The air in the camp was thick and heavy, as if even breathing felt like a violation.
Maverick and Dr. Chan stepped into the cramped stone chamber—then stopped abruptly.
The Skinner Chief, Shen Lu, and two scarred Skinner warriors already filled the small space to the brim.
Instinctively, the two turned to leave, but the Chief raised a hand. No words were spoken, yet the gesture was an undeniable command. The atmosphere tightened like a drawn bowstring.
With no choice, they stepped forward.
The Skinner Chief's cold eyes locked onto Shen Lu, sharp as an ice pick.
"Do you want to say it, or should I?"
Shen Lu's face was pale, sweat trickling down his temple. His lips trembled.
"I... I don't know what you mean."
The Skinner Chief's gaze remained piercing, unrelenting. Shen Lu felt crushed under its weight, his throat tightening as if suffocating.
Silence stretched.
Finally, he broke, his voice barely audible.
"I'm not a traitor… I swear."
The Skinner Chief scoffed.
"You think we've survived this long by trusting kindness?"
From the depths of the cave, the group who had gathered fruit with Shen Lu stepped forward, their expressions cold and unreadable.
More figures emerged—one by one, every person who had been with him today now stood in the corridor.
Cold sweat drenched Shen Lu's back. His voice fell to a whisper.
"I only wanted to leave that cold house, but—"
"But what?" The Skinner Chief's voice was sharp."They always come looking for you, don't they?"
Pain flickered across Shen Lu's eyes. His jaw clenched, but he forced himself to look up—anger and defiance burning in his stare.
"I can tell you who they are," he murmured."If I'm right… they'll be here soon."
The room seemed to drop a degree in temperature.
Maverick frowned."Who are they?"
Shen Lu met his gaze, his voice gaining strength.
"You think a country is behind this? No... Ten. Or rather—ten powerful conglomerates."
He hesitated, as if weighing the weight of forbidden words.
"They've formed a secret organization called'The Council of Ten.' They control war, resources, technology—everything you believe is run by governments is actually in their hands."
Dr. Chan stared in disbelief."That sounds… insane."
"Insane?" Shen Lu let out a bitter laugh.
"I used to be an outsider. Once, I even thought I could get close to their world."
His eyes drifted to a dull stone in the corner, as if lost in memory.
"I joined a club once. No one knew its name. Invitations were exclusive, and only those deemed worthy could enter. Inside was a room with a single lamp—no cameras, no windows, just a round table. Everyone wore masks, and their voices were altered through modulators.
"One night, after a gamble, I won a...'wish.'"
Maverick's brow twitched.
"A wish?"
Shen Lu exhaled deeply.
"I was young. Reckless. Drunk. I made a careless request—to punish a murderer."
His voice grew hoarse.
"The newspapers said he had assaulted and killed a college girl. His family hired three top lawyers and made sure the police couldn't touch him. I was furious. So I said—I wanted him to suffer. To die in agony."
The steady drip of water from the cave walls suddenly felt deafening.
"Within ten minutes," Shen Lu whispered,"he was bleeding from every pore. Writhing. And in the end… his body shrank, curled into something no larger than a newborn child."
Dr. Chan's lips parted in shock.
"How… how was that possible?"
"I never asked," Shen Lu muttered."I didn't dare.
"But from that moment on, his wealthy family started hunting for me. Trying to uncover who I was.
"And my father… he stopped looking at me altogether. He said I'd made a terrible mistake. That I should never have angered'them.'"
Maverick murmured,"So you willingly entered their game?"
Shen Lu nodded slowly.
"If I hadn't, I wouldn't have survived the weekend."
The Skinner Chief interjected, his voice sharp.
"You escaped. But you say they aren't here to kill you?"
"Then who are they after?"
Shen Lu glanced toward the far end of the room. He let the silence stretch before answering.
"You."
All eyes snapped onto him.
"They're closing the net. You—the Skinners—are their failed creations. Their loose ends."
Maverick's mind reeled.
"You mean… the Skinners are their experiments?"
The Skinner Chief let out a cold laugh.
"'Them,''Us'? Don't divide it so cleanly. We were volunteers. The first batch."
Dr. Chan's breath hitched.
"You… you were the first test subjects?"
Shen Lu's expression was grim.
"Where do you think these abilities come from? They wanted to create a new breed of weapons. But instead—they created instability."
He hesitated.
"And now? They want to erase you."
Maverick's pulse stumbled.
"They know where we are?"
Shen Lu nodded.
"I heard it in the family meeting. Their target is this camp. They've mobilized mercenaries and air forces. They plan to level this entire forest with missiles."
Silence fell.
Shen Lu lowered his gaze, fists clenched tightly.
"Mercenaries are their hunting dogs. And we? We're the prey."
Maverick felt his fingers tighten.
"The Council of Ten… They're the ones releasing the hounds?"
Shen Lu scoffed.
"In the grand scheme, they're nothing more than livestock themselves. Fed until they're fat enough to be slaughtered."
Maverick's jaw clenched.
The Skinner Chief brought the conversation back.
"You exposed our location?"
Shen Lu's face darkened.
"I only wanted to run. To disappear. You think I would tell them?"
He let out a hollow laugh, his gaze drifting toward the exit, as if staring at some inevitable fate.
"But it doesn't matter anymore. They're coming. No matter what."
His voice had settled—accepting, resolute.
"In the meeting, I learned their plan. They won't take chances. They'll wipe out this camp with missiles."
Silence reigned again. The weight of the revelation was suffocating.
Shen Lu studied their expressions—and for the first time, he felt a strange relief.
"Run. This time, you won't win. It's mercenaries and air forces. You don't stand a chance."
But the Chief merely chuckled, low and deep.
"We never had hope to begin with."
He turned sharply toward Shen Lu.
"So we have to make one."
His eyes burned fiercely.
"You. In that meeting—who was leading them?"
Shen Lu hesitated.
"One of the ten elderly… Mr Park Jong-li."
"And where does he operate?"
Shen Lu's eyes widened.
"You're insane. His base is a secret lab. Heavily fortified!"
The Skinner Chief turned to Maverick.
His gaze was intense, determined.
"So—I need you."