The concrete room was silent, but everyone's heart was beating incredibly fast. Just a minute ago, Kevin had warned them. The magical radar in his mind showed multiple heavy vehicles moving toward the mountain. The Vanguard Command’s strike team was coming. General Silas had sent his best killers, and he had sent the terrible monster called the Alpha Unit. Jonah gripped his massive, forty-pound sledgehammer. The heavy iron weapon was cold in his scarred hands. "How close are they, Kevin?" Jonah asked. His deep voice rumbled. He stared at the heavy steel door of the building. Kevin closed his normal eye. He opened his left eye wide. The bright, pure blue light of the System flared inside his pupil. He stared at the glowing blue map floating in his mind. He watched the bright red dots. "They stopped," Kevin whispered. He blinked in surprise. "Dad, they stopped moving." "Where?" Jonah deman

But Kevin’s glowing blue eye did not focus on the soldiers or the trucks. His eye was drawn to the center of the railyard. Parked in the middle of the camp was a massive, heavily reinforced steel shipping container. It looked like a giant metal box used on cargo ships. The container was wrapped in dozens of thick, heavy iron chains. The chains were pulled incredibly tight, locking the doors closed. And the metal box was moving. Something inside the container hit the heavy steel wall. The impact was so massive that the entire twenty-foot-long steel box shook violently. A huge dent appeared in the thick metal from the inside. A terrifying, guttural, vibrating roar echoed from inside the container. It did not sound human. It sounded like a massive beast driven completely insane by pain and rage. The black-suited Hunters standing near the box took a nervous step backward. Even the emotionles

Kevin dragged the heavy body up the steep mountain path. He walked for thirty agonizing minutes. His legs burned. His back ached. But a fierce, powerful pride burned in his chest. He was not a burden anymore. He was not just the boy who needed saving. He was the Scout. And he was bringing the enemy directly to his father’s feet. Kevin reached the top of the mountain ridge. Through the blowing snow, he saw the pure, warm blue light of the Echo Seed shining from the concrete building. He walked up to the heavy steel door of the Sanctuary. He knocked three times.The heavy iron bolts scraped back instantly. The door swung open. Jonah stood in the doorway. He held his massive sledgehammer. His dark brown eyes were wide with worry. Elena stood right behind him, holding her iron mace. When Jonah saw Kevin standing in the snow, a massive wave of relief washed over the giant’s face. "Kevin," Jonah breathed out. He lowered his hammer. Kevin smiled a tired, exhausted smile. With a heavy

The Hunter’s smile faded for a tiny second. A flash of anger crossed his pale face. But he quickly forced the arrogant smile back. "I was a scout," the Hunter sneered. "I was just a small piece of the machine. But you have no idea what is waiting for you outside that door." The sound of the heavy trucks grew incredibly loud. The ground shook violently. Small cracks appeared in the concrete ceiling. The convoy was stopping right outside the Sanctuary walls. "The Alpha Unit," Jonah repeated. "Tell me what it is." The Hunter laughed loudly. It was a hysterical, terrifying sound. "The Alpha Unit is General Silas’s masterpiece!" the Hunter shouted. "He is our squad leader. But he is not just a man. He is the ultimate fusion of corrupted biology and hacked System code." The Hunter looked at Jonah with pure, evil glee. "You think you can walk out there and punch him?" the Hunter mocked. "You think you can absorb his attacks and glow with your beautiful silver light? You think your Undy

Jonah walked over to Lisa. The brave mechanic looked up at him. She was very weak, but her dark eyes were shining with unshed tears. "Jonah," Lisa whispered. She reached out her small, cold hand. Jonah gently took her hand in his massive, scarred fingers. "He is a machine, Jonah," Lisa whispered fiercely. "The Alpha Unit is a hacked program. But you are a mechanic of bone and muscle. You know how to break things. Find his weak spot. Do not fight his magic. Fight his body." "I will break him, mechanic," Jonah promised. He gently kissed the back of her cold hand. Jonah stood up. He turned his broad back to his family. He picked up his massive, forty-pound sledgehammer. He rested it on his right shoulder. He walked toward the heavy steel door. "Elena, Marcus," Jonah called out without looking back. "When I step outside, you slam this door shut. You lock the heavy iron bolts. Do not open it for anyone but me or Kevin." "Yes, giant," Marcus said. The old man was crying, but he step