Inside the department store hall.
The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was difficult to breathe.
The alarm continued to echo.
Red lights flashed back and forth across the ceiling and walls.
The source of the contamination was still placed in the center of the hall.
Visible cracks had already appeared across its metal shell.
Gray-white patterns continued to spread.
It looked as though some kind of living creature was slowly writhing inside.
The hostages were being kept together in one corner of the hall.
The sound of children crying could be heard from time to time.
The elderly kept their heads lowered.
No one knew what would happen next.
The atmosphere within the terrorist organization was becoming increasingly tense as well.
Because they had realized that things were already beyond their control.
According to the original plan, the contamination source was merely a bargaining chip.
It was supposed to be a tool for forcing the government to lower its head and negotiate.
But now.
The contamination source itself was becoming unstable.
The leader stood in the center of the hall.
His expression was grim.
"What exactly went wrong?"
The member responsible for manufacturing the device had gone pale.
"I don't know."
"That's what the data said."
"We just followed the instructions."
Someone nearby shouted angrily.
"Followed the instructions?"
"You're telling me this is what following the instructions looks like?"
"That thing is about to explode!"
The hall once again descended into an argument.
Meanwhile, Irina remained beside the contamination source.
She quietly observed the changes in its structure.
She had already figured it out.
These people did not even understand what they were holding.
They had only obtained part of the information.
Then they had simply reproduced the device according to those instructions.
As for the principle behind it.
No one understood.
As for the consequences.
No one understood those either.
Irina slowly spoke.
"You were deceived."
The hall gradually fell silent.
The leader looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Irina looked at the contamination source.
She spoke calmly.
"This isn't a weapon."
"It isn't mature technology either."
"It is merely the remnant of a failed experiment."
The air fell silent.
"A failed experiment?"
Someone couldn't help asking.
Irina nodded.
"If this were genuine, mature contamination technology…"
"You would already be dead."
No one spoke.
Because they knew Irina had no reason to lie to them.
The leader lowered his head and looked at the contamination source.
His expression grew darker and darker.
Decades of accumulated hatred.
Countless covert operations.
And in the end.
What they had obtained was nothing more than someone else's experimental waste.
At that moment.
Outside the department store.
Within the cordoned-off area.
The special police had completed their deployment.
Numerous vehicles were parked along both sides of the street.
Emergency lights continued to flash.
Inside the temporary command post, a communications officer hurried in.
"We've received a communication."
The person in charge raised his head.
"Source."
"The Northern Energy Cooperation Project Team."
The commander's expression changed slightly.
The Northveil Directorate had maintained long-term cooperation with the Jace Family.
The two sides had numerous projects involving energy development and underground facilities.
For them to make contact at a time like this.
There had to be a reason.
"Continue."
The communications officer opened the record.
"The project team reports…"
"There is a direct member of the Jace Family at the scene."
The commander said nothing.
He waited for the rest.
"The project team has assessed…"
"This individual possesses the ability to independently suppress the armed targets at the scene."
The room fell silent.
"Identity confirmed."
"Lucian Jace."
Several officers exchanged glances.
They knew that name.
For the past few days.
The boy from the Jace Family had been visiting the Northveil Directorate.
The commander asked,
"Basis?"
The communications officer continued reporting.
"The project leader stated…"
"If the objective is to suppress the armed targets…"
"There is no more suitable candidate at the scene."
The communication was quickly transferred to the upper-level conference room.
The screen changed.
First Director Oksana Volkov appeared on the screen.
The conference room remained brightly lit.
The contamination index continued to refresh.
No one looked relaxed.
The communications officer repeated the report.
After listening.
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
The head of the environmental department spoke.
"There is insufficient information about his ability."
"The risk is unknown."
Another official nodded.
"We don't even know what his ability is."
But the official responsible for the cooperation project spoke up in objection.
"The ability isn't the point."
Everyone looked at him.
"The point is that the project team is willing to take responsibility for this assessment."
The conference room fell silent again.
The official continued.
"The project leader has worked with the Jace Family for many years."
"He has never submitted an unverified assessment."
"If he says there is no more suitable candidate at the scene…"
"Then the assessment itself has value."
Someone frowned.
"He's only fifteen."
As soon as those words fell.
Another official immediately said,
"Irina is only sixteen."
The conference room fell silent once again.
No one continued arguing.
Because the Northveil Directorate had never evaluated talent based on age.
Ability.
Results.
Value.
Those were the standards.
Oksana remained silent for a moment.
She looked at the contamination index.
