LOGINIf Cyrus had agreed to join the West Ridge Order, his status would have risen above Florian's without question.Florian would have had to swallow the humiliation of failure. Worse, he would never have been able to avenge his fallen brothers."Yes," Florian replied coldly. "I guarantee the bunker will fall."This time, he chose his words more carefully. He gave no deadline. He had already endured enough embarrassment and had no intention of facing it again.Rosalind noticed the subtle shift but said nothing.Florian was West Ridge's strongest combat asset. Even Magnus treated him with caution. There was no need to press him further.That night, Florian summoned his most trusted subordinates. They remained in his room until dawn, discussing strategies to deal with Cyrus.After the brutal clashes so far, they understood one thing clearly. Cyrus was an exceptionally difficult opponent. If they wanted to win, they would have to commit fully. They would even have to consider extreme m
"Let's be clear," Cyrus shot back. "You started this war. Whatever happens next is on you."The call ended on a sour note.Magnus was livid. He could not tolerate open provocation from a mere warehouse manager.On the other hand, Cyrus remained calm. If Magnus truly held stronger cards, he would not have bothered to negotiate.Even so, the missile threat lingered in Cyrus's mind.Was it real? Logically, Volaris should not have independent missile launch authority.Still, caution cost nothing.Cyrus ordered everyone to relocate temporarily to the third underground level, the sports complex. At that depth, combined with the bunker's reinforced structure, even a missile strike would fail to destroy it. Special warheads were another matter, but that possibility was close to zero.Magnus did not have that level of authority. No one would approve turning Volaris into a crater just to eliminate one man.To be certain, Cyrus messaged Ilyana and asked her to confirm whether the West Ri
"Old man, just stop," Cyrus said lazily. "You're not going to win against me."The casual address, "Old man," carried open contempt, and it made Magnus' killing intent flare. He fixed his gaze on Cyrus and said darkly, "Do you really think hiding inside that turtle shell means I can't touch you?"All I need is to launch a single missile. One missile, and you and that bunker will be reduced to ashes."Cyrus' heart skipped for half a beat.A missile was no small threat. If one truly struck the bunker, his pocket dimension could not absorb that level of destruction. The surface structure would be obliterated, and even the underground sections could suffer catastrophic shock damage.None of it showed on his face. Instead, Cyrus clapped slowly and smiled with open mockery. "Oh? Since when does Volaris City have the authority to deploy missiles? Impressive. Truly impressive."Volaris did not have a major military district.Even if missile silos existed in the region, launch authority
Although Cyrus thoroughly disliked Magnus as a person, he could not deny one thing.Magnus was right.Cyrus found himself recalling his own experiences from his days as a warehouse manager.As a low-level employee, he had to tread carefully, constantly currying favor with supervisors and senior staff. Even someone just one rank above him was enough to make him rack his brains, trying to anticipate their intentions and adjust his behavior accordingly.After years of grinding work, he finally became a supervisor, managing around eight people. That was the first time he truly tasted how intoxicating power could be.With a casual sentence assigning tasks, others had to exhaust themselves to complete them. At group dinners, dishes were always ordered according to his preferences. Even the fish head had to face him. When they went out singing, the girls always sat beside him.And that was only the authority of a warehouse supervisor.The higher one climbed, the more seductive power be
"If I were the kind of person you describe, I would have died in the first days of the apocalypse," Cyrus said flatly.He had seen those people before.In his past life, Kenneth died because of self-sacrifice. He gave his food to the elderly and the children, then froze and starved to death.There were other kind-hearted youths as well, people who clung to justice and paid for it with their lives.Cyrus was not without kindness. He simply understood that kindness did not belong in the Frostfall. He sealed that part of himself away and showed it only to those he trusted.His refusal to budge irritated Magnus. Only then did Magnus realize that this cold young man would not be easy to handle.Since moral pressure had failed, only self-interest remained."Then let us speak plainly," Magnus said. "My real purpose today is to invite you to join the West Ridge Order."Cyrus did not react. He only sneered. "Join the West Ridge Order? Sounds like an expensive entry fee.""I can lower t
"And I could also reach out to the other factions in Volaris City," Cyrus continued lazily. "Tell them West Ridge Base is thin on defenses. What do you think they would do with that information?"It was mostly a bluff. Cyrus did not actually know any other factions.But Volaris had once held over 20,000,000 people. Other organized survivor groups had to exist.Magnus understood that very well.For the first time, a flicker of tension crossed his mind. Outwardly, however, he remained composed."Cyrus, you're still too young." He sighed, as if addressing a reckless junior. "You rush to violence when better solutions exist. I reached out because I want peace. I know the Volmart South Cretora warehouse supplies are in your possession. That amount of material would last ten lifetimes. What use is it sitting with you?"Cyrus denied it at once. "Not me. Never happened. Don't slander me."Even with undeniable evidence, he would never admit it.Cyrus kept his windfall quiet. Fame drew k
After all, Cyrus and Zoey were still in the honeymoon phase. He wanted space just for the two of them. She always came up with new ideas, such as wearing nothing but a white shirt or an apron, and other people in the house would cramp her creativity.With another man around, they would never fully
Cyrus searched the rest of the second floor. The level existed mainly for entertainment. Beyond the pet room, he found a pleasure room crowded with props and a waterbed room built as a novelty.The waterbed room, however, had clearly been abandoned.The bunker's internal temperature hovered around
"Kallax, you're too beautiful…"Cyrus nodded, satisfied. "It looks better when you see it live, right?"Vincent nodded along. "Yeah, yeah. That flavor is spot on. Regular people can't fake it."Cyrus kicked Kallax and forced him to turn around."One hundred times," he said. "Stop early, and I bl
Cyrus headed down to the first basement level to see how much supply remained in the bunker.He reached the warehouse door and opened it with a black magnetic keycard. The heavy metal door split open from the center with a loud rumble. A wave of cold, white air rolled out and sent a chill through h







