Day 14 brought a new problem.
Not outside the fence.
Inside the base.
It started with a scream from the quarantine lane. Then a crash. Then a wave of people backing away like something invisible was pushing them.
Lan Huan didn't rush to it right away. He waited for He Li to scout first.
He Li came back fast, face tight. "Awakened in quarantine," he said. "They think he's infected because he 'crushed' a man without touching him."
Bai Ling scoffed. "So they locked him up."
Feng Yue's eyes narrowed. "Quarantine is where they put things they don't understand," she said.
Mu Yin's mouth tightened. "Or things they want hidden."
Gu Jinghe's voice was calm. "What ability."
He Li answered, "Gravity."
The lane went quiet.
Even Lu Ziming stopped talking.
Qin Yi muttered, "That's… not small."
Lan Huan's jaw tightened. "We go," he said.
They moved as a group this time. Not all ten yet, but enough that nobody could drag one of them away.
Quarantine lane smelled like bleach and fear.
A soldier shouted, "Back! Nobody crosses the rope!"
Zhao Qingshan was there too, face hard, arguing with a medic.
"I said isolate," Zhao snapped. "Not execute."
The medic shouted back, "Commander, he nearly killed someone!"
Zhao's eyes flashed. "Nearly. Not dead."
Lan Huan stepped in. "Zhao."
Zhao's head snapped. "General," he barked. "Your timing is awful."
Lan Huan didn't waste words. "Gravity user," he said. "Where."
Zhao's jaw clenched. "Inside," he said. "And he's not stable."
Lan Huan nodded. "Neither is your base."
Zhao glared. "Don't start."
They stepped into the quarantine container.
Inside, a tall man stood in the center of the room with his hands open at his sides like he didn't know what to do with them. He was broad-shouldered, around thirty, with a calm face that didn't match the situation.
Two soldiers stood near the wall with rifles raised. Not firing. Just scared.
A man lay on the floor near the door, groaning, clutching his ribs.
The tall man looked at Lan Huan as he entered. His eyes were steady.
"I didn't mean to," the tall man said.
Zhao snapped, "Then what did you mean?"
The tall man's jaw tightened. "I meant to stop him from hitting the medic," he said. "I pushed. The air pushed harder."
Gravity backlash.
Luo Yan's stomach turned. That sounded like something a new awakened would do. Panic. Too much force. Someone gets hurt.
Lan Huan stepped forward. "Name," he said.
The tall man hesitated. Then said, "Nie Mingjue."
Bai Ling whispered, "He looks like trouble."
Qin Yi whispered back, "He looks like a wall."
Lu Ziming whispered, "He looks like he could carry me."
He Li shot Lu Ziming a look. Lu Ziming shut up for two seconds. That was a record.
Lan Huan's voice stayed calm. "Ability," he said.
Nie Mingjue swallowed. "Gravity," he said. "I think."
Zhao barked a laugh without humor. "You think," he repeated.
Nie Mingjue's face stayed steady. "I woke up three days ago," he said. "I can't control it yet."
Zhao's eyes narrowed. "Three days," he said. "So you hid it."
Nie Mingjue's jaw clenched. "I didn't want to get locked up," he said.
Zhao's mouth twisted. "Smart."
Lan Huan looked at the man on the floor. "He's alive," he said.
The medic snapped, "Barely comfortable."
Nie Mingjue looked sick. "I didn't want him dead," he said.
Lan Huan nodded once. "Good," he said.
Zhao stared at him. "Good?" he snapped. "General, he can crush people."
Lan Huan's eyes stayed cold. "So can panic," he said. "So can hunger. So can your fence."
Zhao's jaw clenched.
Lan Huan looked back at Nie Mingjue. "Do you want to stay here," he asked, "until someone decides you're too dangerous?"
Nie Mingjue's eyes flicked to the soldiers' rifles. Then to the medic. Then to Zhao.
He didn't answer right away.
Bai Ling stepped forward and said, sharp, "If you're going to join, don't be weak."
Nie Mingjue's eyes slid to her. "Ice," he said.
Bai Ling's eyes narrowed. "Yes."
Nie Mingjue's voice stayed calm. "I'm not weak," he said. "I'm careful."
Bai Ling scoffed. "Careful still hurt someone."
Nie Mingjue's eyes narrowed slightly. "And reckless will hurt ten."
Bai Ling stepped closer, chin up. "Say that again."
Nie Mingjue didn't back off. "Reckless will hurt ten," he repeated.
Bai Ling's breath fogged. "You think you're better than me."
Nie Mingjue's mouth tightened. "I think you're angry," he said. "Angry doesn't make you wrong. It makes you loud."
Bai Ling's eyes flashed like she wanted to freeze his face.
Lan Huan cut in. "Enough," he said.
Bai Ling snapped, "He started it."
Nie Mingjue said at the same time, "She started it."
Qin Yi muttered, "This base is a dating show."
Bai Ling whipped her head around. "Shut up!"
Nie Mingjue looked at Bai Ling again. "You want to fight me," he said.
Bai Ling's eyes were cold. "Maybe."
Nie Mingjue's voice stayed low. "Not here," he said. "Not in quarantine."
Bai Ling stared at him for a beat.
Then she looked away, jaw tight.
Lan Huan looked at Nie Mingjue. "Come with us," he said.
Nie Mingjue swallowed. "If I lose control—"
Lan Huan's voice stayed flat. "Then I stop you," he said. "And we train until you don't."
Nie Mingjue nodded once. "Okay," he said. Simple.
Zhao Qingshan's face was hard. "If he kills someone," Zhao said, "he goes back in."
Lan Huan didn't argue. "Fine."
Nie Mingjue glanced at the injured man on the floor. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
The man groaned and didn't answer.
Nie Mingjue didn't try to justify himself again. He just followed.
As they walked out, Bai Ling bumped his shoulder on purpose.
Nie Mingjue didn't react.
Bai Ling muttered, "Annoying."
Nie Mingjue replied, calm, "Loud."
Bai Ling's eyes flashed. "Say it again."
Nie Mingjue looked at her. "Later," he said.
Bai Ling went still for half a second.
Then she scoffed and walked faster.
Luo Yan's system chimed in his head. Private.
Ding.
CORE SQUAD BUILD: RECRUITED NIE MINGJUE (6/10)
Reward pending.
And as they left quarantine lane, Luo Yan saw the crowd watching again.
Not just watching Lan Huan now.
Watching the unit.
Watching the new gravity man.
And Luo Yan understood what the system meant.
Become hard to trade.
They had to be a team people couldn't pry apart.