After a long day of dealing with the mess, Axel had finally gotten rid of the last of the hidden dangers. He was exhausted—physically drained—but there was something about the energy inside him that made him feel like he was soaking in hot water. His fatigue seemed to melt away, replaced with an unfamiliar sense of vitality.

  "Ugh..." Axel couldn’t help but groan. "This... this is definitely an awakening skill." After regaining most of his strength, Axel could feel the force value in his body ebbing away.

  He let out a deep breath, trying not to laugh too loud, though his grin only got wider. "This ability... this is insane."

  At first, Axel had thought that his ability to extract force crystals from corpses was already overpowered. But now? He could extract the “awakening skills” of the dead.

  Most awakened individuals could only grasp awakening skills that matched their own attributes. Take Skye, for example—he had the body-hardening ability, so his awakening was probably focused on strengthening his physique, especially his defense.

  But Axel's new skill—this “recovery” ability—was an auxiliary one, common but incredibly useful. It let him convert his own force to restore a significant amount of physical stamina. Axel recalled the towering tree he had seen within his spiritual world. If it were filled with awakening skills... could he become the legendary "universal awakener"?

  The idea had been proposed by a few scholars before—something about letting a body-strengthening awakener learn mechanical transformation skills, or mixing various skills. But in the end, it only led to strange, unstable awakeners.

  Still… Axel had picked up this skill. Awakening skills usually took years of practice to master, with some first-level awakeners struggling to activate them at all. But Axel felt like he had used the "recovery" skill countless times before—it came naturally.

  Of course, becoming a “universal awakener” was just a fantasy for now. After all, finding the corpse of a fellow awakener wasn’t exactly easy. Axel wasn’t tired yet, so he took out the fine raw stones that Skye had given him and started absorbing them. Sure, the process was slow compared to directly refining crystals, but at least it was progress.

  ......

  Meanwhile, in the heart of Dune, where the city’s wealthiest lived, the Red Flag Avenue blazed with lights well past midnight. In a pristine mansion that looked like a castle, Wolfe, dressed in a dark green nightgown, relaxed with a beautiful woman in his arms. He listened to a report from his subordinate, Frost, detailing Axel's interrogation.

  Wolfe’s lips curled into a smile as he listened.

  “Once the storm dies down, find a way to get rid of this guy.”

  Frost nodded. “Understood.”

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  Just then, the door suddenly flew open.

  "Wolfe, sorry to bother you," a gruff voice called out. “I'm Captain Skye, from the Enforcement Bureau. I suspect you're involved with the infected people appearing in Area C of the slums. You’re coming with me.”

  Wolfe raised an eyebrow. As he glanced at Frost, a slight smirk tugged at his lips. He’d known that the Enforcement Bureau had been sniffing around after the two infected people had escaped from his casino, but he was sure they didn’t have anything concrete on him. If they had, he would have been arrested by now.

  "Captain Skye," Wolfe said, feigning politeness. "What’s this all about? Can't we talk about this tomorrow? There’s no need to make such a big fuss."

  He wasn’t panicked. Wolfe was familiar with the Bureau’s tactics. They’d intimidate some people into confessing, but he wasn’t one of them.

  “I’m afraid not,” Skye replied, flashing a relaxed grin as he casually dropped onto a large leather sofa across from Wolfe. He popped a few grapes into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated enjoyment, the juice splattering. "Wolfe. You know that matters involving the infected aren’t something to take lightly. I’m in a bit of a bind myself. If I’m wrong here, I’ll personally come and apologize to you. How does that sound?"

  Wolfe studied Skye carefully, his sharp features unreadable. His gaze flicked to the seven or eight officers standing at the door, and he exhaled sharply. It seemed like things were worse than he’d anticipated. Skye wasn’t bluffing. He really had something on him.

  Wolfe sat in silence for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll go with you. But let me make a quick phone call first."

  Skye made a casual gesture, signaling that he didn’t mind. "Do whatever you need."

  Two minutes later, Frost watched with a scowl as Wolfe stepped into the Enforcement Bureau’s car. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed.

  With Skye right there, some things couldn’t be said too openly. Frost had to give a bit more explanation now.

  "A captain from the Enforcement Bureau dares to arrest Wolfe?" Frost muttered under his breath, his voice full of disbelief.

  In Dune, every captain in the Enforcement teams had a close relationship with Wolfe. Hell, even the head of the Bureau had to show him respect. There was no one else like Skye.

  As he looked at Wolfe, who sat calm and composed in the car, Skye wiped the smirk from his face. Despite having something on Wolfe, Skye didn’t have the direct evidence he needed. He knew that Wolfe was likely sitting on a backup plan, just waiting for Skye to make a move.

  This could screw up Skye’s entire operation, but he had to keep pushing—only by forcing Wolfe’s hand could he continue to dig for more clues.

  "As expected of Wolfe," Skye muttered to himself. "You're the only one who can stay so calm in this situation."

  The car hit a few bumps as they drove, and Wolfe glanced over at Skye. The man didn’t quite fit the usual law enforcement mold. He didn’t have the polished, bureaucratic vibe that the others did. Instead, he had the air of a seasoned street boss—rough, sharp, but composed.

  Wolfe had never heard of any influential family having ties with Skye. Most of them thought the guy was a poor, socially awkward man who worked himself to the bone. Now, Wolfe could see that those assumptions were wrong.

  "I’m a legitimate businessman," Wolfe said with a slight smirk, turning his attention away from Skye. "I have nothing to worry about."

  Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the law enforcement bureau. There were two other cars parked outside, and a group of well-dressed, middle-aged men stood waiting. Their calm, sophisticated air told Skye that these weren’t just random people—these were serious players.

  Skye narrowed his eyes as he spotted one of them. The higher up the chain these guys were, the colder he felt.

  "Director Nash," Skye greeted, his tone shifting to one of politeness as he stepped out of the car. "It’s late—what brings you out here?"

  A playful smile curled on Skye’s lips, but his eyes remained calculating.