At last, Sophia Laurent agreed to Ethan Cross's terms.
However, the 40 million upfront deposit he demanded was not something she could easily produce. Though she was a police captain in Beihai City, her savings over the years had never reached such an amount.
But while she didn't have the money—her sister did.
Violette Nocturne, as both a combat squad leader in the Beihai Bureau and a rare Ice Element Awakener, earned millions in monthly income. Since she spent little of it—most of her time consumed by missions—she had entrusted her salary card to Sophia.
Now, with Violette's life hanging in the balance, Sophia didn't hesitate to tap into those funds.
*[Notification: Account 9527 received 40,000,000 "Private Account" at 07:30. Current balance: 40,000,502.5 yuan.]
Money talks. And with 40 million yuan already secured—plus the remaining payment pending—things moved swiftly.
Seeing Sophia's immediate transfer, Ethan pocketed his phone and stood.
"Then let's move."
No wasted words. The sooner this was done, the sooner he could collect his pay—and the Supernatural Points he needed to grow stronger.
Sophia's face lit up. The faster Ethan acted, the higher her sister's chances of survival.
"Master Cross, my car's outside. We'll take it."
Abandoned Building – Bureau Standoff
The midday sun beat down, its scorching rays cutting through the building's usual gloom. The oppressive aura of the supernatural had weakened—slightly.
Exhausted Awakeners, having fought through the night, seized the chance to rest.
But the battle was far from over.
The South District's abandoned high-rise had become a beacon for Entities. Over the past few days, swarms of them had converged here, drawn like moths to a flame. Bureau strike teams had been working overtime, culling the horde—over a hundred Entities slaughtered so far, most within the building itself.
Yet Lucian Steelgrave's expression was grim.
The outer layers had been cleared, but the real threats lurked deeper—in the underground garage, in the unseen corners. Sending more teams in as bait now would be suicide.
"The easy prey's gone. Now we're left with the hard bones to crack."
His jaw tightened. "Fine. We go in hard. I'll lead the assault myself."
He knew the dangers better than anyone.
The true horror of this place wasn't the physical monsters—it was the ghost-types, the ones that slipped through bullets and blades. Invisible. Untouchable. Legion.
Even as a C-Class Physique Awakener, he had barely escaped last time.
But they couldn't afford to wait. The Bureau's forces were stretched thin. Across Beihai, supernatural killings were rising. If they delayed any longer—
"Investigator Steelgrave."
A massive, axe-wielding bald man stepped forward, flanked by a petite girl twirling twin daggers and a cloaked figure in dark armor.
"Let us scout ahead. We've got an Ecto-Conversion Camera—we can map the interior."
His voice was rough, but his intent clear. "And we need to know if our Captain's still alive."
"Bullshit!" Lucian snapped. "You think I'd send you to die? Violette didn't sacrifice herself just so you could throw your lives away!"
The trio—Violette's former squad—had been pleading for days to launch a suicide mission.
But Lucian refused.
"Tonight, we attack in force. If you want to die, do it then—when it actually means something."
He glared at them. "Violette's tough. If anyone could survive in there, it's her."
For the first time in days, a flicker of hope sparked in their eyes.
Then—
ENGINES ROARED.
A rugged off-road vehicle tore through the dust, skidding to a halt.
Every head turned.
The doors opened.
A man and a woman stepped out.