Break Their Will

In the dead of night.

A single candle flickered weakly in the air-raid shelter. Some had already succumbed to sleep, others were quietly packing their meager belongings, while a few more huddled on the cold ground, the silence occasionally pierced by muffled sobs.

They longed for their loved ones.

Most of these people were students from far-off places. When the disaster struck, communication was severed, cutting them off from their families. The monsters that now roamed the world were horrifying—how many of their parents could have possibly survived? Even if they were still alive, the paralysis of transportation and the thousands of miles that separated them made the hope of reunion a distant dream.

Some were consumed by despair, their hearts shackled by the weight of loss, wandering through their days like the walking dead, devoid of purpose or direction.

But others understood the harsh reality—they needed strength to survive. Among them were athletes who had organized group training sessions. Even as the night crept towards ten o'clock, they continued their exercises in the dim open spaces, doing push-ups and drills. Though the progress was slow, their determination was unwavering.

Groups of ten.

Forty-seven people divided into five groups, each with a leader tasked with managing daily chores and combat readiness.

After the harrowing encounter with the ghouls, these survivors had begun to acclimate to their grim surroundings. The fear that once haunted their faces had diminished, replaced by a glimmer of courage.

This was the confidence bestowed by proximity to power.

As the saying goes, a timid soldier makes a timid army.

If ordinary people had been left to fend for themselves, they would never have been able to wipe out the ghoul camp. Even killing a single creature would have come at a heavy cost. But now, under Chen Feng's command, the Harbinger tore through the ghouls with terrifying ease, as if the slaughter was a trivial task. Countless ghouls lay dead, their camp obliterated.

Borrowed bravery.

These survivors had found courage through Chen Feng, convinced that nothing was beyond his grasp.

Chen Feng, however, was indifferent to their thoughts. He summoned Wei Xun aside to discuss his plans.

"What? We're going to confront Wang Yong at dawn? Sir, isn't that a bit hasty? You must understand, he's formidable, and he has two professionals under his command..." Wei Xun, who had been with Chen Feng long enough to grasp the power of professionals, couldn't hide his concern.

Chen Feng's gaze remained steady.

Wei Xun took a deep breath, steeling himself before divulging everything he knew. "Sir, when Rat came to me on behalf of Wang Yong, he confessed that he was the weakest among them. Wang Yong can control two monstrous cockroaches—massive creatures, as large as millstones, with armor-like exoskeletons and razor-sharp mandibles. I've heard tales of him feeding those who crossed him to these bugs, and with a single bite, they're cleaved in two."

"That's not all. Wang Yong has another under his command—one who wields electricity like a weapon, and another who can grow his nails into lethal blades. The former can fry a man alive in seconds; the latter's nails can slice through stone as easily as flesh."

Wei Xun's voice was strained, his every word heavy with the weight of their shared fate. He knew there was no turning back—success or death were the only options left to them.

"Cockroaches? Resilient vermin, but they come in many forms. Millstone-sized with razor-sharp mandibles... Bladed Cockroach? Spotted Cloud Cockroach? Or perhaps Carrion Cockroach..." Chen Feng's tone was eerily calm, his mind calculating the possibilities. Each word was a scalpel, dissecting the threat with surgical precision. But even then, there was an air of indifference, as though the exact species of these monstrosities was of little consequence.

"But..."

"So what if they have three professionals?" Chen Feng's gaze hardened, his eyes narrowing like a storm gathering on the horizon. His voice dropped to a low, menacing growl, carrying the weight of inevitable doom. "They're nothing more than insects to be crushed underfoot."

Wei Xun shuddered involuntarily. He could see it now—Chen Feng wasn't boasting. The man was a force of nature, relentless and unyielding. Wang Yong's inflated reputation, built on the whispers of cowards like Rat, crumbled to dust in the face of this living nightmare.

With a mere thought, Chen Feng could summon horrors that defied understanding, each one more terrifying than the last.

Wang Yong, strong?

Was he stronger than the bloodthirsty Harbinger, with its insatiable hunger for carnage? Stronger than the Dark Elf, who could kill with a whisper and vanish like a shadow? Or that grotesque abomination, born from the darkest recesses of the Abyss?

Wei Xun had heard the stories of Wang Yong's power, but he had seen Chen Feng's wrath with his own eyes. The ghouls, once feared as unstoppable predators, had been reduced to mere fodder—eviscerated without so much as a fight, their remains strewn about like discarded meat.

This... This was true power.

Wang Yong was just another insect-handler, toying with vermin. How could that compare to his lord's power?

As the thought settled, Wei Xun exhaled deeply. Survival had made him ruthless, even willing to murder his closest friend. Such a person was inherently wild and vicious, a creature of instincts, ready to bite and claw until his enemy lay dead at his feet.

Yet before Chen Feng, he was nothing more than a submissive dog, eager to lick his master's boots. But to others, he was a rabid wolf, sinking his fangs deep and never releasing his grip until his prey's lifeblood stained the ground.

Wei Xun's eyes narrowed, a cold gleam of malice flickering within. With Chen Feng as his lord, fear no longer shackled him. "The lord is right. If anyone dares to resist, we'll kill them all! No! There are still many of Wang Yong's loyal dogs in that factory. If one refuses to submit, we'll kill two; if two resist, we'll slaughter four. Let's see who dares defy us then!"

As he spoke, his excitement grew. His body flushed red, and mottled scales erupted across his skin. A thick lizard tail unfurled from his back, slamming against the wall with a thunderous crack.

Wei Xun's bloodlust was palpable—a double-edged sword, sharp and lethal.

The downside? People like him had no principles, no sense of mercy, never leaving room for negotiation. But the upside? He was ruthless and decisive, a weapon that, when wielded correctly, could become invaluable.

Chen Feng didn't mind Wei Xun's savage nature. He had the power to control it, to bend it to his will. No matter how venomous Wei Xun's instincts were, they would never stray beyond Chen Feng's grasp.

One thing Wei Xun had said was true:

Crush them until they submit.

Break Their Will.

Chen Feng's eyes grew colder as his thoughts drifted to the battlefield awaiting him tomorrow. Submit or perish. All traces of defiance had to be eradicated—professionals, non-complaint's, loyalists, it didn't matter.

The wise would surrender. The foolish? They would become fodder for the Dretch, fertilizer for its evolution...