Chapter 120: The Formula Is for You
Chapter 120: The Formula Is for You
The violent blast sent a savage wall of air slamming straight into Ethan.
The force yanked him clean off the ground, spinning him through the air several times before he could do anything about it.
But unlike the last surprise attack, Ethan was ready this time. He used the explosion's momentum to launch himself away, landing on a patch of grass nearly a hundred meters from the blast site.
Winston Villa had been reduced to ash. Nothing was left but a massive crater, with thick, acrid black smoke churning up from the depths.
Ethan got to his feet. He knew this was no ordinary attack.
The robed figures lurking in the shadows had grown bolder and more ruthless. They were turning living people into human bombs now.
If he let these lunatics keep going, things would spiral out of control fast.
He knew what had to be done. He needed to build his own armed force — people loyal only to him — and he needed to do it now. Only then could he keep himself and the people around him safe.
There was no more time to wait.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone.
When the screen lit up, he saw a string of missed call notifications. Seven of them. All from the same person — Noah.
Ethan frowned and hit call back.
It rang once. The line picked up immediately, as if Noah had been sitting there waiting the whole time.
"Boss!" Noah's voice carried an edge Ethan rarely heard from him.
"The villa was hit. A group in black robes. Hunter had the main team at the office setting up defenses — the guards at the villa didn't stand a chance."
Ethan's expression went cold. "Get to the point."
"They took them. Mia, Clara, and a few of the other girls at the villa. They're all gone." Noah's words came out fast.
"Do you have their location?"
"They're not even trying to hide. Three black vans, straight onto Interstate 95. I'm tailing them right now."
"Keep on them. I'm on my way."
Ethan ended the call and headed toward the helicopter waiting in the distance.
The pilot had already restarted the engine.
"Back to the city. As fast as you can." Ethan climbed in and gave the order.
The helicopter lifted off.
Then his phone lit up.
A text. From his cousin, Evelyn.
He opened it. Just a few scattered letters and a sentence full of typos.
"Help, Ethan, men in black..."
Something was wrong.
Evelyn had been taken too?
This was no coincidence.
The men she was describing — they had to be The Aeterna Causality. These rats had locked onto everyone around him.
Ethan's brow tightened. He was about to text Noah and have him split off to track Evelyn's location when his phone buzzed in his hand.
Evelyn's name was flashing on the screen.
He answered and said nothing.
The voice on the other end wasn't Evelyn's. It was a man.
"Well, hello there, Ethan."
"The Aeterna Causality." Ethan's tone was flat and cold.
"No wonder the others keep losing to you. That brain of yours works fast."
A low, slick laugh crept through the line. "Since you figured it out, I suppose I should give you a little... reward."
"Name your terms." Not a trace of emotion in Ethan's voice.
"Very good." The man on the other end sounded pleased. He cleared his throat, drawing it out.
"You have three hours. Bring the complete gene serum formula. Come alone to the abandoned steel mill in District 7 on the outskirts of the city. And I mean alone."
"What if I decide to play games?" Ethan said, still unreadable.
"...Then you can start picking out their coffins."
The man's tone shifted into something almost playful as he continued.
"The clever Clara. That Mia you're always protecting. Your not-so-bright little sister. Oh, and I almost forgot — your uncle who keeps asking about you, and your aunt who never stops talking. We've invited them all to join the party. They're all together right now, nice and cozy."
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly. Just as he'd suspected. Every bit of this traced back to The Aeterna Causality.
"I'll give you the formula." Ethan answered without a pause.
"Smart man. Three hours. Don't be even a second late. And if I spot one extra person, or if you go over by even one second..."
The man let the silence hang, as if savoring it. "I'll start with your sister's leg. One inch at a time."
The call cut off.
Ethan tossed the phone onto the seat beside him without a second thought, reached up, and pressed the red intercom button inside the cabin.
"Change course. Abandoned steel mill, District 7."
"Sir, that area has been under military lockdown for years. It's in rough shape and the terrain is complicated. Should we really—" The co-pilot's voice came through the headset, hesitant.
"Now. Right now. Go."
The helicopter finally touched down in a stretch of overgrown wasteland at the edge of District 7. Ethan jumped out the side door, scanned his surroundings — nothing but wild grass and weathered rubble — then told the pilot to hold position and walked on alone.
He didn't have to go far. The abandoned steel mill came into view ahead.
But it was completely silent. No movement anywhere he could see.
Ethan studied the scene and narrowed his eyes.
He wasn't naive enough to think The Aeterna Causality hadn't arrived yet. He slowed his pace and stayed alert, reading everything around him.
The attack he half-expected never came. He walked up to the rusted iron gate.
He raised both hands, pressed his palms flat against the metal, and pushed.
The gate swung open.