Third-person POV: That dagger was clearly from the death thrall assassin who had attacked Thora. Her throat moved slightly as she spoke, "You're hurt?" Her voice was calm, but her fingers twitched on their own. She had felt the blast earlier firsthand. Darius had jumped in, taking the blow that should have hit her. Darius smiled, relaxed and casual. "I blocked it for you. When the explosion happened, I got hit by accident." The word "by accident" pricked Thora like a tiny needle in her chest. Her hand at her side tightened, nails almost digging into her palm. Her face stayed expressionless, even growing colder. Her voice dropped slightly. "Serves you right." Darius had been expecting some worry from her. The smile on his face froze. He pressed his lips together, looking a bit helpless. Couldn't she say just one gentle word? He didn't push it. Instead, he said, "The assassin ran away." Thora's ears flicked. The helicopter's blades were getting closer, cutting through the wind. She immediately began checking Darius over, her hands moving fast and precisely. Darius stiffened at first, then relaxed, enjoying the careful touch. A moment later, she pulled the gun from his waist with quick, clean movements. Thora turned and walked away. She didn't look at the dead mercenaries, their faces frozen in twisted terror. Once she was gone, Darius's playful look disappeared. He grabbed the knife's handle. Golden wolf energy glowed in his hand and ran along the dagger. When he pulled it out, the wound near his collarbone healed right in front of him. The blood quickly dried into a dark red scab. He looked back at the mercenaries lying on the ground and threw the dagger with deadly precision. The blade still carried traces of dark magic. Powered by his wolf power, the blade exploded, turning the twisted, lifeless mercenary into nothing but dust. Only then did he start moving to chase after Thora. He couldn't let his secret be revealed ... not yet. ... When Thora reached the rooftop of the 60th floor, the helicopter was already lifting off. The ladder hadn't been pulled in yet. It swung in the wind, moving from side to side.But Lance was already on it. He loosened the tie holding his hair, and the soft, slightly wavy hair fell over his shoulders, giving him a softer, striking look. He stood at the helicopter door, looking down at Thora from high above. His eyes were cool and sharp, like a cat's, with a subtle, hard-to-place meaning. He put his right index and middle fingers together, smiled, and blew Thora a kiss—bold, flirty, and a little naughty, enough to make anyone's mind wander. Thora lifted the gun she had taken from Darius. She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying herself and fighting the dizzy tilt in her vision. She pulled together what little energy she had left, focused her telekinesis, aimed at Lance, and fired the gun. Lance didn't even blink. From this far away, in this wind, hitting him with a handgun was basically impossible. Still, Thora had caught his attention.They had been forced to abandon the mission. She really had earned recognition. Next time, he wouldn't let her get away so easily. Of course, at this moment, Lance didn't know that the people left below had already failed the mission. He turned, lifting his foot to step into the helicopter cabin ... "Tshk!" A sound like something tearing through flesh suddenly cut through the air. Lance lunged forward, almost losing his balance. "Boss!" "Boss!" Shouts rang out, one after another. Lance grabbed someone's shoulder to steady himself, found his balance, and looked back at Thora. Thora lowered her gun and tilted her head toward the sky, her eyes fixed on the helicopter. A small, cool smile touched her lips. "I don't like looking up at anyone. Consider this my hello." Lance read her lips. His face went pale, then darkened with anger. Very well! Just wait! I'll send my return gift soon enough! The helicopter rose higher and higher, then finally disappeared from view. Meanwhile, Thora couldn't hold on any longer. Her heavy injuries and the mental exhaustion from using her ability all hit her at once. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed, her body going stiff as a board. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard countless footsteps rushing toward her. Footsteps came closer, mixed with Darius's frantic shouting, sounding muffled and rough, like it was underwater. She wanted to lift her hand to cover her ears—but she didn't even have the strength to move a finger. Damn, Darius. Couldn't he just be quiet and let me rest? That thought flashed through her mind, and then Thora lost her consciousness.