2025-10-19 19:30:03Zarek’s gaze snapped to the woman.
Recognition hit instantly.
It was her—the same woman he had seen at the front gate when he first arrived.
Then, she had worn a red dress; now, she was in a dark swimsuit, the sleek fabric clinging to her frame.
Her eyes were wide with fear, glistening in the harsh light of the hall.
Roland pressed a knife to her neck, the metal gleaming coldly.
“Move, and she dies,” he hissed, voice low but sharp.
The remaining onlookers froze.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Some gasped; others instinctively stepped back, unwilling to risk being the next hostage.
“Step away… don’t make him,” someone whispered, trembling.
Roland leaned closer to Zarek, pressing the knife just enough to make the woman flinch.
“If you don’t want her to die, stop right there,” he warned, his tone steady but laced with panic.
He knew Zarek was strong, but he needed time to think—to find a way out.
Zarek paused, his calm stare locking on Roland’s eyes. He saw the fear behind the bravado, the desperation of a man losing control.
Slowly, Zarek’s expression darkened.
Roland’s voice sliced through the tense silence.
“You want her alive? Fine. Scar your own face—make it quick—and maybe she walks away. Your choice. One wrong move, and she’s gone.”
Even cornered, Roland still clung to Damian’s command. If he failed to mark Zarek, he would face worse than death.
Zarek’s mind moved like lightning.
He noted every detail: the knife’s angle, Roland’s grip, the woman’s weight, the timing. Every fraction of a second was a calculation.
The trick wasn’t to fight recklessly—it was to end this cleanly.
In a blur, Zarek lunged, but not at Roland.
He feinted left, drawing Roland’s weight and focus off balance.
Then, with a sharp sidestep, he swept his arm beneath the woman’s body, pulling her safely out of reach in one fluid motion.
Roland’s eyes widened. “What?!”
Before he could react, Zarek pivoted and drove a brutal punch straight into Roland’s jaw.
The impact echoed through the hall.
CRACK.
Roland crashed backward into the wall, sliding down slowly, eyes wide with disbelief.
The woman clutched her chest, trembling but unharmed.
Zarek steadied her briefly, then released her without a word.
She bolted toward the far corner of the room, pressing herself against the wall, trembling hands clasped tightly to her chest.
Her eyes darted between Zarek and the fallen men, terror etched deep into her face.
Zarek turned sharply and saw Dairan standing on the upper balcony, watching the chaos unfold.
Dairan gestured subtly, signaling a man beside him.
The man hesitated, eyes wide; clearly, he had not expected Zarek to be this formidable.
Lucien, standing nearby, leaned toward Dairan. “What do you think of the man down there? He’s causing quite a scene.”
Dairan frowned. “He’s just a brat,” he said flatly, though his eyes remained fixed on Zarek. “He’s been stirring up trouble since he arrived, and now he’s making enemies.”
“Can you handle him?” Lucien asked quietly.
“Of course,” Dairan replied under his breath. “If the others couldn’t stop him, I’ll see what he’s really made of.”
Lucien’s hand shot out, gripping Dairan’s arm.
“Don’t. You’re above that. Let him come up if he dares. If not, we’ll send someone else.”
Dairan hesitated, eyes narrowing as he studied Zarek, still calm, still unbroken.
After a moment, he stepped back. Waiting.
Zarek caught the hesitation. So the man wasn’t coming down.
Fine. Then he would deal with Roland first and focus on Dairan next.
With slow, measured steps, Zarek approached Roland. He crouched, voice low and sharp.
“Who sent you?”
Roland spat blood, glaring up through the haze of pain. “I won’t tell you a thing,” he snarled. “You’re not worthy of knowing, no matter how strong you think you are.”
Zarek’s hand shot out, seizing Roland’s wrist and twisting sharply.
CRACK!
Roland’s scream tore through the hall, raw and guttural.
“AAHHHHH! MY ARM! AHHHH—STOP! PLEASE!”
He writhed on the marble floor, his cries echoing against the cold walls.
“You bastard! You’re gonna pay for this!” he sobbed, voice cracking between gasps of agony.
Zarek’s grip remained unrelenting. His expression was calm, detached, and almost eerily composed.
“You still won’t talk?” his voice cut coldly through Roland’s screams.
Roland’s jaw trembled, his breath hitching. “N-no… I won’t… tell you a damn thing!”
Without hesitation, Zarek grabbed his other hand and twisted again.
CRUNCH!
Roland screamed louder, the sound almost inhuman.
“AAAHHHHH! MY HAND! MY HAND! STOP! STOP! PLEASE!”
He sobbed violently, voice hoarse, body shaking as blood smeared across the marble.
Zarek’s tone stayed flat, calm, and merciless.
“I’ll ask one last time. Who sent you?”
Roland whimpered, his head lolling back as sweat and tears mixed with blood. He shook his head weakly. “—I won’t…”
Zarek’s expression hardened. His boot pressed lightly against Roland’s leg. Then…
CRACK!
Roland’s scream split the air, piercing and desperate.
“AAAHHHH! MY LEG! MY LEG! PLEASE! I’LL TALK! I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING! JUST STOP!”
He cried uncontrollably, sobbing between sharp breaths as the pain wracked his body.
The onlookers recoiled, horror and disbelief etched on every face.
“Is he… actually breaking him apart?” one whispered.
“Who is this man?” another breathed.
Lucien’s jaw tightened, astonishment flashing in his eyes.
“He’s… he actually did it,” he murmured, almost to himself.
Zarek crouched lower, voice cold and cutting through Roland’s pitiful cries.
“Then talk.”
