Department Store.
Night had completely fallen.
Police lights continued flashing in the distance.
The entire area remained under lockdown.
The outer security perimeter had been expanded several blocks away.
Large numbers of residents had been temporarily evacuated.
Roads were closed.
Drones continued patrolling the air.
What happened tonight was certain to make tomorrow's headlines.
But for the people at the scene, the incident was not truly over yet.
Inside the lobby.
The last trace of pollution was compressed into a containment canister.
The silver-gray metal lid slowly closed.
A crisp locking sound rang out.
Click.
The workers around them simultaneously let out sighs of relief.
Several hours of continuous processing had finally ended.
Irina slowly lowered her hands.
Her body swayed slightly.
The fatigue caused by prolonged use of her ability was finally beginning to show.
Fine beads of sweat remained on her forehead.
Her breathing was also more rapid than usual.
She did not leave immediately.
Instead, she lowered her head and looked at the Pollution Crystal in front of her.
The gray crystal lay silently inside a metal container.
An extremely faint trace of pollution continued to seep from its surface.
Almost as if it were alive.
The workers quickly approached.
They placed it inside a specially prepared containment vessel.
The entire process was carried out with extraordinary caution.
No one touched it directly.
Armed guards had even been stationed around the area.
The security measures were far beyond those used for an ordinary pollution source.
On the other side.
Lucian stood silently in the center of the ruins.
The faint Azure patterns beneath his feet finally began to fade.
The structural stabilization he had maintained for several hours came to an end.
The building, which had been forcibly held in place, gradually returned to its normal state.
The cracked pillars remained cracked.
The deformed steel remained deformed.
They simply would not collapse immediately.
The engineering department would take over from here.
Lucian watched the scene.
His gaze fell upon the containment canisters.
Dozens of them.
All arranged neatly.
Inside them was enough hazardous material to contaminate the entire building.
And there was only one person who had made all of this possible.
Irina.
He once again confirmed his judgment.
Northveil's pollution-processing system was indeed complete.
But its core was far too concentrated in a single person.
If one day...
Irina disappeared...
What would happen to this country?
The question remained in his mind for a moment.
Then he temporarily set it aside.
The workers began taking control of the site.
Large amounts of detection equipment were brought into the lobby.
New security perimeters were established.
Technicians hurried back and forth.
The area where the battle had just ended gradually transformed into an investigation site.
The noise slowly returned.
Somehow, that made everything feel even more unreal.
Irina walked over to a broken piece of concrete and sat down.
She quietly exhaled.
It seemed she had finally allowed herself a few minutes of rest.
Lucian walked over.
He stopped a short distance away.
"Is the processing finished?"
Irina raised her head.
She thought for several seconds.
Then shook her head.
"Half finished."
Lucian raised an eyebrow slightly.
Irina looked toward the workers in the distance.
"The pollution processing is finished."
"The investigation has just begun."
Both of their gazes fell upon the Pollution Crystal that had already been secured.
Lucian asked,
"Is that thing special?"
Irina was silent for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Very special."
"I thought it would never appear again."
Lucian looked at her.
"You've seen it before?"
"In the archives."
Her answer was simple.
Yet it made the situation seem even more complicated.
Anything that could enter a national archive was never simple.
At that moment.
A worker quickly approached.
He stopped in front of them.
"Ms. Kelvin."
"The Administrative Center requests that you return immediately."
Irina nodded.
She clearly was not surprised.
The appearance of the Pollution Crystal had already gone far beyond the scope of an ordinary accident.
The highest levels of government would certainly hold an emergency meeting tonight.
The worker then turned toward Lucian.
His attitude was extremely polite.
"Mr. Lucian."
"The Administrative Center has already prepared a reception room."
"Thank you for your assistance tonight."
Lucian nodded.
After the worker left, silence returned once again.
Irina stood up.
She looked at Lucian.
After pausing for several seconds, she finally spoke.
"Thank you for today."
Lucian was slightly surprised.
It was the first time she had voluntarily said something like that.
"It was nothing."
Irina gently shook her head.
"Not everyone would have stayed."
She did not explain further.
But Lucian understood what she meant.
When the explosion occurred.
Everyone had been evacuating.
Including the experienced workers.
That had been the correct choice.
It had also been the normal choice.
But he had stayed.
Until the pollution had been completely contained.
To the people of Northveil, that act alone was worthy of respect.
Lucian remained silent for a moment.
Then said,
"I only did what I could."
Irina looked at him.
She did not argue.
A moment later.
A transport vehicle arrived.
The two of them left the ruins together.
The Department Store gradually disappeared into the distance.
And the real investigation into what had happened tonight...
Had only just begun.
Administrative Center.
Late at night.
The entire building remained brightly lit.
Large numbers of personnel had been urgently recalled.
Technical Department.
Security Department.
Pollution Processing Department.
Intelligence Department.
Many offices were still operating at this hour.
People hurried through the corridors.
The air was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
Underground parking area.
The vehicle slowly came to a stop.
The doors opened.
Irina stepped out first.
Several workers immediately came to greet her.
"Ms. Kelvin."
"The examination room is ready."
She nodded.
Then followed the workers away.
According to regulations, anyone exposed to high concentrations of pollution had to undergo a comprehensive examination.
No one was exempt.
On the other side.
Lucian was taken to the reception area.
Not a conference room.
Instead, it was a lounge specifically used for important guests.
The staff were extremely polite.
They had clearly received instructions from the upper levels.
The door opened.
The room followed the Northveil Directorate's usual style.
Simple.
Practical.
No unnecessary decorations.
There was a hot drink on the table.
A national map hung on the wall.
Other than that, there was almost nothing else.
The worker placed the drink down.
Then said,
"Mr. Lucian."
"Someone will notify you when the meeting is over."
Lucian nodded.
The door closed.
The room became quiet once again.
He sat down on the sofa.
His gaze settled on the map on the wall.
But his thoughts were not on the map itself.
They were on everything that had happened tonight.
The Pollution Crystal.
The old archives.
And Irina.
Lucian slowly leaned back against the sofa.
His black eyes narrowed slightly.
What had originally been nothing more than an ordinary inspection trip...
Now seemed to suggest that the Northveil Directorate was hiding far more than he had expected.
Meanwhile.
Deep inside the Administrative Center.
A meeting concerning the Pollution Crystal...
Had officially begun.