"I'll talk! I'll talk! In Basement Number Two!"
Under the immense threat of death, the fat man's stutter was instantly cured, and he blurted out the information.
Bang!
Sawyer tossed the man aside and charged toward the basement.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Suddenly, an icy voice rang out, sending a chill through Sawyer's heart. Then he saw a figure that made his eyes nearly split with rage — it was the middle-aged man in the coat who had kidnapped his sister!
"The guards stationed here are far too weak..."
The man in the black coat carried no weapons. His oversized coat hung half-open, revealing a perfect set of abdominal muscles, yet Sawyer felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
At the man's feet, several members of the Bloodline Alliance lay dead, their bodies bearing the marks of devastating force.
"Give me back my sister!"
Sawyer roared at the man.
"Oh! You're that kid from earlier... Tch! Looks like Baise is done for." The middle-aged man in the coat spat. "Remember this! My name is Gale Wolf! You'll die at my hands today!"
"Awoooo..."
In the same instant, a tremendous Field erupted from Gale Wolf's body, and Sawyer felt as though he had been transported to a vast prairie, standing naked before a colossal wolf.
"Hsss..."
Serpent's Bite, sensing the threat, began circulating frantically, forming the phantom of a black serpent behind his back.
"Hmm! Interesting! Looks like he can hold out a while longer!" Gale Wolf's eyes lit up.
Boom!
At that moment, the ceiling shattered, and Crow-Eye descended from above, positioning himself in front of Sawyer.
"You go first! I'll hold him off!"
"I'm counting on you!" Sawyer vanished rapidly down the corridor. Neither Gale Wolf nor Crow-Eye paid him any further attention.
"Heh heh... Codename 'Crow-Eye'! Top-five fighter of the Bloodline Alliance! Committed fifteen major crimes — an SSS-class fugitive!"
Gale Wolf's eyes locked onto Crow-Eye, as though no one else in the world existed.
"Gale Wolf! Janus's number one hound — your hands are stained with the blood of our people..."
A series of cracking sounds erupted from Crow-Eye's body as wisps of dark energy surfaced, meeting Gale Wolf's aura head-on. Within the thick black fog, a massive black python materialized, its crimson slit pupils fixed on Gale Wolf.
"Ahaha... Interesting! Interesting! So that kid just now was your student or descendant?"
Gale Wolf laughed, his entire body charging forward like a tank — the battle was on the verge of erupting!
"What is this?"
Upon entering the basement, Sawyer was immediately horrified by the sight before him: rows upon rows of glass cultivation tanks. Inside were all manner of human-like creatures, from children to the elderly, representing nearly every stage of life.
And though they resembled ordinary humans, there were absolute differences.
Sawyer stood before one of the tanks. Through the transparent glass, he could see a boy with entirely purple skin. On the boy's back, a wing-like organ had grown, giving him a grotesque, incomplete appearance.
Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes. His pale yellow irises stared coldly at Sawyer — a gaze filled with death and despair.
"He... he's alive!"
An unprecedented wave of darkness crashed into Sawyer, making him realize for the first time that beneath the bright surface of ordinary life, such filth was hidden.
"Keira! Keira!"
After seeing so many living specimens, Sawyer's anxiety only intensified.
Bang!
He ripped the black mechanical lock apart with his bare hands, revealing a pitch-black cellar. The stench of decay wafted out continuously.
"Keira! Is Keira here?"
Sawyer tore open a cage in the basement, but found nothing except several unfamiliar girls.
"
Genius's slightly nervous voice came through the earpiece. The other Bloodline Alliance members following Sawyer exchanged glances, then immediately stepped forward to begin the rescue.
Sawyer couldn't have cared less about any of it. His mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Keira.
"Get out of my way!"
With a piercing serpent's hiss, several Special Operations Division agents were sent flying backward, dying in the most grotesque manner.
This was originally just a branch base, caught completely off guard by the surprise attack. The administrative personnel likely outnumbered the guards. Clad in his Viper Armor, Sawyer rampaged through like the most ferocious humanoid beast, unstoppable.
"Basement Number Two!"
He kicked open an iron door and found several girls in Golden Sunflower Elementary School uniforms cowering in the corner.
"Keira! Keira!" Sawyer screamed desperately, but there was no response.
"Not here! She's not here either! What the hell is going on?"
He grabbed a researcher in a white coat by the collar, the grip on his wrist so powerful that the man's face immediately turned red.
"Cough... All the live subjects from Golden Sunflower Elementary brought in today are here..."
