In a soundproof room, a tall man, about 1.80 meters in height, was communicating through a radio.
His appearance wouldn't be remarkable if not for the long scar stretching across his face from one side to the other. His dark hair already showed a few strands of gray, and a malicious smile slowly formed on his lips as he listened to the message.
This was Michel Hoffman, director of the Cia. corporation.
The son of a German immigrant and an American woman, his rise to such a high position had been heavily contested. Even so, thanks to his vast influence—especially in the underworld—he seized the position for himself.
In those circles, he was known as Frankenstein, a nickname that reflected his obsession with continuing the old experiments of the Soviet Union.
— A surviving superhuman?
The smile on his lips widened as he spoke, even as the strangeness of the information lingered in his mind. Alpha Zero-One had just relayed everything reported by John and the others.
At first, Michel believed it was the humanoid specimen that had disappeared from the satellite along with the three astronauts.
However, after hearing the description of the individual who had attacked his subordinates, he fell silent for a few moments. Even so, he couldn't recall any experiment that had truly succeeded. Still, he issued new orders. He wouldn't allow something so interesting to escape so easily.
Despite that, doubt still lingered within him, and for that reason, he ordered the group to test it.
°°°
Alpha Zero-One relayed Michel's orders, causing John and the others' expressions to darken.
— Damn it! Does the boss really want to get us killed? — Romeo complained, visibly shaken.
— Watch what you say, Romeo. You know how dangerous he is — Alan warned, trying to maintain his composure, though fear was still clearly visible on his face.
Demi looked around, as if searching for someone.
— Where is Josef?
John also frowned. Josef didn't seem to have left the van.
— That useless guy is passed out in the driver's seat — Alan replied.
— And you're only saying that now? — John questioned, staring at him.
— I never liked that guy — Alan shot back indifferently.
John was about to head into the vehicle to wake Josef, but at that moment, Demi grabbed his arm and whispered into his ear.
— Leader… none of us wants to test the limits of that monster. It's possible that before we get any results, we'll end up like Ralf… so why not send Josef, who doesn't know anything? It would be a noble sacrifice to protect his comrades, right?
Demi intended to use Rafael's past mistakes to push him into that role, but since he had a broken arm and understood the situation, it wouldn't be easy to convince him.
Josef, however, who knew nothing, was different. John thought for a few seconds, his eyes drifting toward a rock a few meters away. After a quiet sigh, he decided to follow the suggestion.
After explaining the plan to the others, John cast a serious look at Rafael.
— You'd better stay quiet… unless you want to take his place in this.
Rafael swallowed dryly. Even though he found the decision cruel, he remained silent. He could no longer act on impulse—his family depended on his safe return.
•••
After Demi entered the van and dragged Josef out, slapping his face several times, the man woke up in shock. His gaze swept past Demi before stopping on Rafael, who was looking at him strangely. He observed Romeo's condition and finally fixed his eyes on his leader, John, who stared back at him seriously.
John quickly explained that the van had been hit by a truck and ended up in that condition. He also claimed that everything was a setup by Middle Eastern mercenaries. He added that, before being surrounded by hostile forces, they were preparing to move on foot.
However, there was a witness hiding behind a rock about 350 meters away, and John told him to deal with that witness, giving him permission to shoot if there was resistance.
Josef raised an eyebrow slightly. The story was strange—too strange. He couldn't remember any truck, only an explosion happening in front of the van. Even so, with everyone's eyes on him, he didn't know how to refuse without raising suspicion. So, he decided to go along with it, but remained cautious.
— Hah! Leader, you're joking, right? Leave these small things to me — he said, forcing a smile as he looked around.
Josef scanned the area as if searching for someone. Noticing this, Alan spoke with a look of disgust:
— If you're looking for that useless Ralf, forget it. Just look at the pathetic state he's in after being thrown out of the van.
Shielding his eyes from the sunlight, Josef spotted a bloodied body in the distance.
— What the hell… that guy bragged so much just to die like that… what a disgrace.
That was what he said, but deep inside, something kept screaming at him. Something was wrong—very wrong. Even as he acted normally in front of the others, his mind kept spinning, trying to understand what kind of trap he was being led into.
Without wasting time, John handed him his semi-automatic rifle, telling him not to hold back on ammunition if necessary. Hearing that, Josef's heart skipped a beat.
"Is it really just a witness… or something else?"
He briefly considered checking the weapon, but found nothing unusual—it seemed completely normal. With the rifle in hand, he advanced slowly toward the rock, each step cautious and measured. When he realized the rock could barely hide a single person, he felt a slight sense of relief.
"Maybe it really is just one person… right?"
He swallowed hard, still uneasy.
