Felix’s smile became more genuine after the handshake.

  He stepped aside, making a "please" gesture toward the wreckage of the massive transport ship.

  "Since we’re partners, we need a proper place to sit and talk."

  Shadow took the lead again, guiding them into the deep underground passage.

  This time, he didn't head back the way they came. At a fork in the tunnel, he triggered a hidden mechanism.

  An entire rock wall slid open silently, revealing a space forged entirely of metal, pulsing with futuristic technology.

  Soft white light spilled from the ceiling. An air purification system emitted a low hum, making the place feel worlds apart from the dust-choked wasteland outside.

  It looked like a miniature military command post. Massive streams of data flowed across several holographic screens.

  Crag’s eyes went wide. He had never seen a place so clean or advanced in his life.

  Kane’s gaze merely swept over the equipment before settling back on Felix.

  "It seems the tavern in Blackrock Town is the least significant part of your vast enterprise."

  Felix let out a laugh and sat down naturally at a metal table.

  "In business, one always needs a few warehouses."

  He gestured for the two of them to sit. Shadow stood behind Felix like a true ghost, melting into the darkness.

  "Let’s discuss the specifics of our cooperation."

  Felix’s tone became efficient and direct.

  "You are currently Kunlun Corp’s most wanted fugitive. Andrew Zoe wants to skin you alive. What do you need?"

  "Intelligence, an identity, and a way back to Blackrock Town," Kane said succinctly.

  "Andrew has one ace left under his command—'Viper' Ivy. I need everything on her."

  "I also need a new identity to facilitate my movements."

  "Finally, I have to go back for Kyrie to get my legs."

  Felix nodded in approval after listening.

  No wasted words. Every request hit the core of his current needs.

  "Simple."

  He pulled a tablet from beneath the table, his fingers moving rapidly across the screen for a few moments before sliding it toward Kane.

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  "Everything on Ivy is in there—her cybernetic augmentation details, past combat records, personality flaws, and her movements over the last two days."

  "Andrew Zoe is currently overwhelmed. Between Greg’s death and Rennie seizing the chance to strike, Andrew is facing a severe internal inquiry within the company. For the time being, he won't have the energy to come after you personally."

  Next, he pulled out a small metal box.

  "Inside is a polymer biomimetic mask and a matching identity chip. The new identity is a freelance mercenary from Settlement 79. The file is seamless."

  "As for the way back..."

  Felix pointed toward the direction they had entered.

  "This passage has eighteen exits. One of them leads directly into the sewage system beneath the Ribcage Bridge in Blackrock Town. It bypasses all Kunlun blockades."

  He had fulfilled almost every one of Kane's requests without hesitation, demonstrating the staggering power of the Spark organization and his sincerity in this partnership.

  "In exchange," Felix crossed his hands, leaning forward slightly as the gaze behind his glasses sharpened, "what I need you to do is continue doing exactly what you’ve been doing."

  "Keep causing trouble for Kunlun Corp. The bigger, the better."

  "Keep their eyes pinned firmly on you."

  "Continue to increase your strength. Right now, it's far from enough."

  "We need you to become that blinding bolt of lightning—the one that tears through the night sky before the storm breaks."

  Kane looked at Felix, offering no immediate answer.

  He knew this was an open ploy.

  Felix wanted to forge him into a blade that drew all the fire, creating the space and time Spark needed for its clandestine operations.

  "Deal."

  Kane pocketed the tablet and the metal box.

  This was already part of his plan.

  At this stage, their goals were perfectly aligned.

  "A pleasure doing business with you."

  Felix flashed his merchant’s smile once more.

  After discussing a few deeper strategic maneuvers, the secret meeting concluded.

  Kane and Crag didn't linger. Led by Shadow, they stepped onto the secret underground path leading back to Blackrock Town.

  As the heavy metal door slid shut behind them, sealing off the high-tech chamber, Crag’s rock-hard head finally started spinning.

  He spoke up, his muffled, gravelly voice echoing in the long tunnel.

  "Kid... why didn't we just join them?"

  "That 'Spark' group sounds powerful, and they want to take down Kunlun Corp too. Wouldn't it be better to team up with them?"

  Kane didn't stop walking.

  "Crag, which do you think has more value? A piece of iron sitting on an anvil, or the hammer in the blacksmith's hand?"

  Crag hesitated, answering instinctively, "The hammer."

  "Exactly."

  Kane’s voice was exceptionally clear in the darkness.

  "If I had nodded and agreed to join just now, we would be that iron on the anvil. We’d look well-protected, but when we get struck and what shape we take would be up to the blacksmith."

  "But I refused."

  "Now, we are a second hammer. We can choose to cooperate with the blacksmith to smash something else. But my hammer stays in my own hand."

  Crag nodded, only half-understanding.

  "Besides," Kane’s tone grew colder, "didn't you notice? Felix knows everything about us. From us killing Karl to how we took out Greg—even the details of how I lured the three factions into a standoff."

  "Yet we know nothing about him or Spark beyond a name and a vague goal."

  "In a situation where information is this lopsided, asking to join isn't cooperation. It’s surrender."

  Kane stopped and looked back at Crag.

  Beneath the shadow of his hood, his eyes were startlingly bright.

  "He thinks that was an interview for me—to see if I’m qualified to board his ship."

  "But he’s wrong."

  "From the moment I decided to play along and step into that trap, his interview was over."

  "Now, it’s my turn to interview them."

  "I’m going to use their intelligence and their resources to sharpen my own blade."

  "Meanwhile, I’ll be watching. Watching to see if Spark is a group of madmen who truly want to change the world, or just a bunch of careerists looking to replace Kunlun as the new oppressors."

  "Until I have that answer, I won't be making any choices."

  In that moment, Crag looked at the youth who was so much younger than himself, and a feeling called awe completely overwhelmed him.

  This guy had calculated everything from the start.

  He wasn't a piece moving across the board.

  He intended to be the one who flipped the entire table.

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