Skye stared at Axel in silence, his gaze intense. As an awakener, he had fought Infected No. 2 to the death, so he understood the monster’s terrifying power more than anyone else in the group. No one else here could comprehend how close they had come to dying at the hands of that beast.

  “It really didn’t work,” Axel began, his voice steady, “so I planned an escape route in advance.” He gestured toward the open well in the distance. The ground around it was cracked, the cracks spreading out in jagged lines like a spider’s web, as though something massive had slammed into it.

  Axel went on to explain what happened next, leaving out any mention of Annabelle’s involvement. He only spoke about himself—how, after firing the gun, he jumped into the well, waited for No. 2 to stick its head out, and shot it several times to provoke it. When No. 2 went into a rage, its head got stuck in the narrow well, and Axel had used that moment to land a fatal shot.

  Despite Axel’s calm retelling, the tension in the air was thick. The team was still trying to process what they had just heard.

  “So, where is No. 2’s body now?” Skye asked, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.

  Axel shrugged slightly. “I wasn’t sure if it was really dead. I remembered your method of dissolving the infected, so I melted its body, too. But... the rest of it fell down the well halfway through.”

  “And the bodies on the garbage pile?” Skye asked, his eyes narrowing.

  Axel’s response was quick, as if it had all been part of his plan. “I wasn’t sure if those people were infected, so I melted them, too.”

  The room went quiet for a moment. Axel had been so calm in his actions, so matter-of-fact, that his words hit everyone harder than they expected.

  “So, when you picked up the gun, you had already planned everything?” Freya muttered under her breath.

  The plan had been flawless: grab the gun, move the manhole cover, shoot, jump into the well, set the ambush... Even seasoned law enforcers would hesitate before pulling off something like that. Axel’s actions were deliberate, calculated—no one could deny that. And then, to calmly melt the bodies afterward, it was almost... clinical. It didn’t seem like something a kid his age could do.

  It felt more like something a ruthless criminal would be capable of.

  Despite the unsettling nature of Axel’s actions, the team couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. No matter how strange his methods were, Axel had saved their lives.

  "That’s incredible," one team member said, breaking the silence. "Captain, you should bring this kid on board. He’s got the guts for it."

  "Yeah, maybe we could offer him a non-staff position," another suggested, joking but with admiration in his voice.

  The tension in the air lightened as the group began to joke around, the relief of surviving making them a little too eager to celebrate.

  Freya looked at Axel, her expression softening with a trace of sadness. She knew his story—how he and Annabelle had survived in the slums, relying on each other to get by. That kind of life forced him to grow up fast, to harden himself.

  "We should reflect on this," Freya said, her voice firm but with a note of concern. "If it weren’t for him, we’d all be dead right now. I think we should apply for a reward for Axel."

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Axel was taken aback, about to refuse. He didn’t want the attention, staying low was his principle. But as his gaze drifted to Skye, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of the man’s eyes on him. Axel knew what he’d done today wasn’t the work of just any ordinary person.

  Killing infected people was one thing, but calmly melting their bodies afterward, disposing of the evidence without a second thought—it took a certain kind of person to do that without hesitation. Axel could already tell what Skye was thinking. No matter how sharp your mind was, if you didn’t have the capacity for cruelty, you wouldn’t be able to follow through on something like that.

  Skye studied Axel closely, a knowing glint in his eyes. The kid wasn’t as simple as he appeared. But the good thing was, he hadn’t done anything wrong, at least not so far.

  “Axel, I’ve got a question for you,” Skye began, his tone light, almost casual, as if they were neighbors chatting. “After you took down the Infected, why didn’t you wake us up first? Why go ahead and melt the body? And don’t think I missed the fact that you melted the four bodies on the garbage pile, too.”

  Skye’s smile was friendly, but Freya immediately noticed the edge of something else in his voice. She’d been Skye’s partner long enough to catch the hidden meaning in his words.

  Her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone shifting. “Captain, what’s that supposed to mean? The kid’s barely older than a teenager, and he did all this for us. You look tough enough to survive a few hits. Are you really worried about your bonus? You know, I could personally fund it if you’re that concerned.”

  Skye was overwhelmed as Freya’s sharp words landed. He usually commanded respect in the team—he was the captain, after all—but when Freya got angry, even he didn’t know how to respond.

  He raised his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it! I just thought the kid’s actions were impressive, that’s all. I was just asking out of curiosity.”

  He met Skye’s gaze again, aware of the captain’s subtle scrutiny. Skye might seem like a rough, laid-back guy on the surface, but Axel knew better, underneath that relaxed exterior, Skye was calculating, aware of everything around him.

  Axel took a deep breath, deciding to answer honestly. “I wasn’t sure it was really dead. From what I saw, it had too much vitality. I thought it would be smart to play it safe and keep myself alive first.”

  His words were blunt, but there was no shame in them. Skye nodded slowly, as if considering his reasoning.

  “There’s one more thing,” Axel continued, turning to Freya. “Sister Freya, can I ask you for something? A favor, actually.”

  Freya raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

  “I don't want a reward, just need some raw stones.”

  The team members blinked in surprise, exchanging confused glances. “Raw stones?” one of them asked. “Why would you want those?”

  Axel laughed softly, though there was a trace of self-mockery in his tone. “Well, I’m graduating this year. If I have a few raw stones, maybe I can awaken my abilities.”

  At that, the group erupted into laughter. Awakening wasn’t that easy. Only a handful of people could awaken their powers, and those who did were usually highly trained. Even among War Academy graduates, most didn’t end up with powers.

  But when Axel mentioned his background, Skye’s face softened. Graduate, slum, orphan, he was ruthless and cruel after working among criminals. He acted after careful planning and did not pretend to be an honest man.

  These factors add up and it seems to make more sense. After all, in this era, there are even crazier people who want to become awakened.

  Thinking of this, Skye's brows relaxed and his doubts gradually dissipated.

  “Hey, Nash,” Skye called over to one of the team members. “Do you have any raw stones left? I saw you brought some with you.”

  Nash pulled out a few stones. Skye took them and handed them to Axel. “Here. Ten good-quality ones. You’ll probably need them if you want to make it.”

  Axel’s eyes widened slightly. The value of these stones was astronomical—easily worth 20,000 dollars. For someone like Axel, who had grown up in the slums, it was a small fortune.

  “This is just a gift for meeting,” Skye added, “but we’ll discuss a more formal reward later.”

  The team members clapped Axel on the back, offering their thanks. Freya stepped forward, handing him a small vial. “This is a pharmaceutical drug from Deep Space Pharmaceuticals. It’s valuable—if you’re injured, it’ll help you avoid infection. I know you’ve been through a lot.”

  After Axel handed over the infected tissues he cut off, no one continued to ask about the four bodies. They were all busy salvaging the sunken infected bodies. No one knew that this was actually the most stressful part for Axel.

  He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the life crystals in his pocket. With a quiet exhale, Axel turned and made his way home, not looking back.