The administrative building offered a stark, utilitarian refuge from the cold biting wind. Inside, the air carried the scent of old paper, cold concrete, and the faint metallic tang of the independent diesel generator thrumming beneath the floorboards.

For the first time in over twenty-four hours, the crushing pressure of the road began to lift, replaced by the mundane sounds of human survival.

In the small communal kitchen area, Lin Qing stood by a heavy iron stove, her movements methodical as she worked alongside two of Sergeant Kwang’s tired soldiers.

They had pooled their rations together—tins of compacted pork, dried vegetable starch, and blocks of dense noodles. And as the spices hit the boiling water, a rich, savory heat filled the room. The aroma alone seemed to ground everyone, pulling them back from the edge of psychological exhaustion.

The security arrangement was tight and practiced. Two of Han Zheng’s elite soldiers immediately took up positions on the exterior perimeter walls, their rifles scanning the empty highway approaches, while the rest of the unit took turns rotating through the building to wash the dark road grime from their faces and rest their aching muscles.

Han Zheng sat on a low wooden bench near the center of the main room, his large frame projecting a quiet, steady authority even in relaxation. His dark eyes frequently drifted toward the corner where Su Xiao was seated.

The little girl was a pitiful sight, still clutching her pink cartoon backpack tightly against her chest as if it were a shield against the world, her small face clouded with a deep, silent sadness.

Han Zheng had intended to ask her more questions—to figure out exactly how long she had been wandering and what her mother’s condition had been before they crossed paths—but seeing her fragile, mournful state, he let out a low sigh and gave up for the moment. There would be time for interrogations later. Right now, she needed space to process her grief.

Once the hot food was distributed, the room fell into a temporary, appreciative silence. The children ate with a desperate, quiet hunger, the warm broth color returning to Gu An’s cheeks while Han Ye ate with the precise, controlled manners he always maintained, his eyes constantly tracking the room.

After everyone had eaten and the empty tin bowls were set aside, Han Zheng stood up, his towering presence drawing the immediate attention of the room. He looked down at Han Ye and Gu An. They had survived a series of brutal encounters, but because of the relentless pace of their escape, they hadn’t yet had a single moment to properly discuss or evaluate the sudden awakening of the children’s abilities.

"Han Ye, Gu An," Han Zheng called out, his deep voice calm but firm. "Stand up. I want you to demonstrate your powers right now. We need to accurately gauge your current levels so we can plan our formations properly. We haven’t had the time to analyze what you can actually do."

The two children did as they were told. Gu An stepped forward first, her small face turning serious as she concentrated. She took a deep breath, pushing her hands outward. Instantly, a faint, green shimmering grid materialized in the air before her—a localized kinetic barrier.

The air around the energy distortion hummed softly. Han Zheng stepped closer, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed the density of the shimmering shield. It was remarkably steady, lacking the chaotic, flickering instability typical of a newly awakened beginner.

Next, Han Ye stepped forward. He kept his expression carefully neutral, masking the lethal instinct of a regressor behind the face of a compliant son. He extended his hand toward the floor. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Shadows began to pool rapidly around his boots, stretching and twisting like liquid ink before rising into sharp, solid tendrils that flickered with a cold, dark energy. The sheer density and control of the shadows were way beyond what any beginner-level awakened should be capable of manifesting.

The surrounding soldiers, who were resting nearby, looked up from their gear, their expressions twisting into genuine surprise. Even Han Zheng’s eyebrows shot up slightly, deeply impressed by the raw potential displayed by his son.

However, the biological toll of the powers became apparent after a bit. Gu An’s small shoulders began to tremble, beads of sweat breaking out along her hairline as the steady barrier began to fragment.

Beside her, Han Ye’s chest heaved slightly, his small five-year-old body rapidly draining its metabolic reserves to fuel the advanced shadow manipulation. His veins burned with a familiar, agonizing fatigue—the harsh reality that no matter how advanced his soul was, his physical vessel was still limited by childhood biology.

"That’s enough. Stop," Han Zheng commanded, stepping in to cut off their focus before they could trigger a cellular crash.

The barrier vanished instantly, and the shadows snapped back into the floorboards. Both children slumped slightly, leaning against the wooden table as they caught their breath, their small bodies visibly exhausted from holding the active manifestations.

"Your control is excellent, but your stamina is entirely unformed," Han Zheng evaluated, his tone constructive.

Lin Qing chimed in from the side, her smooth, flat voice drawing Han Ye’s gaze. "I had originally planned to implement a strict training regimen to make them exercise and build their physical core, but our departure was too sudden. We didn’t get the necessary time on the road."

"You’re right," Han Zheng agreed, nodding in alignment with her words. He looked down at the tired children. "A powerful ability is useless if the heart and lungs fail before the fight is over. Until we can establish a permanent routine, we have to maintain mobility."

To demonstrate, Han Zheng stepped into the center of the cleared space. Moving with the fluid precision of a seasoned combat instructor, he began to execute a series of deep, calculated dynamic stretches. "Whenever we get off the vehicle at a secure checkpoint, you will perform these specific movements to prevent muscle calcification from long hours of sitting. If we get a thirty-minute window of absolute safety, you will perform these light bodyweight exercises."

He went through a sequence of concise, compact movements designed to maintain core strength and joint flexibility in confined survival conditions. "As for officially continuing your high-intensity combat and endurance training, we can only do that properly once we reach the safety of the research center. Until then, this is your baseline."

While Han Zheng was demonstrating the precise angles of the movements, Lin Qing wasn’t watching him. Her dark eyes were locked entirely on Su Xiao.

The little girl had stopped burying her face in the pink canvas; her wide, unblinking eyes were tracking Han Zheng’s movements with an intense, absorbing focus, her small mind processing the physical instructions with an innate, sharp curiosity.

Lin Qing walked over, her shadow falling over the small girl. "You will have to do these exercises alongside Han Ye and Gu An as well," she said, her voice quiet but leaving no room for argument. "No one stays idle in the convoy."

Su Xiao blinked, looking up at the formidable woman before nodding timidly, her small fingers tightening slightly around the straps of her bag. "Okay..."

With the meal finished and the initial evaluation complete, the atmosphere settled back into a quiet rest cycle. Lin Qing glanced at the mechanical watch on her wrist, noting the shift rotation. "I’ll take the next guard shift outside," she said to Han Zheng.

He gave her a brief nod of agreement as she picked up her rifle, checked the chamber, and slid the heavy administrative door open, stepping out into the crisp air of the fortified courtyard. The midday light was flat and gray, casting long, dull shadows across the concrete barriers.

As she scanned the perimeter, she spotted Old Wang sitting alone on an upturned wooden crate near the primary sandbag wall. He was supposed to be resting before his driving shift, but he was staring intently at something held tightly in his hands, his posture heavy and completely absorbed.

Lin Qing walked over quietly, her combat boots making almost no sound on the gravel. As she drew near, her eyes dropped down to his hands. It was a photograph, its edges frayed and creased from years of constant handling.

Sensing the sudden presence, Old Wang looked up sharply, his weathered face relaxing slightly when he recognized her cold, familiar features. He offered a faint smile, his rough voice dropping into a tone of quiet respect. "Ah... Lin Qing."

Seeing her gaze still fixed on the small piece of glossed paper in his hand, Old Wang didn’t try to hide it. He tilted the photograph slightly toward her, his thumb gently smoothing over the image of a smiling, dark-haired woman standing in front of a small apartment balcony before the world fell apart.

"It’s my wife," Old Wang said softly, his eyes reflecting the pale, cold light of the morning sun. "Just wanted to look at her before we hit the road again."

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