When the explosion began.
There was no warning.
The tremor coming from deep underground lasted only one second.
Then.
The entire mountain seemed to be forcibly pushed apart from within by some kind of immense force.
Boom—
The first deafening explosion spread across the mountain range.
The shockwave swept through the forest.
Soil flew into the air.
Rocks shattered.
Countless birds took flight in panic.
The once-quiet mountain region instantly became a disaster zone.
Everyone in the escort unit looked up at the same time.
At the edge of their vision.
A pillar of fire shot into the sky.
Then came the second explosion.
The third.
The fourth.
The massive stockpile of armed cores inside the underground base began detonating in a chain reaction.
Green flames intertwined with orange-red fire.
The entire mountain shook.
As if the earth itself were screaming in agony.
Dawolf stared fixedly at the area.
His expression gradually darkened.
He knew exactly what it meant.
This wasn't an ordinary explosion.
It was the self-destruction of the entire underground base.
Viper had always had this habit.
Every important stronghold.
Had a final measure buried beneath it.
Once everything was completely lost.
Not even the remains would be left for the enemy.
But Dawolf had never imagined.
That one day.
Viper would use this move against himself.
Rumble—
Another explosion came from the distance.
Large sections of the mountain began collapsing.
The firelight illuminated everyone's faces.
No one spoke.
Because no one knew what to say.
The underground core area was closest to the center of the explosion.
And Lucian was still there.
The air gradually fell silent.
Only the continuous rumbling from the distance remained.
Alma stood at the back of the group.
Her little hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
She was also staring into the distance.
Although she didn't know exactly what had happened.
She could still feel it.
Everyone's emotions had become strange.
"Daddy…"
She gently tugged on Dawolf's clothes.
"Will the young master come back?"
Dawolf's body stiffened slightly.
He didn't answer immediately.
Because he didn't know.
He couldn't even be certain.
Rationally speaking.
An explosion of this scale.
Left absolutely no possibility of survival.
Even for an ability user.
The same applied.
Alma raised her head.
Seeing that her father hadn't answered.
The color slowly drained from her little face.
"The young master won't die, right…?"
This time.
Her voice was already trembling.
Dawolf remained silent for several seconds.
Then slowly reached out.
He gently patted her head.
"The young master won't die that easily."
But even he couldn't completely believe those words.
Time slowly passed.
The explosions gradually weakened.
But the flames continued burning.
Thick smoke obscured the sky.
The entire mountain region seemed to have turned into a massive ruin.
Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes passed.
There was still no movement.
Many people began lowering their heads.
Some clenched their fists.
Some remained silent.
Others stared desperately toward the ruins.
As if looking hard enough would allow them to see something.
Meanwhile.
Several kilometers away.
On a high point of the mountain.
Crow stood there quietly.
The wind stirred his coat.
Several portable monitoring terminals were placed in front of him.
The images that had originally been connected to the underground base had all disappeared.
Only static remained.
He stared at them quietly.
There was no sadness.
No anger.
And no surprise.
As if everything had been within his expectations.
After a long while.
He sighed softly.
"It's finally over."
His voice was very quiet.
Almost as if he were saying it only to himself.
Grave Hound was dead.
Viper was dead too.
Cobra had completely lost its core.
This organization that had been expanding for years.
Had finally reached its end.
The wind slowly swept through.
Crow put his gloves back on.
He prepared to leave.
However, at that exact moment.
He suddenly stopped.
An extremely subtle sense of danger entered his perception range.
The next second.
Bang!
A gunshot exploded.
The bullet tore through the air.
It struck the rock beside him directly.
Boom.
Fragments of stone flew everywhere.
Crow shifted his body to the side.
His movement wasn't fast.
Yet it was astonishingly precise.
The second bullet followed immediately.
Bang!
The position where he had been standing was blasted straight through.
The rock exploded.
Leaving behind a massive gap.
In the distance.
Atop another mountain peak.
Scope slowly pulled the bolt.
His scope locked onto the target again.
There wasn't the slightest change in his eyes.
A voice sounded through the communications channel.
"Target confirmed."
"Crow confirmed."
"Kill?"
Scope answered calmly.
"Continue observing."
At the center of the scope.
Crow had already begun moving.
His speed wasn't fast.
He even looked as though he were taking a walk.
