Stripped of his sharp edges and rebellious nature, Erin Xavier now seemed so honest he was almost docile.

Especially with his already harmless-looking face. His brown pupils were crystal clear, and his expression held not a trace of reluctance, but rather a deadly sincerity.

Who would have thought this little brother type was the same ruthless guy who could beat up his own brother and pummel a crowd of Alphas?

Even Zoe Pierce hesitated.

She felt she was being a little unreasonable, but she couldn’t help but say, "Say it again."

"Sister..." Erin Xavier’s eyes were fixed on Zoe Pierce. He could tell that her expression changed noticeably when she heard him call her that.

’It feels... really good...’

Zoe Pierce cursed herself inwardly, then cleared her throat and said, "Alright, I forgive you."

She also reflected on her own actions. "I was also at fault. I didn’t account for accidents. I’ll be more careful next time."

Erin Xavier said nothing.

As the only one who knew the truth, he would remain silent, never telling anyone what really happened.

After saying this to Erin Xavier, Zoe Pierce practically fled.

If she stayed any longer, she was worried she might make Erin Xavier do something else. His hair looked so soft and fluffy, and paired with that fragile, pitiable expression, it was a little hard to resist.

She finally understood why some people liked such a stark contrast.

It was just... if she hadn’t seen Erin Xavier’s lawless, outrageously arrogant side, she wouldn’t find his current puppy-dog look so appealing.

’Now that I’ve seen both sides, I kind of want to tease him some more.’

’This is getting a little perverse.’

Zoe Pierce reflected on herself.

Meanwhile, Erin Xavier watched Zoe Pierce’s somewhat overwhelmed expression, his gaze flickering. He keenly sensed the difference in her tone.

’She seems to have a hard time with me calling her ’sister.’ Not in a disgusted way, but...’

’She likes it?’

Erin Xavier stood rooted to the spot, suddenly lost in thought.

Zoe Pierce, for her part, pushed the image of the delicate puppy to the back of her mind and forced herself to be serious. She walked over to Miles Sherman and Nathan Lockwood to ask for intel on what happened after they got separated.

Nathan Lockwood and Miles Sherman had already discussed this, so now they were just repeating it for her and showing her the evidence again.

Nathan Lockwood added a question, "Have you remembered anything about Arthur White?"

Ever since learning Wesley White’s real name, they all just called him that.

Zoe Pierce shook her head hesitantly. "He wasn’t in any of my memories."

At least, in the memories before she was knocked unconscious by the collapse, Arthur White was nowhere to be seen.

As it stood, she still had no way to directly prove that Arthur White had nothing to do with the accident.

Miles Sherman was about to speak when suddenly, his Intelligent Brain beeped. He glanced at the caller’s name on the video call and accepted it.

Instantly, a figure roughly ten inches tall was projected from the Intelligent Brain.

"Miles Sherman, report your current situation." The caller was Adrian Chapman. He spotted Zoe Pierce standing nearby and let out a sigh of relief.

The person he was most worried about was safe, so the others were likely fine too.

Miles Sherman reported their coordinates, their current situation, and the status of the Xenobeast Tide.

Adrian Chapman mulled it over for a few moments, then asked in a low voice, "Have you been providing support in hunting the Xenobeasts?"

The question hit upon the very source of their awkward situation.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help, but they were afraid that if they tried, they’d be the ones getting surrounded. They had already been through a preview of that once.

Just a moment ago, they had been thinking of lending support, but they showed up in the wrong place, and the consequences had already been dealt.

Nathan Lockwood was the one who answered, "Teacher Chapman, we discovered something amiss on Planet B36, so we’re unable to provide support."

The moment Nathan Lockwood saw Adrian Chapman’s brow furrow slightly, he could guess what he was thinking.

For Alphas from a military academy, refusing to help those in mortal danger was a grave taboo.

The fundamental requirement was to fulfill their duty as Alpha soldiers by rescuing civilians and fighting the Xenobeast Tide, all while ensuring their own safety. This was expected of them even before graduation.

Adrian Chapman’s brow furrowed even more, but he trusted that Nathan Lockwood wouldn’t lie about something like this.

He said in a heavy tone, "I’m on my way with military reinforcements. We’re expected to arrive in about an hour. Ensure your own safety. I’ll pilot my Mecha directly to your coordinates afterward."

Miles Sherman’s voice was steady. "Understood, Teacher."

His dependable manner was reassuring. Adrian Chapman’s expression softened as he ended the call.

Nearby, Chase Shaw stood with his arms crossed, looking at Miles Sherman. "You just told the teacher like that?"

Miles Sherman glanced up at the smoke-filled sky. "We can’t hide it."

Unless the people of Planet B36 were ruthless enough to withdraw all their Mechas. But right now, the Mechas and fighter jets had been battling the Xenobeasts for hours. The Xenobeast Tide’s Wormhole had already grown to an astonishing size. A retreat, even for just a few short minutes, would be devastating for the entire region.

Would the people of Planet B36 dare to make such a decision?

To conceal this secret at the cost of their home world.

Besides, even if they did make that decision, the military from Siren Star would investigate afterward. Could they really keep it hidden?

In the command center, the situation was just as Miles Sherman had described: a stalemate.

"If we don’t withdraw the Mechas, everyone from the military will know we’ve been conducting human experiments!!!" The man who had previously ordered the hunt for Miles Sherman was yelling at another middle-aged man.

The other man’s hand was covering the microphone on the command console, his expression grim. "Do you have any idea what the consequences will be if you withdraw the Mechas now? The fighter jets alone can’t hold back the Xenobeast Tide!"

The screen already showed a mountain of corpses—not just the remains of Xenobeasts, but of fighter jets and Mechas as well.

Against Xenobeasts that could use superpowers, casualties were inevitable, even with a combination of Mechas and fighter jets.

"So you’re just going to stand by and watch them get locked up by the authorities?" The man pointed at the Beta-exclusive Mechas still in the air, slashing at Xenobeasts. "The moment the war is over, they’ll be completely isolated and helpless."

The man blocking the microphone knew he was telling the truth, but he was more rational. "And how do you plan to deal with the crashed Mechas?"

They had lost the race against time. There was no opportunity to clean up the battlefield. The military would certainly help in the end, and once they did, the truth would be discovered.

Almost every path was a dead end.

"I’ve already arranged for Dr. Jarvis’s research team to leave," he said slowly. "Don’t forget why we started researching Mechas in the first place."

"Don’t get your priorities mixed up."

They began researching Mechas to protect their home. Were they now going to abandon the very thing they meant to protect for the sake of something else?

The man clenched his back teeth and stormed out. "Do whatever you want."

Seeing this, his assistant chased after him, only to see the man slam his clenched fist hard against the surrounding metal wall.

The specially made alloy wall didn’t deform from the human force. Instead, a bloody scrape appeared across the man’s knuckles.

’I can’t accept this. I just can’t accept this.’

’Why?’

’Why did this Xenobeast Tide have to break out right when we were on the verge of success?’

A tear streaked from the corner of the man’s eye as he pressed his forehead tightly against the wall.

’If only we had a little more time...’

’Just a little more time was all we needed...’