Third-person POV: Right as the mercenaries pulled their triggers, Thora made a subtle hand sign, signaling Harvey and the others to move out and strike back. That single command made their eyes widen. Charging out now—wasn't that suicide? But hesitation lasted only a heartbeat. Orders were orders. They moved. The mercenaries fired, but nothing happened. Their guns jammed, as if something invisible had sealed the barrels. That split second was all Harvey's group needed. They sprang from behind cover and opened fire, unleashing a fierce counterattack. Several mercenaries dropped before the rest got their weapons working again.By then, Harvey's suppressing fire had forced them out of the library, driving them back under heavy pressure. The two sides drew their line at the library doors—one attacking, one defending. The student who had hesitated earlier didn't this time. He grabbed a fallen rifle and sprinted to the front to join the fight. From her vantage point above, Shirley picked off enemies with clean, precise shots, guarding her teammates below. Her sniping pinned the mercenaries down completely. They didn't dare move. The unseen barrel lurking in the dark could claim any of them at any moment. Thora closed her eyes for a brief second, letting her tense nerves ease slightly. In her current state, she could only freeze that many bullets for a single instant. But one instant was all she needed. She didn't notice the soulstone inside her glowing fiercely, its blue light surging several times brighter than before. The flickering glow was a sign—Amie, her beast soul, was straining to wake from dormancy. With Harvey's team holding the library as a fortress, the mercenaries had no way to break through quickly. And now the military had arrived. But where were the Greywolf leaders? Thora's ears twitched. The thrum of helicopter blades echoed through the air. Her pupils tightened. The core members of Greywolf were getting ready to escape. She strode forward, tossing her submachine gun to Harvey. "Hold the line. Reinforcements will be here soon." "Thora! Where are you going?" Harvey caught the gun, firing through the doorway as he shouted. "Rat hunting."Thora's voice carried an icy edge as she vaulted over the library railing and vanished from everyone’s sight. On the library rooftop, a helicopter hovered closer, circling the tower. The elevator doors chimed open. A long leg stepped out first. Then a wave of combat boots struck the floor in crisp rhythm. They were on the 50th floor. Astralis College's library had 60 floors, but level 50 through 60 were off-limits. The elevator didn't go past 50—anyone headed to the roof had to take the stairs. Lance had known from the start that Thora's team was luring him into the library. He came anyway. The military's timing just happened to collide. Weighing the odds, he decided to pull Greywolf's core team out.But in Greywolf's code, failure didn't exist. So he left the rest behind—to slaughter Astralis College students and cover their retreat. Suddenly, every soldier froze. A spark of intrigue flashed through Blue's cold blue eyes as his gaze locked on the shadow ahead. A moment later, a figure stepped out of the darkness, tall and steady in a school uniform. It was Thora. Her face was emotionless, but the chill in her eyes cut like an ice-tempered blade, fixed straight on Lance and his men.