One ignored the whispers.
Ignored the disbelief.
Ignored the countless suspicious gazes that followed him like shadows as he walked through the crowd.
The murmuring around him only grew louder the deeper he stepped into the gathering of mutants.
Some voices were skeptical.
Some mocking.
Some quietly fearful.
But none of them dared step forward.
One walked straight toward the fox girl's father.
Without hesitation, he lifted the laser abomination's head and dropped it onto the ground with a dull, wet thud.
The impact made several nearby mutants flinch.
The head rolled slightly before stopping, its twisted face frozen in a grotesque snarl.
One never looked at the father.
Not even once.
To him, the deal was already fulfilled.
He simply turned his gaze toward the fox girl who stood beside Veronica.
For a brief moment, his eyes met hers.
Anna stiffened slightly.
But One said nothing.
No pride.
No anger.
No triumph.
Just silence.
Then he calmly walked back and rejoined his group.
Steven glanced at the head on the ground before nodding once.
"Let's go."
Without another word, he began leading everyone deeper into the sanctuary.
The group moved through the streets as the surrounding mutants instinctively parted to create a path.
Steven's sharp gaze constantly moved across the crowd.
His eyes searched carefully.
Left.
Right.
Ahead.
It was clear he was looking for someone important.
A leader.
But no such figure appeared.
Frustration slowly crept into his expression.
Suddenly, Steven reached out and grabbed a nearby mutant by the collar.
The poor man had barely noticed the group before being violently pulled forward.
The moment he locked eyes with Steven's cold expression, his body reacted instantly.
A dark yellow liquid suddenly spilled from his trousers.
The sharp smell of urine immediately spread through the air.
Steven's face twisted into a deep frown.
"Disgusting."
He immediately threw the man away as if tossing away trash.
The terrified mutant crashed onto the dusty ground, trembling violently.
Steven stepped back slightly to avoid being splashed by the liquid.
His voice came out cold and direct.
"How do we get a house in this sanctuary?"
The mutant looked like he might faint.
His entire body trembled as he struggled to speak.
"I— I— I…"
Steven's gaze hardened.
"If there is some kind of payment, speak."
The man swallowed hard before finally managing to answer.
"My name is Gill…"
His voice shook badly.
"The… the blind general handles land ownership in the sanctuary."
Steven raised an eyebrow slightly.
Gill hurried to continue.
"If you want land… you must first get permission from her."
He hesitated before adding nervously,
"Then you must talk to Zach…"
Steven narrowed his eyes.
Gill quickly explained.
"Zach is an earth controlling mutant. He builds houses and structures inside the sanctuary. You must reach an agreement with him about the price before he will build anything."
Steven slowly turned his head toward Brant and Veronica.
The three exchanged brief glances.
None of them spoke.
But they all understood the same thing.
The title General was not something handed out casually.
For someone to hold that title inside such a large sanctuary meant only one thing.
Power.
Authority.
And terrifying strength.
Steven looked back down at the trembling mutant.
"Where do we find this blind general?"
Gill hurriedly pointed toward the distance.
"At… at the castle entrance."
He spoke as if saying the words too loudly might get him killed.
"You can usually find her there."
Steven released him without another word.
Gill collapsed to the ground the moment he was freed.
Steven ignored him completely.
"Let's go."
The group began moving again.
As they approached the central region of the sanctuary, the structures became larger and more organized.
Eventually, a massive structure appeared ahead.
The castle.
Its towering dark walls rose high above the surrounding buildings, made from rough black stone fused together by unnatural means.
At the base of its large entrance gates stood a single figure.
The group slowed slightly as they approached.
Even Steven seemed mildly surprised.
Standing before the castle gate was a woman.
A beautiful woman.
Her figure was graceful yet powerful, with a well-proportioned curvy body that carried both elegance and strength.
Her waist curved gently into full hips.
Her posture was straight and confident.
Despite the harsh wasteland environment, her clothes were relatively clean, something extremely rare in a world where most people were covered in dust, grime, and dried blood.
Her clothing clung to her body just enough to reveal her balanced and attractive physique without appearing provocative.
Yet the most striking thing about her appearance was the thick white scarf wrapped firmly around her eyes, covering them completely like a blindfold.
The cloth was wrapped several times, ensuring that not even the slightest gap existed.
And yet…
Despite being blindfolded…
She stood with absolute calm.
