"Are you sure this won’t work?" Sheila asked with a confident smile. "I already went back and got the military-grade plasma bullets. Why don’t you sit still and let me see if it works or not?"

"Sheila, what do you mean we were raised to be killed?" Stanley asked.

"Just as I said. This place isn’t a town built to protect you all from the monsters outside. It’s an elaborate farm set up in a way where the people inside think they had freedom, but in the end, they are all here to die so they can be farmed for their resources. It’s despicable."

"It’s humane, my child," the mayor spoke. "If you’re from the outside, you should be aware of how bad the situation can get with most of the other farms."

Sheila stared at the old man seriously. "I’ve seen worse ones, but that does not mean this isn’t any bad," she said. "You and that girl deserve to be punished for all of this."

The mayor chuckled. "Why do you think you can punish a Nova?" he asked. "Especially one that has been feeding on so many deaths in this town, and is about to get so much stronger by killing every one of the 20 thousand people here."

Sheila’s hands visibly shook when she heard that. She gulped in fear at the thought of a Nova, empowered by the deaths of 20 thousand.

Even someone that was empowered by just 100 deaths was strong enough to go head to head against most, if not all normal awakened individuals. With 1000, they would be one of the strongest people on the planet based on their powers.

If 20 thousand people were to die right now, the strength that would give the Nova was unimaginable. What was even more unimaginable was that it would be a Nova that already had 3 techniques as far as Sheila knew,

If she were to be empowered by 20 thousand deaths, just how many more powers could she awaken?

"And... and you call this humane? Killing everyone all at once," Sheila spoke.

"That is just because you interfered," the mayor said. "It would have been so nice had you not appeared. Sigh, the town would be normal, and his brother would still be alive. It’s all your fault."

Stanley looked up confused as he stared at Sheila. What did he mean it was her fault?

"How is it my fault?" Sheila asked. "I’ve never even interacted with the man in the past month."

"Oh, it’s your fault because you showed up and terrified my sister into believing our work was going to be in vain. You were the one that forced her to attack Bradley and nearly kill him," the mayor said as he sighed. "He wouldn’t have to be killed if it wasn’t for you."

"Your sister!" Sheila frowned. "The Nova?"

"Yes," the old man said.

"I don’t know what’s going on," Yasu said. "But it doesn’t look any good. Mayor, you will need to answer for whatever crime it is you have done."

The mayor looked at Yasu and scoffed. "Be glad you haven’t died yet," he said. "All four of you will now follow my orders unconditionally."

"Like hell we wi—"

Sheila’s words stuck to her mouth as the strong emotion of hatred disappeared from her, replaced with an intense feeling to do what the mayor said.

She wanted to defy that feeling, but she couldn’t. She had to follow his orders.

Her eyes fell on the young man with short hair that appeared from behind the wall, finally showing himself. Next to him were two others that seemed to have been hiding away.

Stanley felt a dominion fall over him as he was forced to feel a certain way about the mayor’s words. He looked over and saw the three people behind the mayor.

Illan, Gallan, and old man Sam.

"Drop the gun," the mayor said, happy with himself.

Sheila’s eyes widened and her hands tightened, but she still couldn’t force herself not to drop the gun. Her hands opened uncomfortably as the gun dropped to the ground.

"Yasu, take that gun," the mayor ordered Yasu who reached for the gun and took it.

"Good," the mayor said. "Now, the rest of you three, stand up."

The three struggled to get up, but they all stood up. The mayor was having fun.

"Yasu, check their body and get rid of any weapons they have," the mayor ordered.

Yasu nodded and checked Freddy before throwing out his sword far in the corridor. He reached for Stanley, but Stanley had no sword on his anymore. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

He finally reached for Sheila, and the mayor told him to get rid of her belt as it was full of weapons.

Yasu did as asked and threw it far away. Sheila watched as everything of hers but her badge was thrown to the side.

"Good," the mayor said. "Now stay there."

The mayor went back inside and finally turned off the shield. However, even though the shield was off, they couldn’t do anything. Stanley and the rest could only watch as the old man Sam walked out and started tying up their hands with his ropes.

One by one, they all lost their powers as they were nullified by the old man Sam.

Even Stanley found it weird that his strong body suddenly felt all tired and exhausted as the power in his body was finally taken away.

That surprised him very much. Was his strong body actually part of his power too? Was his strength something that was abnormal and was part of his powers?

How did that work when he didn’t have to use any activation ritual?

The mayor finally walked out, along with the other 2. Gallan stayed on his left with an expressionless face, while Illan stayed on his right with a long sword in his hand that most definitely belonged to Stanley.

The mayor walked up to Yasu and asked him to bring out his two hands.

"Now, it is finally time for me to change my body once again," the old man said. "I had chosen Bradley to be my next vessel, but he died. So, I must now return to the only remaining one of the four of you I initially chose."

"Yasu, will you let me take over your body?"