C17 The Hearts of the People in the Square Turned Cold

The team leaders were more than willing to cooperate. With a larger number of subordinates, they felt emboldened during negotiations. With a subtle cue, their hired mercenaries began to cause a ruckus, firing their guns into the air. The sight was enough to make any employer, especially a young one, nearly wet themselves in fear.

After issuing their commands, the team leaders watched as their subordinates dispersed in all directions, rallying others as they went. Martina then took the lead, with the team leaders forming a line behind her, resembling a guarded procession.

Egil wanted to follow, but Martina gestured to him, "You're not needed here. Stay and look after Quintana. Or you could check on your classmates from the Azure Dragon Garden. Without someone to hold them back, they might act rashly."

She was clearly excluding him from the power struggle over the ruins. While he was concerned for Martina's safety, she was concerned that he might disclose the true cause of Mark's death!

Cursing his luck, Egil turned and headed towards the excavation site, not even bothering to check on Quintana in the vehicle. Truth be told, Egil wasn't certain it was an archaeological site. He was drawn to the area because it was well-lit, with beams of light piercing the sky, only to be stopped by the earth's dome above. Most importantly, it was in the opposite direction from where Martina had gone.

If she didn't want his involvement, he would keep his distance.

Approaching the brightly lit area, the sounds of metal striking earth grew louder. He was right; the archaeological site was just ahead, with voices speaking in the Huaxia language barely audible in the distance.

How many Huaxia phrases were there to curse a traitor? Surely over a thousand. But it didn't matter. Soon, they would count them all, hurling each one at him.

Such was the destiny of a special forces soldier, caught in a predicament with no easy way out.

As Egil contemplated this, a thunderous explosion rocked the ground, nearly sending him to his knees. An ancient structure nearby crumbled under the force of the tremors.

The blast had come from behind him. Could it be Martina? Without hesitation, Egil spun around and dashed towards the source of the noise.

"Mr. Egil," Quintana said as they passed by the Pure White Pyramid, standing beside the car to halt Egil's progress. "Martina doesn't want you to go over there."

Egil gave her a brief glance and continued past without her making any attempt to physically stop him.

The area where the dust had been kicked up was the source of the loud noise.

"Cough, cough, cough…" Egil fanned the dust away with his hand.

A small figure stood atop a high point, casting two shadows from the twin ponytails on her head—it was Martina.

She seemed unharmed... Egil's foot landed on something soft, then felt a sticky sensation, and finally, warmth spread to the sole of his shoe as the sticky substance clung with its heat. He sniffed twice, detecting the scent of blood.

The dust cleared to reveal Martina, her face, clothes, and ponytailed hair flecked with red.

Martina cocked her head upon seeing Egil. "Why did you come back? I told you to leave. Why did you return?"

The dust settled completely.

The scene was chaotic. The square was shattered like a bowl of cereal, the gunmen's severed limbs the nuts mixed in, and the blood the red milk poured over it all.

Martina stood atop the highest piece of the fractured square, her expression indifferent as she gazed down at Egil.

Egil lifted his foot, revealing a severed hand still adorned with a wedding ring. He exhaled deeply and clenched his fists.

"See, you're uncomfortable, aren't you? Vriudronians just can't handle this kind of sight," Martina remarked.

That's right, she was from Vrimen, a meta-human from Willoughby University, and he had only known her for a few days. Egil felt a twinge of annoyance at himself for already considering her a comrade. Was it because he had been out of the service too long and his guard had lowered?

He remembered the sound of Martina's piercing scream when the monster flower attacked. Was it because she had saved his life?

Even though he didn't understand why she cared so much about him, Egil decided to stand by his companion and warn her, "Kill them all. The threat from the Military Academy may be gone, but if they don't receive a report, they'll send reinforcements to the island within three days, ready to escalate the situation. After all, they are the institution closest to the Arctic!"

Egil's caution was warranted; he astutely noted that while Martina's immediate solution might alleviate the current issue, it was likely to invite greater problems down the line. However, Willoughby University was actually quite close to the Arctic, and even Augustus Academy wasn't far. The most distant was Azure Dragon Garden. Martina and Quintana could summon reinforcements in about three days if they chose to, but for Egil at Azure Dragon Garden, the fastest he could expect help was in five days!

Two days was ample time to evacuate the entire island—a feat within the capabilities of the world's four leading academies!

In eliminating the mercenaries and temporarily sidelining the Slavic Federation, Martina had inadvertently given Egil an advantage.

Had Martina anticipated something? Egil tried to sense the vast Anchor Tree beneath his feet but found his perception vague and unpracticed.

"We have no choice," Martina said, her gaze suggesting an unspoken understanding. "Since we haven't found the path to the Temple of God, we must gather everyone here and devise a new strategy. Isn't there a Vriudronian saying? The more people, the greater the space for maneuvering."

"You've got it wrong! Our saying is 'the more people, the greater the strength'! It's about unity, not exploitation," Egil corrected her.

That feeling of discord arose within him again. Being with Martina often brought such sensations.

Her youthful age of twelve didn't match her position as the chancellor of Willoughby University.

Her youthful, twin-tailed appearance clashed with the infernal landscape before them.

The dissonance between her repeated life-saving interventions and the initial encounter where she had mistaken his identity.

Who was she, really? And what were her intentions?

Footsteps broke through Egil's reverie. Quintana approached with a question.

"Since that's the lady's intention, may I call the academy for assistance?"

"One ship, one hundred people. Any excess ships will be targeted with rocket launchers."

"Can it be a hundred meta-humans?"

"As long as Augustus Academy is willing to commit that many."

Quintana nodded gracefully, signaling her understanding.

As Egil listened to the two people haggling, a cold sweat ran down his back. First off, it was clear that Martina had meticulously plotted to entice various nations to this island. She had even prepared a rocket launcher site. Furthermore, the Slavic Federation's forces had been thoroughly decimated, reduced to what one might call a 'red wheat paste.' When the time came, there would certainly be more than one ship arriving... Brimming with rocket launchers... and anti-ship missiles... The Americans and Slavs were rumored to have a mutual disdain for each other, but it now appeared that their animosity ran much deeper than mere dislike.

Ultimately, what chilled Egil to the core was the behavior of Martina and Quintana, the two women, one older and one younger. They had previously been through life-and-death situations together, supporting each other at great personal risk. Yet now, as they discussed matters of interest, their detached gazes and businesslike demeanor reminded Egil of the type of people he was often tasked with protecting during his time in the special forces.