Inside the hilltop mansion, Ethan handed the two Stage D zombie crystal cores to Henry and Sean.

Neither of them hesitated. They took the cores with barely contained excitement.

Without wasting time, they sat down cross-legged on the floor. Everyone else gathered around, eyes full of anticipation, as the two swallowed the cores.

Five minutes later, they opened their eyes—almost at the same time.

"Well? Well? What abilities did you get?" the group crowded in, eager to hear.

Sean stood up, looking a little exasperated. "Now I finally get how lucky Ethan is, being able to choose his ability."

He shook his head. "Inside the core, it's just a mess of glowing dots. No way to tell what does what. It's all luck. And mine? Not great."

"Okay, but what did you get?" Chris pressed.

"Wind-type ability. Basically, it boosts my speed when I activate it."

"Uh… that's it?"

"Yup."

"How much of a boost are we talking?" Ethan asked.

"Not sure yet. I'll go test it." Sean headed outside, ran a lap around the hilltop, and came back into the living room.

"Feels like I'm about twenty percent faster when I use it," he said, a little disappointed.

"That's not bad at all," Ethan said. "Speed's great for chasing or getting the hell out. Nothing wrong with that."

"Exactly. I think it's solid," Garrick added.

"Solid? Come on, it's nothing compared to what you and Chris have," Sean muttered.

"You can't compare yourself to Ethan," Henry said. "He got to pick his ability. Yours was random. And Chris? He just got lucky."

"Fair enough."

"I actually think it suits you," Ethan said. "Your original ability already has solid damage. Pairing it with a speed boost gives you better mobility. I'm more curious—did your original skill evolve at all?"

Sean's face lit up. "Now that's the part I'm happy about."

He raised both arms, and they transformed into sleek black metal. Then, sharp spikes extended from the surface of the metal limbs.

He clenched his fists and gave a few test swings, grinning wide.

"Feels like I could punch a Stage D zombie's head clean off."

Everyone stared at the gleaming spikes on his arms and instinctively took a step back.

Getting hit by that? Yeah, that'd ruin your day.

"Not bad at all," Ethan said. "Your damage is through the roof now, and the wind-type ability gives you the agility to make it count. Honestly, those two abilities are a perfect match. There's no such thing as a 'bad' ability—only one that fits or doesn't."

"You know what? When you put it like that, this ability's actually pretty damn good," Sean said, finally smiling.

Ethan nodded, then turned to Henry. "Alright, your turn."

Henry stood up. "My healing ability got a pretty big upgrade. I don't even need to touch you guys anymore to heal."

As he spoke, he waved his hand. A soft white glow floated over to Big Mike's shoulder, landing gently.

Right before their eyes, a claw mark on Big Mike's shoulder began to fade—until it vanished completely.

The healing was faster, cleaner, and clearly more effective.

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Finally—no more awkward full-body contact from Henry.

"Nice—so with that, you can heal people mid-fight now?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, though I still need to figure out how much energy it takes for different levels of injuries," Henry replied. "It's not super clear yet."

"No rush. You'll figure it out," Ethan said with a grin. "Worst case, we use Big Mike as a test dummy."

"Why me?!" Big Mike protested immediately.

"Because you're the weakest one here," Ethan said, still smiling.

"…"

"What about your new ability?" Ethan asked.

"It's not super powerful, but it's decent. At least now I've got something to fight back with," Henry said with a small smile.

He raised a hand, and a beam of black energy shot out, striking a stone slab outside. A clean hole burned straight through it.

"Void-type?" Ethan asked, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah. It's called [Void Beam]."

"Not bad. That's some serious penetration," Ethan said.

"I thought so too. Should be able to punch through a Stage D zombie's skull. Only downside is the energy cost—it's pretty high."

"Then save it for emergencies," Ethan said.

"Exactly."

Chris let out a loud laugh. "Man, the Fallen Star Squad's officially stacked now. Four Stage D Awakened—who the hell's gonna mess with us?"

"Don't get cocky," Ethan said, shooting him a look. "Did you forget how we ended up here in the first place?"

"…"

"Speaking of which, I'm still pissed about that," Skinny Pete said, face darkening. "Ethan, when are we gonna wipe out the Harlan family and that bastard Mayor Marks?"

"When the three of you hit Stage D, we'll be ready," Ethan said calmly. "Some debts need to be paid."

"The Harlan family's one thing," Garrick said, frowning. "But Mayor Marks represents the government. If we kill him, won't that—"

Ethan cut him off with a sharp look. "Garrick, you've been with the Fallen Star Squad long enough. I want you to remember something—if you're one of us, you don't flinch. We don't fear anyone."

"Yes, sir," Garrick said, nodding firmly.

"Alright, we've had a hell of a haul today. Let's take the afternoon off and rest up. I'll cook something. Chris, go grab a few bottles from the cellar—we're celebrating tonight," Ethan said.

"On it!" Chris said, already halfway to the door.

…

Meanwhile, in the government Safe Zone—

Mayor Marks was leaning back in his office chair, clearly enjoying himself as his secretary worked under the desk.

Then—knock knock knock.

The sudden knock startled them both.

The secretary scrambled to her feet, grabbing a file and pretending to read it. Mayor Marks quickly adjusted his pants and cleared his throat.

"Come in."

A government agent stepped inside.

"Sir, we've completed the investigation you requested."

"Let's hear it."

"Zach has taken the remaining National Guard and set up a compound at the military base in Lakeview District."

"Vivian and her team have left Starlight City. Their current whereabouts are unknown."

"As for the squad you were most concerned about—aside from the older one, Garrick Shaw, the rest are all students from Starlight State University."

"Their leader, Ethan, appears to have reached Tier 6. The others are Tier 5. Ethan is likely an Awakened with a teleportation ability. The team also includes an Awakened with stealth powers and another with an earth-type ability."

"Seven people, three Awakened. No wonder they've advanced so fast in under a month."

"Plus, they got lucky," Mayor Marks said, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Ran into a Tier 6 zombie that Colonel Reyes had already crippled."

"Do we know where they are now?"

"Yes, sir. They're currently living in a mansion on the summit of Xingyue Hill."

"Heh. Living it up, huh?" Mayor Marks sneered. "Notify Victor. We'll supply the weapons, they bring the manpower. This time, we're not letting them slip away."

"Yes, sir!"

"Oh, and what's the latest on the Tier 6 zombie situation?"

"This morning, Commander Hale spotted one in Starlight Ridge. Director Grant has already mobilized with heavy weapons and a squad of Tier 5 Awakened to assist."

"Good. Make sure we secure that Tier 6 crystal core."

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir."

…

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