An invisible pressure radiated from her body.
A quiet but unmistakable sense of danger.
Approaching her felt strangely difficult.
Like stepping toward a sleeping predator.
Steven stepped forward to speak.
But before he could open his mouth—
The woman spoke.
Her voice was soft.
Charming.
Smooth like silk.
Yet cold enough to send a faint chill through the air.
"I smelled you from far away."
The words were simple.
But they carried an unsettling certainty.
She slowly turned her covered gaze toward them.
"You don't smell like citizens of this sanctuary."
Her lips curved slightly.
Not into a smile.
Something colder.
"Tell me."
"What do you want?"
Steven did not hesitate.
"We want to stay in the sanctuary for a while."
His voice was calm, direct.
No politeness. No arrogance.
Just a statement.
He gestured slightly toward the group behind him.
"My group needs land."
The blindfolded woman remained still for a moment.
Then her head tilted slightly.
As if listening to something far deeper than the words spoken.
An invisible ripple seemed to spread from her body.
Her senses expanded silently.
She began scanning them.
Not with sight.
But with something far more intrusive.
Her attention first settled on Brant.
She paused there briefly.
Behind the blindfold, her hidden eyes seemed to observe the chaotic rhythm of his emotions — curiosity, impatience, a hint of amusement.
Then her focus moved to Veronica.
The moment her attention touched the healer, her head tilted slightly again.
Calmness.
Kindness.
Restraint.
But beneath it all, a quiet steel-like resolve.
Finally, her senses shifted toward Steven.
This time she lingered longer.
Much longer.
Steven stood still under her invisible scrutiny.
His emotions were far harder to read.
Cold discipline.
Controlled aggression.
A blade hidden beneath layers of restraint.
For a brief moment, the woman's lips twitched slightly in what might have been approval.
Then—
Her attention moved on.
Or rather…
Skipped.
She completely ignored One.
And the fox girl.
It was as if they weren't even worth acknowledging.
After finishing her silent examination, the blindfolded general finally spoke again.
"The land is free."
Her words surprised them slightly.
But before anyone could react, she continued.
"However."
Her voice remained calm.
"You must leave your identification."
Steven narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Identification?"
The woman raised a hand and gestured toward the enormous castle wall behind her.
"You add your name to the castle walls."
A faint pause followed.
"With your blood."
Steven stared at the towering wall.
For the first time since arriving, genuine surprise crossed his expression.
The massive stone surface was densely covered with bloody handprints.
Thousands of them.
Maybe tens of thousands.
Some were old and faded into dark brown stains.
Others looked relatively fresh, still dark red.
The palms overlapped each other in chaotic patterns, covering nearly every visible part of the wall.
It looked almost like a grotesque mural created from blood and desperation.
Steven frowned slightly.
His mind quickly processed the implications.
Registration.
Control.
Surveillance.
But ultimately…
It wasn't a real problem.
"That's not an issue."
He said calmly.
Then he walked forward.
The rest of the group followed behind him.
As Steven approached the wall, he slowed slightly.
Up close, he noticed something strange.
The material of the wall.
His eyes narrowed.
This wasn't ordinary stone.
The surface was unnaturally smooth in some places and oddly resistant in others.
Even with so many bloodstains layered across it, the structure showed no signs of erosion or damage.
It almost felt…
Alive.
Steven's gaze sharpened slightly.
"So this is what the castle is made of…"
He murmured quietly to himself.
Whatever material Malcolm had used to construct this fortress…
It clearly wasn't normal.
But Steven didn't dwell on the thought.
Instead, he raised his right hand.
Dark energy gathered silently around his fingers.
The energy condensed and sharpened.
Within seconds, a thin blade of dark energy formed in his grip like a small knife.
Without hesitation—
He dragged the blade across his palm.
The cut was clean.
Blood immediately welled up and began flowing down his hand.
Steven didn't react to the pain.
Instead, he pressed his bleeding palm firmly against the wall.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then—
The blood seemed to sink into the surface of the wall.
As if the stone itself were absorbing it.
A new crimson palm print slowly appeared among the countless others.
Fresh.
Bright.
Alive.
The mark remained there.
Permanent.
Steven lowered his hand calmly.
Behind him, the others watched silently as the wall accepted his blood.
The sanctuary had just gained new registered residents.