With one hard kick, Magnus sent Travis flying. He locked an arm around the officer’s neck, leapt up, landing clean on the hood of a jeep lit with blue flas.
Not even a minute passed before the officer stopped breathing. Magnus vanished into the shadows again, ready for the next move.
"He’s too fast! Watch each other’s backs! Move!" Travis hissed under his breath, nerves tight as steel. He and his remaining man moved back-to-back, slowly edging toward the dormitory buildings ahead.
That was friendly turf. With 32 Crystals handed out, there’d be so chance at survival - at least enough to slip away himself.
But just as that flicker of hope crossed his mind, a crack sounded underfoot. Instinctively looking down, Travis’s eyes caught only a flash of blinding light. The explosion’s force threw him upward violently.
Magnus had tossed a grenade - no hesitation. While the blast still echoed, he grabbed one of the n midair, choked him tight, and lted back into darkness.
Now only Travis was left.
Magnus exhaled quietly, lowered the lifeless body from his grasp, then calmly stepped out of the gloom.
"So, you’re the one in charge?"
He stood in front of Travis, eyes like knives, scanning the man. No helt. Early thirties. Face plain, but carried a vicious edge. If not for the uniform, he’d pass for a prison thug.
"You..." Travis narrowed his eyes, asuring him back. "You’re that guy from the Ice Regint. The only man. Magnus, right?"
"I’ll ask two things. Answer, and I’ll let you walk."
Magnus eased his stance a little - not threatening, just calculated. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, then tossed the pack straight at Travis.
"You’re outta options. Better take the chance."
Catching the pack, Travis gripped it hard. The cardboard crushed in his palm. A few seconds ticked by before his expression dulled and the fire in his eyes faded. He pulled out a broken cigarette, lit it, and looked back up.
The killer’s edge on his face was now just a ghost.
A man can face fear. Against the weak, he’s a butcher, a demon from hell. But stand in front of soone he doesn’t stand a chance against - and still pretend he’s the devil? That’s not courage. That’s stupidity.
"Go ahead. What I know, you’ll know."
Magnus stayed alert, scanning the periter. "First. Where’s the rest of the Ice Regint?"
"First batch - we ambushed them. They ditched their vehicles, ran into the northern mountains. We’ve got five hundred chasing them. Been two days. Second group - those last dozen - they’re trapped inside the last dorm building. I’ve got our vehicles sealing it off."
Travis spoke plainly. Even if Magnus decided to kill him anyway, he wasn’t about to lie. The lives of those other soldiers weren’t worth a lie. Magnus took a slow drag from his cigarette, eyes calm as ever. "Second question. Why’d you co here?"
"An ambush," Travis said plainly. "Evan tipped us off about your unit. Said you hadn’t taken Hanford City yet. We figured you’d make a move, so we got here first, laid a trap. We hit hard, break your strength, then wait for the right ti to crush you entirely."
Evan again. That soldier’s righteous facade had even fooled Magnus once. He used to think the guy was solid, real iron-blooded.
But now, it was all clear. A man who looked that straight and still betrayed his own unit... Face didn’t an truth. Not for Chandler.
"You gonna let go?" Travis asked, inhaling deeply, voice cool.
"Sure. Go."
Magnus gave him one last look. They were less than ten ters apart. Travis seed relieved, started to turn - then hesitated. He didn’t want to show his back. For a few seconds, he stood still, like the air was crushing in around him, then turned and walked toward Magnus instead... heading back to the soldiers.
Magnus didn’t move. He just watched Travis co closer. Inside, the killing intent flared.
If Travis had run, even backed away while facing him, maybe Magnus would’ve let it slide. But this walk - slow, steady, unafraid - that was a threat. Couldn’t leave him alive.
When their shoulders brushed, Magnus struck - his right arm snapping up, locking tight around Travis’s throat.
Then he ran, fast and silent, to the last dorm building Travis had ntioned. No lies - two tanks, four infantry vehicles surrounded it.
The ruckus from earlier hadn’t made them flinch. That was the call of soone up high. Likely the enemy thought the Ice Regint was here, and holding the dorm gave them leverage.
Yet, the two squads they’d sent out? Still no word. The officer inside the command vehicle began to pace. Uneasy. He was about to send a third team when - boom - his command car exploded out of nowhere. Then the tanks, one after another, burst one by one.
Back then, Travis didn’t dare storm the building. Couple reasons.
First, Luxe had co out with a stash of tal Crystals. Travis’s team only had thirty-sothing, plus two hundred guns - storming in felt like suicide.
Second, they needed Luxe and the other won alive. If Ice Regint fell, they’d be spoils. If not, they’d be bargaining chips for food.
Third, the building still held close to a thousand girl students. Too much of a waste to blow it all sky-high.
Magnus blitzed through the door into the dorm’s interior - instantly, two Ice Regint won raised their guns on him, shouting, ready to take him down.
"I’m Magnus!" he yelled loud. "Where’s Luxe? Get her!"
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