Chapter 160: Two birds one stone

[A few minutes earlier]

"Have you reached your position?"

The dark-skinned man asked into his radio, seated inside the surveillance room with his eyes fixed on the numerous camera feeds displaying different sections of the venue.

Acquiring backdoor access to the surveillance system of a gathering on this scale had been anything but easy. With so many dignitaries and influential figures attending, security had been tightened to an extraordinary degree. Even getting anywhere near the system would have been difficult without the right connections.

However, money had a way of opening doors that were otherwise inaccessible.

And they had spared no expense.

[In position.]

The man hummed in response. He was just about to give the command to commence the operation when something on one of the screens caught his attention.

A grin gradually spread across his face.

"Wait, Cobra."

[Major?]

The soldier’s confused voice came through the radio.

"One of our targets is approaching the opening point. This might save us the trouble of having to deal with two birds separately."

The man leaned back in his chair, watching the beautiful brunette making her way towards the restrooms.

It was an unexpected opportunity, but certainly one worth taking advantage of.

’Come on, birdie. Get into position already.’

...

Meanwhile, inside the ballroom, Kai finally let out a long breath after concluding his conversation with several officials from Arden.

They had been particularly curious about his recent exploits. Having already conducted their own investigations into his background, they were naturally eager to hear firsthand how he had managed to hold the monsters at bay during the raid. His enormous ice wall had also attracted considerable attention, and more than a few questions had been directed towards its creation.

Fortunately, Adam had briefed him beforehand about how much he could disclose. That saved Kai the trouble of repeatedly declining their questions or giving vague answers that might invite even more curiosity.

With the conversation finally over, he was looking forward to taking a breather and checking on Jean and his baby girl.

However, just as he was about to move away, an unfamiliar voice reached his ears.

"Ah! Finally, you’ve been left alone."

Kai suppressed a wry smile before turning around.

An elderly man was approaching him, seemingly in his early sixties. His back was slightly hunched, and he relied on a cane to support some of his weight as he walked. Despite his age, there was a certain liveliness in his expression, complemented by the kind smile resting on his face.

"You may not know me, son. I’m Adler. Gillion and I are good friends."

Before Kai could respond, Adam arrived beside him and offered an introduction of his own.

"He’s the great mentor who has guided us through countless difficult situations. He’s also responsible for nurturing some of the finest Hunters our country has ever produced."

Adler raised his cane at that, seemingly unimpressed by the praise.

"Much like that dunce over there."

He pointed towards a particular individual with the tip of his cane before raising his voice.

"Are you planning to ignore me until the very end, Xavier?"

Kai stiffened upon hearing that name.

His gaze instinctively shifted towards the direction Adler was pointing, but before either he or Adam could react, Xavier had already stepped forward and appeared before them.

"Master. I was hoping to speak with you after greeting everyone."

Xavier addressed the elderly man politely, maintaining the composure expected of someone in his position.

Kai frowned slightly.

So Xavier was Adler’s student?

"Whatever you say, Xavier." Adler waved his hand dismissively before turning his attention towards Kai. "Anyway, have you greeted the main guest of the evening?"

Xavier finally shifted his gaze towards Kai.

For a brief moment, the two men simply stared at each other.

Kai had imagined this encounter on more than one occasion. He knew that sooner or later, they would either have to stop hiding from the Scarlette family or the patriarch himself would eventually find them. He had even considered how he might react when that moment finally arrived.

Yet, none of those imagined preparations seemed necessary now.

Standing face-to-face with the man, Kai found himself surprisingly composed. There was no nervousness, no apprehension, and certainly no inclination to avoid his gaze.

"Mister Kai."

Xavier was the first to extend his hand.

Kai accepted the gesture without hesitation.

"Mister Scarlette."

Their exchange was perfectly civil, but Adam could sense the tension simmering beneath the surface. The two men were maintaining their courtesies, yet neither seemed particularly interested in making the interaction any warmer.

Adam was already searching for an appropriate way to ease the atmosphere when Adler suddenly spoke.

"Xavier, did you know that this young man here was once an F-rank?"

Adam wasn’t surprised by the revelation, not even slightly.

The elderly man standing before them had connections extending far beyond what most people could imagine. He had assisted the nation on several occasions in acquiring intelligence that even the Surveillance Department had struggled to obtain. There was little doubt that someone like him would have access to Kai’s history.

"Is that so?" Xavier raised his eyebrows slightly. "A Reawakening, I presume?"

"Indeed. But tell me, have you ever heard of someone experiencing such tremendous growth that they eventually end up suppressing a world-level threat?"

Adler asked with a smile, his eyes remaining fixed on Kai.

Kai returned his smile without appearing particularly bothered by the attention.

"Fate took an unexpected turn for me, Sir. And I have no doubt that this fortune came into my life in the form of my beloved fiancée and my daughter."

Xavier’s expression hardened ever so slightly.

He managed to keep his reaction concealed, but the sudden change in his demeanour did not go entirely unnoticed.

"Oh, I’ve already seen them. You two make quite a lovely couple..."

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion suddenly reverberated throughout the venue.

The entire ballroom seemed to tremble under the impact, prompting several guests to duck instinctively. Conversations died instantly as people turned towards the source of the explosion, their expressions filled with confusion and panic.

Adam’s expression sharpened. He immediately pulled out his phone, seemingly attempting to establish what had happened.

Meanwhile, Kai and Xavier had already turned their heads in the same direction.

The restrooms.

Both Jean and Janet were there.

And judging by the direction from which the explosion had originated, that was precisely where the impact had taken place.

Neither man wasted another second.

Kai immediately broke into a run, pushing past the startled guests as he headed towards the inner section of the ballroom.

Xavier followed close behind.

For all the hostility that existed between them, neither could afford to waste even a moment now.

The sound of hurried footsteps soon filled the corridor as security personnel rushed to the scene, their voices overlapping as they coordinated the deployment of reinforcements. Somewhere behind them, someone was repeatedly calling out Xavier’s name, but the man refused to even turn his head.

His entire attention was fixed on the collapsed section ahead.

Fallen debris and thick clouds of dust obstructed his view, making it impossible to discern what lay beyond the wreckage. Yet, the mounting panic and rush of adrenaline left little room for rational thought.

He needed to reach them.

Now.

Without bothering to wait for the security personnel to clear the obstruction, Xavier surged forward.

THUD!

His shoulder slammed into the partially collapsed wall. The impact sent cracks racing through its weakened structure before the entire section crumbled into pieces, scattering chunks of concrete across the floor.

The bathroom finally came into view.

"Jean!"

Kai was about to rush inside when he suddenly stopped.

"Huh?"

The sight before them left both Kai and Xavier standing frozen, their jaws practically hanging open. Neither seemed capable of processing what they were looking at.