Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler

Axel thought back to her cold expression, the way she'd dismissed him earlier. Without another word, he tucked the small black ice coffin safely away. After everyone left, Axel slumped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. He stayed like that for a long time.

Late at night, Axel didn't waste a second. He dove straight back into training, pushing for his second Force fusion with everything he had.

With enough life crystals, his progress was terrifyingly fast. Alternating between Body Forging and Meditation, he pushed himself to the limit.

By the time the first rays of sunlight filtered into the room, he finally withdrew from his inner vision.
Physique: 357/359
Force: 355/358
Spirit: 344/355

He exhaled slowly. His stats had already surpassed Orion, who had just advanced to Level Two.

Good thing the Obsidian Team and Gray Wolf Squad had already left for Sin City last night. If they saw his progress, they'd probably accuse him of cheating.

Just then, a knock sounded at his door. "Hey, bro, gather in the hall."

Axel checked his watch. Seven o'clock. Weird. He distinctly remembered the meeting being at nine.

Still, since someone called him, he headed downstairs. As he reached the lobby, he noticed a steady stream of people making their way toward the main hall.

At the center of the room stood Elijah—the same smug bastard from yesterday. He had two men and one woman flanking him.

Axel didn't need to guess. These three were obviously stronger than the rest. No doubt, they were the four Level Three awakeners from the preliminaries.

Elijah swept his gaze across the room, then smirked. "I know we're all competing, but in an unfamiliar place, the most important thing is survival. Keep yourselves alive first—everything else comes second."

He folded his arms across his chest. "So, we're organizing teams. Based on your strengths, we'll assign you to a group that fits your capabilities."

His voice was steady, confident. The presence of the other Level Threes standing behind him gave his words weight. One by one, candidates stepped forward, reporting their strengths.

Axel, however, stayed at the back of the room, arms crossed, shaking his head. This wasn't an official Whisper Syndicate arrangement. Elijah and his group had set this up themselves.

Axel had no interest in forming a team under these circumstances.

Seeing that many people were still hesitating, the woman standing next to Elijah clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Hurry the hell up. What are you all dawdling for? Time's running out, and we still have to gather soon."

Axel watched their so-called team selection. They were basically grouping people with similar strength together. On the surface, it seemed logical. But to Axel, the whole setup was full of holes.

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Some people in the crowd clearly looked unhappy about being forced into teams, but no one dared to leave first.

Shaking his head, Axel turned and pushed open the door, ready to walk away. He didn't want to draw attention—but being the first to leave had the opposite effect.

All eyes immediately snapped to him.

The woman who had spoken earlier strode toward him, heels clicking against the floor. She looked to be in her late twenties, dressed stylishly, but her sharp, permanently furrowed brows gave off an aura of someone not to be messed with.

"What's your name?" she demanded, stepping in front of him. "We're all forming teams here, and you're just walking out? Do you even have a sense of teamwork?"

She was a Level Three awakener, one of the strongest in the room. And to make a point, she flared her Force energy, the pressure in the hall instantly intensifying.

For an average mid-Level One, it would have been suffocating. But Axel?

He looked completely unfazed.

"I don't want to join a team, so I'm leaving," Axel said flatly. "As for the reason? That's none of your business."

He could have pointed out the flaws he saw in their plan, but he had no interest in starting shit with these Level Three awakeners. He was about to step past her when she moved to block his way again.

"If you don't want to say it, then you're just causing trouble on purpose," she sneered. "Everyone else is forming teams, but you're walking out first? Let me guess—you think you're not strong enough, so no one will team up with you, but you're trying to screw it up for the rest of us."

Axel narrowed his eyes. So that's how she wanted to play it.

She had no real grudge against him, but she needed to establish her authority. And Axel? He was just a convenient stepping stone for her to make an example of.

Elijah glanced over but didn't intervene. He recognized Axel, sure, but to him, Axel was weak. Even if Obsidian had recommended him, it wasn't worth stepping in.

Axel let out a slow breath, then smirked. "Oh? You really want to hear my reason? I guarantee you'll regret it."

Esme crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Go on, then."

"Alright." You asked for it. Axel swept his gaze over the crowd before speaking, his voice calm but cutting. "Everyone here is an awakener. Everyone from Krythos is an elite. But let's not forget what our mission actually is—survive for twenty days. We're not here to conquer Sin City."

The room fell silent.

"Sure, having more people means more strength. But it also means a higher risk of exposure. Let's be real—our group isn't some unstoppable force. We're just a handful of nobodies stepping into a place where death is the only certainty. If we try to strong-arm our way through, we'll be wiped out in three days. No bodies left to bury."

His words cut through the tension like a blade.

Some people had already been thinking the same thing. Now that Axel had said it out loud, a few of them began nodding in agreement.

Axel let the silence hang for a moment before continuing. "But that's not even the biggest issue."

His eyes locked onto Esme's. "The real problem? The way you're forming these teams is completely fucked."

Esme was momentarily stunned. "What's the problem? Don't listen to his alarmist bullshit. Sure, we'll stand out more as a group, but that's exactly what will deter the lowlifes."

"Yeah," another person chimed in. "The thugs in Sin City won't dare mess with us if we stick together. You'll see."

Axel folded his arms, unimpressed. "Alright, then let's talk about this so-called team formation. If I had to guess, all the strongest people are in your team, right?"

That wasn't a secret. Esme nodded. "Of course. The teams were formed based on strength."

Axel smirked. "And that's where you fucked up."

Esme's expression darkened. "Explain."

"You only looked at their awakening level, but do you even know what their abilities are? If they're all melee fighters—so who's handling support? Who's covering the gaps?"

The room grew quiet.

"Do you even know if their personalities match? What happens if they all like to take charge? If they butt heads during a mission and start making their own calls, how do you plan to handle that?"