Chapter 139: Polaris Lorna's Reward
Late at night.
At the Roxxon Corporation headquarters, inside the top-floor office.
It was a scene both eerie and terrifying.
A burly man was pinned tightly against the wall, his eyes wide with panic, yet unable to see a single trace of his enemy in the darkness after the lights went out.
Even if the lights had been on, he still would not have seen Xi Nian and Lorna standing a few meters away. But darkness only deepened his suffocating fear.
"What… what is this?!"
The man struggled desperately, was his strength so great that he ground the edges of the wall into dust. But still, he could not free himself. It was as though an invisible force glued him to the air itself.
Sparks hissed and crackled.
The more he struggled, the hotter his body burned, his skin glowing red as heat radiated outward. His frantic thrashing melted the nearby wall into molten lava, which dripped to the floor in glowing droplets.
Then he froze in horror.
The wall pinning him had already melted away, yet his body remained suspended in mid-air, held fast by some unknown and terrifying power.
Like something out of a supernatural horror film.
The man was being judged by an invisible, mysterious force beyond his comprehension.
A few meters away, Xi Nian's blue eyes flickered with light, as if reflecting hidden truths of the universe itself. He still carried Lorna in his arms, yet even so, his unseen hands reached out with terrifying precision.
"The atmosphere is set. Time for the real act."
Super-Form Xi Nian muttered to himself as he looked at the glowing red, terrified man locked in mid-air.
"Where is Killian?" Xi Nian's cold voice rang directly in the man's ear, as tendrils of blue light stretched out and pierced into his mind.
"Wh-who are you…" the man stammered, his body trembling violently. His eyes darted across the office in terror, his voice cracking as panic nearly broke his mind.
"His enemy. Here for revenge," Xi Nian answered, a mischievous smile curling his lips, like a child playing a cruel prank.
Lorna's magnetic power wasn't her only gift.
She also possessed a hidden ability—emotional regulation.
A spiritual talent that allowed her to stabilize her own emotions and avoid falling into darkness or extremity. Because it rarely showed in daily life, most people didn't even notice it existed.
Now, with that same power shared by Xi Nian, he used it to disrupt the man's mind, throwing him into complete instability.
Even though the man was a hardened mercenary used to dancing on the edge of death, the fear of the unseen, combined with the crushing pressure of a higher-dimensional power, had already shattered his mental defenses.
And with Xi Nian's emotional interference, the last of his courage collapsed completely.
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything! Killian—he's at Roxxon's private dock in Los Angeles. The address is…"
Without hesitation, trembling with fear, the man spilled everything he knew.
"Good."
With Xi Nian's final words, the office window suddenly swung open. Cold night wind howled through the room.
Thud.
Released from Xi Nian's control, the man fell limply to the floor. He looked around frantically at the empty office, his heart pounding.
Had the terrifying presence left?
"I'm still alive…" he whispered in relief. But then he froze.
Smoke rose from his body—
The Extremis virus within him had gone completely out of control.
Like a pressure cooker heated beyond its limits, it was only a matter of time before it exploded.
"No!!"
His scream of despair echoed through the office—
Then came a violent explosion. Flames and shockwaves ripped through the top floor, melting every pane of glass into molten shards.
…
Above the sleepless city, beneath the starry night sky.
"Hahaha!"
A girl's bright laughter rang out hundreds of meters above Los Angeles, carrying far into the vast night.
In Xi Nian's arms, Lorna laughed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes. Her legs kicked excitedly while one small hand kept patting his chest.
"Little bro, that was amazing! Did you see his face? He was so scared he nearly wet himself—looked like he'd just seen a ghost! Hahaha!"
Xi Nian looked at her youthful face, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. It was the first time he had ever seen Lorna so carefree.
"Keep it up! Do the job well, and once this is over, I'll give you a generous reward!"
Lorna clapped his shoulder, grinning proudly.
A generous reward…
How generous?
Xi Nian's gaze drifted without meaning to, settling on her lips—shimmering in the moonlight like they were glazed in sugar. Thin, soft, yet strong enough to have left such a forceful impression earlier.
No wonder she was the boss.
"What are you staring at? Look again and I'll bite you!"
Noticing his eyes, Lorna puffed her cheeks and flashed a sharp little canine, glaring at him with mock irritation.
Xi Nian shrugged helplessly. It wasn't his fault.
Just as the word "comfort" reminded him of his aunt's tenderness, "compensation" reminded him of Gwen's legs, "preparation" reminded him of Kara's strength, and "obedience" reminded him of Wanda's sweetness—
So now, the word "reward" could only make him think of that not-so-long-ago kiss, and the lingering taste of candy-sweetness still at the edge of his lips.
"If you want your reward, then do your job properly. No slacking!" Lorna scolded proudly, looping her arms lightly around his neck, chin raised in triumph.
"You're the boss. Whatever you say."
Xi Nian chuckled, turning his gaze toward the city below. Beyond the coastline, an isolated port facility glowed with bright lights. Cranes, containers, and ships could be faintly seen in the distance.
The Roxxon private dock, just as the man described.
But before they could approach—
Xi Nian suddenly looked back.
Far behind them, in the distant sky, dozens of glowing lights had ignited. And those lights were getting closer, fast.
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