The moment Jaden Rift and Morix Sable heard Bobby Storm’s brazen words, their gazes hardened, heat sparking behind their eyes. Rage burned in their chests—not only at Bobby’s shameless greed but at the insult it cast upon Axel’s memory.Inside the dim living room, Asher and Marian Storm were trembling, voices quivering with both anger and heartbreak.“That’s none of your business!” Asher shouted, his old face flushed red with fury. “There’s no money left anyway! Axel’s death gratuity—every coin—was wasted because of you!”Bobby Storm sneered, unrepentant, his tone dripping with insolence. “Didn’t Big Brother Baron already say this neighborhood’s getting cleared for development? They’ll pay out a couple million to move. Why not take the deal? With that money, I can pay my debts and we’ll all live comfortably. Everyone wins.”Marian’s knees nearly buckled. Her hands clutched her apron as she stared at him in disbelief. “You… you bastard! How dare you! This is Axel’s home! The house he g

Bobby Storm was nothing more than useless scum, and Jaden Rift’s aura chilled him to the bone. The young man’s bravado crumbled instantly. His face turned pale, his body shook uncontrollably, and before he could stop himself, tears poured down his cheeks.“I—I’m sorry!” he babbled, words tumbling out between sobs. “I shouldn’t have gambled, I shouldn’t have wasted Axel’s death gratuity, I shouldn’t have forced Dad and Mom into selling their house just to clean up my mess!”“And?” Jaden growled, his tone low and sharp like a blade scraping against stone.Bobby blinked through swollen eyes, stunned, not knowing what else he was supposed to say. His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air.The confusion only earned him another strike. Jaden’s palm cracked across his jaw, knocking two more teeth loose and sending blood flying. Bobby howled in pain and collapsed back onto the floor.“Who were you cursing just now?” Jaden demanded, towering over him like a looming shadow.Bobby’

Even though Jet Zangi had been a mercenary overseas for several years and seen his share of bloodshed, he could not stop the shiver that ran down his spine under Kaelus’s gaze. The difference between them was like that of a mangy cur trembling before a lion.Kaelus did not even need to lift a hand; his aura alone made Jet feel as though every scar from every battlefield he’d fought on had been reopened at once. He wanted to meet that gaze, to stand tall, but his knees nearly buckled. In the end, Jet lowered his head and slipped away with his men, pretending calm but burning inside with humiliation.Outside the airport, under the buzzing glow of streetlamps, he pulled out his phone with a grimace. His sources had already tracked Jaden Rift and Morix Sable to Sunsetlake Village, a small, quiet place on the outskirts of Shadowmoor. They were there visiting the family of one Asher Storm.Jet’s lips curled into a twisted grin as his men gathered around. “Sunsetlake Village, huh? Tonight’s

His three hundred men stormed down the riverbank like a pack of starved wolves, kukri blades gleaming in the dark. Their boots thundered against the ground, and their snarls carried through the night like beasts about to devour their prey.But just seconds later, everything stopped.They froze mid-charge. Their blades trembled in their hands.The truth slammed into them like a hammer blow.The riverbank ahead was not just occupied by a handful of men burning paper and muttering names of the dead—it was a fortress.Thud! Thud! Thud!The ground seemed to quake as several heavy engines roared to life. Blinding beams exploded outward.Floodlights snapped on. The pitch-black night vanished in an instant, drowned in a merciless white glare that cut through the storm clouds. The riverbank was suddenly brighter than noon, every soldier, every weapon, every armored vehicle revealed in brutal detail.The glow stretched far, swallowing the shadows. And in that glow stood Kaelus and his soldiers.

His three hundred men stood stiff by the riverbank, trembling so hard some could barely hold their balance. The sharp stink of urine crept into the air, sour and humiliating. A few of them had pissed themselves without even realizing it—fear had stripped them of every ounce of pride. Jet Zangi’s corpse still lay in the dirt, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, his blood staining the earth. That sight alone had broken them. Jaden Rift turned his gaze on the pathetic crowd, his expression unreadable, his voice sharp and unyielding. “Round them up. Every last one. They’re guilty of leaking military secrets and masquerading as soldiers. Sentence them to the mines—ten years. Let them sweat for the country they tried to betray.” The order cut through the air, final and absolute. The Crimson Unit soldiers moved without hesitation, rifles raised as they drove Jet Zangi’s men into tight groups. Shackles clinked, curses turned to whimpers, and one by one, the mercenaries were forced