Marshal stared at the enormous fist descending toward him, and for the first time in years, he felt something he thought he had long forgotten. Fear. Real fear. His pupils trembled violently as every shred of survival instinct finally overwhelmed the madness consuming his mind. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to move, to dodge, to counterattack—to do anything that would stop that monstrous fist from reaching him. Yet his body refused to obey. Both arms were twisted into unnatural angles, his legs no longer responded to his commands, and several of his ribs had collapsed beneath the relentless barrage of blows. Never in his life had he imagined that his own body would one day become a prison.“N-No…” His lips quivered uncontrollably as tears blurred his vision. “Please…” The gigantic fist continued to grow larger, eclipsing everything else before his terrified eyes. “I don’t want to—”BOOOOM!!The punch crashed down like divine judgment.Marshal’s head slammed violently agains

The muzzles of hundreds of rifles remained fixed on Ares, Hannah, and Donald. The corridor had become a dead end, every possible escape route sealed by an ocean of armed soldiers waiting for a single command. Blood continued dripping from Ares’ battered body, forming a crimson trail beneath his feet. His breathing had grown heavier with every passing second, yet the giant refused to kneel. His swollen fingers tightened around the handle of his war hammer while he planted himself firmly between the Winston family and the army before them.Donald clenched his fists despite his weakened condition and stepped forward slightly. “Timothy… stop this.”His voice echoed through the corridor.“We’re brothers.”Timothy merely looked at him with cold indifference.Hannah’s eyes reddened as she stared at the man she had once called uncle.“Uncle… please,” she pleaded. “Enough already. We’re family. Why are you doing this? What will you gain if we’re all dead?”For a brief moment, Timothy lowered h

Within minutes, the tension that had threatened to erupt into all-out war gradually subsided. Black Covenant soldiers reluctantly stepped aside, creating a path toward the waiting military convoy. Although every one of them wore expressions of hatred, none dared fire a single shot.Ares slowly walked forward with Hannah and Donald supporting him from either side.The moment they crossed into Special Force territory, cheers erupted among the soldiers.“They’re back!”“The Iron Warlord made it!”“He actually rescued them!”Even seasoned veterans couldn’t hide their admiration. Many had expected the mission to end in tragedy.Instead…Ares had infiltrated Facility Zero alone…Defeated countless enemies…Overcome a monster like Marshal Long…And completed his mission.Hope quickly walked over, stopping in front of the towering giant.She folded her arms.“So…”Ares smiled weakly.“So…”The two stared at each other for several seconds.Then Hope smacked him across the shoulder.“Are you ou

The road stretching toward the Karetwyn border was unusually quiet that afternoon. For several miles, there was nothing but endless asphalt cutting through the vast stretch of land, with patches of wild grass and scattered trees swaying gently beneath the warm breeze. Every now and then, an old road sign appeared along the highway, warning travelers of the distance remaining to the border, but there were barely any vehicles around to pay attention to them. It was the kind of road where a person could drive for several minutes without seeing another human being, and normally, that would have been exactly what Jaden Rift preferred. Today, however, the silence felt different. It wasn’t peaceful. It felt almost deliberate. A black vehicle moved steadily along the highway, its engine humming beneath the hood as it carried one of the most dangerous men in Karetwyn toward the country’s northern border. Behind the steering wheel sat Jaden Rift, one hand resting casually on the wheel while hi

The dust gradually settled around the overturned vehicle, drifting through the air in thin clouds as the wreckage of Jaden’s car rested several meters away from him. Broken glass glittered across the asphalt beneath the fading afternoon light, while smoke continued to rise from the crushed hood. Jaden remained still for several seconds, his breathing calm despite the violent crash he had just survived. His shoulder throbbed from the impact, and a thin line of blood had trickled down the side of his forehead, but neither injury was enough to concern him. He slowly straightened his back and looked around.That was when he noticed it.He wasn’t alone.Several vehicles had surrounded the stretch of road while he was recovering from the crash. Black SUVs, pickup trucks, and battered sedans had formed a rough circle around him, their engines still running as headlights illuminated the dusty road. Men stood beside the vehicles, watching him silently. Some carried metal pipes, others held bas