The cyborg king's energy cannons blazed with intense purple light. The scorching energy nearly ignited the air; Ryan could even feel the heat searing the skin on his back. He banished all distractions, converting his guilt and rage into pure magical energy, gathering it into the palm of his right hand. The red flame burned brighter than ever before, its edges shimmering faintly with gold—a sign of potential awakening in a life-or-death moment.
"Take this!" Ryan roared, thrusting his hand forward. This time, he didn't aim at just one target. Using True Sight for precision, he split the fireball into two. The twin flaming trails streaked like arrows: one targeted the rune array on the chemical storage door lock, the other struck the cyborg king's chest energy core with pinpoint accuracy.
The cyborg king's energy cannon had already charged. A thick, violet beam shot forward, aiming straight for Ryan—but the tremor caused by the fireball hitting the energy core disrupted its trajectory. The beam grazed Ryan's shoulder and slammed into the wall behind, creating a massive crater with flying debris. Simultaneously, the other fireball hit the storage door's rune array precisely. "Crack!" The rune shattered completely, and the metal door popped open slightly.
"Boom—!" Before the cyborg king could react, the flammable chemicals inside the storage ignited. A massive explosion erupted instantly. The shockwave swept through the lab like a tsunami. Dark red flames consumed half the space, glass shards, metal fragments, and thick chemical liquids sprayed in all directions. The cyborg king's massive frame was thrown violently, crashing into a wall. Its magical shield shattered instantly, the back runes went dark, and its chest energy core dimmed, emitting only crackling electrical noises.
Ryan was thrown to the ground, slamming into a corner. A bitter taste filled his mouth as he spat blood. Ignoring the pain, he struggled to lift his head, staring at the dazed cyborg king. Suddenly, a golden figure emerged from the explosion's smoke—it was Ayla, awake! Though still battered and pale, her eyes burned with determination. Golden energy surged around her once more. Her silver-gray fur covered her body, and her werewolf claws glinted sharply.
"This is… the final… chance!" Ayla's hoarse voice cut through the echoes of the explosion. Pushing off the ground, she used the shockwave to propel herself like a golden lightning strike toward the fallen cyborg king. Her claws aimed directly at its dimmed chest energy core—the only weak point. The cyborg king, just recovering from dizziness, tried to raise its arms in defense, but its limbs were sluggish from damage to the core, unable to stop the approaching strike.
"Shhhk—" Her claws pierced the energy core without obstruction. Golden energy surged violently into its body, tearing through it. The cyborg king let out a deafening, agonized roar. Its massive frame convulsed, mechanical parts tore away, dark purple flesh decayed, and violet energy spewed wildly from the wounds. Seconds later, its body collapsed, completely inert, the chest energy core reduced to a heap of black debris.
The battle was finally over. Ayla leapt from the cyborg king's corpse, staggering several steps as her werewolf form faded. Silver-gray fur disappeared, returning her to human form. She could no longer stand and collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Golden blood dripped from her arms.
Ryan struggled to his feet despite the pain, running to support her. "Ayla, are you okay?"
"I'm fine… just… completely drained," she said weakly, a faint smile on her lips. The sharpness in her eyes had faded, replaced by exhaustion. "The cyborg king… defeated… what about Kallen?"
Ryan's heart sank. Using True Sight, he scanned the lab. The smoke from the explosion cleared to reveal complete chaos: shattered instruments, scattered debris—but Dr. Kallen was nowhere in sight. His gaze finally rested on a ventilation shaft deep in the lab. The metal grille was violently broken, with traces of Kallen's distinctive dark magical energy lingering.
"He escaped… through the ventilation shaft!" Ryan ground his teeth. The explosion had defeated the cyborg king but also gave Kallen the chance to flee.
"He won't get far… The Balance Council received my signal… they'll pursue him with full force," Ayla said, gasping. She pulled a broken communicator from her pocket. "I sent the distress signal before fighting the cyborg king…"
Ryan nodded, supporting Ayla as they approached the lab table. Linton was still unconscious, but the magical chains binding him had lost power after the cyborg king's death and the explosion. They were slack. Ryan carefully removed the chains and gently tapped Linton's cheek. "Mr. Linton, wake up! We've saved you!"
