A person who remained calm while facing overwhelming odds was usually one of two things. Either they were completely insane. Or they were overwhelmingly stronger than everyone around them and Shawn was beginning to suspect exactly which one Miles was. The cargo station erupted into chaos the moment Shawn gave the order. What had already been a tense and desperate standoff instantly transformed into a battlefield. Mercenaries surged forward from every direction, their weapons gleaming beneath the flickering emergency lights mounted along the station walls. Mana flared around blades, spears, and firearms as killing intent flooded the chamber like a physical force. The atmosphere became suffocating. The wounded hunters lying throughout the station could only watch as armed killers rushed toward a single target. Miles. Standing alone near the center of the station, Miles looked almost strangely calm despite the situation. His expression remained unreadable as he studied the incomi

Miles stood still, tension coiled inside him like a snake ready to strike. His breathing was steady, every muscle controlled as he held Alexis in his arms, their surroundings a blur of chaos, but his focus sharp as a blade. Halmer, bleeding from the wound Shawn inflicted, had forced himself to his knees, his sword still clutched in his hand like a man clinging to a final promise.Halmer’s voice was hoarse, each word weighed down by exhaustion. “Miles… I didn’t know who you were at first but I believe you’re different. You won't let her fall.” His voice cracked, but he forced a grim smile. “Take Alexis. You get her out of here. No matter what happens, don’t let them catch you.”“And why would I do that?” Miles responded, his expression blank. “It's not like I owe you or the lancelot any favors. To be honest, I'm equally involved in this messy situation because of the lancelot family so by my calculations it is you who owes me.”At first Halmer was shocked at the words that Miles had u

The cargo station gradually descended into silence following Halmer's death.The clash of weapons had long since faded, and the final pockets of resistance mounted by the surviving hunters had been crushed beneath overwhelming force. Across the ruined station, bodies lay strewn among shattered cargo containers and heaps of debris, while blood spread across the cracked concrete floor in dark streams that wound their way through the wreckage left behind by the battle.For everyone present, the expedition was over.At least, that was what most of Shawn's men believed.Standing beside Halmer's lifeless body, Shawn remained completely motionless. A few feet away rested the veteran hunter's severed head, his vacant eyes still fixed toward the darkness as though death had interrupted him in the middle of a thought.For several moments, Shawn simply stared.There was no trace of satisfaction on his face, nor any sign of triumph or relief. Instead, his expression carried only quiet contemplati

Several mercenaries nodded in agreement.The logic was difficult to dispute.Unlike blindly charging through monster-infested territory, Shawn's plan allowed them to conserve their strength while their targets exhausted themselves fighting for survival. Even those who had initially questioned the pursuit found themselves reassured by the strategy.Shawn folded the map and rose to his feet."If Miles somehow manages to get them that far, he'll already be running on borrowed strength."His gaze swept across the assembled mercenaries."He'll be protecting two liabilities while carrying the burden of every battle fought along the way. Every encounter will drain his stamina, every injury will slow his movements, and every decision will force him to spend resources he cannot afford to lose."A cold edge entered his voice."That is when we finish this."The confidence that had briefly wavered among the mercenaries gradually returned.One of the hunters allowed himself a small smile."So we l

The room fell silent after Eli's admission. For several moments, neither man spoke. The only sounds came from the distant dripping of water somewhere deeper within the abandoned infrastructure and the faint hum of aging emergency lights struggling to remain functional after decades of neglect. Miles remained crouched beside Alexis, his gaze lingering on her pale face as he considered Eli's words. The hunter wasn't being pessimistic. He was being realistic. Their situation was objectively terrible. They were deep within the Outlands, trapped beneath a ruined city whose underground network stretched for miles in every direction. They possessed no reliable map, no support, and no certainty that they were even moving toward civilization rather than further away from it. Alexis remained unconscious and poisoned, while Eli's condition was hardly any better. Under normal circumstances, most people would have already accepted death. Miles, however, had never been particularly interest