He flicked a glance at Axel’s surprised expression. “You just pulled in a big payday. Between this mission and the Windsor family's compensation package, everyone on the team’s getting over twenty million. You’re walking away with thirty.”

Annabelle, who had been dozing off in the seat beside Axel, nearly choked. “Wait—what?”

So her brother was filthy rich now?

Axel’s eyes widened slightly. Thirty million. Just like that, his debt problems were gone.

No wonder awakeners earned so much. The risk was insane—but the rewards were staggering.

“Don’t rush to compress anything yet,” Xander warned, shifting to a more serious tone. “It’d be a waste.”

“Waste?”

“You just broke into awakened skills, and you’ve already passed 2,000 Force. That means no one knows how deep your Origin Pool really is. Wait. Wait until you fill it all the way. Then start liquefying it. Slowly. Carefully.”

Axel nodded. It all made more sense now.

Back during the battle, he had seen the destruction left behind by Millers and wondered why the guy seemed so much more powerful. From a Force perspective, they were on the same level.

“Don’t worry, I’ll send you the method,” Xander added. “I’ll just dock it straight from your bonus.”

The car rolled on through late morning. The temperature had dropped, and the trees lining the highway were losing their leaves.

Xander leaned back and sighed. “Rest up. Enjoy this break. But don’t expect it to last. Next year’s gonna be a grind.”

He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Dune took a pretty bad hit. If you’re willing, you could go lend a hand.”

Axel’s body tensed slightly.

Dune—his hometown. When powerful mutant beasts attacked neighboring zones, Dune always took the worst of it.

Xander noticed Axel’s reaction and explained, “The defense chief in Dune is only a second-tier upper-grade. The city walls held, but the slums outside was leveled.”

Both Axel and Annabelle fell silent.

Xander continued. “Most of them have nowhere to go now. The cleanup squads will start soon, but there may still be mutant beasts left lurking in the ruins.”

“Can you help out?”

Axel didn’t hesitate. He nodded.

“With you there,” Xander said, “we might actually be able to get some shit done.”

At the next intersection, Axel stepped out of the car and boarded a different vehicle—one bound for Dune.

......

Fifth Floor, Dune Government Building

Mayor Silas stood over a large topographic map, the silver in his neatly combed hair gleaming under the overhead lights. Around him, several senior staff members wore similarly grim expressions.

"Mr. Silas, the city’s carrying capacity has reached its absolute limit,” one of them said, voice tight with worry. “We’ve still got thousands camped outside with nowhere to go.”

“With the temperature dropping like this,” another added. “They’ll freeze before the new year.”

Silas exhaled slowly through his nose, then looked toward the cluster of red-marked zones on the map—the ruins of the outer slums, where the beast attacks had hit hardest.

“We have to start clearing the outer zone tomorrow,” someone said quietly. “Blake’s back in town. With him on-site, we should be able to minimize casualties.”

Silas nodded, though his brow remained furrowed. If Blake hadn’t returned, he wouldn’t consider sending the garrison out yet. The risks were too high.

Just then, his assistant stepped into the room with a tablet in hand and a brighter tone in his voice.

“Mayor Silas, good news. Whisper Syndicate has assigned a lead for the operation.”

Everyone looked up.

Silas straightened. “They sent someone? Excellent. Who is it?”

“His name is Axel,” the assistant replied.

Silas squinted. “Axel...?”

One of the aides chimed in, “I think there was a local student by that name. Graduated this year from Dune Academy.”

Silas blinked in recognition. “Wait, the same Axel?”

Another staffer quickly interjected, “No way. That kid only just graduated. He can’t be more than a second-level low-grade awakener.”

“If it’s *not* him,” someone said with a hint of relief, “that’s a good thing.”

Silas leaned back in his chair. “Fine. Notify Blake. Whisper Syndicate will be taking point on this one.”

......

The Rich District, Dune

Inside a lavishly decorated mansion, Olivia lounged across a white velvet chaise, pouting as she curled against Blake’s side.

“Baby, just stay a little longer tonight,” she murmured sweetly.

Blake, tall and broad-shouldered with dark, effortlessly styled hair, gave her a small, indulgent smile. He was one of the most promising young awakeners in Dune.

“Don’t start,” he said playfully. “Tomorrow’s important. We move at first light.”

Just then, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, answered briefly, then hung up with a contemplative look.

“What is it?” Olivia asked, her eyes wide.

“Whisper Syndicate’s sending someone in. That makes things easier,” Blake replied with a soft laugh.

Olivia tilted her head. “Are their people that good?”

“They’re elite,” he said with a nod. “If someone from Whisper is involved, this operation will go smoothly.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Then I’m definitely coming to watch!”

Blake chuckled. “You’re still only level one, Liv. Watch from the wall, not the frontlines.”

She stuck out her tongue but didn’t argue.

......

Axel’s Yard, Dune

Axel stood silently in the courtyard, his breath forming soft plumes in the cold air. His eyes closed, and his awareness sank inward.

In the vast internal landscape of his spirit, a great tree stretched skyward—his Origin Tree. Embedded deep in its heart, the fire spirit pulsed with gentle, radiant energy.

To the left, two awakened skills hung from the thick branches: Abundant and Recharge. On the right side was Alienation, flickering faintly.

The trip to the Mirabelle Mountains had nearly killed him, but it had been worth it. Though he'd burned through much of his crystal reserves, the fire spirit alone had pushed his power to a new height.

“Four days left,” Axel murmured to himself. “Let’s get this done fast.”

.....

Mayor Silas stood bundled in a thick overcoat, hands behind his back, watching the pale winter sun rise over the barren skyline. Several of his aides shifted from foot to foot beside him, their breath curling visibly in the cold air.

Blake arrived shortly after, arm-in-arm with Olivia. Silas greeted them warmly.

“Blake, thank you for coming back from Langford on such short notice.”

“It’s nothing,” Blake replied with a nod. “I heard the situation was urgent.”

Not far from the group, the commander of Dune’s Ministry of Defense, Barrett, stood tall among more than 200 armored defenders. A seasoned man in his forties, Barrett still wore his combat gear like it was a second skin.

“Blake! It’s been a while,” Barrett called out, striding over and clapping a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Barrett.” Blake smiled, shaking his hand. They had fought together years ago, and the bond clearly remained strong.

“Glad you're here. With you around, I might actually relax for once.”

“After this, we should grab a drink,” Blake said. “Oh—and this is my girlfriend, Olivia.”

Olivia offered a polite smile and a nod. “Nice to meet you, Commander Barrett.”

Barrett chuckled. “She’s got better manners than you ever did, Blake.”

“I try to surround myself with good influences,” Blake joked.

“But just so we’re clear,” he added a beat later, “I’m not leading this op. The Whisper Syndicate sent someone to take command.”

“Whisper Syndicate?” Barrett raised a brow. “That’s a surprise. Where are they then?”

Silas glanced down at his watch. “Only a few minutes past the scheduled time…”

......

Elsewhere, Near the Gate

Axel hung up his communicator, his face serious.

Vince had just called. A fifth-level chromatic dragon—one of the beasts from the recent invasion—had gone missing during the cleanup. Whisper Syndicate’s elite teams were already tracking it, and based on the latest signs, the creature might have fled toward Dune.

“If you see it, don’t engage alone,” Vince had warned. “Just delay it until reinforcements arrive.”

“Peak Level Five…” Axel muttered. That was equivalent to the Black-Scale Python.

Up ahead, he spotted a small crowd gathered at the city gates. He picked up his pace and approached with a raised hand.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone.”