooth, brutal motion, the young man severed Tyler''s head clean off. It flew high, and Tyler¡¯s headless body slumped to the ground with a sickening thud, blood gushing out and splattering everywhere, soaking the young man.


    For a moment, the entire arena fell into stunned silence.


    Tyler¡¯s headless body lay in the dirt, a pool of crimson staining the ground beneath it.


    The son of the gang leader was dead.


    Shock rippled through the crowd, followed quickly by a rising tide of anger. Eyes filled with disbelief turned to fury, and people began shouting in outrage. Griffin, too, was struck dumb. His son¡ªhis own flesh and blood¡ªhad been slaughtered in front of everyone.


    He had been so sure Tyler would win. How could this have happened?


    Orion, the leader of the Ironfang Syndicate, was also dumbfounded. The young man, who was part of their gang, was not supposed to survive, let alone kill Griffin¡¯s son.


    Zane. That¡¯s who the man was¡ªZane, a new recruit. He¡¯d been sent in to die, a punishment for his earlier mistake when he¡¯d let prisoners go while collecting debts.


    The mood was tense, suffocating, as everyone realized the weight of what had just transpired.


    Orion was still processing the events, when Griffin, his eyes burning with rage, drew a dagger from his belt. The intent was clear. He wasn¡¯t just pissed¡ªhe was about to make someone pay for what had just happened.


    Damn, Orion thought, but before he could move, a voice shouted over the crowd, thick with anger and venom.


    "He killed the young boss! The Ironfang Syndicate planned this! Avenge the young boss!"


    The voice was full of rage, as if the speaker had lost not just his gang leader, but his father. The Crimson Vipers around them were stirred up, their blood running hot, their hatred simmering.


    Without warning, a figure rushed forward, a fist connecting with Zane¡¯s face, knocking him to the ground.


    "Kill him!" someone screamed.


    "Fuck that! He plotted against us, kill that bastard!" Another voice echoed, and suddenly, the air was thick with chaos.


    The Crimson Vipers went wild. At first, the Ironfang Syndicate members had brushed off the taunts, but now, they were getting hit with bricks, insults, and threats. It was no longer a game¡ªit was a full-on brawl.


    Axel stood at the edge of the fray, grinning to himself. This was his moment. The gang was distracted, everything was in turmoil. His chance had come.


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    But just as Axel started to move, a bloody hand shot out and grabbed his arm.


    He turned to see Zane, eyes wild, face covered in blood. Zane¡¯s lips moved, but it was clear he couldn¡¯t find the words.


    Axel stood still for a moment, then wrenched his arm free. Zane¡¯s grip loosened, and Axel walked away, leaving him behind.


    As Axel¡¯s figure disappeared into the chaos, Zane¡¯s voice, barely a whisper.


    "Thanks."


    .......


    People were already dying left and right, but what made Axel nervous was the lack of a green light ball.


    Not even near Tyler''s body¡ªnothing.


    "This shouldn''t be happening. Tyler¡¯s force is nearly the same as mine." Axel thought to himself. And these gang members¡ªthey were all stronger than regular people. The odds were high that they should have green light balls on them. Yet nothing.


    Axel was locked in a brawl with a scrawny guy from the rival gang, fighting in the middle of the chaos. He could¡¯ve killed the guy in an instant with his force burst, but he knew that would make him too noticeable.


    The thin man, surprised to meet someone who could keep up with him, looked flushed and grinning with excitement.


    ¡°Stop, stop it!¡±


    A roar like a lion¡¯s cut through the air, and both Orion and Griffin simultaneously began trying to stop the fight. Axel figured it would take a while to break up a mess like this with hundreds of people involved¡ªbut then...


    Orion suddenly grew. A lot.


    The already imposing 6¡¯3¡± man now stood close to 8 feet tall. His arms bulged like thick iron barrels, and he shoved people aside like they were ragdolls.


    Axel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This guy wasn¡¯t just any awakener¡ªhe was way stronger than Skye, Axel thought. If he wasn¡¯t careful, his cover would be blown for sure.


    Axel started weighing his options, already thinking about retreating. He was getting too close to being exposed when¡ª


    There it was!


    A green light flickered, and Axel¡¯s heart raced. It was coming from Tyler¡¯s body.


    "Here it comes," Axel muttered under his breath. He kept his distance while pretending to fight and retreat. He extended his hand and scooped up the glowing orb, turning it into a crystal and slipping it into his pocket.


    "So that''s how it works."


    It was the first time Axel had seen the crystal form like that. He¡¯d thought the green light ball would appear instantly after someone died¡ªbut it turned out there was a slight delay. Seconds, maybe.


    Then, green light balls began appearing on the bodies of the others who had died earlier. While not as bright or valuable as Tyler¡¯s, each one still sparked Axel¡¯s interest.


    His eyes lit up, the greed running through him like a drug.


    He moved quickly, pretending to be disoriented, turning each light ball into crystals and pocketing them one by one.


    Almost there...


    Axel¡¯s pulse was quickening, and he could feel the situation nearing its end. With both gang leaders now working to stop the chaos, he knew he needed to make his exit.


    The thin man he¡¯d been fighting was too caught up in his excitement. Thinking he¡¯d won, he started shouting, full of confidence.


    "Don¡¯t run, let¡¯s go again¡ªplay with your grandpa!"


    Bang!


    Before he could finish, Axel knocked him out cold with a single punch. He didn¡¯t even bother looking at the man as he quietly slipped to the edge of the crowd, weaving through the chaos and ducking into the nearby bushes.


    Axel had been right not to push his luck. No sooner had he crouched down than the entire fight came to a sudden halt.


    The area was a mess¡ªblood pooled across the ground, and dozens of bodies were scattered, lifeless. Both Orion and Griffin stood grim-faced, surveying the aftermath.


    What was supposed to be a simple exchange between gangs had turned into a bloodbath.


    Orion¡¯s face twisted with anger. "Who the hell started this?" he bellowed, his voice carrying over the carnage. "Why the hell did you all fight without my orders?"


    His men shuffled uncomfortably. After a beat, one of them spoke up.


    "Well... they started it! After Tyler was killed, someone from the Crimson Vipers yelled ''avenge the young boss!'' and everything spiraled from there."


    Griffin¡¯s eyes narrowed, his voice cold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened today, but I never meant for this. We¡¯ve been played. Someone¡¯s got their own agenda here."


    Griffin wasn¡¯t an idiot¡ªhe saw what had really happened. Zane was a pawn, sent to be cannon fodder. His son had been overconfident, too careless... and now he was dead.


    Attacking Ironfang Syndicate would only play into the hands of the other forces waiting to pick up the scraps.


    "Who shouted that damn sentence?" Griffin¡¯s eyes scanned the crowd like a hawk, his voice laced with menace. The whole place fell into an eerie silence.


    Axel, hiding in the bushes nearby, held his breath. His body was tense, every muscle in him screaming to move¡ªbut he knew better than to risk it now.