Chapter 199

Chapter 199



Hearing this, Thorin instantly became agitated, gritting his teeth. He stepped forward immediately to volunteer, "Mr. Lockwood! Tomorrow I'll bring people with you to Ironspire Island! No matter how many men they've got lying in ambush, we'll storm right through and rescue them!"

"Don't be rash."

Bayonet quickly raised his hand to block the impulsive Thorin.

His expression was grave. "Didn't you hear their conditions clearly?"

"Mr. Lockwood has to go alone. If they discover we've brought backup, Isabelle and Winnie will be in immediate danger!"

"These people are cunning and ruthless. They absolutely mean what they say."

Thorin flew into a rage, cursing endlessly. "A bunch of cowards who only hide in the shadows and play dirty tricks! They don't dare face us head-on—just kidnap hostages and make threats!"

"If I ever get my hands on them, I'll make sure every last one of them pays!"

After venting, Bayonet turned to Kane and asked respectfully, "Mr. Lockwood, how should we deploy our forces?"

Kane thought for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Thorin, Bayonet—tomorrow you two will lead a hundred thousand elite mercenaries at full speed to Ironspire Island. Wait there in ambush."

"As for me, I'll head out alone, quietly making my way to Monarch Isle!"

At these words, Thorin stood there completely dumbfounded, his face full of confusion. "Mr. Lockwood? Wait, that doesn't make sense! Those bastards specifically told you to go to Ironspire Island. Why would you go to Monarch Isle instead? That's completely the opposite direction!"

Bayonet also frowned slightly, puzzled, and quickly asked, "Yes, Mr. Lockwood, what's going on here?"

Kane smiled faintly and explained, "They deliberately lured me to Ironspire Island—not for any hostage exchange. It's a diversion tactic, meant to isolate and kill me."

"They know full well that I carry the pure bloodline of the Aetherian Empire, making me the key to opening the treasure."

"But here's the thing—Winnie also inherited my bloodline."

"To them, as long as they control Winnie, that's enough to open the treasure. There's no need to risk an exchange with me."

"So they deliberately gave me a fake location to lure me into a trap and eliminate me, keeping the treasure for themselves."

"Ironspire Island is the trap. Monarch Isle is where they're really holding them!"

After hearing this thorough and precise analysis, Thorin and Bayonet had instant revelations, finally understanding everything. Their faces filled with admiration. "Mr. Lockwood, you're brilliant! You saw through such a devious scheme in an instant!"

Marcus, still collapsed on the ground nearby, listened in stunned silence, his heart filled with shock and admiration.

He'd always considered himself clever, ambitious, believing his schemes were superior. But compared to Kane, his plots seemed childishly laughable.

In that moment, he finally understood completely just how foolish, how ridiculous his decision to betray Kane had been.

The next day.

Following last night's deployment, Bayonet changed into an outfit identical to Kane's, deliberately mimicking his build and mannerisms, disguising himself as Kane.

He boarded an armed helicopter alone, making a conspicuous flight toward Ironspire Island.

At the same time, a massive fleet set sail from the distant waters.

Thorin commanded from the flagship, leading a hundred thousand elite mercenaries.

Multiple aircraft carriers led the way.

Missile destroyers formed a protective formation.

Nuclear-powered submarines prowled beneath the surface.

Full sea, land, and air combat readiness!

The mighty force bore down on Ironspire Island!

Meanwhile, the real battlefield lay a thousand miles away in the Atlantic Ocean—Monarch Isle!

This isolated island in the middle of the ocean was scenically beautiful, with turquoise waters and white sand. The blazing sun hung high overhead, abundant sunlight blanketing the entire beach.

The sea breeze was gentle, vegetation lush—everything appeared peaceful and serene.

Yet no one knew that hidden here was an enormous conspiracy involving a legendary treasure.

On the beach, Howard lounged lazily in a beach chair, wearing loose short sleeves, leisurely sunbathing with a relaxed, self-satisfied expression.

