Five minutes later, Axel emerged from another manhole cover, a good hundred meters from the scene. He was drenched in the stench of the sewer, but Annabelle didn’t hesitate. She wrapped her arms around him immediately, relief flooding her face.

  Axel walked back to where the chaos had unfolded, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Infected No. 2. The creature’s back was a mess of jagged, honeycomb-like wounds, evidence of the brutal fight it had just endured. Axel couldn’t help but think: they say the infected are merciless monsters, but Annabelle was the most gentle and kind-hearted person he'd ever known. It was hard to reconcile the girl he saw now with the killer she'd just become.

  Annabelle’s voice broke his thoughts. “Brother, are we going to get caught?” She bit her lip, looking worried.

  For years, they’d been doing everything in their power to keep their true identities hidden. They’d lived in the slums, dodging the law and trying to keep a low profile. They’d endured hardships, always hoping just to survive without drawing attention. But now, after what had just happened, their simple life felt like a distant dream.

  "Two kids killing an infected," she whispered. "Even if we don’t get caught by the law enforcement bureau, they’ll still investigate us. And if we get pulled in for questioning—"

  Axel cut her off, his voice steady. "Don't worry. Go home first, and leave the rest to me."

  He wasn’t as concerned as Annabelle. In fact, he felt oddly calm. The hardest part of the plan was done. They’d killed No. 2. Everything else would be simple now.

  Once Annabelle had gone, Axel turned to Skye. The man was pale, his breathing shallow, but miraculously still alive. His ribs were shattered, and his body was covered in deep, jagged scars.

  “The resilience of the awakened... impressive,” Axel muttered under his breath. If he hadn’t shot when he did, Skye would have been finished, killed by No. 2's final attack.

  Axel rifled through Skye’s jacket, recalling something from his memory. After a few moments of searching, he found a small yellow bottle hidden in a pocket.

  “This should work.”

  With that, Axel walked to the well where No. 2’s massive body was lodged. Floating there was a small ball of green light, roughly the size of a volleyball. Axel carefully collected it, watching as it transformed into a ball of green crystal in his palm.

  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could cover up the mess. No. 2’s body would’ve raised too many questions if it was left intact, especially with the damage Annabelle had done. If it was vaporized, though, there’d be no trace left for anyone to find.

  Axel used the same method Skye had demonstrated earlier. After took a small sample of muscle tissue from No. 2’s body, he dripped the liquid onto its body. Almost immediately, the air was filled with a pungent odor, and Axel watched as the infected’s body began to slowly vaporize before his eyes. By the time it was almost completely gone, the shrunken remains fell into the well. Axel didn’t bother pulling them back out.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The damage caused by Annabelle had been erased. That was all that mattered.

  Once he was satisfied with the results, Axel moved to the four bodies lying in a heap nearby. He repeated the process, pouring the liquid over their bodies. One by one, they vanished into the air, leaving nothing behind but the faintest trace of residue.

  This behavior seems a bit deliberate, yes, but Axel knew it had to be done. If their bodies were examined, the truth would come to light, and that was a risk they couldn’t afford. Vaporizing them was the only way to cover their tracks.

  After finishing the cleanup, Axel found the medicine Skye had left behind and used it to rouse the man from his unconscious state. Skye coughed up blood, his body trembling with each breath. The first thing he said, weakly, was, “You’re still alive?”

  Skye’s mind struggled to piece together the events before he lost consciousness. The boy, Axel, had grabbed a gun and fired randomly in the chaos. While Skye knew Axel meant well, he thought that the kid was as good as dead.

  But… what had happened?

  His eyes flickered around. The towering form of Infected No. 2 was gone. Axel had somehow managed to save himself and was now going around waking everyone else up.

  Five minutes later, the team slowly regained consciousness. Everyone, except Skye, who was still sitting against the wall, battered and bruised, exchanged glances.

  "Captain, you’re incredible," one of them said with a grin.

  Several team members knew Skye's ability very well. His awakening skill was to strengthen his body. Therefore, his physical fitness was much stronger than that of awakeners of the same level. Although the injury was terrible, as long as his life was not in danger, he would recover soon.

  "You're laughing while I'm in this condition? Forget about your bonuses this month," Skye muttered, his voice hoarse. "And I didn’t kill No. 2."

  The team went silent, blinking at him in confusion. A few moments passed before they shrugged it off, thinking it was just Skye being his usual self. After all, they were all unconscious during the fight. If Skye hadn’t stepped in, they probably wouldn’t be alive to see the sun rise.

  But Skye’s sharp eyes settled on Axel, and the realization hit the team—maybe the captain wasn’t joking after all.

  "Axel, right?" Skye asked, his tone more serious now. "You should tell us what happened. Start from the beginning. How did you end up here?"

  Axel took a deep breath, the time for answers had come. But he had already prepared for this.

  "I heard noises from over here," he began. "I figured you’d be taking down the other infected, and I didn’t want to miss out on that. So, I just lay on the roof of that house over there."

  Skye winced at the thought. "You just lay there to watch? Are you always this brave? Most people wouldn’t dare even make a sound."

  "I really am brave..." Axel smiled, clearly amused by his own response. "Or at least, I try to be."

  Skye couldn’t help but shake his head. The kid had led them to Infected No. 1 before, and now this? His courage really defied logic.

  "Go on," Skye prompted.

  Axel continued. "I thought it’d be an easy show, but I didn’t expect all of you to be knocked out by the time I got here."

  The team exchanged awkward glances, a few of them lowering their heads in embarrassment. Skye shot Axel a sharp look and waved his hand dismissively. "Get to the point."

  While Axel had saved them all, Skye and the team needed to know what happened, and how.

  Axel nodded. "Well, when I saw your gun go flying, I realized you might not be able to beat No. 2. I got scared, too, and picked up the gun without thinking."

  None of the other team members knew these details, but they were the same as what Skye knew. Deputy Captain Freya, who was next to him, was already very grateful to Axel for saving her. Now, hearing this, her heart almost jumped out of her throat, and she looked at Axel more favorably.

  Axel continued. "Then, when you fell, I regretted getting involved. I figured, if I didn’t shoot, I must also be dead."

  When he said this, Axel also looked frightened, and his face turned pale. At this moment, Axel was admiring his own acting skills.

  "But... guns didn’t work on No. 2." one member asked, clearly confused.