The sun had completely dipped behind the horizon, and the base was now lit by soft, artificial lights glowing from the small poles scattered around. The dinner bell had already rung, and the scent of roasted at from the freshly hunted mutated beasts filled the air.
But inside the conference hall, the real tension was only beginning.
Atlas sat lazily at the head of the long table, swirling his cup of tea with great leisure. His posture was relaxed, yet his presence was impossible to ignore.
On his left sat Xu Kai. Upright and silent. His black uniform spotless. His back perfectly straight as always. His sharp gaze never wandering.
And directly across from both n sat Liora. She regretted stepping foot into this eting.
This was supposed to be a simple strategy eting to discuss expanding the base. But with these two n sitting at the sa table, it had turned into sothing entirely different.
Chen Wei, Shen Haoran, Yun Shou, and Zhao Ren sat quietly nearby, looking between the two powerful n like they were watching two wild beasts waiting to pounce. i and Liang Zihan served refreshnts nervously, fully aware of the undercurrent swirling inside the room.
"Commander Xu," Atlas spoke first, his voice light like a breeze, "your recent hunt was quite impressive. Ten high-level mutated beasts. I must say, you’re quite efficient."
Xu Kai responded with a nod, his tone calm and polite but lacking warmth. "It’s my duty to secure the base’s food supplies. That is the responsibility of the hunting team."
"Such devotion," Atlas smiled. "Liora truly surrounds herself with excellent people." His eyes casually drifted toward Liora, his voice dripping with amusent. "And here I thought I was the only one she relied on so deeply."
Liora’s eye twitched.
Xu Kai’s gaze sharpened slightly, but his face remained composed. "She does not rely on anyone. She carries the base on her own strength."
His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the hidden weight behind his words.
Atlas chuckled. "Of course, of course. But isn’t it better when one has trustworthy people to share the burden? I, for one, am always happy to support her."
His words sounded gentle, but Liora could hear the challenge hidden beneath.
Xu Kai’s eyes finally turned directly toward Atlas, eting his playful gaze with cold sharpness.
"The apocalypse is not a place for gas, Lord Atlas. Protection requires action, not simply... sitting in the shadows."
Atlas’s grin grew wider, unfazed by the jab. "I don’t mind sitting, Commander Xu. After all, I have you standing on the frontlines for ."
The room grew quiet. The invisible storm between the two grew heavier.
Zhao Ren cleared his throat softly, attempting to break the awkward silence. "Commander Xu, Lord Atlas, perhaps we should begin discussing the defense upgrades—"
But Xu Kai’s voice calmly cut through. "Of course. I believe strengthening the west wall is our priority. Our scout team has only pitiful mbers that are not enough to patrol around the walls."
Atlas casually leaned back. "Hmm... that sounds urgent. But do you think anyone can do this role? What we want is not only number but also strength."
Liora wanted to slam her head into the table. She could feel the sparks flying between them. Neither man raised their voice. Neither man looked aggressive. But the battlefield between their words was clear as day.
Both were testing each other.
Both were claiming their position.
And she fucking wanted to kick both of them out so she could peacefully decide.
Xu Kai’s gaze briefly moved toward Liora, his voice softer but deliberate. "Leadership cos from trust and responsibility."
Atlas’s voice remained light, his smile fox-like. "And from vision and... connection." His eyes landed on Liora again, this ti holding her gaze just a heartbeat longer.
Liora gritted her teeth. She could feel her cheeks warming from sha slightly under Atlas’s blatant stare.
Liang Zihan whispered quietly behind her, unable to hold back his excitent, "Ah... why does it feel like the Lord and Commander are both trying to—"
i quickly nudged him before he could finish, giving him a warning glance.
Even others had started to sense the strange tension floating between their Lord, the Commander, and their leader.
Finally, after what felt like hours of silent battle, Liora slamd her palm loudly on the table.
"That’s enough." Her voice was calm but carried finality. "We’re not here to play word gas. The patrolling team will be strengthened as Commander Xu said. Shen Haoran and Zhao Ren will handle the recruiting. I want results within a week."
Both n fell silent.
Xu Kai nodded respectfully. "Understood."
Atlas smiled again, raising his teacup in surrender. "As you command, dear Liora."
But the smug amusent never left his eyes.
As the eting finally adjourned, Xu Kai stood up first, nodding politely to Liora. "If you need anything, you know where to find ." His tone was steady, but there was sothing protective underneath it.
Atlas remained seated, watching Xu Kai leave with mild amusent, then looked back at Liora. "Such a loyal man you have."
Liora rolled her eyes. "And such a shaless lord I have."
After a particularly long day, Liora finally found herself alone in her room. The silence was oddly comforting after sitting through that exhausting eting. She let out a long breath and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. But even in the quiet, her mind refused to settle.
Why had Atlas suddenly co here? He never moved without a reason. She knew him too well for that. The last ti they had separated, she had felt empty and frustrated, but now, seeing him again only brought back that sa old headache. The man was truly annoying to the bone. No matter how many tis she tried to stay calm around him, he always found a way to crawl under her skin.
And then another thought crept in. She had not seen Eli the entire day. Normally, he would co running to her or at least send word. Atlas had arrived, yet Eli did not even co to et him. Why? Did sothing happen? Or was he avoiding them both? The questions swirled inside her head like a storm.
With a tired sigh, Liora finally closed her eyes. She decided not to visit the Misty Forest today. Strangely, Eli did not co to ask her either.
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