A potential riot was quelled by Principal Rucker in just a few words.But once the truth was out—that ability users could hunt one another to seize powers—the lid on Pandora's box had been lifted. The danger was planted, like a hidden fuse that could ignite at any moment.The next time unrest stirred, it wouldn't be something Principal Rucker could suppress so easily, unless he became a dictator.And if that happened, the very nature of this settlement would change.So, change was inevitable.In truth, the law of the jungle fit reality best—unless this settlement could grow a hundredfold, a thousandfold stronger, forming a force of restraint akin to national law, capable of suppressing all instability.But was that even possible?At least, it was beyond Principal Rucker.The Valor Military Base might manage it… The thought made Ray frown.The voice of that Lieutenant Colonel Shay from earlier in the day echoed in his mind. It was a serious hidden threat.Ray hated unknown var

After lingering together for a while, Ray eventually brought Celine back to the cruise ship.He didn't stay long. Before dawn, he left again, returning to the ice hut.From there, he could monitor the phone he had left behind. If Lieutenant Colonel Shay sent people over, he would know immediately.Dawn broke.Ray noticed that as soon as the fog lifted, a group of six people left together.Clearly, they hadn't taken Principal Rucker's warning to heart. They were determined to head into the city, unwilling to continue living such a harsh life… and perhaps harboring ambitions of their own—to hunt other ability users and grow stronger.After becoming an ability user, no matter the type, one's physical condition improved dramatically—especially for those focused on physical enhancement. Once someone had tasted that kind of power, who wouldn't crave more?For the ambitious, it was even more intoxicating.In the past, rising above others required money, power, and influence.Now? As

Ray didn't continue following Principal Rucker.This man… might truly be a saint.Fortunately, Principal Rucker wasn't blindly idealistic. When it was time to kill, he killed—and after doing so, he didn't hesitate or pretend moral superiority by refusing to absorb abilities. He didn't waste what was there. In Ray's view, someone like that was far better than those who couldn't distinguish right from wrong and tried to save everyone indiscriminately.He had only followed Principal Rucker to confirm whether the man was the pervert harming children. Now that he knew he wasn't, there was no point in continuing.Time to go.He had other matters to attend to.Back at the cluster of ice huts, Ray appeared to be resting inside, but in reality, he was monitoring the phone he had left some distance away.If the Valor Military Base could call him, they likely had the means to track the phone. Locating its position should be simple.And yet… perhaps they didn't consider him particularly

Why had five of the six died, while Aiden alone escaped?Because of his ability.They might all have been minor figures, each with only around five units of power, but different abilities created vast differences. Aiden had a wind-type ability—when he ran, the wind propelled him from behind, allowing him to burst into incredible speed. That was how he had managed to escape alone.After hearing this, the crowd slowly nodded.Just the night before, Principal Rucker had revealed the "secret" that ability users could devour one another's powers. Then this morning, Aiden's group of six had fled. To say the two events were unrelated—who would believe that?It was all too likely that things had unfolded exactly as described: the six had set their sights on this group, intending to kill them and seize their abilities. They had ambushed them, even managing to kill one person—but their opponents quickly recovered and counterattacked.Seven against six—and they still wiped out five of them,

When Wilson said they intended to stay, Bill was naturally overjoyed. He immediately launched into an enthusiastic conversation with Ray, recounting everything—from his life after graduation to everything that had happened since the disaster.He was still the same chatterbox as ever. He spoke of how he had successfully started a business after graduating, becoming a small-time boss, and even marrying a rich, beautiful woman. Only then did Ray realize—Bill hadn't won her over with smooth talk; he'd succeeded in business and made some money.Bill had invited Ray to his wedding back then. But at the time, Ray was already married. Leaving household responsibilities aside—and having to give a monetary gift on top of that—there was no way Lauren would have let him go.So Ray had never met Bill's wife, nor had he known that Bill had found success in his career.Bill was deeply devoted. After the disaster, he ventured out into the toxic ice hail just to find food for his wife. His protecti