Masuk"They just left?"Of course they did. They could not stand there and wait to be blown to pieces. A thousand pounds of TNT was no joke. They had to retreat to a safe distance before triggering it remotely.For Cyrus, however, the situation was absurdly convenient. He stroked his chin and muttered, "Maybe I've been overcomplicating things from the very beginning."…Meanwhile, after placing the massive charge, the demolition team withdrew from Cloudcrest Manor according to plan.A thousand pounds of TNT could level a skyscraper dozens of stories tall. They needed to be far enough away before detonation.Florian and the others had already moved to a small hill not far from the manor. From there, they watched the smoke-shrouded bunker in the distance.The demolition team's report came through the communicator. "Commander, explosives are in place. We've withdrawn. Ready to detonate at any time!"A faint smile appeared on Florian's face."Received." He took out the detonator and sai
Florian's team blanketed Cloudcrest Manor with a massive barrage of smoke grenades and incendiary rounds, which prevented Cyrus from sniping the demolition unit.The second phase began immediately: bomb disposal. Their method was simple and brutal. Instead of defusing the traps by hand, they used detonation cords to trigger them directly.It was a standard military tactic. They laid explosive lines across a wide area and set off a chain reaction that cleared hidden bombs through controlled blasts.Inside the bunker, Cyrus activated the maximum active noise-reduction system. The chaos outside instantly fell to a dull murmur. To prevent potential damage from the coming explosion, he also put on professional-grade noise-canceling headphones.The effect left him practically deaf. Yet with the enemy preparing to detonate 1,000 pounds of TNT against his bunker, the precaution was necessary.Outside, bursts of fire flared one after another. The traps Cyrus had painstakingly planted deton
Florian remained on the outskirts of Cloudcrest Manor as he calmly organized a methodical assault on the bunker.They had time, manpower, and ammunition. There was no need to rush.Meanwhile, the upper two floors of the bunker had been almost completely cleared. Anything portable had been moved underground, leaving only fixtures that could not be relocated.Energy flowed freely inside the bunker. Bright white lights illuminated every corner of the underground levels and kept the space from feeling oppressive or dark.Cyrus sat in the living area on the first underground floor. A paper book rested in his hands while multiple surveillance feeds played silently across the large screen before him, displaying views of both the interior and exterior of the bunker.After the Frostfall, without the burden of work, his life settled into a steady rhythm. He had grown fond of reading. Some books had come from the library. Others had belonged to Severin.The one in his hands now was "Ordinar
Ethan and Malik felt both shame and relief. Shame weighed on them after their disastrous failure. Relief came from the strength of West Ridge Base, which possessed abundant talent, advanced equipment, and formidable resources.Against a single opponent like Cyrus, the operation should not fail again.After the briefing, Florian clapped his hands lightly. "Alright. We move out now. Let's finish this within three hours. One hour if possible."He smiled with casual confidence, as though this were nothing more than routine field training. Faced with overwhelming force, no elaborate plan seemed necessary.They were elite soldiers: highly trained and heavily armed. Could they truly lose to one awakened civilian?That would be a joke.Florian quickly assigned roles. Fifty operatives divided into teams responsible for transporting explosives, securing the perimeter, and providing support.Ethan's rescue squad lacked the individual combat strength of Team A. For that reason, Florian orde
Relaxed smiles spread across the room. The West Ridge Order possessed abundant manpower, weapons, and ammunition. Taking down a single bunker sounded almost trivial.Ilyana stood in a corner with her arms folded around her black longsword. A faint crease formed between her brows.She worried about Barbara and Keira, her two students inside that bunker.'Can Cyrus really survive this?' she wondered.Still, according to Florian, Magnus had ordered that Cyrus be captured alive. That meant they would avoid destroying the structure completely.When the moment came, she intended to intervene and pull her students out.Florian continued, his tone sharpening, "There is one uncontrollable variable: Cyrus Knovell himself."His gaze swept over Ethan and Malik. "Awakened abilities vary widely. Only by understanding his power can we identify his weakness."Your report describes him as a sharpshooter. However, our investigation shows that Cyrus has no military training. He was merely a wareh
While Florian spoke with Ethan, he noticed the chubby man standing beside him.Curious, he pointed at Thorgan. "And who's this?"Ethan hurried to introduce him. "Captain, this is an Awakened I discovered. His name is Thorgan Willowford. He can manipulate ice and snow. He has huge potential."When they heard he was an Awakened, Florian and the others gave Thorgan a closer look.Ilyana recognized him at once. They had met before at Greenvich Academy. She kept that fact to herself. She did not truly stand with the West Ridge Order either.Thorgan swallowed and forced a flattering smile, though tension and fear showed in his eyes. His role as Cyrus' undercover informant made his legs tremble.Florian and the others noticed the weakness at once. Hardened soldiers despised cowardice. Thorgan's soft, overweight, shut-in appearance only deepened their contempt.Florian folded his arms. "Your ability controls ice and snow?""Yes! Look, these houses were all built by me!" Thorgan pointed
"Yes, that's exactly what happened. You did it," Cyrus said.Linda crumpled under the weight of her anguish, her screams raw and hopeless.Cyrus stood beside her and delivered one cutting remark after another with calm precision.Even Zoey felt her scalp prickle. Cyrus was the last person anyone
Cyrus released a burst of cold hostility on purpose. He wanted Lyla to understand one thing: she could not toy with him.…Over in Building 9, Lyla paced inside her room. Not from nerves, but from the cold. Moving a little helped her stay warm.She wore several layers and still tried to look refi
Hearing Cyrus mutter to himself sent a chill down Zoey's spine. No one else in the neighborhood sensed how close they all stood to the brink.Live or die, everything rested on a single thought in Cyrus' mind.'Thank goodness I chose to follow him,' she thought, relieved.Cyrus glanced at her, pat
"Cyrus, you're a smart man. You know what happens when someone flaunts treasure. Thousands of people live in this neighborhood. Most can only sit inside their apartments while hunger closes in."Only you can ride that snowmobile to search for food. If you were in their place, would you not feel jea