Linton groaned faintly, slowly opening his eyes. They focused gradually, and he looked at Ryan and Ayla, then the destruction around him. Weakly, he asked, "Where… am I? Who… are you?"
"We're the detectives who came to save you. Dr. Kallen has been defeated—you're safe now," Ryan explained, retrieving a low-level Healing Scroll from his system backpack. Previously reserved, it cost 10 Shadow Points to exchange. He tore it open, and a soft white light enveloped Linton, alleviating his fatigue and injuries.
At that moment, Ryan's mind pinged with the Shadow Pawn system notification:
"Main Quest 'Uncover the Billionaire Disappearance' Complete! Mission Rating: Excellent! Rewards Granted: 100 Shadow Points, Basic Magic Handbook ×1, New Skill Unlocked: 'Healing (Novice)'!"
A refreshing surge of energy flowed through Ryan. His battle injuries healed rapidly; stamina and magical energy replenished. Information on Novice Healing streamed into his mind—energy guidance, casting techniques. He raised his right palm, a gentle white glow forming—the Healing Spell. Though only effective for minor injuries, it could save lives in critical moments.
"System reward received… Healing unlocked!" Ryan cheered, immediately casting the spell on Ayla's wounds. White light enveloped her, closing cuts at a visible rate and improving her complexion.
Ayla blinked in surprise. "Is this… healing magic? You unlocked a new skill?"
"Yes, Novice Healing from system reward—only handles minor injuries," Ryan said with a smile, casting it on Linton again. His condition improved; he could sit up unaided.
Outside the lab, footsteps and car engines approached. Ayla's eyes narrowed. "The Balance Council has arrived." She drew a silver badge from her pocket, pinning it to her chest—proof of her supernatural detective status.
Soon, a team in black uniforms bearing the Council's insignia entered. At the front was a tall, sharp-eyed man. Seeing Ayla, Ryan, Linton, and the cyborg king's corpse, he hurried forward, saluting Ayla. "Detective Ayla, we received your distress signal and arrived immediately!"
"Thank you, Captain Marlow," Ayla nodded, gesturing to the corpse and surrounding equipment. "This is Dr. Kallen's secret lab. He's obsessed with merging magic and technology, abducting billionaires for experiments to create a cyborg army. The cyborg king is defeated, but Kallen escaped through the ventilation shaft. He must be pursued immediately."
Captain Marlow's expression turned grave. Surveying the destruction, he said, "Rest assured, the area is secured. Kallen will be captured. Also, the Council has reviewed Ryan's performance. He is officially certified as a Trainee Supernatural Detective, receiving the badge and access card."
Marlow handed Ryan a black trainee badge and silver access card. "With this, you can access the Council's basic intelligence resources and officially participate in supernatural investigations."
Ryan took them, excitement swelling in his chest. From an ordinary trainee to a recognized supernatural detective—his life trajectory had changed. Pinning the badge to his chest, he felt a sense of responsibility like never before.
Council staff began cleaning the scene, collecting data and evidence, and arranging for Linton's hospital checkup. Ayla and Ryan were invited to a temporary command vehicle to discuss follow-up procedures.
"Kallen's research data is highly dangerous. We will destroy it completely to prevent misuse," Captain Marlow said. "Regarding your promotion, the formal ceremony will be next week."
Ryan and Ayla nodded. Just as Ryan thought things were settling, True Sight detected something outside the command vehicle—a faint, dark magical symbol among the debris. It matched the one on Kallen's wrist. Clearly, he dropped it during his escape.
Ryan picked up the symbol. It radiated intense dark magic, more complex than anything he had seen, seemingly connected to an ancient magical formation. A system prompt sounded:
"Unknown dark organization symbol detected. Energy fluctuations linked to ancient dark forces; details unknown."
A chill ran through Ryan. Behind Kallen, a larger, more mysterious dark organization lurked. He looked at Ayla; she also stared at the symbol, her expression grave. She recognized its significance.
"Looks like our troubles… are far from over," Ayla said in a low, serious tone.
Ryan nodded, pocketing the symbol. The defeat of the cyborg king and rescue of Linton were only the beginning. The mysterious dark organization, and the escaped Kallen, would be a looming threat. He had to strengthen himself quickly to face the storm ahead…