Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 27: One Man Mission

The inside of the government building felt nothing like the chaos outside.

The corridors were wide, reinforced with layered plating and glowing sigils embedded into the walls. Emergency lights hummed softly overhead.

Teams of soldiers moved in and out, yelling orders or receiving them.

Aren followed Lieutenant Leo in silence. His leg ached with every step, but he ignored it.

They entered a large chamber at the heart of the building.

A long table sat at the center of the room, surrounded by figures in military coats and government attire. Floating projections hovered above it. A large map of Sun City, fractured into red and yellow zones, with a casualty estimate ticking upward in the corner of the display.

Conversations paused the moment Aren stepped inside.

Aren stopped beside the chair Lieutenant Leo indicated and sat.

"This meeting concerns city-level response and personnel," a man in a neatly pressed government coat said at last.

"Why is a civilian present?"

Several heads nodded subtly in agreement. Aren kept his gaze forward and said nothing.

Lieutenant Leo didn’t hesitate.

"He’s relevant," Leo said. "One of our first-hand witnesses."

The official frowned. "On whose authority?"

Leo met his eyes without blinking.

"Captain Eric’s."

Another official stepped in. "We’re coordinating military assets and government resources. A child has no place here."

Aren rolled his eyes.

Of course, these old farts would be too busy keeping face and arguing while the city burned.

His jaw tightened but he still didn’t speak. Lieutenant Leo’s tone didn’t change.

"He led civilians through General-class zones," Leo said. "A Novice Mystic did that when no one else could."

A soft hum filled the chamber. Several people turned instinctively toward the source.

The old Barrier Master stood near the far wall, one hand resting against a projection console, the faint glow of ether still clinging to his fingers.

"I’ve seen him fight."

A few officials turned toward him. One frowned. "This isn’t the time for anecdotes."

"It’s not an anecdote," the Barrier Master replied calmly. "It’s an evaluation."

"I was one of the judges during the tournament," he continued. "I watched his matches from start to finish."

He paused, then looked around the room.

"I vouch for his strength," the Master said evenly. "If Captain Eric, Lieutenant Leo, and I trust him..."

His gaze settled on the table.

"...What exactly is the issue?"

The senior officer in control grunted softly before he tapped the projection console.

"Sun City is under collapse from a confirmed attack," the officer said.

Several new markers lit up inside the city’s perimeter.

"Defilers," he continued. "Also known as Demonic Cultivators."

A low murmur rippled through the room.

"They entered the city ahead of the outbreak. Monsters were used as cover—creating chaos and forcing us to respond."

The projection zoomed inward, centering on a sealed sector beneath the city.

"Their objective was the Fertile Core."

The room went quiet.

"A city-grade resource," the officer added.

Lieutenant Leo spoke then.

"This wasn’t a random raid," he said. "They had a clear motive."

He paused.

"And with monsters still roaming freely," Leo concluded, "they haven’t found it yet."

Silence held for a moment longer. Then Lieutenant Leo spoke again.

"Captain Eric’s team was dispatched to confirm the Fertile Core’s location," he said.

A few heads lifted.

"They entered the lower sector shortly after the initial outbreak," Leo continued. "But...we haven’t received any contact since the initial plan."

The room didn’t react all at once.

Some officials exchanged looks. Others stared at the projection without speaking.

Aren turned his head.

Shit...

If the Defilers were after the Fertile Core, then this wasn’t just about sabotage or collapse.

Demonic cultivators didn’t cultivate like normal Mystics. They didn’t refine their own ether. They absorbed it from somewhere else.

And the Fertile Core wasn’t just rich. It was a city-grade relic.

Aren’s fingers curled slowly.

They wouldn’t just grow stronger. One Defiler empowered by the Core would become a disaster. Strong enough to slaughter, absorb again, and then do it faster the next time.

Aren shuddered, imagining the Core ending up with someone like Rinrin.

His gaze lifted back to the projection.

They couldn’t let the Defilers reach the Core.

"We’re already past recovery," one official said flatly. "Monster density is too high. Sun City is as good as lost."

