The Yeti Squad officially joined Tomorrow's Development. Everything unfolded almost exactly as Felix and Yelena had once spoken of, except that this day had come far too late.
Yelena wiped the tears from her face, still feeling a little embarrassed. She caught the Yeti Squad members exchanging good-natured smiles, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.
The warmth of the moment did not last long.
A sudden explosion sounded from outside, followed immediately by the shouts and warnings of the operators.
Felix pushed open the door, the Yeti Squad close behind him. In the distance, atop the low shacks of the slums, a group of red-named players was fleeing at full speed. As the smoke from the blast dispersed, the debris on the ground revealed its true nature.
An Originium dirty bomb.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
The one who rushed to Felix's side was none other than Yanfei. Seeing him unharmed, she finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. Then her brows lifted sharply.
"We saw it. It was done by Reunion's adventurers. Our people will follow their retreat route and try to locate their base, and wipe them out in one sweep."
Felix nodded slightly.
With drone's tracking, that was indeed possible. However, at this stage, even discovering the players' hideout would not amount to much. After entering Lungmen, they had scattered and adopted guerrilla tactics. Calling it a base was more of a formality. They did not need supplies or reinforcement from it.
Still, there were things that needed to be said.
"You've worked hard. You even anticipated that these adventurers would launch a surprise attack on the camp. Without your defenses, the wounded here might have been put in real danger."
Felix spoke with a smile, and Yanfei's heart immediately skipped a beat. Her pulse quickened, and the system had already begun issuing warnings.
Xi Yiye quickly coughed twice.
"Your Highness, we'll go investigate the adventurers' trail first."
"Alright. Thank you for your trouble."
Yanfei was dragged away by Xi Yiye. Yelena watched the adventurers for a moment longer and sighed inwardly. These adventurers were not only well-equipped, their skills were clearly formidable as well. Compared to Reunion's fighters, perhaps thugs was now the more accurate term, since Talulah's direct forces were still stationed in Kursk and had yet to move.
These adventurers of Tomorrow's Development were far stronger than Reunion's thugs.
"FrostNova."
"Yes."
Being called by her codename, Yelena looked at Felix's calm expression and instinctively straightened her posture.
"I need you to come with me to see a prisoner. He is the captain of Reunion's Caster Squad, and also a high-ranking member of Reunion's younger generation. As for the rest of the Yeti Squad, you are dismissed. It's late already. Take your medicine and get some rest."
Though FrostNova was the Yeti Squad's commander, the others followed Felix's orders without hesitation. By now, he had completely won them over. Whether through his words or the sharp edge he revealed unintentionally, they all believed that leaving Reunion for Tomorrow's Development had been the right choice.
One by one, they saluted Felix and departed. FrostNova stayed behind.
"The high-ranking member you mentioned, who is it?"
"Codename: Skullshatterer. Do you know him?"
FrostNova nodded without hesitation.
"He hasn't been with Reunion for long, but his strength is solid. Among the younger generation, he stands out. Like many youths, though, he's been brainwashed by Talulah's ideals."
"Have you spoken with him before?"
"A few times. Mostly work-related."
She paused, then added,
"Skullshatterer doesn't talk much. I heard he's been searching for his missing sister all this time, and never gave up."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the entrance to the "prison." Through the metal bars, they saw Skullshatterer curled up in a corner. His fists were clenched tightly. His eyes blinked from time to time, but he forced himself to stay awake.
"…Skullshatterer."
FrostNova finally called out his codename.
Skullshatterer, Alex, slowly lifted his gaze toward the warm golden light. His eyes first settled on Felix. Tears welled up in his dry eyes. For a brief moment, he believed he had already died, and that the Sankta before him had come to guide him to the afterlife.
Then he heard a familiar voice, pulling him back to reality.
"…FrostNova?"
Skullshatterer's eyes widened slightly. "You too… were you captured?"
"No. I chose to leave Reunion."
FrostNova replied calmly. "The path Talulah offers is wrong. The rights infected people seek are not won by conquering other cities, nor by turning innocent people into the infected."
"Skullshatterer, you once said you were searching for your sister. And yet, weren't you separated from her precisely because of Reunion?"
"…!"
Skullshatterer stared at her in disbelief. "…FrostNova, you left Reunion?"
"I joined Tomorrow's Development, to fight for the true rights of the infected. Revenge is not everything. Skullshatterer, your life is still long ahead of you. Do you really want to live as Talulah says, like a moth flying into the flames?"
"At the very least, for your sister's sake, you shouldn't keep going down this road."
That was enough. The effect was immediate.
Skullshatterer clutched his head and dropped to his knees, his hoarse voice muttering the same broken phrases over and over again.
Is he about to break down?
Felix glanced toward the corner of a nearby low building. He had sensed the presence of a young girl there long ago. From Texas's report, he already knew who she was. She should be Skullshatterer's sister. The reason he had forced himself to stay awake so late was likely because he believed she would come to see him.
Trying to break him out, however, was nothing more than a fantasy. This Ursus girl did not have that kind of power.
What comforted Felix was FrostNova's words. In his eyes, this was where her leadership truly lay. Weathered by hardship yet never losing her inner purity and conviction, outwardly cold but inwardly warm, she was perfectly suited to be the Yeti Squad's big sister.
After the two of them left, Misha, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
She knew rescuing her brother was impossible. Toward Tomorrow's Development, who had saved them, Misha felt only gratitude. She had thought they would be thrown into a Lungmen prison, locked away. By all rights, they were undocumented outsiders. As refugees who had slipped into the city, it would already have been mercy not to arrest them or throw them out to fend for themselves.
