Chapter 37

I moved swiftly, my preparations complete. The time had come to eradicate the filth that preyed on the weak—the savage human meat manufacturers who turned people into livestock.

As my team and I infiltrated the first facility, the stench of blood and decay assaulted our senses. Inside, the horrifying scene froze us for a moment—rows of human bodies dissected on conveyor belts, their flesh stripped like mere slabs of meat. Severed heads were piled into massive trays, lifeless eyes staring into the void. The sound of machines grinding and bones snapping echoed through the warehouse.

Rage boiled within me. There was no hesitation, no mercy. Not a single one of these inhuman butchers would be left alive.

Gunfire erupted, slicing through the guards and workers, their screams drowned by the thunderous fury of my team. Blades cut through flesh, bullets found their marks, and within minutes, the facility became a slaughterhouse for the slaughters.

As the last brute collapsed in a pool of his own blood, I gave the order. The explosives were set, their beeping a countdown to oblivion. My team and I moved out swiftly, and the moment we reached a safe distance—

BOOM.

A fiery explosion erupted, consuming the factory in a hellish blaze. The ground trembled, and the sky was illuminated by the inferno. Even from twenty miles away, the detonation could be heard.

One facility down. Many more to go.

I didn't look back. This was only the beginning.

I stood motionless, my gaze fixed on the night sky, where the fire from the exploded factory painted the darkness in shades of crimson and gold. The scent of smoke and blood lingered in the air, mixing into something almost suffocating.

My fingers trembled slightly—not from fear, but from something deeper, something colder.

What is this chilling feeling?

My pulse should have been steady, my mind clear after another victory, but instead, a strange emptiness coiled around my heart.

The thrill of battle, the satisfaction of wiping out those monsters, should have made me feel victorious. Instead, all I could feel was the lingering desire to slaughter.

Had I always been like this?

Was I being corrupted by hatred—twisted by the very cruelty I swore to destroy?

My breaths came slow and shallow as the flames flickered in my eyes.

"Can I really save this world?"

I had vowed to protect the weak, to build a haven where no one would suffer like Brick's family had. But now, I wasn't sure if I was protecting or simply destroying.

Each time I killed, the weight of it faded. It became easier. Too easy.

"Am I losing myself?"

The night stretched on, indifferent to my turmoil. The fire raged, but inside me, a much darker storm brewed.

---

In a remote villa near the mountains, the dim glow of torches cast flickering shadows on the stone walls. Maximus and his most devoted followers knelt in a ritualistic circle, their heads bowed in reverence as they chanted in unison. The air was thick with the scent of burning incense, a twisted offering to the god they served.

At the center of the chamber, a black altar pulsed with an eerie glow, feeding off the dark energies surrounding it. This was their sacred place, a temple hidden from the eyes of the unworthy—a place where the will of the Dark Lord Hades would be realized.

Maximus raised his hands, his voice steady, filled with conviction. "O Lord of the Abyss, guide us in our mission. Let your power descend upon us so we may carry out your will."

The flames on the torches shuddered, and the shadows along the walls twisted unnaturally. The temperature in the room dropped as a deep, guttural voice resonated through the chamber, echoing in their very souls.

"Maximus."

The voice of Hades was cold, omnipotent, and laced with ancient malice.

"What is the progress of the plan? Update me, Maximus."

Maximus lowered his head further, his heart pounding in both fear and exhilaration. The Dark Lord had spoken.

"My Lord, the preparations are nearly complete. Overseer's body is proving to be the perfect vessel for your return. The Void Resonance within him is strong—it will sustain your divinity."

There was a brief silence before a dark chuckle rumbled through the room, vibrating through the very foundations of the villa.

"Good. Do not fail me, Maximus. The world as they know it will crumble. And from its ruins… I shall rise again."

The flickering torches suddenly burst into black flames, illuminating the devoted faces of Maximus and his followers, their eyes filled with unshaken devotion.

The time was near. The world would soon bow before their Dark Lord.

----

The Keeper's ancient gaze deepens as he absorbs the weight of the moment. The very fabric of the world trembles as the Shadow Eminence's silent communication with Milena echoes through the void, carrying a foreboding presence.

A deep sigh escapes the Keeper's lips. "I have felt it... the Dark Lord stirs, his malevolence seeping through the cracks of fate. The tides of war are shifting, and the Final War is no longer just a prophecy—it is becoming a certainty."

He turns toward the horizon, eyes reflecting a mix of sorrow and inevitability. "The child… she is strong, but strength alone will not be enough. Will she embrace the power of the Shadow Eminence and stand against the darkness? Or will the chaos of this world consume her, turning her into something else entirely?"

For a brief moment, silence lingers—a silence heavy with uncertainty.

"Her choice will determine the fate of everything."

Dylan watches Tang Su Yan in silence, his sharp eyes catching the subtle tension in her posture, the distant look in her eyes. Something is weighing heavily on her, but she hides it well—too well.

He wants to ask, to reach out, but hesitation grips him. How can he approach her? What words would be right? Su Yan has always carried herself with strength, but now, she seems lost in a storm only she can see.

A soft voice pulls him from his thoughts.

"You need to help and support her, Dylan," the Prophetess whispers beside him. Her gaze is calm but knowing, her tone laced with urgency. "I don't know the details, but Su Yan is in crisis right now. She's confused... and she won't ask for help, even if she needs it."

Dylan clenches his fists, glancing back at Su Yan. He understands. She bears the weight of too many burdens, and if no one steps in, she might collapse under them.

Determined, he exhales. "I'll be there for her."