Several heads nodded.

"Full evacuation," another added. "Extract all civilians within the dome, then initiate a citywide purge."

He didn’t hesitate.

"Level it, if we have to."

A brief silence followed.

Then someone scoffed.

"And abandon a Fertile Core?" a different councilor said. "Do you understand what you’re suggesting?"

He tapped the projection, highlighting the sealed sector beneath the city.

"That core is the reason Sun City exists. With it, we can reclaim districts and eventually rebuild!"

"Only if we secure it first," someone shot back. "And you’re assuming the Defilers haven’t already reached it."

"We don’t know that," the councilor replied. "And until we do, we don’t burn an entire city on assumption."

Aren clenched his fists.

Not one of them mentioned the people still missing.

The civilians trapped outside the dome. About any others who might be trapped outside, forced into hiding as an apocalypse happened.

No... that was exactly the kind of thinking that bastard Lucas believed in.

"Fine, I’ll play Devil’s Advocate," one of them said. "If we do decide to get the Fertile Core back—"

"How?" another cut in. "We’ve lost all military signals with Captain Eric. Where would we even go?"

The question hung in the air.

No one answered.

Because there wasn’t one.

Military trackers had been jammed, and even if they weren’t, the underground location made it hard to find.

Even the Barrier Master looked grim.

Aren’s gaze drifted to the table.

Captain Eric’s team...

That was when he remembered a crucial detail.

Luna.

She was on that team.

Aren’s fingers tightened as he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He moved quickly, navigating to her contact without thinking.

A notification flashed onto the screen, followed by a small red ping.

She had sent a distress alert to him via civilian tracking systems through their contacts.

His eyes locked onto the blinking marker.

She’s in trouble...

Aren didn’t raise his voice.

He leaned slightly toward Lieutenant Leo, just enough that it looked like nothing more than a shift in posture.

"I have a signal," he said under his breath.

Leo kept his face neutral.

"A civilian distress ping," Aren continued. "Luna’s phone. It’s still active."

That got a response.

Leo’s fingers paused against the edge of the table.

"...Where?" he asked quietly.

Aren tilted the phone just enough for Leo to see the screen. A blinking marker.

It was near Central High, his school. Though he had no idea why Luna would be there.

Leo’s eyes sharpened.

"We lost all military trackers," Leo said. "Are you sure it’s not a trap?"

"Positive," Aren replied. "Luna always calls. She never sends messages like this unless something’s wrong."

Leo glanced back toward the arguing officials. Voices rose and fell, still trapped in the same loop.

"You can’t send another team," Aren added. "Not in time."

Leo didn’t argue.

"And even if you did," Aren went on, keeping his voice low, "they’d be detected the moment they entered the perimeter."

Leo exhaled slowly.

"That’s how Captain Eric’s team got pinned," Aren said. "A second squad would just announce itself."

Leo looked at him then.

"...What are you suggesting?"

Aren met his gaze.

"I’ll go alone."

Leo frowned slightly. "You’re a Novice Mystic."

"Exactly," Aren replied. "It’ll be harder for them to spot my ether signature."

A beat passed. Then another.

Leo studied him for a long moment. Finally, he looked away.

"I didn’t hear this," Leo said. "And I haven’t authorized any deployments."

Aren nodded once.

"Please," he said softly. "Buy me some time."

He rose from his seat, slowly and quietly.

The discussion hadn’t stopped. No one noticed him step back from the table.

No one except one.

The Barrier Master’s gaze lifted.

He followed Aren as he turned and walked toward the exit. The door slid open. Just before it closed, something flicked through the air.

Aren caught it on instinct.

A small talisman rested in his palm, warm to the touch. Thin lines of light pulsed faintly across its surface, then faded.

He turned, just as the old Master gave him a soft smile, nodding in appreciation for the gift and stepping outside,

Aren pulled up his phone again, staring at the red marker once more.

Some lines weren’t negotiable. Cities could be abandoned.

People couldn’t.

And he’d never leave a friend behind.