LOGINAfter lingering together for a while, Ray eventually brought Celine back to the cruise ship.He didn't stay long. Before dawn, he left again, returning to the ice hut.From there, he could monitor the phone he had left behind. If Lieutenant Colonel Shay sent people over, he would know immediately.Dawn broke.Ray noticed that as soon as the fog lifted, a group of six people left together.Clearly, they hadn't taken Principal Rucker's warning to heart. They were determined to head into the city, unwilling to continue living such a harsh life… and perhaps harboring ambitions of their own—to hunt other ability users and grow stronger.After becoming an ability user, no matter the type, one's physical condition improved dramatically—especially for those focused on physical enhancement. Once someone had tasted that kind of power, who wouldn't crave more?For the ambitious, it was even more intoxicating.In the past, rising above others required money, power, and influence.Now? As
When they saw Ray return, the women were both delighted and puzzled.He'd been home that morning. Why had he left without a word?And why had he come back so late?Sure, they might have been a little excessive the night before, leaving him thoroughly drained—but that didn't mean he had to run away from home, did it?"Come on. Starting today, we're moving somewhere else," Ray said.Though they didn't understand, his resolute expression made it clear—none of them would, or dared to, object.They could tease him in bed—at worst, he'd just cry out a few times—but when a man made a decision, pushing back was another matter entirely."All right, everyone, go pack up," Molly said, clapping her hands.There wasn't much to gather. Before long, they assembled in the main hall. Ray brought out three hovercrafts, linking them together with iron chains. After calling over Leo and Pearl, they set off into the night.The hovercrafts were slow, topping out at forty kilometers per hour. It too
A potential riot was quelled by Principal Rucker in just a few words.But once the truth was out—that ability users could hunt one another to seize powers—the lid on Pandora's box had been lifted. The danger was planted, like a hidden fuse that could ignite at any moment.The next time unrest stirred, it wouldn't be something Principal Rucker could suppress so easily, unless he became a dictator.And if that happened, the very nature of this settlement would change.So, change was inevitable.In truth, the law of the jungle fit reality best—unless this settlement could grow a hundredfold, a thousandfold stronger, forming a force of restraint akin to national law, capable of suppressing all instability.But was that even possible?At least, it was beyond Principal Rucker.The Valor Military Base might manage it… The thought made Ray frown.The voice of that Lieutenant Colonel Shay from earlier in the day echoed in his mind. It was a serious hidden threat.Ray hated unknown var
"We know." The crowd nodded in agreement. "Some people got larger golden snowflakes, some smaller—but how big could the difference really be?"Principal Rucker shook his head. "You're wrong. Besides the golden snowflakes, there's another way to obtain abilities.""Huh?" The group froze, glancing at one another. Then, one by one, anger spread across their faces."If there's another way, why didn't you tell us?""Principal Rucker, were you planning to grow stronger all by yourself?""That's selfish!""Exactly! At a time like this, all you care about is your own strength. Were you thinking you could keep us under your thumb—enslave us?"In an instant, outrage erupted. Yet, none of them stopped to consider who had brought them here in the first place. If not for Principal Rucker's help, they might have frozen to death or starved days ago. How could they still be standing here, shouting accusations?People… that's just how they are.Ray watched with keen interest.Of course, for e
Ray chatted with Leah for a while longer.It turned out that she alone was responsible for going out to sea to fish, because no one else's abilities were suitable for it.She was a beast-type ability user, able to breathe underwater. The others could not. Even if they were not afraid of freezing to death, surviving underwater was an entirely different problem.So she handled the fishing, while the others each took on different roles, searching for supplies in the surrounding areas.However, none of them dared to venture into the city. Resources around the perimeter were limited, and life had become increasingly difficult. Because of this, some people had begun to lose patience. They were even persuading Tim to move into the city—or at least relocate somewhere closer to it.Ray shook his head inwardly.This settlement looked peaceful on the surface, but in reality, it was entirely held together by Tim's personal prestige and charisma. First of all, that kind of structure was not s
The others greeted "Gray" one after another, their enthusiasm unmistakable, as though they had already accepted him as one of their own.At that moment, the ice surface suddenly split open. A "mermaid" burst out of the water.It was the foreign woman named Leah. She was carrying a massive fish in her hands—likely a tuna. It looked to weigh several hundred pounds, yet she lifted it with effortless ease."Leah's back!" someone clapped.So it had been this foreign woman going out to fish before—and again now… Was this place entirely being sustained by one foreign girl?Leah dragged the fish over and, upon seeing Ray, her eyes lit up with surprise."It's you! You're here again!""Yes, it's me," Ray replied with a smile.The others immediately turned curious, and Leah briefly explained."So this is the kind-hearted person you mentioned!""What a coincidence!"A chorus of exclamations followed, and their attitude toward Ray became even warmer.Seizing the moment, Tim said, "Leah,
Now, all of the Finley family's henchmen were gone, wiped out by Ray. What remained were only the women and the family's direct line—blood relatives.And the only one who could actually pose a threat to him was Silvan.So he had to deal with Silvan first.Once Silvan was dead, the rest could be h
The snow at the villa's entrance had already been cleared, leaving a sloped path wide enough for two people to walk side by side.It wasn't particularly wide, but for Ray—who possessed an otherworldly storage space—it was more than enough.In theory, as long as he could get out, he could take anyt
Ray tried using the new ability on the table.But… it wouldn't cut.Huh. So the upper limit was only something as "soft" as apple flesh?Then what was this ability even good for?Well, it was useful—extremely useful.Because even body‑enhancement ability users, with their tough skin and hardene
All the way here, Number 9 had insisted on showing off—riding a bicycle while freezing the snow beneath it into solid ice so the wheels could roll smoothly. But that stunt came at a cost. It drained his abilities nonstop. A minute or two might not matter, but when the consumption piled up, it became







