Extra's Path: The Eternal Frost Monarch

Damien was quiet for a moment, his expression controlled.

"Alright." He straightened. "New plan. We treat this as a surveillance situation until we know otherwise." He looked at Marina. "I need your recon unit to find a way to get eyes inside that mall without being seen. I want to know exactly where those three are and what they’re doing."

Marina’s expression was focused. "I’ll handle it personally."

"Good." He turned to Leonard. "Pull the students guarding the exposed north side back slightly. Reposition them somewhere less visible. If B-1 is watching from the mall, I don’t want them counting our numbers."

Leonard nodded, his earlier restlessness replaced with something sharper. "I’ll do it now."

"Sam, keep your unit inside and out of sight for now. If we need to move fast, I want them rested and ready, not standing in the open."

"Understood," Sam said.

"Lyria, talk to your unit. If a fight breaks out near the mall, they need to know in advance where to position themselves for support. Work that out before anything happens, not during it."

Lyria gave a small, composed nod.

Arisha crossed her arms. "And if their scouts are confirmed to be using the mall as a watch point — we need to decide whether to eliminate them quietly and deny B-1 that position, or leave them and feed them false information about our movements."

Kaelan glanced at her. "Feeding false information would be the higher reward play. But it requires everyone outside to behave consistently. One person doing something that contradicts the illusion and it falls apart."

"Which is why we decide now," Arisha said, looking at Damien. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Damien considered it for a few seconds.

"We’ll decide once Marina confirms what they’re actually doing in there." He looked around the table one final time. "Everyone stay sharp. Don’t make any big moves until I give the word."

Chairs shifted as everyone rose from the table.

"Finally something interesting is happening," Leonard muttered under his breath as he headed for the door.

Nobody disagreed with him.

--

While the meeting was going on Noah stand outside the base.

He was thinking deeply about something.

’For now...I don’t think they will act immediately. They would probably observe the enemy first since there are only three of them. Currently, the mall might be surrounded by some members of recon unit. While other spread in surrounding area.’

He took out his smartphone. Leaning his back against the wall of hotel.

He started to type message for Travis.

If what Noah considered was right, then it’s better to inform this to Travis.

’Okay it’s done. I just need to wait for them to start it.’

He put his phone back in his pocket.

With relax expression he looked towards the sky.

"It’s kind of peac–"

"Noah! Come here and guard with us!"

One of the students from his unit called him.

"Tch!" Noah clicked his tongue in annoyance but goes towards them.

---

After a while.

Outside of the mall.

On one buiding standing two people. Observing what was happening.

It’s been half hour now. Yet there was no movement.

They were still inside.

The young man with black hair wearing glasses said. "Isaac...should we go inside and check what they are doing?"

"No Steven....we should not. We should wait and see, as commander said to us." The man had long blonde hair.

They were Isaac Newtella and Steven Hawking.

They were standing in balcony of the building having many cracks.

While few others were standing on other buildings nearby.

While some being outside hiding behind walls and alleys.

While two of them were talking, they didn’t notice someone else were inside the building.

A sudden creak echoed faintly from inside the building.

Both Isaac and Steven froze.

Isaac’s expression sharpened as he slowly turned his head toward the dark interior behind them.

"...Did you hear that?" he asked in a low voice.

Steven frowned, gripping the railing tighter for a moment before stepping back. "Yeah..."

The air grew tense.

Without wasting another second, both of them reached into their storage devices and pulled out their weapons.

A sword appeared in Isaac’s hand. An axe formed in Steven’s grip. They moved carefully, stepping away from the balcony and into the room behind them.

The interior was dim. Dust floated faintly in the air. Cracks ran along the walls and ceiling.

Each step they took was slow and cautious. Their eyes scanned every corner.

They approached the door at the far end of the room. Isaac moved ahead slightly.

Steven positioned himself just behind him, ready to react.

Isaac reached for the handle.

He paused for a fraction of a second.

Then he caustiously opened it.

And from other side something moved. The hallways was dark. So it was not visible.

And it was too fast. Like something blur. Before Isaac could even react.

SHLIK!

A sword moved and pierced straight through his stomach.

His eyes widened instantly.

Blood splattered.

"AAARGHH!!"

A scream tore out of his throat as blood spilled from his mouth.

Even though it was virtual reality. They had kept everything same as real world. Even the pain.

Steven’s eyes snapped wide in shock.

"ISAAC!"

Without hesitation, Steven swung his axe forward with full force.

The attacker reacted instantly.

With a sharp motion.

THUD!

He kicked Isaac hard in the chest. The force was too much. Isaac’s body was sent flying backward.

Right into Steven.

The impact threw Steven off balance, disrupting his attack completely.

Both of them stumbled.

Before they could recover, two more figures stepped into the room behind the attacker.

Their presence filled the space instantly.

Steven’s heart dropped.

’T-three...?’

He clenched his teeth and quickly tried to reach for his smartphone to inform his friends as fast as possible..

"I need to—"

But he was too late.

One of the newcomers dashed forward.

He was too fast. A flash of steel.

CLANG!

Steven barely raised his axe in time to block. The force pushed him backward.

Another moved from the side. Closing in, there was no escape.

Steven gritted his teeth, panic rising. Outside, their teammates remained unaware. Inside, the ambush had already begun.