They were infected, and they were intruders.
Yet Tomorrow's Development still accepted them.
She had her selfish thoughts as well. She wanted to save her brother. But seeing the operators wounded by Reunion, Misha found she could not bring herself to say such words. That would have been nothing short of ingratitude.
Her brother had indeed done wrong. Misha did not intend to find excuses for him. Wrong was wrong. What mattered was whether, after making mistakes, he would repent, and whether he would use his strength to atone for what he had done.
"Alex…"
"Sister…"
Skullshatterer lifted his head. Under the dim light, he was nothing more than a teenager. A boy who had just gained power, who believed everything Talulah said was right. He wanted to fight for his leader, to uphold what he thought was justice for the infected, and to find his sister. Yet he had long since forgotten that he had become the very kind of person he once despised.
"Alex, how did things become like this?"
Misha spoke softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. She disliked Lungmen, disliked Chernobog, and disliked Reunion. But she could never stop worrying about her lost brother.
"Alex… your sister is here."
"Waaah… waaah…"
Separated by the iron bars, Alex began to sob quietly. It was impossible to tell what he was crying for, or what thoughts churned in his heart. Misha did not move closer, nor did she try to comfort him. She simply sat down silently and leaned against the door.
Brother and sister, divided by a single barrier. One cried softly, the other tilted her head back, gazing at the dark, rain-soaked night. Neither spoke.
Time passed, though neither knew how long. Eventually, Alex's sobbing subsided.
"Sister…"
"Alex, I'm here."
Misha replied gently.
"I… what should I do now?"
His voice was still choked with tears, heavy with exhaustion and regret.
"For now, get some good rest. Tomorrow, or the day after, think carefully about what you can do."
Misha said softly. "I'll always support you, Alex."
"…Okay. Thank you, sister."
"We're family, after all."
Misha smiled faintly. At some point, the rain had stopped. She stretched, shivering as the cold night wind brushed against her. It was time for her to rest as well.
Inside the room, Felix finished a cup of hot cocoa and prepared to go to bed. Before sleeping, he began checking Yelena's condition once more. With only the two of them present, the conversation felt noticeably lighter.
"How is Patriot's condition now?" he asked.
"Father… he hasn't improved," Yelena replied softly.
She let out a quiet sigh. "He has always stood at the very front. Even though he rarely participates in Reunion's battles now, he has never relaxed. His soldiers are the strongest force within Reunion. Even the adventurers of Reunion don't dare provoke the Shieldguards."
"In that situation, I don't want to stand against the general."
Felix wiped the Originium particles from her skin with an alcohol swab. "I believe the general and I walk the same path. Talulah's original dream might truly have had a chance of coming true, but she has changed. Reunion has changed as well."
"Can you persuade your father?" Felix asked sincerely. "I want to fight alongside him. That would be an honor."
"… "
Yelena felt a cool sensation spread along her arm. She realized Felix was applying a white, milky ointment. As it was spread evenly across her skin, the hardened Originium crystals showed faint signs of loosening.
"This is an experimental drug from Columbia," Felix explained. "It's also useful for treating Oripathy, but its main effect is topical. It allows the Originium crystals on the body to naturally detach."
"But isn't Oripathy in the blood?" Yelena asked. She remembered the medical operators of Tomorrow's Development mentioning this before.
"That's right, which is why it's still experimental," Felix said, shaking his head. "And the cost… well. It's not cheap. In the end, infected people can't afford something so impractical. What they need is medicine that saves lives."
"Then how did you…"
Under Yelena's gaze, the Originium crystals on her shoulder gradually fell away. Felix caught them in his hand, and blue flames ignited. The crystals vanished without leaving even ash behind.
Her shoulder, once studded with crystals, became smooth again, faintly pink beneath the light barrier.
"Anywhere else?" Felix asked. "I want to test the drug's effectiveness and course of treatment."
Yelena bit her lip. Quietly, she slipped off her shoes and socks. Along her smooth calves, faint Originium crystals could be seen.
Felix did not hesitate. Applying medicine was something he could handle while keeping his composure.
Yelena felt warm hands moving over her legs. Her toes curled and relaxed unconsciously. At last, she couldn't help letting out a soft sound.
Her face flushed red. She no longer knew where to place her hands, her thoughts completely drawn to those hands.
When the warmth finally withdrew, Yelena caught her breath, her eyes hazy and glistening.
"Where next?" Felix asked calmly, his golden eyes unruffled.
"Here…" Yelena lifted her nightwear, revealing a firm, smooth abdomen. At the side of her waist, Originium crystals marred the view like flaws in a work of art.
"Please…"
"Alright."
Yelena closed her eyes. Her face was so red it seemed it might drip. Her toes rubbed against the floor as she clenched her teeth, trying not to make a sound. In the end, she failed, surrendering to the warmth and comfort.
When the warmth faded once more, Yelena opened her eyes reluctantly, biting her lower lip, her gaze tinged with longing and reluctance.
"Any more?"
"Yes…" She pointed to the area near her collarbone. "Here. You forgot."
As Felix leaned closer, Yelena suddenly stood up. She wrapped her arms around him and, before he could react, pushed him onto the bed. Felix lost his balance and fell back, looking up at her face, at her ears flushed red with embarrassment. He smiled.
"Yelena?"
"Don't speak. Love me."
Tonight was cold, and so they needed to lean on one another for warmth.