Holata’s eyes twinkled with hope as he heard the Elder’s call for combat. By invoking the Judgment of the Warrior, Chayton had not only given Alex a second chance but also provided Holata with a chance to reclaim his honor and return to the fold.It had been almost three decades since the last duel had been fought to the death. And even at that time, Holata had been one of the challengers.Thirty-five years ago, a young Holata had smashed his rival’s skull, bashing his face in, and retained his title as the chief of the tribe.Now, Holata was a man in his late fifties, but his eyes still burned with the same fire, and wisdom had only sharpened his shrewd mind.“I accept the challenge,” he declared, marching up to Chayton while holding his shackles up. “Unchain me, brother. Now the Warrior shall decide my fate.”Chayton begrudgingly unshackled Holata, removing the chains from his arms and legs and tossing them away.Takoda nodded in approval and then turned to Alex.“Outsider, do you a

Holata had violated all the rules by ditching his stallion and climbing onto the trees, which allowed him an unfair advantage.Shaded by leaves and branches, the tribal chief could change his position at a moment’s notice while remaining completely hidden.Alex, on the other hand, found himself stranded on the ground and without a horse. His only saving grace was the large oak tree behind which he had taken cover for now.However, Holata had already seen him move behind the tree trunk, and all he needed to do was wait for one wrong move.“Why do you hide, outsider? Too afraid to face me like a real man?” Holata taunted from above, his voice echoing across the words. “Just show yourself, and I promise I will make this quick.”Alex knew that if he so much as peeped out of cover, he was going to end up with a spear in his chest. However, hiding wasn’t an option either since Holata already knew his position.The tribal chief had already demonstrated his prowess in climbing and could easil

That same night, Alex left the Apache village, but he didn’t drive back to the hospital. Instead, he made his way to the main office of Kronos Tech and went straight up to Samantha’s private cabin on the seventh floor.Seeing Alex flitting around at this late hour, when he should have been at the hospital, shocked her.“Mr. Verlaine…I didn’t know you were coming,” she stuttered, rising to her feet. “Did I do something wrong?”“Nothing to worry about. It’s just that I need a small favor from you.”Samantha looked at him, clueless and concerned. “What is it?”Alex tossed his blood-stained kerchief on the table. “I want you to run tests on this blood sample. Analyze the DNA in detail, and let me know what you find.”Samantha shuddered at the sight, the metallic tang almost making her puke. Still, she clenched her nails and shut her lips tight, nodding in agreement.Alex could tell Samantha was nervous. After all, it wasn’t every day someone delivered a blood sample on a kerchief.“This i

Staring down the barrels of a dozen rifles pointed at his head, Haruto didn’t have the heart to resist. He crumbled like a loose brick under pressure and puked the truth, bringing down the whole tower of lies.As Alex pulled off the tape from Haruto’s mouth, he burst out, “I’ll tell you everything. Please just don’t kill me! They made me do it!”“Who?”“Hideo Nakamura,” Haruto blurted without hesitation. “He paid me to steal the serum from Kronos Tech’s laboratory.”“And who told them about this serum? It was supposed to be a highly secretive project. How did Nakamura know what was cooking in that underground lab?”“He suspected something the moment your company announced the new healing gels to the public. That gave Mr. Nakamura reason to believe that Kronos Tech was working on something even more revolutionary. A possible cure for cancer or a vaccine for AIDS!”Alex lowered his gun. “Go on.”“Mr. Nakamura’s secretary helped me forge a fake ID and prepare a highly polished CV with al

While Alex prepared to venture into the Faretta Valley for a once-in-a-lifetime hunting expedition, Haruto drove to Grevin Canyon, his mind focused on the singular task of entering Astro Nova’s biotech lab without raising any alarms.Since Haruto was close to the CEO himself, the guards at the main gate allowed him to pass without any questions.Once inside the compound, he became the center of attention for all the security cameras twitching on the walls and the reconnaissance drones flying overhead.However, Haruto maintained a stern calm and moved with purpose. Presenting his ID at the second door, he stepped inside without making any eye contact.The guards posted around the perimeter were a part of Astro Nova’s own security team, and were happy to while away their time smoking cigarettes and gossiping about trivial matters and workplace politics.However, the men standing guard inside the lab were trigger-happy mercenaries hired from a private security firm.They neither gossiped