•••
William watched everything from behind the rock, his mind racing. If he used his Ki to repel bullets again, he wouldn't have enough left to face the next opponents.
"If only the master could give me some hint…" he thought, a trace of helplessness surfacing.
In the end, he made a decision. He withdrew the Ki that covered his entire body and condensed it only around vital organs, his face, and the most fragile areas.
Even if the bullets pierced his flesh, he would control the bleeding and trap the fragments before they could cause internal damage. It was reckless and painful, but it was the only way to conserve the little True Ki he had left.
At thirty steps from the rock, Josef called out:
— Hey, my friend, why don't you come out so we can talk? I guarantee you won't suffer if you cooperate.
His grip tightened around the rifle, ready to fire at the slightest movement. Behind the rock, William's expression hardened.
— Did this guy forget what happened to his partner earlier? No… he's planning something… — he muttered.
The next instant, his body flashed with golden light and vanished.
Josef's smug smile froze as a figure wrapped in golden light rushed toward him. His instincts screamed danger, and without thinking, he jumped backward.
Boom!!
A violent impact struck the ground where he had been standing, forming a crater with cracks spreading through the hardened soil as dust exploded into the air.
TATATATATA!!!
Josef opened fire without hesitation.
William smiled faintly, realizing his plan had worked. Focusing Ki into his legs, his muscles tensed violently, slightly tearing his pants as he accelerated forward, carefully tracking the direction of the gunfire.
TATATATA
Puff! Puff! Puff!
— ARCK!
His face twisted in pain as bullets pierced his abdomen. Unable to repel them anymore, he gritted his teeth and forced his Ki inward, sealing the wounds, isolating the bullets, and preventing the blood from spilling out. Even so, more shots continued to land on his body.
— Damn it! What the hell is this monster?!
Josef's voice was drowned out by the continuous gunfire. Even without seeing clearly through the dust, he could hear it—the dull sound of flesh being torn and the low groans of pain. He knew he had hit him many times, and yet the man kept advancing.
At that moment, everything made sense. Rafael's strange look, the leader's forced explanation, and Ralf's broken body all connected in his mind.
— This wasn't an accident… this is a monster… and they sent me to die!
His face twisted between rage and despair as he kept firing, even knowing it might already be useless.
William closed the distance in an instant and slipped past him. Before Josef could react, hands covered his eyes while his body was violently pulled backward. Darkness swallowed his vision, followed by the metallic taste of blood.
William twisted his body sharply, grabbed Josef's head, and drove his knee upward with brutal force into his spine.
Creak!
A sickening crack echoed as his spine shattered instantly.
Puff!
William froze for a few seconds before letting the body fall. The realization hit him immediately—he had killed again. Even trying to hold back, even trying to use less force, for someone inexperienced like him, it was extremely difficult.
His hands trembled slightly, and his breathing became uneven. He looked at them for a moment before turning away, without looking back.
Jumping behind the rock once more, he forced himself to stay calm. His eyes were red with tension, and his entire body was rigid. He couldn't afford to break now. If he did, everything his master warned him about would become reality—he would lose everything.
His body was soaked in blood, riddled with wounds. Using his Ki, he forced fragments of metal out of his flesh one by one. If counted, there were more than eighty wounds spread across his body.
"Would my master really let me die… if I fail to save Juliane?"
His gaze trembled slightly, carrying a faint, suffocating feeling deep inside him—something close to abandonment. Even if he tried to deny it, he knew the truth. If he couldn't overcome this, he would become just another corpse among countless others in this world.
The illusions shaped by the webnovels he once read were fading. Reality was far crueler.
Maybe… he really could die here today.
°°°
The dust slowly settled, revealing a single corpse twisted unnaturally on the ground. Bullet casings were scattered everywhere, along with trails of blood and deep footprints carved into the hardened soil. At the center, a crater still released faint heat into the air.
John's expression was bitter, as if he had swallowed something unpleasant. The others stood in silence, their faces pale and their fear impossible to hide.
Only a minute and a half had passed. That was all it took for Josef to die, and they had barely seen their enemy.
— Leader… Josef's death wasn't in vain — Demi said quietly, watching the blood spread across the ground.
— Right. If he can be hurt, then he can be killed — Romeo replied, a faint trace of hope returning to his voice.
Alan's eyes lit up, and even Rafael felt a small sense of relief, though guilt still weighed on him. This time, he would have to abandon part of his honor; otherwise, he would never return to his wife and daughter.
John quickly reported everything to Alpha Zero-One. One minute later, new orders came directly from Michel. A faint smile spread across their faces—reinforcements were coming.
However… one final test remained.
Rafael lowered his head slightly and let out a quiet sigh.
Bad luck… for the girl.