Chapter 697: Desire Angel

Cindy flashed a playful smile but spoke softly to Steven, "Don't worry, I won't use my powers on you."

Steven's curiosity piqued. What kind of power was she talking about?

Cindy didn't leave him hanging. "I call it 'Desire Angel.' It lets me mess with people's emotions."

"Love, hate, all kinds of feelings—anyone hit by the angel's arrow will feel those emotions intensely."

"And then they'll be controlled by those feelings."

Cindy cupped her face with both hands, her cheeks turning a sickly red. "Being able to play with people's hearts at will—what a wonderful power!"

Steven couldn't help but swallow hard. A power to manipulate hearts—how fitting for this twisted girl.

He felt a sense of caution. If Cindy ever decided to use her power on him, making him fall in love or hate someone, it would be disastrous.

Even though he knew Cindy wouldn't harm him, in the eyes of a twisted girl, the definition of harm could vary greatly.

So he continued to probe, trying to understand the specifics of Cindy's power.

Cindy didn't hold back, explaining her abilities in detail.

After listening, Steven fell silent for a while. The power she described had both high potential and high risk.

In the hands of an ordinary person, it could be useless or even dangerous. But used correctly, it could create unimaginable effects.

It truly suited Cindy's personality.

Soon, the food was ready, and Henry returned to the living room, refreshed after a shower.

Although Steven hadn't been away for long, the many events he'd experienced made it feel like ages since he'd been with everyone.

The warm scene of the whole family crowded around a round table, eating and chatting, filled Steven's heart with warmth.

During dinner, the conversation quickly turned to Eroding Moon.

Clearly, everyone was very concerned about this outside organization.

After thinking for a moment, Steven decided to tell them the truth about the situation.

No matter what, everyone needed to be mentally prepared.

He couldn't guarantee that Eroding Moon wouldn't show up in Starlight City.

Steven calmly explained the situation with Eroding Moon, including the fact that the Silvercrest District headquarters had failed to eliminate them.

Everyone's expressions turned to shock and worry.

"Even Blizzard City failed?" Earl said, incredulous.

"Didn't they send out an investigation team? At least on par with the Black Cloak Team. Plus, Captain Rogers and psychics from other cities."

"Silvercrest District used all their available forces, right? And they still lost?"

Steven took a deep breath and shook his head helplessly. "I didn't expect it either. No one did."

"Not only did we lose, but it was a crushing defeat. The Heavenly Team was nearly wiped out, and Captain Miles was killed."

Lily chimed in, "If Steven hadn't suddenly appeared and killed four Eroding Moon members, it would have been a total disaster!"

Henry looked pained, holding his forehead. "Those damn Solstice people! Are they really that strong?"

Steven frowned, unwilling to accept this reality. But the facts were undeniable.

At that moment, Cindy spoke up, "I smell a conspiracy in all this."

The table fell silent, everyone stopping what they were doing. Earl quietly put his chicken leg back in his bowl.

Steven turned to Cindy, "A conspiracy? What kind of conspiracy could be involved in this?"

Cindy wiped her mouth with a napkin and spoke calmly, "Steven, I've only seen one captain-level psychic, Otha, and he was gravely injured, near death. Do you think a captain-level psychic is easy to kill?"

Steven shook his head. "No way! If I didn't know his abilities, even if he appeared in front of me now, it would be hard to kill him."

In psychic battles, information is crucial.

Suddenly, Steven thought of something. "Are you saying that without knowing Miles and the Heavenly Team's abilities, it wouldn't be easy to kill them?"

Cindy smiled at him. "At the very least, they could escape, right?"

Steven remembered Miles' ability to manipulate light, perfect for stealth, ambush, and escape.

A captain-level psychic determined to escape would be nearly impossible to kill unless faced with a level 5 psychic.

But did Eroding Moon have a level 5 psychic?

According to Ian and others, they didn't.

If they did, Eroding Moon could have wiped out Solstice first before clashing with The Astralium Kingdom.

And based on intelligence, they couldn't even confront Aether Syndicate in Aether City directly.

Steven murmured, "But they have a psychic with prophecy abilities. Predicting Miles' and the team's abilities would explain it."

Cindy tilted her head and smiled. "Steven, if their psychic could predict abilities, she would be level 5! Because in psychic battles, initial information impacts over 30% of the outcome, and in team battles, over 50%! If they had such a psychic, why didn't they eliminate Aether Syndicate in Aether City?"

Steven put down his knife and fork. He hadn't considered these questions before.

But Cindy's analysis made him feel a creeping sense of dread.

"Are you saying there's a traitor in Blizzard City?"

Steven looked at Cindy, hardly believing it. "I don't want to believe that."

Elinor added, "A traitor in Blizzard City? That's unlikely! What would they gain from cooperating with Solstians?"

Others also expressed disbelief.

Cindy remained calm. "Though it sounds absurd, Silvercrest District's strength is clearly superior to Solstians. So, if we analyze it logically, we wouldn't suspect a traitor in Blizzard City. But what if we think from another angle? Could someone in Blizzard City be using Eroding Moon to target the Heavenly Team? Blizzard City isn't a monolith."

Cindy's words instantly reminded Steven of something.

The Nelson family held significant power and influence in Blizzard City.

Miles was both the Nelson family's heir and rumored to be groomed as Ian's successor.

In a post-apocalyptic world, life is uncertain, and no one knows how long Ian will live.

They needed to prepare for the future, like ancient succession planning.

Steven's thoughts grew more chaotic.

If he considered this angle, the situation became far more terrifying and serious.

Steven didn't know how many factions existed within Blizzard City.

There was even the possibility that Ian himself wanted to eliminate Miles.

After all, someone eyeing his throne while he was still in power created a delicate and ambiguous power struggle.