Chapter 125 The Unorthodox Counterstrike

The Cambodian air hung thick and humid,a stifling blanket draped over the jungle.

The roar of the jet faded as the sleek aircraft disappeared into the azure sky,leaving Max and his team on the tarmac of a small,deserted airstrip.

Silas's"welcome committee,"as Max had ironically dubbed them,hadn't wasted any time.

A phalanx of black SUVs,their tinted windows reflecting the harsh tropical sun,surrounded them,men in dark tactical gear spilling out,weapons glinting.

Max watched,a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

He'd expected a grand entrance,maybe some fireworks,perhaps a red carpet.

Silas always had a flair for the dramatic.

This…this was disappointingly straightforward.

"So,"Max drawled,stretching languidly as if he'd just stepped out of a spa treatment and not into a potential warzone.

"Anyone fancy a spot of tea? I'm rather parched after that flight."

Lily rolled her eyes,a faint amusement flickering in her normally impassive gaze.

"They're more likely to offer you a spot of lead,sir."Max chuckled.

"Ah,but where's the hospitality in that?"

A hulking figure emerged from the lead SUV.

Victor Blackthorn.

Silas's right-hand man,known for his brutal efficiency and a rather unfortunate fondness for spiked knuckle dusters.

His face,permanently etched in a scowl,darkened further at the sight of Max.

"Voss,"he growled,his voice a low rumble that resonated through the humid air.

"Blackthorn,"Max replied,tilting his head in mock acknowledgement.

"You've redecorated.I see black is still very much in this season."

Victor ignored the jibe.

"You're outnumbered,Voss.Surrender now,and maybe,just maybe,I'll let your little pets live."He gestured to Lily,Grace,and Daisy,his eyes lingering on Athena,a flicker of something unsettling in their depths.

Max's amusement vanished.

He glanced at Daisy,her arm still bandaged from their last encounter with Silas's goons.

Grace,pale but determined,stood by her sister,her fingers twitching nervously.

Athena,ever stoic,met Victor's gaze without flinching,her hand resting lightly on the hilt of the sword strapped to her back.

Following Max's subtle instructions delivered through coded glances,Grace and Daisy slipped away,melting into the shadows cast by the surrounding jungle.

Athena wanted to protest,to stay and fight at Max's side,but she trusted his judgement,even when it seemed utterly insane.

She retreated too,moving with the silent grace of a jungle cat.

Victor's men shifted uneasily,sensing the movement but unable to pinpoint its source in the dense undergrowth.

Victor,however,remained focused on Max.

"What's this?"he sneered.

"Deserting your troops,Voss?Not very heroic."

Max sighed dramatically.

"Alas,Blackthorn,even a tycoon can't fight an entire army.Especially not when one is feeling…under the weather."He clutched his chest theatrically,staggering slightly.

Victor's lips curled into a cruel smile.

He'd heard tales of Voss's…eccentricities.

Clearly,the rumours of the tycoon's madness were true.

This would be easier than he thought.

Beside Victor,a figure stepped forward.

Tall and wiry,with eyes that glowed with an unsettling inner light,this was the esper Victor had brought along–a man known only as"Wraith,"rumored to be able to manipulate energy itself.

A flicker of energy crackled around Wraith's hands,forming a shimmering,pulsating orb.

"No need for theatrics,Voss,"Victor said.

"Just end it quickly."

Wraith lunged,the energy orb hurtling towards Max.

A triumphant smirk spread across Victor's face.

It was over.

Then,everything changed.

Faster than the eye could follow,Max produced a small,ornate mirror from his pocket.

It shimmered with an otherworldly light,catching the energy orb and flinging it back at Wraith with amplified force.

The orb slammed into Wraith,sending him sprawling,a scream ripped from his throat as the energy he'd wielded turned against him.

Victor roared in fury,gesturing to his men.

They surged forward,a wave of black-clad figures converging on Max.

Unarmed and seemingly vulnerable,Max stood his ground.

He moved with an almost preternatural grace,dodging blows,deflecting attacks,using his attackers'momentum against them.

He wasn't a fighter in the traditional sense,but he was unpredictable,his movements unorthodox,and surprisingly effective.

He tripped one man,sending him sprawling into another.

He ducked under a swinging fist,spinning around and delivering a sharp jab to the attacker's solar plexus.

He moved like a phantom,a whisper in the wind,always one step ahead.

From her hidden vantage point,Grace watched the chaos unfold,her fingers flying across the keyboard of her customized laptop.

A faint whisper escaped her lips:"Almost…almost…"

The Cambodian air hung thick and humid,a stark contrast to the sterile environment of Max's private jet.

As he stepped onto the tarmac,a wave of heat washed over him,doing little to dampen his playful smirk.

Silas,a rogue scientist and former associate,had been a thorn in Max's side for far too long.

This little game of cat and mouse was finally coming to an end.

"Anything,Grace?"Max asked,adjusting his designer sunglasses.

Grace,perched on the hood of a sleek,black SUV that had been pre-positioned for their arrival,tapped away at her tablet.

"Silas has employed the Blackthorn Syndicate.Victor Blackthorn himself is overseeing security."A flicker of mischief crossed her face.

"Quite the elaborate welcome,wouldn't you say?"

"Victor Blackthorn?"Daisy,leaning against the SUV,whistled.

"That's a new one.I heard he likes to collect rare orchids.Maybe we should send him a Venus flytrap instead."

Max chuckled.

Blackthorn's reputation preceded him–ruthless,efficient,and with a penchant for theatrics.

This wasn't going to be a simple snatch-and-grab.

"Lily,any intel on their deployment?"

Lily,ever efficient,presented a holographic display projected from her wrist-mounted device.

"They've established a perimeter around the temple complex Silas is using as a base.Heavy artillery,ground troops,and…interesting…they've deployed some sort of sonic weaponry.Experimental,by the looks of it."

Athena,her usual stoic expression unchanged by the oppressive heat,spoke for the first time.

"Sonic weapons are effective against unshielded personnel.I can create a dampening field,but it will drain my energy reserves."

"No need for the heroics just yet,Athena,"Max reassured her,his tone laced with warmth.

He had other plans.

"Daisy,I need you to cause a distraction.Something…loud and flashy.Preferably involving glitter."

Daisy's eyes lit up.

"Oh,I can definitely do loud and flashy.Glitter is my middle name."

While Daisy went off to orchestrate her unique brand of chaos,Max turned to Grace.

"Hack into their communications network.I want to know what Blackthorn is saying to his men.And Grace…add a little…spice to the conversation."

Grace's grin was predatory.

"With pleasure.I have just the thing."

Within minutes,Daisy's distraction was in full swing.

A series of meticulously timed explosions rocked the jungle,accompanied by a shower of vibrant,iridescent glitter that rained down upon the bewildered Blackthorn mercenaries.

As they scrambled to understand the bizarre assault,Grace infiltrated their comm system,subtly altering Blackthorn's orders,turning his meticulously planned defense into a chaotic free-for-all.

Lily,monitoring the situation from the SUV,relayed the unfolding mayhem to Max.

"Blackthorn is losing control.His men are attacking each other.It's…glorious."

Max's smile broadened.

This was more like it.

"Excellent.Now,for the main event.Athena,are you ready for a little…unorthodox counterstrike?"

Athena's lips curved into a rare,but knowing smile.

"Always."

Max's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Silas wouldn't know what hit him.

The invincible tycoon had arrived,and he wasn't playing by the rules.