Roland’s trembling lips parted, his voice breaking between sobs.
“I… I’ll tell you everything…”
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CHAPTER 338
A dozen searchlights swept the valley, their beams cutting through the haze to reveal a line of heavy-combat exoskeletons. The Weavers' elite Iron-Clad unit stood waiting in a perfect phalanx, their heavy plating gleaming under the artificial glare."They're waiting for us," Shaw whispered."No," Zarek said, a dark smirk touching his lips. "They're waiting for a miracle. They aren't going to get one."He slammed the transport into high gear, the engine roaring its final, defiant song as they charged the mountain.The mountain air screamed as the engine pushed past its redline, the cabin vibrating with such force that the dashboard screen began to crack. Ahead, the Iron-Clad line didn't budge. They raised heavy, tower-sized shields, interlocking them to form a wall of reinforced tungsten."They're bracing for a head-on!" Shaw yelled over the roar. "Boss, that's a dead stop! You hit that wall, and the engine comes through the seats!""I'm not hitting the wall," Zarek said, his eyes t
CHAPTER 337
The next thirty miles were a blur of scorched earth and screaming metal. Zarek drove with a cold intensity that made the heavy transport feel like an extension of his own body. He avoided the main roads, cutting through dry riverbeds and over jagged ridges that would have shredded the tires of any lesser vehicle."Second outpost is coming up on the HUD," Shaw said, tapping the data pad with a grunt of pain. "It’s a fueling hub for their aerial drones.”“If we take this out, they lose their eyes in the sky. But Boss... they’ve got a heavy-duty turret on the north tower. A 40mm autocannon.""Then we don't give it a target," Zarek replied.He didn't charge the front gate. Instead, he steered the transport into a dense cluster of rusted shipping containers lining the perimeter. He killed the lights and the engine, letting the massive truck coast into a shadow-heavy alleyway between the crates."Stay with the vehicle," Zarek said, checking his sidearm. "If that turret starts humming, m
CHAPTER 336
The roar of the six-wheeled beast was the only warning the first outpost received.Situated in a narrow pass between two jagged cliffs, the checkpoint was a fortress of reinforced concrete and heavy iron gates. Two Weaver guards, encased in their humming exoskeletons, stood lazily by the barrier, clutching long-range rifles. They saw the familiar shape of their own transport kicking up a massive plume of dust and iron-rich dirt."Is that Unit Four?" one guard asked, squinting against the morning sun. "They weren't supposed to be back until—""He isn't slowing down," the other noted, his voice rising in alarm. "Hey! Unit Four, status! Drop your speed or we’ll—"Zarek didn't touch the brakes. He didn't even flinch. He slammed his foot to the floor, the turbochargers screaming as the transport hit eighty miles per hour."Shaw, brace your neck!" Zarek commanded."Already on it!" Shaw grunted, pressing his head back against the armored seat, his eyes wide with a mix of pain and adrenali
CHAPTER 335
They sat in the deepening twilight, the only sounds the crackle of the fire and the distant howl of a wasteland wolf. Zarek sat across from Shaw, tending to the fish with the same focus he used to dismantle a Weaver exoskeleton.When the trout were charred and flaky, Zarek flaked the meat onto a clean piece of bark and handed it to Shaw. Since Shaw couldn't use his hands, Zarek sat beside him, helping him eat in a silence that wasn't awkward, but deeply grounded in years of shared blood and dirt."Tastes like... actual life," Shaw murmured, chewing slowly. "Better than the Morning Sun’s five-star menu.""Context changes the flavor," Zarek said, taking a bite of his own portion. "In the city, you eat to fuel the machine. Out here, you eat to remember you're still human."Shaw looked at his splinted arms, then up at the stars peeking through the pine needles. "Do you think the Maces are looking at these same stars right now? Or are they still staring at their bank accounts?""Kaelen
CHAPTER 334
As the second guard reached for his sidearm, Zarek gripped the man’s armored wrist, twisting it until the suit's mechanical joint hissed and buckled. A quick strike to the base of the skull, and the second man was down.Zarek checked the cab, empty. He whistled low, a sharp, melodic note that pierced the mechanical hum of the yard.Shaw emerged from the shadows, stumbling slightly as he made his way toward the vehicle. He looked at the two unconscious guards and then at the idling beast of a truck."Nice ride," Shaw wheezed, his face still pale but his spirit unbroken. "Does it come with seat warmers? My arms are starting to feel like they're made of ice.""It comes with a full medical kit and a clear path to the Weavers' main gate," Zarek said, hauling Shaw into the passenger seat before climbing into the driver’s side. He slammed the transport into gear, the heavy tires churning the gravel as he swung the vehicle around. He didn't look back at the wreckage of their SUV or the me
CHAPTER 333
Zarek didn't move until the last microsecond.He dropped low, sliding through the dirt beneath the giant’s outstretched arms. As he passed, he jammed his tactical knife into the exposed power cable at the back of the Weaver’s knee. Blue sparks erupted. The suit’s hydraulics locked instantly, and the man’s own momentum carried him face-first into the gravel with a bone-shaking thud. He tried to scramble up, but his left leg was a dead weight of useless steel."You’re fighting the suit," Zarek said, his voice terrifyingly level as he stood over him. "I’m fighting you."The fourth Weaver, the youngest of the group, panicked. He leveled his heavy-caliber sidearm, his hand shaking. "Stay back! I’ll blow the fuel tank! I'll take us all out!""Then do it," Zarek challenged, stepping into the path of the barrel. His eyes were devoid of fear, a void that seemed to swallow the young man’s resolve. "But know that I’ll be the last thing you see before the fire takes you. Is that worth a p
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