“Hey, you up there! Get down here right now and put your hands up!”Maxwell glanced down from atop the giant carcass of The Graveyard Guard, which was still billowing black smoke. Below, a group of men in tactical uniforms aimed long-barreled weapons at him. In the middle of them stood a slick-haired blonde youth wearing light silver armor, which he seemed to have acquired from somewhere unknown.“Did you hear me? Get down here! You just stole points from the Emergency Task Force’s main target!” the blonde youth shouted again, his voice arrogant.“Your main target? This creature had already slaughtered five hundred people before you arrived, Leon,” Maxwell retorted coldly as he jumped down with surprising lightness, landing right in front of the soldiers' gun barrels.The blonde youth named Leon flinched, his eyes wide. “How do you know my name, Commoner?”“Your name isn’t important enough for me to remember, but your arrogant face is easily recognizable as a coward who will run first

“So, Maxwell Sullivan, where are we heading now? Do you have an evacuation plan for a safer shelter bunker? My father has access to an underground facility equipped with advanced, locked defense systems.”Viana Enderson spoke, trying to keep her voice firm even as her legs trembled slightly. Beside her, Johan followed warily, the axe on his back scraping against the rubble.“A shelter bunker? Don't make me laugh, Viana. Your father couldn't even protect his own plush seat among the world's conglomerates, much less protect you from your true destiny,” Maxwell replied without turning, continuing down the dim stairs. Dust and debris clung to Viana's elegant clothes, contrasting sharply with her usual pristine image.“But… that facility is supposed to be bulletproof and earthquake-resistant up to 8.9 on the Richter scale!” Viana countered, slightly provoked.*Clang! Crash!*Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek and scraping sound echoed loudly from the corridor below. Something resembling a gia

“Your position, both of you, is fifty meters from the base of the Night Lion Statue. From there, we can monitor the three greedy factions already waiting on the perimeter,” instructed Maxwell Sullivan, his voice quiet but demanding absolute precision. They were hiding behind the ruins of a twenty-story central bank, in the middle of a Dead City filled with wreckage and debris. A thin blood rain still dampened the air, leaving behind a metallic scent and desperation.“Three factions? Is this too much for just the three of us, Mr. Maxwell?” Johan asked, trying to peer into the distance with a pair of binoculars Maxwell had found from a destroyed military vehicle. His eyes widened at the sight of dozens of armed individuals and several Awakened with noticeable auras.Viana Enderson shifted her gaze from the tablet Maxwell had given her. She had already memorized the data on the Night Lion Statue inside and out. “Not just us three, Johan. We have the Absolute King with us. And as Mr. Maxw

“Fifteen new red dots have appeared in Sector Gamma, Viana. They’ve dared to establish checkpoints on the supply line you’re supposed to be managing,” Maxwell Sullivan stated, his voice as cold as mountain air cutting through the stuffy atmosphere of the underground data center. The hologram monitor operated by Jael displayed the points. “Jael, make sure their frequencies are always tracked.”Jael, adjusting his new infrared glasses on his nose, nodded quickly. "Understood, Mr. Maxwell. Sector Gamma is controlled by the 'Old Commanders,' a group of pre-apocalypse war veterans. They are always suspicious of new Awakened presences. This group of fifteen seems to be forcibly recruited Awakened."“Not force, Jael. Opportunity. And they betrayed that opportunity. One of them, a fire-class Awakened named Azka, just stole some medical supplies from vulnerable refugees and resold them on the Sector Gamma black market for five times the price," Viana countered, her gaze cold as this data strea

“Johan, place the mini gravity detonator in that rock fissure. Five centimeters deep,” Viana Enderson instructed, her voice calm but filled with authority. She pointed to a crack in the dim silver mine wall. The scent of minerals and moss mingled with the underground chill. “Remember the movement patterns of the ‘Desert Shadow’ faction, just as Maxwell described. They’ll ignore every side path.”“Ready, Mr. Viana! They probably think this passage is just a trap for some grunt monster!” Johan exclaimed enthusiastically, quickly installing the small, dark device Maxwell had handed over earlier. His large body moved agilely despite working in the narrow space.Maxwell Sullivan stood in the middle of the main tunnel, observing. His golden eyes cut through the darkness, as if the entire mine structure were transparent to him. “Jael just confirmed it. ‘Blood Knight,’ Daren, is leading his unit with a total of seventeen Awakened, plus four level six exploration robots. They’re targeting the