The gunship struck by the shell went up in a thunderclap of fire.Metal shredded. Bodies vanished.Shrill laughter rippled across the freighter, goading Henry Hamilton into slamming his fist into his seat.“Outrageous! This is beyond outrageous!”On deck, the burly white enforcer jabbed a finger toward the gunships. “Cowards! Keep shooting if you dare! Let’s see whether you blast me to hell today, or I wipe every last one of you from the sky!”As Ozawa Yamafuji and the brute readied a second strike, Adrian shoved the cabin door open.The motion jolted Henry and the others. “Adrian, what are you doing? Don’t be reckless! We can’t land—if you jump, you’ll be cut to pieces!”Even Emptiness couldn’t help rambling. “I get that you’re fired up, but maybe let’s…not be? Take a breath, then another—”Adrian’s gaze fixed coldly on the two figures below. “If we wait, more will die. Those two are mine.”He stepped into the open air and dropped.Yamafuji and the white brute saw a lone figure fling

Everyone wondered whose banner those ships flew.“Azure Dragon Hall again! Seems this patch of sea is livelier than usual,” a boisterous voice boomed from the lead warship.All eyes turned. A handsome man in field fatigues stood at the prow, close-cropped hair, a cigarette hanging from his lips, a great blade resting easy in his hand. His deep-set eyes blazed with untamed defiance.“Azure Dragon Hall, right,” Henry Hamilton said. “This stretch falls under their jurisdiction.”Emptiness cocked his head. “And what exactly is Azure Dragon Hall?”Henry blinked, surprised he had to explain. Seeing the curiosity on every face around him, he sighed. “At the four borders of the Novaland Republic stand four great halls, each named for an ancient guardian beast: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. They’re manned by elites—peerless fighters who command respect wherever they go. The man in front is Vincent Richards, a battle captain of the Azure Dragon Hall. He’s at the

“I don’t know much about the sects in Goryeo, but Eight-Slope Shrine—I know them,” Octavia said. “Hinoku has countless shrines, yet only a handful lead the pack. Eight-Slope Shrine is one of them.”Emptiness tilted his head. “Hinoku has so many shrines—how are they ranked?”“Lower Hidden, Middle Hidden, Upper Hidden, and Divine Hidden. Above that, there should be something even greater—but I’ve never seen it, so I can’t say.”Vincent Richards stared at Octavia, intrigued. “You’re well-versed in Hinoku’s hidden ranks.”“Octavia is Hinoku-born,” Adrian explained. “She used to be one of the Hidden herself.”Vincent blinked in surprise. “Didn’t expect a Hinoku girl to speak Novaland’s tongue so cleanly. Not a trace of an accent.”Adrian caught the dip in Octavia’s mood. Whatever she carried, this wasn’t the moment to dig. He let it rest.“Mr. Vincent,” he said instead, “once we’ve finished drinking, I’ll treat your injury. It’s heavy, but not difficult.”“You’re a healer too?” Vincent ask

Emptiness and Iris Lloyd traded a long, speechless look. They hadn’t imagined the Hidden Ones of Hinoku were that formidable.If even Adrian—by far the strongest among them—felt no certainty, then they had even less. Their strength lagged well behind his.“As I am now,” Adrian said, “I could face one alone with some confidence. But if they came at me together, it would be suicide. Our aim is vengeance, not a glorious death. I’m telling you this to put some pressure on you—so you’ll push farther along the road to power.”His words rang in their chests like a warning bell.Lately, following Adrian, they’d met almost no real resistance; every battle had been a resounding win. The ease had made them, if not arrogant, then a little swollen with certainty.This snapped them wide awake.“Don’t worry, Adrian,” Emptiness said. “We’ll put in the work—and help Octavia take her revenge as soon as we can.”After a few more words, Emptiness and Iris Lloyd headed off to train.Adrian settled cross-l

The colossal imprint of a fist swallowed half the sky, its might overwhelming."Commander Vincent Richards, you fell to this very technique before. Today, I’ll use it to send you to your grave."Vincent laughed and swept his blade out. "Old man, that confidence of yours is something else. Ever heard a saying from the Novaland Republic? Eh—forget it. Your Goryeo lot loves to plagiarize. If you claim it as your own, that’d be awkward."With that, he cleaved down.Nathaniel Ingram was still puzzling over Vincent’s remark when the gale of the blade was already upon him.Phantom fists shattered one after another.As the arc of steel closed in, Nathaniel finally broke. Still throwing punches, he snarled, "Impossible! It’s only been days—you can’t be my match! Kill!"His fists blurred—but they still couldn’t stop Vincent’s strike.A detonation split the air.Nathaniel stared dumbly at the fresh gash carved across his chest—then dropped like a stone, slamming into the deck, grievously wounded