Chapter 202

Chapter 202

The moment those words left his mouth—

The seven mercenary leaders, the black-clad thugs, the wounded Howard—every single face drained of color, minds going completely blank!

The trap they'd been so proud of, the Mercenary King they'd mocked so freely, had never gone to Ironspire Island at all!

The enemy they'd been guarding against, the one they'd dismissed—he'd been lurking right beside them this entire time!

But it was already too late!

"You dare touch my wife? Die!"

The instant that roar fell, Kane's wrist snapped forward with explosive force, the blade slicing through the air!

The razor-sharp gleam flashed and vanished, too fast for the naked eye to catch!

The Nightthorn leader didn't even have time to feel fear before a crimson line burst across his throat.

The next instant, his head flew into the air, a fountain of hot blood spraying skyward!

The headless corpse toppled heavily onto the stone platform.

No one had expected that the Nightthorn leader, so arrogant just seconds ago, would be decapitated in an instant, dead on the spot!

But then, the Nightthorn leader's pistol accidentally struck Isabelle's head, and she collapsed unconscious.

Dead silence!

The surroundings plunged into a deathly quiet.

Howard's pupils contracted sharply, his face turning ashen white as paper. His voice trembled out, "You're the Mercenary King?"

Kane raised his hand and wiped away the camouflage paint from his face.

That cold, commanding face—the one that had shaken the entire underground world—was now fully revealed before everyone.

He was the legend of the mercenary world!

The Mercenary King!

On the stone platform, every leader's expression changed drastically, their bodies frozen stiff, eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

Howard stood completely stunned, his expression blank, unable to accept the reality before him.

He'd painstakingly laid out his scheme, spent countless resources setting his trap, convinced that Kane had died in the trap at Ironspire Island—yet here the man was, standing alive right in front of him!

Kane immediately ran over and scooped Isabelle into his arms. "Honey, are you okay?"

He checked her over and found she'd only fainted, nothing serious. He relaxed slightly.

Just then, Winnie's eyes reddened, tears streaming down as she threw herself into Kane's embrace. "Daddy! I knew you'd come save me!"

"Of course. I'll always protect my good girl, Winnie!" Kane pulled Winnie tightly into his arms.

The remaining six mercenary leaders exploded with fury, whirling to glare at Howard, voices sharp with accusation—

"Howard! Didn't you say the Mercenary King had been lured elsewhere, that he was definitely dead?"

"Why the hell is he here on Monarch Isle!"

"Were you playing us from the start? Using us as pawns to die for you!"

Their rage burned hot.

Howard looked utterly bewildered and panicked, shaking his head frantically. "I don't know either! The plan was flawless—I have no idea how he got here!"

Watching them panic and turn on each other, Kane's expression remained cold. "You really thought your pathetic little schemes and tricks could fool me?"

"From the moment you spread false intel and conspired with that mole, I saw straight through it."

"You thought you'd trapped me with your diversion? You never realized—you'd already fallen into my trap."

"I'd already dispatched a hundred thousand elite mercenaries to every front line. Your forces? By now, they're probably all wiped out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kane's private phone vibrated.

He answered, and the screen showed a live video feed from Bayonet.

In the video, the battlefield was strewn with wreckage. The ambush forces at Ironspire Island had been completely annihilated.

Those who resisted had been killed. The rest had thrown down their weapons and surrendered, utterly defeated. The situation was completely under control.

Kane raised his phone, turning the screen toward everyone present.

Howard and the remaining six mercenary leaders saw the scene and felt their hearts shatter, their bodies turning ice-cold.

In an instant, three of the leaders fully grasped reality and no longer dared oppose Kane. "Mr. Lockwood! We surrender! We'll submit completely! We'll never oppose you again!"

Seeing this, Howard screamed frantically, his face twisted with rage. "You can't surrender! Absolutely not!"

"We still have so many people—he's just one man! If we all attack together and fight to the death, we can kill him! We still have a chance!"

"If you choose to surrender, I can let you live," Kane said calmly.

It wasn't that Kane was soft—it was mainly because Winnie and Isabelle were nearby. With so many enemies, they could easily get hurt.

"Thank you, Mr. Lockwood!"

But after this shock, the three were already gripped by absolute terror of Kane. They didn't dare fight anymore.

