The Unbroken Warlord

Chapter 1

At the Norwick City military base, a helicopter landed with a roar, sending dry leaves swirling into the air. Not far from the landing zone, rows of soldiers stood at attention and saluted as a man in a military uniform stepped out slowly.

His face was stern, and his eyes burned with fury. He was Callen Vade, known across the Valdera Empire as the Unbroken Warlord.

He walked toward a large man kneeling on the training field, bruised and battered. As soon as he got close, Callen delivered a furious kick to the man's chest.

"So, how do you want to die?"

His cold voice made the atmosphere even more tense.

Everyone around knew what it meant when Callen was angry. And clearly, Chad would receive no mercy.

Chad's body trembled under Callen's piercing gaze. He tried to lift himself, his voice shaking as he begged, "I-I did this for your own good, sir."

Callen let out a cold laugh. "Good? You call letting my wife and child suffer a good thing?" he growled, stepping on Chad's head.

Chad was one of Callen's subordinates. He had been ordered to monitor Callen's wife over the past five years. Every report said Ivy Carter, his wife, was living safely and happily.

But now, Callen had learned the truth. Ivy had been cruelly framed by the Hayes family and was kicked out of her own family while she was pregnant. She had lived in misery with her child on the outskirts of the city.

"You broke your oath, Chad. If I hadn't found Ivy's hidden letters today, I would've never known that my wife and daughter were suffering like this," Callen said with deep resentment.

Chad banged his forehead against the ground. "Five years ago, you were just an ordinary soldier. If I told you the truth, you would have rushed in without thinking. The Hayes family is one of the four noble houses in the capital. Their power is immense. Fighting them back then would have been suicide."

With a loud grunt, Callen kicked Chad again, sending his body flying across the field.

"You don't get to decide whether I can deal with them or not!" Callen shouted.

He clenched his fists. His hatred toward the Hayes family burned even brighter. They were one of the four families responsible for the destruction of the Langford family.

Five years ago, Callen went off to war, leaving his pregnant wife behind. Fate brought him to a healer named Ronan, who claimed to be a loyal follower of his family. Ronan helped unlock Callen's sealed memories.

The sky above the Langford clan's main estate had turned red with flames. Smoke rose high. Screams echoed through the courtyard, mixed with the thunder of armed soldiers. Four noble families caused the chaos. They feared the dominance and influence of the Langfords and accused them of treason.

"Callen, hurry inside," his mother's voice echoed from the basement.

With heavy breath, the woman shoved young Callen into a hidden cellar. She knelt down, hugged him tightly, then pressed her finger to his neck.

"I'm sorry, my son. I have to shut off your voice. No matter what happens, you must not make a sound," she whispered through tears.

Little Callen stared with wide eyes, his body trembling. He couldn't speak. He wanted to scream, but nothing came out.

Through a narrow gap, he saw his mother stand up. One by one, soldiers entered. An old man with a sly expression led them.

"Give up, Carla," the old man said calmly. "You're alone now. Your clan is gone. Your husband died like a dog. And you… It would be such a waste for a beautiful woman like you to die here."

He chuckled and threw something to the floor: a severed, bloodied head. It was Grant Langford, Carla's husband and the head of the Langford family.

Carla stared silently. Her jaw tightened. "Bradley Hawkins, you are lower than insects," she hissed. "You think I'll bow to a coward like you?"

Bradley smirked. "Bow? No. I'm offering you a choice. If you crawl and beg, maybe I'll spare your life. Or at least make your death less painful."

"If it weren't for your filthy schemes, the four of you wouldn't have been able to scratch us," Carla said with fury.

"You can curse all you want," Bradley sneered, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction. "But after today, the Langford name will be erased from history. Tomorrow, the empire will believe you were traitors. And we, the four noble houses who spilled blood for justice, will be hailed as heroes."

He laughed softly, then burst into louder laughter. "Isn't that a touching story?"

Suddenly, his laughter stopped. His expression turned cold as he looked Carla in the eye. "Too bad, Carla. Looks like your time is up."

He raised his hand, signaling the soldiers to open fire.

But he froze when Carla shouted, "I won't let myself die at the hands of a coward like you. Remember this, Bradley. The Langford bloodline will come for you one day and tear you apart!"

Splat! Blood sprayed from her throat. Carla had slit her own neck.

Bradley slammed his cane down in rage. His eyes burned as he looked at Carla's body lying in a pool of blood.

"Damn it! Even in death, she escaped my hands!" he screamed. "That wretched woman!"

He panted in anger, then scanned the room sharply.

"Find the boy! He must be nearby. Don't let him live!"

Below the floor, Callen tried to move and scream, but he couldn't. At that moment, his mother's blood dripped through the cracks and landed on his face. He let out a silent scream. The memories his mother had sealed to protect his mind were now back.

Since then, he had worked in silence. Over five years, he built his power in the military. He rose to the rank of supreme general and gained authority to command hundreds of elite troops. He became the most feared figure, especially after winning Valdera against Rosevale's forces.

Now, he had finally learned the truth about his wife's suffering. His hatred only grew stronger.

Just then, a military officer ran toward Callen in panic. "Sir, bad news! Your daughter, Lily… she's been kidnapped."