Kael Ardyn’s body hit the mattress with a dull thud. The bed shivered under his weight. Within seconds, the room filled with the steady, irritating sound of snoring—“huff huff, huff huff.”Nearby, the Ripper Woman opened her eyes, her meditation interrupted. She scanned the room and landed on him. The stench of alcohol and carelessness hit her instantly. She lifted an eyebrow and tugged the corners of her lips into a faint frown.“Was the Reaper Mecha returned safely?” she asked, calm, but with an edge that could cut steel. “You got back fast, but then you went drinking with the vice-captain… in the middle of the day? How do you even drink this much? And leaving him here—what, do you expect him to live under my supervision? Do you think I won’t lose control, drain him, or worse?”Da Xiong, panting and rumpled, shrugged nervously. “Let’s just say it’s back. Leave him with you. Keep an eye on him when you can. Don’t let him near the mecha control room, or he’ll ruin everything. And… if

Kael Ardyn lifted the Bloodfury Woman into his arms, holding her horizontally as he ran swiftly behind Big Bear. Despite the urgency, Kael felt no strain. Her weight was astonishingly light, and her skin almost unnaturally soft and elastic. Years of training under the Warlord System had made him capable of feats others would consider impossible. Carrying her while sprinting through the corridors of Radiance Base was one of them.Fluorescent lights flickered above, casting stark shadows as the subtle hum of alarms filled the air. Within minutes, they reached the medical treatment room, its sterile walls gleaming under harsh lighting. The a faint smell of antiseptic mixed with the metallic tang of blood lingering from the violence that had just occurred.“Hurry! Activate the advanced treatment pod immediately! Our big sister is injured! Move!” Big Bear’s voice rang, tense and commanding, cutting through the low hum of the room. The military doctor in a

The Moonspire Academy dining hall smelled like a festival of Spiritwine. Kael Ardyn didn’t even notice—he was already thoroughly “full blast,” sprawled back in his chair with arms draped over the round table, diving into the feast as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Even for someone who had sampled rare delicacies across countless lands, this spread was absurd.The dishes gleamed, each one a masterpiece: tender cuts of beast meat, vegetables so vivid they practically hummed with life, and centuries-old herbs steeped into broths that seemed to pulse with energy. This wasn’t just cooking. It was life itself, plated. And Kael? He treated it like a casual snack.Next to him, the Black Bat Squad’s usual rations looked pathetic. Technically, they could afford meals like this, but no one in their right mind would trade merit points earned through blood, sweat, and near-death missions for a single bite.“Who told you to blow o

Kael Ardyn glanced at the Ripper Woman beside him. Her cheeks were flushed, the wine making her look almost fragile. Her pleading eyes were so unlike the cold, precise assassin of the Black Bat Squad. Right now, she looked like a girl who had tumbled into a raging river, clinging to any lifeline she could find. And for this brief moment, that lifeline was him.Big Bear sat nearby, wiping his hands on his apron, a grin splitting his face. He had just devoured an entire plate of roasted meat as though the world had ended without it. “Deputy Captain Kael,” he said, slurring just slightly, “I know about that old lab on Dark Moon Star… the one she keeps talking about.”Kael raised an eyebrow, not yet saying a word.Big Bear leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was about to reveal a conspiracy. “When the Celestial Dominion first took the planet, they scoured every corner. Found nothing, they claimed. But later, that lab&hellip

The fire had burned low by the time Big Bear finally stopped shoveling food into his mouth. Grease clung to his lips, and the empty plates around him looked like a pack of wolves had passed through and left only shards of bone behind. He leaned back, massive shoulders sagging, his head wobbling slightly as he fixed his gaze on Kael Ardyn.The night air was crisp, carrying the faint tang of metal from the outpost fences. Most soldiers had long since collapsed into sleep, their snores blending with the distant hum of generators. Yet Big Bear sat there, restless. Staring. Gathering courage, it seemed, for something far scarier than any fight he’d survived.“Vice Captain Kael…” His voice was low, hesitant. “You… you studied medicine, right? Before joining the militia?”Kael choked back a sip of Spiritwine. From Big Bear? Of all people? The man was a mountain—broad-shouldered, loud, intimidating. And now… timid