A convoy of military-grade black SUVs parked right before the five.

Doors swung open as soldiers dressed in tactical armor rushed out of the vehicles.

Seth’s eyes glimmered as he subtly scanned through the Evolver soldiers, and he had to say he really was impressed.

The weakest of them had to be elite grade, and from the level of power wafting from their bodies, they had at least maxed their stats.

Adding all that Seth had seen so far, honestly, he had to give it to the government — they truly were efficient in handling the apocalypse.

He expected the worst, but he met a stark reality contrasting what he imagined. This alone already put the government in a good light in his eyes.

But whether they could still convince him to work for them remained a question...

The soldiers lined up, forming a path to one of the opened SUVs. Silent, they stood still in waiting.

"I believe that’s our ride," Uriel remarked, already heading for the vehicle, the others quickly following behind.

Once they entered, the soldiers said nothing, quickly rushing back into their vehicles and began driving off.

Seth frowned. There should at least have been someone to welcome them and brief them on where they were going.

But like the rest of his friends, he just remained silent, taking in the view of the city as scenery flitted past.

Slowly, Seth realized infrastructure seemed to be reducing — buildings were becoming smaller and sparse.

’where are they taking us?’ Seth wondered with a frown.

After driving for a few excruciatingly long minutes, or probably an hour or so, the SUV began to slow down. They seemed to have arrived at a checkpoint of sorts.

Peeking through the front windshield, Seth saw a sight that left him stunned.

Brandon smiled smugly. "Hehe, that, my bro, is the Pentagon!"

Seth’s eyes widened even further. The fucking Pentagon!

The fuck?! That was where they were headed?

One had to understand things from Seth’s perspective. Even with all the power and might he had now, Seth was still a teenager.

His worldview was still quite shallow — he was just a student of a special training facility.

Never in his dreams had he thought there would be a day he’d truly be invited to the Pentagon by the government.

It all felt so surreal. He thought they’d be heading to the White House or something, and even then he would have felt hyped. But this?

This was another level. All the secret dealings and information of the government and military rested behind these grand walls, and he was being brought into it...

He would be meeting living legends... well, if they were still alive. But for sure, he would be meeting men in power.

The SUV convoy quickly arrived at a designated parking location, and the moment Seth and the others alighted...

"Welcome back from the long journey, Apex." A man in a formal dark brown suit, his hair black and slicked back, stepped forward bowing.

Obviously, he had already been waiting for them.

’Apex?’ Seth’s brows scrunched up in confusion.

And Brandon, who was really deep into his role as a guide today, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "That’s what they call us for some reason."

"We are truly sorry for the poor welcome, but the president just called for an emergency meeting with Congress. Everyone’s busy, and we were trying to fill in the gaps." The man explained apologetically.

Uriel stepped forward. "We understand, but why are we here? I was under the impression we had an allocated residence."

The man smiled wryly. "Indeed you do, and we apologize for the inconvenience. But orders were to bring you here. As for why, I really can’t provide a reply even if I wanted to."

Uriel just nodded coldly, and the man, still smiling, proceeded to lead them into the massive legendary grand structure.

Seth gawked in awe. He had seen it through TV and pictures, but those could never beat being there in person.

Appreciation of the grand construct bloomed in his heart. He was really glad this beautiful creation, holding humanity’s most advanced tech, information, and other valuable assets, hadn’t ended up mired in a Corruption zone.

If that had happened, it truly would have been a tragedy.

They stepped into a brightly lit grand hall, filled with crowds of military agents of various ranks going about their business.

The six of them boarded an elevator, and surprisingly, instead of going up, the man pressed the button numbered -8.

The group glanced at each other but still remained silent. The wave of descending lightness hit, followed by a sharp chime and the sliding open of the doors.

They were led to an empty meeting room. The man smiled and assured them...

"Just sit and wait, we’ll be with you shortly." With that, he left, leaving the five alone within.

The moment he left, Seth couldn’t help but ask, wearing a deep frown, "Am I the only one that’s noticing this?"

From the side, the taciturn Jack was the one to give a response. Feeling the silver metallic surface of the walls with his hands, he nodded coldly. "My sense can’t penetrate these walls."

The air turned somber. What was happening? For what reason were they brought here?

Seth had assumed they were here to attend a gathering of some sort, but it seemed he was wrong.

From what he could see, piecing subtle clues together, it seemed someone of status wanted to see them.

As for who it was, Seth naturally couldn’t tell. But the fact that they had to be brought all the way to the Pentagon spoke volumes of this mysterious figure’s status.

’perhaps a military general?’ Seth pondered. After all, that would make more sense.

Since they were the only figures currently to have cleared a Corruption zone — and even went as far as to clear seven more on their way here — the government might be curious about how they did it.

"Well, whoever it is, we’ll find out soon enough."

...

In the hall, the back of a silhouette could be seen walking straight to the meeting room.

Accompanied by two high-level military agents, from behind one could see neatly combed deep brown hair.

His finely draped grey formal suit, and this figure seemed to carry an unintentional pressure to their being.

Their gait steady and contained as they moved with brisk steps, their very poise radiating a commanding authority and conviction that just made one naturally submit.

The very air around them seemed mired in the dense pressure of authority and power. This was natural — after all, this was a figure holding the greatest power and influence in the world.

He was the newly appointed president of the USA.

"Stay back!" A cold voice ordered.

The guards saluted in response, taking positions by the door to the meeting room.

Clicks rang out as the automated door slowly slid open...