Surrounding him were over twenty elite men in black, all heavily armed, radiating lethal intent, their alert gazes sweeping in all directions.

Just then, the encrypted satellite phone beside Howard suddenly rang.

He casually answered. A subordinate's voice came through the line: "Mr. Williams, target confirmed. Kane has boarded a helicopter alone and is heading at full speed toward Ironspire Island. Everything is proceeding according to our plan!"

Hearing this, Howard couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Kane fell for it after all!"

"Once we eliminate him completely at Ironspire Island, no one in the world will be able to stop our plan! No one will stand in my way of claiming that treasure!"

He leaned back in his chair, looking thoroughly pleased, a mocking smile playing at his lips.

Outwitting the legendary Mercenary King, manipulating such a powerful figure—the sense of accomplishment filled him with immense satisfaction!

Meanwhile, on the other side.

At Monarch Isle's most remote, uninhabited bay.

The water was crystal clear and deep, waves gently lapping against the rocks. The area was completely deserted, silent and still.

Suddenly, the water's surface broke with a splash. A figure in professional diving gear emerged from the sea!

He removed his equipment, revealing a handsome face—it was Kane!

Last night he'd taken a covert nuclear-powered submarine to the waters near Monarch Isle.

He'd lain in wait all night for this very moment!

He raised his hand and pulled out a satellite positioning device. The screen flickered with faint light, quickly processing satellite signals to pinpoint Howard and his core personnel's approximate location.

After confirming the position, Kane efficiently stripped off his heavy diving gear and waterproof outer layer, changing into military green camouflage fatigues.

Then Kane headed in Howard's direction.

To avoid all surveillance and hidden sentries without exposing his presence, he'd deliberately chosen this deserted bay for landing.

This location was a full thirty miles from Howard's base, with an entire stretch of uninhabited primeval jungle in between.

The terrain was extremely complex and fraught with danger.

But such hazards meant nothing to the battle-hardened Kane.

He raised his eyes toward the dense, dark primeval forest, his gaze sharp.

Without a moment's hesitation, Kane's figure flashed forward as he plunged straight into the lush jungle, rapidly advancing into its depths.

Inside the jungle, ancient trees towered skyward, vines crisscrossed overhead, and dead leaves and branches carpeted the ground.

Venomous creatures were everywhere, danger lurking in every inch of soil.

As he pressed forward, a venomous rattlesnake as thick as an arm coiled on a branch suddenly lunged at Kane's neck!

Its fangs gleamed with deadly menace!

Kane's expression didn't change. He dodged to the side.

With a single chop of his hand to the snake's head, he instantly shattered its spine. The venomous serpent went limp and lifeless, and he casually flung it aside.

Reaching a swampy shallows.

Several giant crocodiles lurked beneath the water, silently breaking the surface with their massive jaws gaping open, snapping viciously at his legs.

Kane pushed off with his feet, his body leaping into the air. Avoiding the bite, he brought both knees down hard, precisely crushing the crocodile's skull!

The massive reptile was knocked unconscious in the muddy water.

Deep in the jungle, an adult tiger held its territory. Hearing movement, it suddenly pounced to attack, its roar shaking the forest. Its claws tore through the air with fierce momentum.

Kane grabbed the tiger by the throat, using its momentum to lock down the beast's body, controlling his strength precisely to subdue it.

All along the way—venomous snakes, predators, swamps, toxic miasma—layer upon layer of obstacles, countless deadly threats came one after another. Yet Kane resolved them all, emerging without a scratch.

Traversing the peril-filled primeval jungle, Kane felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

In this moment, he seemed to return to those earliest days as a mercenary.

That year.

He'd ventured alone into the Amazon rainforest, fighting for survival amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, battling daily with venomous creatures, beasts, and elite assassins. Danger never ceased—all to complete a difficult assassination mission, to forge a path forward.

Time had passed. Now he was the Mercenary King who unified the underground world.

But these survival skills forged in desperate circumstances had never dulled in the slightest!