They completely ignored Howard's pleas, taking their remaining men and fleeing without looking back!

Kane settled Isabelle and Winnie behind a section of broken wall.

He stepped back out to face Howard and the others. "You dared go after my wife and child. Time to settle accounts!"

"Die!"

Kane held nothing back, his form surging forward in a flash as he unleashed a killing spree.

The remaining three organization leaders fought back desperately, throwing everything they had into surrounding him—but before Kane, they were still utterly helpless.

The blade rose and fell with lethal precision. In just a few exchanges, all three leaders lay dead on the ground!

Only Howard remained!

"You think this is the end of me?" Howard's expression twisted savagely.

"You're alone now. What are you going to do about me?"

Kane sneered coldly.

"Oh yeah? Let me show you the power of science!"

Howard went completely insane.

He pulled out a syringe filled with blue serum and jabbed it into his thigh.

Kane froze for a moment.

Could that be the Enhanced Human gene serum?

The next instant—

Howard's body swelled massively, veins and muscles bulging grotesquely.

His combat power far exceeded the half-finished Enhanced Humans from the lab earlier—speed, strength, defense, all enhanced across the board!

"I'm invincible! I'm going to kill you!"

Howard roared, lunging at Kane.

But even with this strength, in Kane's eyes, it was still insignificant.

Kane handled Howard with complete composure!

With one slash, he drove the blade into Howard's heart, ending his life once and for all.

It was all over.

Kane stood in a pool of blood, surrounded by corpses. His body was covered in blood—though it was all someone else's—like Zeus descending from the heavens!

The smoke cleared, and the stone platform returned to silence.

Kane hurried behind the stone wall, only to find that Winnie had also fainted from exhaustion.

He gathered both Winnie and Isabelle into his arms.

Just then, the roar of a helicopter echoed from the sky.

The helicopter descended rapidly.

"Mr. Lockwood! I'm here!"

The cabin door opened, and Bayonet, Thorin, and the others rushed over.

Kane asked, "Did you find my in-laws?"

Thorin immediately reported, "Mr. Lockwood, they've been rescued—safe and sound, not a scratch on them!"

Knowing his family was all safe, Kane's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed.

He gently handed his wife and daughter to Thorin, instructing him to take good care of them, then turned and walked toward the stone platform.

Kane couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

This was the treasure of the Aetherian Empire!

"Mr. Lockwood, we're about to strike it rich with you!" Thorin rubbed his hands together, face full of anticipation.

Bayonet was both nervous and excited. "I wonder what kind of treasures are inside!"

Kane drew his dagger and lightly cut his palm.

Drop by drop, blood carrying the pure bloodline of the Aetherian Empire slowly dripped down, merging into the ancient stone groove.

The ancient runes instantly blazed with brilliant golden light. The entire volcano shook violently, a roaring sound echoing throughout!

The massive stone door ahead slowly lifted!

The secret treasure vault of the Aetherian Empire, sealed for millennia, was finally opening completely.

"Let's go in!"

Kane led Bayonet and Thorin, rushing inside at a quick pace.

Beyond the stone door, a long corridor descended.

After walking for about ten minutes, they found themselves in an underground palace constructed entirely of pure gold.

Inside the palace, everything glittered magnificently.

Mountains of rare gemstones, ancient artifacts, and priceless treasures were everywhere, radiating brilliant light in a grand and majestic display!

"So much treasure!"

"Oh my God!"

"Mr. Lockwood, we're rich!"

Bayonet, Thorin, and the others stared at the incredible scene before them, unable to process it for a long time.

Kane's expression remained calm. He said coolly, "Take all the treasure back!"

---

The battle at Monarch Isle was finally over!

From that point on, Kane set aside the overwhelming power of the Mercenary King, taking Isabelle and Winnie far from conflict to live a peaceful, content, and quietly happy life.

Their days were calm and joyful, the years stretching out long and gentle.

But this peace didn't last long.

One afternoon, under clear skies, in the tranquil villa, Bayonet entered the living room with a grave expression, bringing a crucial new lead that shattered the long-standing calm.

"Mr. Lockwood! We've found a lead on the foreign power that was controlling Howard from behind the scenes!"