Chapter 506: Manhunt

"I have a request Commissioner."

"What’s that?"

"Can you deploy some officers around the Inksea Peak University campus?"

The commissioner did not hesitate. "Of course."

"Preferably around Sophie’s and Zoe’s residence." Stan’s tone became slightly firmer as he continued. "And keep an eye out for Damien. If he’s anywhere near the campus, I want to know immediately."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call before the commissioner responded. "I was planning to do that even without you asking."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Of course." The commissioner sounded almost offended by the question. "It’s our job to recapture these fugitives. We’re not going to allow someone like Damien to remain at large without taking precautions, especially after what happened at Blackridge."

The commissioner paused for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone. "And now that we have information about Damien’s capabilities, we’re treating him as extremely dangerous."

Stan’s expression grew more serious as well. "What are you planning?"

"I’ll issue instructions to the officers assigned to the manhunt. I’ll make sure the teams operating near Inksea Peak University understand that Damien may possess extraordinary physical strength."

Another brief pause followed before the commissioner continued.

"If Damien is located and presents an immediate threat to the officers or civilians around him, they’re authorized to use lethal force, guns and ammunituon."

Stan’s gaze sharpened slightly at those words. He understood why the police had reached that conclusion. From their perspective, Damien was an escaped prisoner who had already demonstrated physical abilities far beyond what an ordinary human should possess. They had no understanding of cultivation or the Dao, so they could only categorize what they had witnessed according to the concepts available to them.

"Make sure they don’t underestimate him," Stan said.

"They won’t."

"And Commissioner?"

"Yes?"

"Don’t forget to inform me if he’s spotted."

"You’ll be one of the first people I contact."

"Good."

The commissioner gave a quiet chuckle. "Still trying to get involved in police business?"

"Only when it concerns my friends."

"I figured."

They exchanged a few more words before eventually ending the call. Once the connection was severed, Stan slowly lowered his phone and stared at the dark screen for several seconds. The conversation had been brief, but the implications were not. Damien was somewhere outside the prison now, and unlike before, he possessed enough strength to make himself a serious threat to ordinary people.

The room gradually returned to silence.

Camilla, who had been listening to the conversation from nearby, turned toward him. Her expression was thoughtful as she considered everything she had just heard. She had remained quiet throughout the call, allowing Stan to handle the matter without interruption, but her curiosity was obvious.

"So..." she began, breaking the silence. "This Damien comprehended Dao?"

"Most likely," Stan replied.

"And the police think it’s some kind of superpower."

"They don’t know any better."

Camilla nodded slowly. From the perspective of ordinary people, Damien’s sudden increase in strength could only be explained through concepts they already understood. They had no knowledge of the Dao, cultivation, awakening, or the deeper changes that were beginning to spread throughout the world. To them, someone suddenly gaining extraordinary physical abilities was simply another unexplained dao comprehension.

Stan, however, knew that there was much more to it than that.

He had seen firsthand what the awakening of the Dao could lead to, and Damien’s situation was particularly concerning because his breakthrough had been triggered by hatred and revenge. Unlike someone who had calmly begun cultivating under proper guidance, Damien had stumbled into power while consumed by emotions that had already distorted his judgment.

"Do you really think he’s dangerous?" Camilla asked.

Stan leaned back against the sofa and considered the question carefully. His expression remained calm, but there was a noticeable seriousness in his eyes.

"Right now?" he asked.

Camilla waited.

Stan took a moment before answering. "Not enough to threaten me."

Camilla continued watching him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"But he’s dangerous to ordinary people," Stan added. "A person with that level of strength, combined with Damien’s current mental state, could cause considerable damage before anyone manages to stop him. And I have my girls to protect."

His voice remained steady, but the meaning behind his words was clear. Stan was not worried about Damien overpowering him. He was concerned about what Damien might do before someone strong enough to restrain him arrived. Even a relatively weak cultivator could become a terrifying threat when placed among ordinary people, especially if that cultivator had no concern for consequences.

Stan’s gaze gradually drifted toward the window. Beyond the glass, the world looked deceptively normal. The streets were still filled with people going about their daily lives, and nothing about the quiet surroundings suggested that humanity was standing at the beginning of a profound transformation.

"More importantly," he continued, his voice becoming quieter, "he’s only just begun."

Camilla followed his gaze toward the window but did not immediately respond.

Damien had awakened through hatred. He had discovered strength through revenge, and for the first time in his life, he now possessed the physical power to act on the emotions that had consumed him for so long. That combination was far more dangerous than strength alone.

Stan understood that the prison escape was not the end of Damien’s story. If anything, it was the beginning.

The hatred that had awakened Damien’s power was not something that would simply disappear now that he had escaped. If anything, possessing newfound strength might encourage those emotions to grow even stronger. With every victory, every confrontation, and every opportunity to pursue his revenge, Damien could become more convinced that his hatred was justified.

And if his strength continued to grow alongside that hatred, even Stan could not predict what Damien might eventually become.

For several moments, neither of them spoke.

Eventually, Stan’s attention shifted toward the chessboard in front of them. Their game had been interrupted by the phone call, leaving the pieces exactly where they had been when the conversation began. Camilla’s previous move remained on the board, while Stan’s pieces waited for his response.

Rather than continuing the discussion about Damien, Stan reached forward and calmly moved one of his pieces.

Camilla blinked when she noticed what he had done.

"You made a move?"

"Of course."

"While thinking about that Damien?"

Stan glanced at her. "Why not?"

Camilla looked down at the chessboard and began studying the position. She initially appeared confident, but that confidence quickly disappeared as she traced the implications of Stan’s move. After a few seconds, her expression changed when she realized what he had done.

"...You trapped me."

A small smile appeared on Stan’s face. "You were distracted."

Camilla narrowed her eyes at him. "That’s cheating."

"It’s not."

"You waited until I was distracted."

"That’s strategy."

She stared at him for several seconds, clearly unconvinced by his defense. Eventually, however, the irritation in her expression gave way to a faint smile.

"Fine."

She moved one of her pieces and leaned back slightly. "Then I’ll use strategy too."

Stan chuckled.

The conversation about Damien gradually faded into the background as the two of them returned their attention to the chessboard. For the moment, there was nothing more Stan could personally do. The police had been alerted, officers were already searching for Damien, and Sophie’s residence would receive additional protection.

Outside, the search for Damien Bale had already begun.

Police teams were spreading throughout the surrounding areas, checking locations where an escaped prisoner might attempt to hide or seek assistance. Additional officers were being positioned near Inksea Peak University, particularly around Sophie’s residence, while others continued following every available lead connected to the prison escape.

Yet Damien remained somewhere beyond their reach.

He was no longer the ordinary man he had been before entering Blackridge Correctional Facility. Somewhere along the path of hatred and revenge, he had taken his first step into a world that ordinary people did not yet understand.

He possessed newfound strength that he barely understood, a newly awakened comprehension of the Dao, and a hatred that had already begun shaping his decisions.

Stan knew better than most that once someone awakened to power, their life would never be ordinary again.

And Damien Bale had only just awakened.