Then she looked toward Irina's location.
Finally, she spoke.
"Approved."
"Grant temporary authorization."
The order was issued immediately.
The command post outside began carrying it out at once.
Meanwhile.
Outside the cordon.
Lucian stood there quietly.
Black hair.
Black eyes.
His white long coat fluttered gently in the wind.
He looked completely out of place among the people of Northveil.
An administrative officer hurried over.
"Mr. Lucian."
"The authorization has been approved."
Lucian nodded slightly.
"Thank you."
The administrative officer couldn't help asking,
"Are you confident?"
Lucian looked toward the distant department store.
"If it's only combat…"
"It isn't much."
Lucian pushed up his glasses.
His gaze remained calm.
He walked forward.
The cordon slowly opened.
No one stopped him anymore.
Because the order had already been issued.
And at that moment.
Inside the hall.
The leader was still staring at the contamination source.
No one noticed.
On the eastern exterior wall of the department store.
A figure had already approached silently.
The night wind swept past.
Several stories above the ground.
Lucian stepped onto the external maintenance structure.
His eyes passed through the glass.
He looked into the hall.
At the contamination source.
And at Irina standing beside it.
The next second.
BOOM—
The entire wall of glass suddenly exploded.
The tremendous sound echoed throughout the hall.
Everyone turned their heads at the same time.
Their instincts made them look toward the source of the noise.
In that instant.
A flash of azure light swept through the hall.
There was no explosion.
No thunderous roar.
Only a trajectory so fast that it was almost impossible to see.
The first armed member had just raised his gun.
His wrist was already caught.
The firearm flew from his hand.
The second man instinctively turned around.
A sharp pain shot through his shoulder.
Crack.
His joint was dislocated.
The third man prepared to fire.
His knee had already lost its support.
His entire body dropped heavily to the floor.
The fourth.
The fifth.
The sixth.
Muted groans continued to echo throughout the hall.
There was no blood.
No death.
Not even a single unnecessary movement.
Every strike was precise to the point of being almost cold.
As if everything had already been calculated.
Only a few seconds passed.
The hall became quiet again.
More than a dozen armed members were lying on the ground.
Their weapons were scattered across the floor.
The leader stood frozen in place.
Only now did he realize that he had not even fully seen what had happened.
In the center of the hall.
Lucian slowly straightened.
His white coat remained immaculate.
It was as though the suppression that had just taken place had never happened.
From outside.
Another thunderous sound suddenly rang out.
The special police broke through the entrance.
A large number of officers rushed into the hall.
Shields unfolded.
Guns locked onto their targets.
However, when they entered the hall.
They all froze.
The battle was already over.
All that remained was a floor covered with armed personnel who had lost the ability to fight.
The commander was the first to recover.
"Secure the targets!"
"Evacuate the hostages!"
The orders were carried out immediately.
The hostages began to leave.
Children.
The elderly.
Ordinary civilians.
Police officers escorted them out of the hall.
The armed members were restrained one by one.
As the leader passed Irina.
He paused for a moment.
He looked at the contamination source.
Then at Irina.
In the end, he said nothing.
He was taken away.
Several minutes later.
The hall gradually became quiet.
But the cracks across the surface of the contamination source continued to multiply.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The piercing alarm continued to echo.
Irina crouched down.
She carefully examined the structure.
Her expression gradually darkened.
"It can't be moved."
The commander on site asked,
"Why?"
"The timed structure has already been activated."
"Moving it will cause the contamination to be released prematurely."
The air instantly fell silent.
Everyone's expression changed.
Soon.
New orders were issued.
Evacuate.
Establish an isolation zone.
All non-essential personnel were to leave the hall.
The police began to retreat.
The technicians began evacuating as well.
Several minutes later.
The hall was completely silent.
Only two people remained.
Irina.
And Lucian.
Irina raised her head.
She looked at the boy who had suddenly entered the scene.
"You're not leaving?"
Lucian looked at the contamination source.
He answered calmly.
"Not yet."
"This place is dangerous."
"I know."
"You can't deal with the contamination."
"I know."
Irina frowned.
"Then why are you staying?"
Lucian remained silent for several seconds.
Then he looked toward the gray-white contamination that continued to spread.
"Observation."
He paused.
Then continued.
"And to confirm something."
"What?"
Lucian looked at the mass of contamination spreading before him.
A faint azure light appeared in his eyes.
"The contamination seems unable to penetrate my ability."
The hall fell silent once again.
And the real process of dealing with the contamination…
Had only just begun.