?After the mists of the past had cleared and the truths were laid bare, he stood before her, weighed down by remorse. In a faint voice full of sorrow, he said:

  "I am sorry... I am sorry for what happened to your mother."

  ?Andrea fell silent for a moment, bitterly contemplating his words before replying in a tone as sharp as a sword:

  "I hate this. I hate apologies; they are useless. It won’t bring your mother back, it won’t ease your grief, and it won’t solve anything. But I make you a promise: I will bring you the head of that demon. I will kill him in a way that heals your heartache and extinguishes the fire consuming your soul."

  ?Emily looked at him in astonishment, as if his words had ignited a long-extinguished spark of hope within her. She asked hesitantly:

  "Is that your promise to me? I still don't understand... after everything you've done and said, will you truly go through with this?"

  ?He answered firmly:

  "Yes... and this promise is not just for me, Vice-Captain. I promise you this on my own behalf."

  ?Stunned, Emily found herself speechless. The man who had been her target for assassination had not only forgiven her but had pledged to avenge her. Words failed her; she composed herself and turned to leave, but stopped for a brief moment and whispered: "I am sorry for what I did."

  Those words marked the first line of a new chapter between them.

  ?I stayed in the cabin for three full weeks until I regained my health. When strength finally returned to my limbs, I went out to inspect the surroundings. There was nothing but ice—towering mountains of frost surrounding us. I muttered to myself, "Are monsters foolish enough to choose to live here? Indeed, the villains who inhabit this tribe must be even more foolish."

  ?Suddenly, I felt a heavy blow on my shoulder, and a familiar voice shouted:

  "Finally! You've recovered, I see, Vice-Captain!"

  ?Julian replied with annoyance: "No need for formal titles, just call me by my name."

  Andrea smiled, saying: "Alright, Julian, that’s better. Since you’re recovered, come with me."

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  "Where to?"

  "Simply... we are going fishing in the frozen lake."

  ?I gave him a skeptical look: "Do I have the option to refuse?"

  He replied coldly, pushing me ahead of him: "No. Move."

  ?At the lake, Julian stopped and said: "We’re here. First, we need to make a hole in the ice."

  I watched him smash the ice violently and remarked sarcastically: "Commander Julian, didn't you overdo it a bit? You broke half the lake's ice instead of making a small hole... or do you just not know how?"

  ?Julian replied seriously: "I know what I’m doing. The fish here aren't ordinary; they possess immense power, and you have to dive in after them. If you face them from the surface, you’ll lose."

  "Lose? How so?"

  ?Julian looked down and said: "Simply, the ice beneath you will break. Slowly at first, then suddenly it will collapse—just like what’s happening to you right now."

  ?Before I could process it, the ice split beneath me. A giant fish emerged, swallowed Andrea, and dragged him into the depths. Julian didn't hesitate; he plunged into the freezing water, shaped a sharp sword from his own blood, sliced the fish in half, and pulled me to the surface.

  ?"Andrea, breathe! Are you okay?"

  I coughed up water and shouted angrily: "You knew it was coming and didn't warn me!"

  He replied indifferently as he dragged the massive fish: "I wanted to see your reaction, but it seems you need more training. Forget it, dinner is ready."

  ?While we were eating, I stared at the fish and said: "Julian, this fish is unnaturally huge. I feel a strange energy."

  Julian sighed: "I noticed. There is a hidden Dimas within this ice, containing an artifact of immense power. The Ice Squad has been searching for it for ages, and it hasn't shown a trace until now. By the way, I haven't introduced you to the rest of the team yet."

  ?At that moment, loud voices erupted from inside.

  "William! How dare you steal my food?!" Henry roared, his right hand turning into solid iron.

  William replied with a full mouth: "It was just a small bite, man!"

  "A bite?! You devoured half my protein dinner! You’re dead!"

  ?Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked one of the rooms. Harold emerged, his eyes sparking with rage:

  "How many times have I told you to stay away from my room?! This is the hundredth time! Do you want to die?!"

  Someone screamed in terror: "We’ve angered Harold! He’s a dragon, guys, run!"

  "Daimon! Burn them!" Harold commanded, and the dragon lunged at them.

  ?Chaos erupted. Screams and running filled every direction.

  "Oliver! Teleport us out of here, now!"

  "Alright!"

  Oliver used his teleportation ability, but to their misfortune, they all landed in another room... Iris’s room.

  ?Everyone froze. "We went from bad to worse..."

  Before they could finish the sentence, the quiet room turned into a new battlefield, with furniture flying through the air.

  ?In the midst of this mayhem, Julian entered with Andrea.

  "Andrea... meet our new team."

  Andrea stood shocked by the horror of the scene, while Julian stood amidst the wreckage, a terrifying aura surrounding him.

  "You scum... how many times have I told you not to cause chaos?"

  ?The entire team froze in their tracks out of fear.

  Julian turned to Andrea with a chilling smile:

  "Andrea, wait here for a moment. It seems the team needs to relearn discipline from scratch... and it will be my pleasure to start the first lesson now."

  ?One member whispered in terror: "It's a disaster... every man for himself!"