Ethan walked toward jason, his pace steady but his mind moving at a million miles per hour. He leaned toward Jason, his voice barely a whisper against the biting wind.

"Things have moved up. The icebreaker will be here in two hours. We need to take control of it to move, but just detected two combat jets incoming. If they catch us in the air, we're sitting ducks," Ethan said.

"We need to move faster, but how? Those jets will tear these birds apart in open sky," Jason said.

Ethan looked at the horizon, then at the surrounding cliffs. "Take the helicopters and get out of the immediate area. Hide them in the mountain passes, low altitude. Wait for the convoy to arrive. If we're lucky, those jets will land or hover once the ship docks. That's when we surprise them," Ethan said.

"It's risky, but it's a better plan than being target practice. We'll do it," Jason said.

Torin, who was scurrying behind them, gestured toward a set of rusted fuel barrels near the landing pad. "Wait! We have prepared fuel for your journey. Please, let us top off your tanks before you depart," Torin said.

Ethan's Qi-scanner flared instantly. The energy radiating from the barrels was volatile, tainted.

"No. Thank you for the hospitality, but we're good on fuel," Ethan said, not even looking back.

He gave a sharp hand signal. The Falcon teams moved to board their respective helicopters, but as they reached the ramps, the villagers who had been "working" nearby suddenly dropped their tools. Dozens of men stepped forward, blocking the path to the landing zone.

"What is the meaning of this, Torin?" Ethan asked, his voice dropping an octave into a dangerous growl.

"I'm afraid you cannot leave yet. I need you to stay a little longer," Torin said, his face pale but his voice hardened by desperation.

Ethan turned fully, his eyes cold as ice. "You tried to poison our food, you tried to sabotage our engines with tainted fuel, and now you want to kidnap us? Do you think this is a game?" Ethan said.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but no one leaves Northfall," Torin said.

"Get out of the way or die," Jason said, his hand already on the grip of his sidearm.

The villagers pulled out rifles—old, rusted bolt-action pieces and weathered shotguns. The five Falcon commanders didn't hesitate; they raised their high-caliber tactical weapons in a synchronized blur of motion.

"We're leaving. Now," Ethan said.

A single shot rang out from the village side, and the air exploded into a cacophony of gunfire. The villagers fell easily. One by one, they were cut down by the superior precision of Ethan's men. They were easy targets, but Ethan noticed something disturbing—they moved like zombies, rushing into the line of fire as if their own lives meant nothing. Yet, in their eyes, he saw a flicker of hesitation, a profound sorrow, as if they were being forced to pull the trigger.

Ethan blurred forward, moving faster than the human eye could follow. He reached Torin in a second, his hand clamping around the Mayor's throat and lifting him off the ground.

"STOP!" Ethan shouted, his voice booming over the gunfire.

The villagers immediately dropped their weapons, their hands trembling as they raised them in surrender. Torin kicked his legs, gasping for air, his face turning purple.

"Fight! You cowards! Kill them!" Torin choked out.

Ethan delivered a brutal punch to Torin's stomach, silencing him instantly as the man doubled over in his grip. Ethan looked at the remaining villagers, his gaze piercing.

"Why? Why are you throwing your lives away for a man who doesn't care if you live or die?" Ethan asked.

One of the older villagers stepped forward, tears streaming down his face. "Our wives... our daughters... they were taken into the cellars. Torin said if we didn't stop you, they would be executed the moment the ship arrived. We don't know where they are! We have no choice!" the man cried.

"How could one man do this alone? How could he keep an entire town under his thumb without help?" Ethan asked.

The crowd shifted, and several villagers began pointing and shouting, identifying the men who had acted as Torin's enforcers. Ethan narrowed his eyes, activating his [Celestial Qi Resonance Scan]. The world turned into a map of vibrating energies; he could see the spikes of guilt and the cold, dark auras of those who were truly complicit.

"Jason, tie them up. Those five, those three, and that one," Ethan said, pointing precisely at the traitors.

The Falcons moved binding the primary accomplices with high-tensile zip ties. Ethan turned his attention back to the Mayor, who was slumped on the ground, clutching his stomach. Ethan grabbed him by the hair and hauled him up.

"We're out of time. Where are the underground cells?" Ethan asked.

Torin's eyes bulged, his breath hitching in his throat. He looked at Ethan with pure shock, his mouth hanging open. "How... how do you know they are underground? No one mentioned the tunnels," Torin whispered.

"I'm not asking again. Where are the prisons?" Ethan asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about! There are no tunnels!" Torin said.

Ethan didn't hesitate. He delivered a sharp, heavy blow to Torin's jaw, the sound of bone meeting flesh echoing across the landing pad. He then drew his sidearm and pressed the cold barrel directly against the center of Torin's forehead.

"The clock is ticking, and my patience just ran out. Where are the underground prisons, Torin? If you lie to me again, I'll paint this snow with your brains and find them myself," Ethan said.

"I know where it is! Don't kill me, please! I was forced to help him too!" one of the accomplices shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.

Ethan looked at the man for a second, his [Celestial Qi Resonance Scan] confirming the mixture of cowardice and genuine terror.

"Lead the way," Ethan said.

Without another word, Ethan swung his forearm in a brutal arc, catching Torin across the temple. The Mayor's head snapped back, and he collapsed onto the frozen ground, knocked unconscious instantly. Ethan left him there like a discarded piece of trash.

He turned toward Jason, his gaze sharp and commanding. "Change of plans. Prepare for the jets. I'm betting they won't blow the helicopters immediately—they'll want to inspect them first to see if we're still inside. Falcon 3 and 4, take two of the birds and move them to the ridge. Find a position where you can provide rapid fire support at a moment's notice. Leave the other three here as bait," Ethan said.

"Understood, Boss. We'll make them think we're still hunkered down in the cabins," Jason said.

"The rest of you, hold the perimeter. I'm going into the belly of this beast," Ethan said.

He grabbed the informant by the collar, shoving him toward the center of the village. The heavy horn of the icebreaker echoed again, closer now, a deep, vibrating thrum that shook the very ground they stood on. The clock had run out, and the "immortals" were almost at the door.

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.