Standing in front of Alex was a massive vehicle—one of those he'd only seen in war movies. A full-blown armored tanker. Long, heavy, its body painted in white-and-black camouflage, chunks of snow still clinging to the steel plating.
Right now though, the weapon's barrel was aimed squarely at him, and Alex already knew what was coming next.
'Ohhh shit,' Alex thought.
His mind ran wild, searching for any solution to this nightmare.
His astral body and phantom body were still on cooldown. Their recovery time always depended on how long he'd used them before, or how strong the attack had been that forced them to deactivate.
Because of that, Alex had only one other idea. He could use his buster technique—could—but his artificial qi bank was already running low.
That left only one option: the axe.
He clenched it tight and was halfway through his swing when the bang erupted.
Instinct took over. Alex switched plans mid-action, twisting to dodge, legs pushing off the snow as fast as he could move.
It didn't matter.
An explosion tore through the area beside him. Not a direct hit, but close enough to send him flying like a ragdoll.
His body skidded across the ground, rolling several times before finally slamming into something solid.
Where he'd been standing a moment ago, a massive crater now smoked. Wet dirt and shattered debris rained down as the air filled with the stench of burnt steel.
Alex had survived—barely.
If that blast had hit him head-on, there wouldn't even be ashes left to bury.
He groaned, trying to push himself up. His muscles screamed. The suit had held, but the pain cutting through his body said otherwise.
'Shit... I can't keep fighting like this...' Alex thought, leaning against the cracked wall behind him. He'd been blasted clear across the base.
For now, the area was empty. No soldiers, no fire. Just smoke and silence.
He took a long, shaky breath, trying to catch it while he could.
Then—rumble.
The ground trembled as something heavy rolled closer. The grinding screech of treads chewing up concrete echoed through the area.
Moments later, the tanker appeared through the haze—smoke hissing from its cannon. It crushed a car flat beneath its tracks as it climbed over the wreckage.
'Ohhh shit... I thought I was blown away far. How the hell did they even find me?'
Then his eyes caught it—metal poles stuck into the ground around him, each topped with a small rotating lens.
Cameras.
One of the cameras was locked straight on him.
'Of course they've got eyes everywhere... reporting every move,' Alex thought.
He forced himself to his feet, staring at the tanker ahead. Its turret was already rotating, locking onto him.
At that moment, Alex shut his eyes.
'C'mon... I need the phantom body. Bloodline power won't save me here,' he thought, clenching his fists.
Then—someone stepped in front of him.
Tamsin.
His arm was out, palm forward, qi flaring in a curved wall that shimmered like a bent pane of glass.
Boom!
The tanker fired.
The sharp, steel-tipped cannon shell screamed through the air—too fast for Alex to even track. It smashed into Tamsin's barrier.
The barrier flexed inward, folding like cloth under pressure. But instead of shattering, it swallowed the shell whole, wrapping around it in a glowing arc.
The force slammed into Tamsin's chest. He gritted his teeth and caught it bare-handed.
The man held the cannon itself—bare palms against burning steel—as his boots carved twin trenches across the snow and dirt.
Eventually, Tamsin came to a grinding stop, boots digging deep trenches in the ground before he slammed to a halt just a few feet away from Alex.
"Now!" Tamsin barked.
A split second later—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three flashes of light streaked from above, cutting through the smoke.
BOOM!
The explosions hit dead-on. Flames burst from the tanker as its frame cracked apart, metal shredding into fiery debris that rained across the snow.
Then—someone dropped from the sky, landing with a heavy thud that sent a wave of dust rolling out.
Merrick.
He straightened up, shotgun in hand, grinning wide beneath the smoke.
"Looks like we saved your ass," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Quick—take out the cameras!" Tamsin ordered sharply.
Without hesitation, Merrick spun, lifted his shotgun, and fired.
Each pull of the trigger was a clean flash—bang, bang, bang!—and the security poles went dark one by one.
"Thanks," Alex said, exhaling hard. "You literally just saved my life."
Tamsin smirked and rolled his shoulder. "Guess that means you owe me. Save me back someday."
Before Alex could reply, movement flickered from above. Gwen came sprinting across rooftops, her boots hitting snow and steel with quick, controlled strides. She leaped down, landing near them in a crouch.
"Sorry," Gwen said, brushing dust from her sleeve. "I was supposed to cover you from those tanker, but I got carried away."
"It's nothing, really. I'm fine," Alex said, forcing a shaky grin. "The suit took the hit. Let's just go and finish these people off."
"No… you're not fit enough to continue with us," Tamsin said firmly.
"Wait—no. I can still fight. It's just a minor injury," Alex replied, gritting his teeth.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you."
"Alex, listen," Gwen said, stepping forward. "You can stay here and assist us remotely. I believe these people still have more up their sleeve than we've seen."
She paused, glancing around. "Have you all noticed something?"
"Yes," Merrick said, eyes narrowing. "Since we came in here, not a single Paragon has shown up among their soldiers."
"If they're hoarding their power," Tamsin said, "then I'm certain you're not fit enough to continue. Try using your remaining qi to heal yourself. We'll handle things from here."
He looked directly at Alex. His tone dropped an octave.
"This is an order from the Pendragons themselves."
Tamsin's eyes glowed faintly red as he turned away. Gwen and Merrick followed, vanishing into the chaos ahead.
Alex stayed frozen where he was, staring blankly at the glowing interface before him.
[The Pendragon Bloodline Influence has been used on you]
[Error!]
[Influence Failed]
At that moment, Alex smirked.
"I guess I'm not entirely out of this fight after all," he muttered, his eyes glinting with new resolve.
---
Meanwhile, high above the chaos, the Vornshade Clan leaders were still gathered in their meeting room. The air inside was thick — not just from the smoke, but from tension.
"Come on! We've lost sight of them—someone get me a view of what's happening down there, and fast!" one of the commanders barked.
"Send out the drones," Varkov, the leader of the Vornshade Clan, thundered as he slammed his hand on the square table. The impact rattled cups and echoed through the chamber.
A few of the men jumped to their feet and rushed out. The rest stayed seated, their eyes shifting nervously — all except one.
Among them sat a man Alex would recognize the moment he laid eyes on him: Lucius Vanderbilt.
"For someone whose clan is under attack," Lucius said coolly, "you sure don't act like it."
Varkov froze mid-drag, his cigarette glowing faintly red.
"You're here, sitting on your throne," Lucius continued, his tone sharp as glass, "when you could be sending out your strongest men to deal with the problem."
Varkov leaned back in his chair, exhaling smoke in slow circles. "This isn't big enough for that yet," he said, voice calm but edged.
Lucius studied him for a moment, his jaw tightening.
'Is it just me,' Lucius thought, 'or does he really not understand he's losing his base while sitting here pretending to be untouchable?'
In the end, Lucius said nothing more. He watched Varkov with a cold, measured stare.
Varkov took one last drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out slow. Then he leveled his gaze at Lucius.
"Now tell me—what brings you to my base at a time like this? You know that makes you a bit suspicious," Varkov said.
Lucius only scoffed at the suggestion.
"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't even know it," he replied, his voice flat and dangerous.
A ripple of murmurs rolled through the seated men. Faces shifted. Tension spiked.
"Enough!" Varkov snapped, his tone iron. The room fell silent. "I'll take that as a joke—now what actually brought you here?"
Lucius leaned forward, eyes colder than before.
"I'm here to look for Eddie."