Yet for some reason.
Scope felt that something was wrong.
So.
He began relocating.
Ten minutes later.
The second sniper position.
He set up his rifle again.
Reacquired his target.
The result.
The target was gone.
He hadn't simply left.
He had left beforehand.
As if he knew a sniper would appear here.
Scope frowned slightly.
He relocated again.
The third sniper position.
The fourth.
The fifth.
The result was the same every time.
Whenever the setup was complete.
Crow had already left.
Without lingering for even a moment.
The communications channel gradually fell silent.
Finally.
Scope slowly spoke.
"Something's wrong."
The person beside him asked.
"What is it?"
Scope remained silent for a moment.
"He knows my position."
The air instantly fell silent.
No one spoke.
Because that statement was simply too outrageous.
Every sniper position had been chosen randomly.
They were several kilometers away from the target.
Under normal circumstances, there was absolutely no way their positions could have been exposed.
Yet the facts were right in front of them.
Crow avoided them every single time.
As if he possessed a perception ability beyond common sense.
Meanwhile.
At the ruins.
The explosion finally stopped completely.
The thick smoke gradually dispersed.
Most of the original mountain had disappeared.
Only a massive collapsed crater remained.
Everyone was still standing where they were.
No one left.
No one spoke.
Then.
Someone suddenly froze.
"Wait."
"What is that?"
Everyone looked up at the same time.
At the center of the ruins.
A faint azure light was flickering.
It was extremely weak.
Yet impossible to overlook.
Dawolf's pupils contracted slightly.
The next second.
Large amounts of rubble began to move.
Boom.
A massive boulder was slowly pushed aside.
Then.
A figure walked out from within the ruins.
The entire scene fell completely silent.
Lucian.
He was still wearing the same clothes.
He still looked exactly the same.
There was no blood.
No burns.
Not even the hem of his clothes was damaged.
As if what he had just experienced wasn't a cataclysmic explosion.
But merely an ordinary walk.
The air completely froze.
Every member of the escort unit stood there stunned.
No one could understand.
And no one knew how he had done it.
Dawolf looked at the figure in the distance.
Then looked toward the underground base that had already disappeared.
His expression gradually became complicated.
After a long while.
He finally spoke softly.
"Young master…"
"You're fine even after that?"
Lucian walked out of the ruins.
He glanced at him.
His tone remained calm.
"My power is almost depleted too."
The surroundings instantly fell silent.
Several members of the escort unit exchanged looks.
Because no matter how they looked at him.
He didn't seem like someone whose power was almost depleted.
But no one dared to question him.
After all, an explosion of that scale.
Could never have come without a price.
Lucian offered no further explanation.
He simply raised his head.
And looked toward the distant mountains.
Just then.
The communications channel sounded again.
"Target has broken lock."
"Repeat."
"Target Crow has broken lock."
Everyone's expression changed slightly.
Dawolf immediately looked at the communicator.
"He got away?"
On the other end.
Scope remained silent for several seconds.
Then slowly answered.
"This wasn't an ordinary retreat."
"He seems capable of sensing observation positions in advance."
"Five consecutive relocations."
"All failed."
The area gradually fell silent.
Dawolf's expression became solemn.
For the first time.
He realized just how troublesome that never-before-seen executive truly was.
Grave Hound was dangerous.
Viper was dangerous too.
But at least they could be seen.
Crow was different.
No one knew his ability.
No one knew his limits.
No one had even truly seen him fight.
Lucian stood there quietly.
The wind stirred his coat.
His gaze remained fixed on the distance.
In his mind.
The image of that man who had always remained in the shadows emerged.
Grave Hound was dead.
Viper was dead too.
But the real trouble.
Was only beginning now.
After a long while.
Lucian slowly spoke.
"He's the most troublesome one."
Meanwhile.
On the other side of the mountain range.
Crow stopped walking.
He slowly turned around.
Looking toward the ruins where the explosion had occurred.
For the first time.
A brief trace of coldness appeared on his face.
Viper was dead.
In that instant.
He had indeed felt the urge to kill.
But soon.
That emotion disappeared again.
Because he knew very well.
Anger couldn't solve anything.
The wind swept through the forest.
Crow put his gloves back on.
His gaze returned to calm.
Then he turned and walked away.
And his story.
Had only just begun.