The group trekked toward the heart of the town, their boots crunching loudly on the frozen crust of the snow. As they moved, faces appeared behind frosted windows—suspicious, weathered people dressed in thick, traditional furs and heavy hides. Ethan watched them with a raised brow; he could hardly believe they survived this biting wind with nothing but animal skins.

A small delegation of locals stepped out to meet them, led by a man whose face looked like a piece of cracked leather. He wore a heavy parka lined with wolf fur and stood with a sturdy, grounded posture.

"Welcome to Northfall. I am Mayor Torin. We don't get many visitors dropping from the sky this time of year," said the man.

Ethan stepped forward, a charming, disarming smile on his face that didn't quite reach his predator-sharp eyes. "I'm Ethan. My friends and I are here to explore the region. I've heard this is the premier spot for hunting bear and elk. Plus, we need to resupply before we continue our trek to Greenland," said Ethan.

The Mayor and his men exchanged a quick glance. "You've come to the right place, then. This is the only reliable port for miles if you're heading for Greenland. Anywhere else and the ice will swallow you whole before you see the coast," said Mayor Torin.

"That's good to hear. We're looking for fuel to top off our tanks, plenty of supplies, and a hotel for the next three days. We'd like to enjoy the local hospitality before we move on," said Ethan.

For a fraction of a second, the Mayor's expression twitched—a tiny grimace of hesitation—but it didn't escape Ethan's notice. The man quickly masked it with a stiff nod. "We can accommodate you, though our resources are modest," said Mayor Torin.

Ethan signaled to one of the Royal guards behind him. The soldier stepped forward and snapped open a heavy metallic briefcase. Inside, stacks of high-denomination bills were neatly organized, gleaming under the pale arctic sun.

"Money isn't a problem, Mayor. Set whatever price you like for the inconvenience," said Ethan, letting out a loud, boisterous laugh that echoed off the frozen buildings.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The suspicion in the locals' eyes was replaced by the unmistakable glint of greed. They realized they weren't just dealing with tourists—they were dealing with a young man who was obscenely wealthy.

The town was simple, consisting of small, functional buildings no more than four stories high, all of them painted in muted colors that looked stark against the endless white. In the driveways, heavy-duty trucks remained idling, their exhaust plumes rising like ghosts in the cold air to keep the engines from freezing solid.

The Mayor led them through the main strip toward the only hotel in town—a sturdy, pine-timbered building—while directing the rest of the group toward the fueling depot.

"Welcome. We will have a hot meal prepared for you shortly. For now, you may rest in your rooms. We will inform you the moment the food is ready," said Torin.

Ethan gave a curt nod as his guards began hauling heavy tactical crates—disguised as high-end luggage—into the building. He walked through the lobby, his boots echoing on the dark wood floors. Before heading up, he pulled Jason aside.

"Keep the rotation tight. Stay vigilant," said Ethan.

"I understand, Boss. Everything about this place feels... strange. I don't like the way they look at us," said Jason.

Ethan left him to organize the men and began wandering the upper corridors of the building. To anyone watching, he looked like a bored rich kid exploring his temporary accommodations, but his mind was already working at a different frequency.

"Crul, how should I look for a network node in a place like this?" asked Ethan.

[Give me a moment, Master. Now that you are in physical contact with the location, I can attempt to gain access,] said Crul.

Ethan stood by a window at the end of the hallway, watching the gray, icy waves crash against the frozen docks. After a few moments, the system's voice returned.

[Ready. I have located the network. It is exceptionally well hidden; it would have been nearly impossible to find had we not come here personally,] said Crul.

"How did you do it?" asked Ethan.

[Unlike the useless and obsolete artifacts these people use, I use the earth itself as a conductor. However, I do not yet have the strength to explore the entire planet searching for data, so I used your presence as a remote server or node. This allowed me to find any signal coming from an area of 20 kilometers around you. I found only two—one internet signal and one phone line,] said Crul.

Ethan touched his chin, his interest piqued. "Only two signals in the whole area?" asked Ethan.

[Correct. And I just intercepted a call. Would you like to hear it?] asked Crul.

Ethan leaned against the wooden frame of the window, looking out at the white landscape. "Play it."

Ethan leaned against the cold window pane as a distorted, static-filled audio began to play directly in his mind. The voices were speaking in harsh, guttural Russian, but Crul's translation overlaid the original audio in real-time.

"Lord Scavenger, we have visitors at the transport point," said Torin.

"What kind of visitors?" asked a cold, gravelly voice on the other end.

"Yankees. A bunch of travelers. They claim they want to travel to Greenland and landed to refuel," said Torin.

"Can you describe them?" asked the Scavenger.

Torin paused, likely looking out a window toward the docks. "The leader is a young, handsome man. An older man with a grey beard accompanies him, along with about ten armed guards," said Torin.

There was a long silence on the line, followed by the sound of glass breaking. "That sounds like that idiot again. Give me a second," said the Scavenger.

The man on the line barked an order to someone in the background, commanding them to investigate Ethan's current location and track his movements from the city.

[I am intercepting all their servers now, Master. With this, it will be impossible for them to track us. I am generating a false screen,] said Crul.

A second voice on the intercepted line spoke up, sounding confused. "Sir, we have no evidence that he has left his territory. All cameras and satellite feeds show that since they arrived at their headquarters, not a single SUV or vehicle has departed. He is still inside his building," said the subordinate.

Ethan smirked, watching the snow drift past the window. "Did you wipe all the data, Crul?" asked Ethan.

[I modified their cameras to blind them. As far as their intelligence is concerned, nobody knows we arrived here or even that we left our headquarters. To the world, you are still at home,] said Crul.

"Excellent. Let them chase ghosts while I'm standing in their front yard," said Ethan.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.