The researcher's face turned purple as he forced out a few words through gritted teeth. "However... several special 'specimens' were just transported out... their destination is the headquarters research facility... cough... I've told you everything... please, let me go..."
"Damn it!"
Sawyer's eyes burned crimson. Without the slightest hesitation, his hand crushed the man's Adam's apple.
Thud! The lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Sawyer waved the elementary school girls out, then wandered forward aimlessly as though his soul had been stripped away.
"The enemy garrison arrives in one minute!!! Emergency evacuation!!!"
Genius's voice blared through the earpiece, clearly panicked, but Sawyer didn't hear a word.
"What the hell are you doing?! You idiot!!!"
Pow! A fist slammed hard into Sawyer's face, embedding his entire body in the wall — but it cleared his head slightly. "Here... Keira... isn't here..."
"What's this? You didn't find your sister?" Boti, wearing a tight-fitting uniform, threw another punch that knocked Sawyer out of the wall, then pinned him beneath her foot. "It's not like she's dead. As long as she's alive, there's always a chance. But right now, you're far more likely to die here first!"
"That's right! The Special Operations Division headquarters — I have to go there!"
Two flames suddenly ignited in Sawyer's eyes. "Thank you, Miss Boti! And... how is Crow-Eye?"
"Things are bad! Gale Wolf is Janus's top hound — his strength is terrifying. Only Crow-Eye on our side can match him. The garrison responded faster than expected. The only silver lining is that the other personnel at this branch aren't strong fighters, and we've already rescued a large number of hostages..."
"I'm going to help him!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Sawyer leaped to his feet, his speed so great that even Boti could barely keep up.
"Sigh... young people these days..." A faint smile tugged at the corner of Boti's lips for reasons she herself didn't understand. She quickly scanned the surroundings. "What are you all standing around for? Evacuate now! Take everything you can carry — every piece of data. Whatever you can't take, destroy it. I want every last bit of evil in this place consumed by flames..."
Drip! Drip!
Bright red blood dripped steadily to the ground, accompanied by heavy, ragged breathing.
Crow-Eye looked at his chest. Three parallel gashes had been carved into it — Gale Wolf's handiwork. Blood gushed from the wounds continuously, and pale white bone was faintly visible beneath.
"Ha ha... What's wrong? Is this all the Bloodline Alliance's top fighters have to offer?"
Gale Wolf laughed maniacally across from him. His upper garment had completely split apart, and his tremendous aura solidified behind him into the phantom of a giant wolf howling at the sky.
At their level, speed had long since surpassed the limits of ordinary humans. Unless one was an Imperial caster specializing in instant-casting, Swift Shadow was utterly useless.
"You're a bloodliner yourself — why betray your own blood?"
Crow-Eye asked between ragged breaths.
"That's because you've never seen the Empire's true power!"
Gale Wolf's eyes narrowed slightly. "You could never imagine what exists behind the entire Empire... Compared to them, I'm nothing but an ant..."
"Heh... you've already lost the most important thing a warrior possesses — the will to strive!" Crow-Eye's body swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground.
"Say whatever you like. Either way, you die today!"
Gale Wolf struck with full force. Howling winds of tremendous power formed the fangs of a giant wolf: "Gale Wolf Fist!"
Hsss!
A dark shadow blocked Crow-Eye's front. With a serpent's hiss, the shadow was sent hurtling backward.
"Kid, you actually dare come back?" Gale Wolf regarded the figure before him.
"Run! You're no match for him!" Crow-Eye's face was filled with urgency.
"Don't worry, I'm fine!"
Sawyer climbed to his feet and brushed himself off.
But then, his expression changed dramatically.
Crack! Crack! With faint snapping sounds, hairline fractures appeared across his gauntlets, slowly spreading to his elbows and shoulders.
By the end, the Viper Armor he wore had completely shattered, revealing Sawyer's true face.
"Heh heh... My Gale Wolf Fist carries the power of vibration and grinding — it excels at destruction..."
Gale Wolf stared at the exposed Sawyer, like a great wolf that had found its prey.
"This is bad. I didn't expect Gale Wolf to be this strong. Even if Boti brings reinforcements, it probably won't make much difference..."
Beads of cold sweat dripped from Sawyer's temples.
"No! I still have to find Keira — I can't die here!"
The young man clenched his fists tight.
This intense desire to survive was also transmitted to Leilin Farell, who was watching from afar.
"Forget it. After all, it is the Bloodline of Ten Thousand Serpents. I just promised to protect its descendants — how could I go back on my word so soon?"
Leilin Farell smiled and gently extended a finger, pointing forward.