Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Axel wasn’t the one who could change her mind. He didn’t have the power or the right to try.

What he needed to do was simple.

”Where is she now?”

After Zane heard Axel’s words, he frowned and looked around. The place was empty. Cassia had even left without her phone. She must have gotten off the train at the last stop. Zane had miscalculated.

”She... was here just a moment ago, but now she’s gone. I think she just got off the train and is heading back to Dune.”

Axel took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening. ”When is her backup supposed to take action?”

”I don’t know.”

”If she heads back now, how long will it take her?”

”More than an hour. Axel, do you want—”

Zane felt that The surprise in Axel’s eyes lasted only a moment before he took full control of the conversation.

”I don’t know you, but thanks for remembering that day and being willing to help. What about you? If you come back now, how long will it take?”

Zane’s confusion deepened, and a growing suspicion filled his gut.

”What do you want to do? Wait, Axel. I called you to ask you to stop her.”

Axel let out a slow, measured breath, his tone calm but steady. ”Once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back. I can’t talk her out of it. Instead of wasting time with meaningless arguments, why not... let’s do something bigger?”

Zane felt numb. He had no idea where Axel was getting his confidence from.

Sure, Axel was a genius student with a bright future, possibly on his way to one of the four major war schools, but that was all still in the future.

The reality was different. They, all of them—including Zane—were just insignificant pawns in front of Orion.

And yet, Axel spoke with such calm confidence, it was like hearing the voice of a devil tempting him.

Silence means hesitation. Although Axel is not a person who likes to force others, it depends on the situation.

Orion is different from Wolfe. Wolfe is still a businessman who walks within the rules. Even if he plots against Axel, he only dares to let people assassinate him.

But Orion is a gang member who lives on the edge of the city wall and has been in the slums for a long time. He is a pure warrior who licks blood on the edge of a knife and has real strength.

Axel hesitated, then spoke up, his voice heavy with doubt. ”I’m not trying to provoke you, but I need to ask... Are you really staying in Ironfang Syndicate to repay evil with kindness?”

Axel’s indifferent tone cut through Zane’s hesitation. ”How’s that even possible? The only reason I’m still here is to kill him.”

Zane fell silent after that. His skills were auxiliary at best. Even if he practiced with all his might, it would be impossible for him to take on or destory Orion by his ”Strange Face” ability.

”What do you need me to do?” Zane finally asked, his voice holding more determination now.

”Tell me what you can do,” Axel replied. He was already thinking a few steps ahead. He closed his eyes to focus, suppressing the rapid beat of his heart. This was happening, and he had no choice but to go with it.

This fight came at him fast—too fast—and it wasn’t the way he usually worked. Axel liked to take his time, to weave his plans carefully. But there was no time for that now. He had to take action.

Zane took a deep breath and continued, ”I’ve awakened, but my ability is an auxiliary one called ‘Strange Face.’ I can mimic the voice and appearance of anyone I’ve seen. To anyone else, I look and sound like them, no one can tell the difference.”

Axel’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected that. Zane was more useful than he thought.

”In the Syndicate, I only can’t use those Orion’s been working with for over ten years. But the rest of them... I can control them.”

Zane paused, then added, ”Cassia’s backup should be Benjamin. His strength is unknown, but he’s definitely stronger than me. He’s probably at least a mid-grade first-level awakener, and a combat-oriented one at that.”

Axel took a deep breath, glanced at the time on his phone, and quickly calculated.

If Cassia takes the train back, it’ll probably take her another 40 minutes to arrive. Zane, being one train late, will definitely miss her.

That means the plan to have four first-level awakeners coordinate to take down Orion is looking less likely. Their timelines are all staggered now, and it’s more probable they’ll take turns getting their heads handed to them. But Axel didn’t know enough about the situation to make a real call, so all he could do was play it step by step.

“I’m going to wait for Cassia to come back,” Axel said, his voice calm. “Your ability… if used right, it could work miracles.”

The ideal scenario was for Cassia to return just as Benjamin made his move. Benjamin was bold enough to act, it meant he had some confidence in his odds. With Cassia joining in and Axel’s own first-level lower-grade strength, they might have a shot.

Axel still felt confident. If Orion was still a first-level awakener and not some damn genius, then his force was probably still under 300. Even though Orion was stronger than Axel, the gap wouldn’t be massive.

Axel knew he couldn’t win in a fight with him. But... running away? That was still an option.

However, if Benjamin failed before Cassia got back, Axel would have to face the worst-case scenario: dealing with Orion one-on-one, with no way to escape.

Axel’s mind churned as the pieces of the puzzle clicked together. He had no way out right now—time was too tight. But Zane’s earlier self-introduction, combined with his special ability, sparked something in Axel’s mind. It was like a lightbulb turning on.

“What do you need me to do?” Zane asked again, his voice laced with curiosity.

“We probably won’t meet up,” Axel replied, his voice steady. “I’ll stay at the station and follow Cassia. As for you... how’s your acting?”

“Acting?” Zane blinked in surprise.

“Why, with your awakening skills, you haven’t been practicing your acting?” Axel teased lightly.

Zane frowned. He wasn’t the type to fake niceness. He’d been picked on in the gang for that. After his personality changed, becoming cold and ruthless, he didn’t need to fake anything anymore.

“I don’t care, your plan’s…” Axel muttered reluctantly.

Zane listened, he had expected something much more direct—following Axel into battle, ready to fight to the death. But this... acting? The plan felt a little ridiculous, and whether it succeeded or failed, it had a certain shameful quality to it.

But as Zane thought about it, he realized that following Axel’s instructions felt a lot less uncomfortable than the cold, ruthless persona he’d been cultivating.

”Are you sure this will work?” Zane asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

Axel shook his head with a smirk, narrowing his eyes as he whispered, “At this point, there’s no such thing as a perfect plan. It’s just a last resort. From here on out, my phone’s going silent. I’ll follow Cassia and play it by ear. Your job is the same—control your timing.”

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