Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Wolfe studied Skye carefully, the his gaze flicked to the seven or eight officers standing at the door, and he exhaled sharply. It seemed like things were worse than he’d anticipated. Skye wasn’t bluffing.

Wolfe sat in silence for a moment, then nodded slowly. ”Alright, I’ll go with you. But let me make a quick phone call first.”

Skye made a casual gesture. ”Do whatever you need.”

Two minutes later, Frost watched with a scowl as Wolfe stepped into the Enforcement Bureau’s car. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed.

With Skye right there, some things couldn’t be said too openly. Frost had to give a bit more explanation now.

”Dares to arrest Wolfe?” Frost’s voice full of disbelief.

In Dune, every captain in the Enforcement teams had a close relationship with Wolfe. Hell, even the head of the Bureau had to show him respect. There was no one else like Skye.

As he looked at Wolfe, who sat calm and composed in the car, Skye wiped the smirk from his face. Despite having something on Wolfe, Skye didn’t have the direct evidence he needed.

”As expected of Wolfe,” Skye muttered to himself. ”You’re the only one who can stay so calm in this situation.”

The car hit a few bumps as they drove, and Wolfe glanced over at Skye. The man didn’t have the polished, bureaucratic vibe that the others did. Instead, he had the air of a seasoned street boss—rough, sharp, but composed.

”I’m a legitimate businessman,” Wolfe said with a slight smirk, turning his attention away from Skye. ”I have nothing to worry about.”

Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the law enforcement bureau. There were two other cars parked outside, and a group of well-dressed, middle-aged men stood waiting.

Skye narrowed his eyes as he spotted one of them. The higher up the chain these guys were, the colder he felt.

”Director Nash,” Skye greeted, his tone shifting to one of politeness as he stepped out of the car. ”It’s late—what brings you out here?”

A playful smile curled on Skye’s lips.

Nash was a rising star in Dune’s political scene. In his early thirties, he’d already secured the position of Director of Taxation, and many saw him as the future governor of the city.

Wolfe had connections far deeper than he had originally thought. The stakes were higher, and the web was more tangled than he had imagined.

Skye couldn’t help but mentally curse himself. I really stepped into a mess this time.

He forced a smile and walked over to shake hands with Nash. The man was the picture of youthful strength and confidence, his eyes sharp with an easy charisma.

”Captain Skye, I hear you’ve got a great entrepreneur in cuffs? What’s going on?”

”Oh, it’s just about the infected folks from a few days ago. You know, when it comes to infections, nothing’s ever simple. I’ve just invited Mr. Wolfe in for a little chat.”

”If all goes well, I’ll personally see him off.”

”Infections are serious, no doubt about that. You front-liners really have a tough job.” Nash paused, then asked, his tone cooling slightly, ”But tell me, Captain—have you got conclusive evidence?”

”I can’t say it’s conclusive yet, but Wolfe certainly has some explaining to do.”

Nash’s smile faded, replaced with a sharper, more calculating gaze. ”Skye, you know Wolfe isn’t just another businessman in this city.”

”If you find something concrete, I won’t stand in your way. But if you don’t… this whole method of yours could be seen as, let’s say, a bit rough.”

In terms of rank, Nash was far above Skye. And while the law enforcement bureau technically wasn’t under his direct jurisdiction, it didn’t mean Nash didn’t wield significant influence. Every officer looking to stay in Dune long-term knew what that kind of pressure felt like.

”Oh, there’s definitely evidence, Director. But you know, until the case is wrapped up, I’m not in a position to share details.”

Nash’s eyes flashed with a flicker of annoyance. ”You’re crossing the line here, Skye.” Nash stepped forward, his men in black suits closing ranks behind him, standing firm in front of Skye.

Skye, however, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag, enjoying the smoke as it curled around him. The scene grew heavy with tension, the silence almost palpable.

Then Skye’s smile spread even wider, and his eyes flickered with a dangerous gleam. He leaned back slightly, showing a flash of his yellow teeth and cigarette-stained grin.

”Director Nash,” he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade, ”When it comes to infected people, that’s not up to you.”

Nash’s face turned dark with fury. Just as he was about to snap back, Skye stubbed out his cigarette and his expression suddenly grew icy cold.

“Or do you want to go inside and talk about it, Director Nash?” Skye’s voice was low, coming from deep in his chest, his eyes locking onto Nash with a chilling, unspoken threat. The pressure of his Force surged around him, and the hairs on the backs of Nash’s men stood on end.

“You—!” Nash flinched, his legs trembling slightly. By the time he regained his composure, Skye and his team had already entered the building, their footsteps echoing.

From a distance, Nash could only hear Skye’s voice. ”I found a list with Wolfe’s men, and the names match the infected.. That’s enough reason to hold him for 48 hours.”

Wolfe… was this bastard so fucking unreliable?

Nash felt a chill run down his spine, his stomach twisting with unease. His face darkened even more. He pulled out his phone and started dialing, urgency lacing his movements.

Meanwhile, Skye walked calmly into the hall, his pace steady. Freya, trailing behind him, couldn’t hide her concern. She whispered quietly, “Skye, did you push him too hard?”

“Right now, they should be scrambling, I was hoping to catch a bigger fish, but it looks like this one will have to do for now.”

He pushed open the door to the interrogation room and entered, his men following behind him. He threw a bright smile toward Wolfe, his voice light but with an underlying edge. “Mr. Wolfe, sorry for the delay. Let’s get down to business.”

The moment Wolfe heard Skye’s voice, his carefree demeanor evaporated. He slowly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the man.

Wolfe sneered, his tone dripping with warning. “You’re playing a dangerous game here, Captain Skye. You can handle this?”

Skye removed his coat, his eyes sizing Wolfe up like a predator examining its prey. “Cut the bullshit.”

......

The next morning, Axel woke up early, today was the first day of training for the elite class.

”Axel, over here!” As soon as Axel stepped onto the playground, he spotted Cassia hanging from the horizontal bar, swinging her long legs back and forth while waving him over.

Nearby, a few other students stood in small groups, chatting casually. As soon as Cassia called out to him, they all turned their attention to Axel.

Even in the elite class, there were cliques. Ryder and Vale were clearly the social butterflies in the crowd. So naturally, a group of students had gathered around them.

For Axel, their reaction had been mild. His Force rating of 90 was just barely enough to qualify for the class, so the other students were more curious than impressed.

The rest of the students were chattering, and Ryder and Vale had already started a group chat, pulling everyone in.

It had to be said, the two of them were good at getting the crowd going. Before long, the awkwardness faded, and the students began warming up to each other.

”In the future, we’ll all be awakened,” Ryder said, speaking with a smile. ”Even if we’re not in the same city, we’re still classmates. We can help each other out.”

”I wonder who the substitute teacher is today?”

”The principal’s the only awakened one at our school, right? He’s a first-level Awakener in the Department of Life. You think he might show up?”

”Not a chance.”

”That would be boring as hell. Are seriously getting someone with a lower Force rating than our?”