“I don’t like that name,” Gerry replied coldly.The hem of his black robe fluttered as he took half a step backward. Before him, the silver-masked figure snorted disdainfully before lunging forward at a speed almost impossible for ordinary human eyes to catch. A pair of bright blue energy daggers were drawn in both hands, aiming at Gerry’s throat with deadly precision.“Just die here!” the silver mask shouted, his voice filled with hatred.“Vesper, analyze his attack trajectory!” Gerry ordered inwardly.Warning: Enemy speed exceeds normal human limits. Attack angle detected at thirty degrees from the right, Vesper immediately replied.Gerry tilted his body to the left just as the dagger’s tip swept through the air, passing only a few millimeters from the skin of his neck. The sharp wind generated by the attack managed to graze the collar of his robe. Without wasting a second, Gerry swung his right leg in a low sweep to knock his opponent down, but the mysterious figure lightly leaped

The searchlights from the imperial warship fleet swept across the night horizon above the floating city of Aetegrald, casting golden-white beams that pierced the glass windows of the transmission tower's control room. Gerry stood amid the wreckage of the circuitry, breathing heavily, while the low roar of the warships rumbled outside like the growl of a beast ready to pounce on its prey.Critical warning: Three Neural Guard squadrons have landed on the tower's outer platform. All aerial evacuation routes are completely sealed, Vesper's voice rang sharply inside Gerry's head, warning him of the increasingly imminent danger.Gerry wasted no time. With a swift movement, he tore off his tattered outer robe, leaving only the dark shirt he had stolen from the border outpost earlier. Using Vesper's optical projection technology, his appearance instantly transformed into that of one of the empire's elite high-ranking officers, complete with a silver insignia on his left chest."Let's see if t

A violent impact greeted Gerry's body as the Obsidian Fang chain detached from the cargo ship speeding through the skies of Aetegrald. He was hurled downward through the dense layer of fog below, tearing through the frigid, high-speed winds before finally crashing into the muddy ground with a heavy thud. Black mud splattered in every direction, staining his false uniform and dispelling the last remnants of his fading consciousness.Gerry coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood that was immediately absorbed by the gray earth beneath him. Excruciating pain radiated from his ribs to the tips of his fingers, but he forced his right hand to grip the wet ground and lift his body, which felt utterly shattered. Before him towered a massive, blackish structure that pulsed slowly like the heart of a living creature."Where are we, Vesper?" Gerry whispered hoarsely, his breath coming in ragged gasps in the cold air that pierced his lungs.Topographical analysis complete. You ar

"The prison system... they're trying to erase the remnants of my consciousness forever... They want to turn me into a soulless puppet that will attack you.""Mark!" Gerry raised his sword, preparing to face whatever threat might come."Help me, Young Master... I beg you," Mark pleaded, his eyes now glistening with tears as he stared at Gerry in utter desperation. "Don't let them use my body to defile your mother's legacy... End this suffering... Give me the peace I deserve as a Sterling guardian."Gerry froze. The hand gripping Obsidian Fang suddenly felt incredibly heavy, as though the entire weight of the Sterling clan's history had been placed upon his shoulders. Killing an ally, a loyal guardian who had suffered for thirty years to protect his family's secret, felt like a betrayal of his own conscience.[Gerry, if you do not act now, the central defense system will take over the subject's motor functions in fifteen seconds,] Vesper warned.[The biomechanical aggression level will

The night wind of the Forbidden Forest gradually faded away, replaced by the scorching morning sun blazing along the eastern horizon of the Central Empire. Gerry stood before a massive gate plated with gold and black steel, towering high enough to pierce the clouds. All around him, hundreds of cultivators from every corner of the continent crowded into a long line. The low roar of complaints, sounds of admiration, and tense murmurs mingled with the steady footsteps of patrolling soldiers clad in gleaming armor.“Move! Stop crowding!” a gate guard officer barked thunderously, swinging an energy whip that left trails of blue flames through the air. “Do you think this place is a night market? This is the official registration gate of the Imperial Guard Battalion! Anyone who causes trouble will be beheaded on the spot without trial!”Gerry remained standing calmly in the middle of the crowd, wearing a simple gray robe that concealed the shape of his body and hid the Obsidian Fang sword be