Valentino’s eyes narrowed, killing intent flashing through them.
“Isos… you’re not joking, are you?”
His expression darkened. “You want to start an internal power struggle now? If I tell the others, they’ll band together and execute you.”
Isos didn’t even flinch.
“Internal power struggle?” he scoffed. “What internal power struggle?”
“I’m talking about the Vicious Hound Hunters. They’re not even from the City of Sin.”
That gave Valentino pause.
It was a crucial distinction.
“You think stirring shit at a time like this isn’t risky?” Valentino asked cautiously.
“You’re overthinking it,” Isos said, shaking his head. “They’re strong, yes—but there aren’t many of them.”
“When the real breakout begins, it’ll be us commanders leading the charge, backed by our Awakened Legion. Tell me—how much influence can a small mercenary group really have?”
The logic was sound.
Valentino nodded slowly. “Even so, why should I be the one to act? I want to know what grudge you’re really carrying.”
He wasn’t about to risk his neck without knowing Isos’s true motive.
Isos’s eyes turned icy.
“Because I can’t allow Saka to keep that kind of power at his side.”
“Of the six leaders, you and Quinlan are weak,” he said bluntly.
Valentino snorted. “Hmph.”
“Caroline is the strongest, but she’s practically Morris’s disciple. We can’t compete with her.”
“The only one who truly clashes with me is Saka.”
“We’ve always been evenly matched—my forces against his, Penny balancing things out. But now? He’s got the Hound Hunters.”
Isos leaned closer. “Tell me—can I accept that?”
Valentino said nothing.
“Relax,” Isos continued. “I won’t let you do this for free.”
“Once they’re dealt with, everything they own is yours.”
“These people are young, absurdly strong, and carrying god knows how much high-end gear and resources.”
“Help me take them down… and it all belongs to you.”
Valentino was tempted—but he kept his voice steady.
“Sounds nice. But they’re not pushovers.”
“They are troublesome,” Isos admitted. “Even I can only handle one or two at most.”
“But they’re also stupid.”
“They actually volunteered for this mission. That’s practically suicide.”
He leaned in and whispered rapidly.
“As for the one under your command… I’ve got someone too. If we do this, then this…”
Valentino’s tightly furrowed brow slowly relaxed.
A smile crept across his face.
“Alright,” he said decisively. “We’ll do it your way.”
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Under the unified command of the Sin Legion, most residents of the City of Sin—carrying little more than basic supplies—were evacuating in an orderly flow.
At the southern gate, however, Sergio’s patience finally snapped.
“Who the hell are these people?” he demanded sharply.
Axel, Sergio, and the others were already assembled at the gate, ready to depart and draw the mutated beasts away. But just as they were about to move out, Isos and Valentino suddenly announced they were sending additional personnel along with them.
This had never been discussed.
And there was no way Sergio was going to swallow it quietly.
“Relax,” Isos said, smiling faintly. “These are elite units under my command and Mr. Valentino’s. They’re here to assist you.”
“Assist us?” Nigel sneered. “More like spy on us.”
“Heh,” Valentino chuckled without embarrassment. “There’s some truth to that.”
Terrence’s eyes lit up instantly. He rolled up his sleeves, Force flaring around him like a rising storm.
“Oh? You wanna fight? Come on. I’d love to see just how impressive Morris’s so-called elite Awakened really are.”
“Holy shit—”
Isos and Valentino both instinctively stepped back half a pace.
This guy… he’s even scarier than the mechanical freak.
“Enough!” Sergio snapped, waving Terrence down. When will this idiot ever learn restraint?
Rubbing his temples, Sergio turned toward Caroline and the other commanders.
“Care to explain this? Commanders—what exactly is going on here?”
“Isos. Valentino,” Caroline said coolly. “Explain yourselves.”
Isos didn’t look the least bit guilty.
“We have our reasons.”
“This is City of Sin territory. No one knows it better than we do,” he continued evenly. “With our help, the Hound Hunters’ mission will go much more smoothly.”
“And yes,” he added with a cold chuckle, “I do intend to keep an eye on you.”
Saka’s expression hardened instantly.
“What? Commander Isos, you don’t trust me?”
Penny, standing beside him, shot Isos a frosty glare, her pressure radiating unmistakably.
“Your people?” Valentino scoffed. “Commander Saka—no, Legion Commander Saka. I distinctly remember them stating they have nothing to do with the City of Sin.”
“For something this important, verbal promises aren’t enough,” he continued bluntly. “Isos and I aren’t that naive.”
“In our view, a certain level of surveillance is necessary. And besides—if they have nothing to hide, why fear being watched?”
“They weren’t even originally from the City of Sin,” Isos added casually.
That single sentence struck a nerve.
Several commanders exchanged looks.
“That… does make some sense.”
“They’re only trying to help.”
“Enough talk. Let’s move before we waste more time.”
The decision was made almost instantly. Under pressure from the higher-ups, Isos’s and Saka’s men were ordered to move together.
Penny clenched her teeth. “You—!”
“It’s fine,” Axel said calmly, stepping forward. “We’re happy to accept the help.”
Isos and Valentino both stiffened slightly.
This Yehuda…
Axel’s agreement was exactly what they wanted—yet for some reason, it made them uneasy.
But unease wasn’t enough to stop them.
Once he walks into this trap, he’s dead, both men thought with confidence.
At the southern gate, Axel looked out beyond the city walls.
A dark, endless stream of people poured out of the City of Sin. Even from afar, he could feel their fear—raw, suffocating, hopeless.
“Let’s move,” Axel said quietly.
He exchanged a glance with Sergio. The group turned and headed straight into the southern wilderness.
Behind them, Valentino and Isos each gave quiet instructions to their respective squad leaders, patting them on the shoulder.
“Make sure you keep up.”
“Don’t let them out of your sight.”
“Why didn’t you stop this?” Penny snapped at Saka, frustration boiling over. “This is exactly like the old you—always backing down!”
“Relax,” Saka said with a sly smile. “Those people aren’t as easy to fool as Isos thinks.”
From the rear, Lilith watched Axel’s figure recede into the distance.
“…boy,” she murmured under her breath, “you’ll be fine… right?”
......
“My lords—please slow down! Wait for us!”
After traveling for nearly an hour, Axel finally raised a hand and brought the group to a halt.
He turned around slowly, eyes narrowing as he studied the dozen or so Awakened scrambling to catch up behind them.
“Interesting.”
They looked exhausted, clearly not elite fighters. The two at the front—apparently the leaders—were barely Level Five, and even then on the weaker end. The rest were low-level Awakened, nothing particularly threatening.
But that wasn’t what caught Axel’s attention.
They were all riding wolves.
“Level Two mutated beasts… snow wolves?” Axel muttered in surprise.
These were exactly the kind of creatures Bloodstone Warfare had once poured massive resources into defending against. Savage, fast, and difficult to control.
And yet here they were—fully domesticated, obediently carrying riders across the frozen wilderness.
Without those mounts, these people would’ve been left in the dust long ago.
“…Looks like some kind of specialized Original Instrument,” Sergio murmured quietly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
“Seems so,” Axel replied.
Now that they were closer, he could clearly see it. Every snow wolf wore identical harness-like gear—almost like horse tack—etched with faint runes and emitting a distinct Force signature.
“Turning beast-taming into standardized equipment…” Axel chuckled softly. “That’s actually impressive.”
By then, the group had fully caught up.
“Mr. Sergio. Mr. Yehuda,” one of the leaders said politely, guiding his wolf forward. “You’re moving too fast. We almost couldn’t keep up.”
His smile was courteous, but the meaning behind it was obvious.
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