Stephen Rivers glared at Chris with venom in his eyes.
For years, he had toiled relentlessly, creating his army of super soldiers. But to his disbelief, Chris had single-handedly wiped them all out.
With a twisted sneer, Stephen spat, “Don’t get too cocky, Chris. You’ve crossed the Prince, and there’s no good ending for you. One day, I’ll create even stronger super soldiers-and they’ll kill you.”
Chris raised his head, his eyes locking onto Stephen Rivers. A terrifying aura of killing intent radiated from him.
If Daniel Williams was the mastermind, then Stephen Rivers was unquestionably his greatest accomplice.
“Die!”
With a roar, Chris gripped the Dragon Slayer and charged at Stephen Rivers.
Stephen’s face twisted in fear. Even Judge and Shura had fallen to Chris-how could he possibly stand a chance?
Frantically, Stephen drew his firearm and aimed at Chris, his fingers trembling on the trigger. But Chris moved too fast. Before Stephen could act, Chris was upon him.
“Ahhh!”
A scream tore through the air as Chris’s blade sliced clean through Stephen’s arm.
“You’ve taken my arm, Chris! I swear, I’ll make you pay for this!”
As his words echoed, Stephen suddenly reached into his pocket and pressed a button on a remote control.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just as Chris prepared to finish him, a piercing alarm rang out.
Stephen erupted into maniacal laughter. “Hahaha! Chris, no matter how strong you are, it won’t matter. I’ve activated the self-destruct sequence of the Hall of Valerian headquarters. In one minute, this entire place will explode, and you’ll die here with it!”
His face contorted with madness, Stephen Rivers looked more terrifying than ever.
Chris’s expression hardened.
“If I die, you’re coming with me!”
Without hesitation, Chris raised his blade and swung at Stephen once more.
“You’ll never kill me!”
Stephen pressed another button on the remote. A trapdoor suddenly opened beneath him, and he disappeared into the ground.
Chris’s blade struck the floor where Stephen had stood. The trapdoor sealed shut, leaving no trace.
Fury burned in Chris’s eyes, but there was no time to dwell on Stephen’s escape.
The self-destruct sequence had been initiated, and the Hall of Valerian headquarters would explode in less than a minute. If Chris didn’t escape, he’d be obliterated along with it.
Determined, Chris turned toward the massive exit gate. He gripped the Dragon Slayer tightly and swung with all his might.
Bang!
The strike landed with a deafening crash, but the gate didn’t budge.
Chris’s face darkened. Even with his immense strength, capable of cutting through steel, the gate remained unscathed. Whatever material it was made of, it was unlike anything he had encountered before.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Undeterred, Chris struck again and again, each blow ringing out with tremendous force.
The Dragon Slayer, forged as Lord Dragon’s blade and handed down to Chris by Archer Wintersong, was no ordinary weapon.
Under the relentless barrage, the gate finally gave way.
Chris wasted no time. He dashed through the opening, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him.
Barely thirty seconds remained.
Moving like lightning, Chris tore through the corridors, racing against time.
Behind him, the explosions began.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of detonations rocked the Hall of Valerian headquarters, sending shockwaves through the air.
Meanwhile, outside the headquarters, chaos reigned on the Island of Death.
The battle raged on as the remaining two thousand members of the Guards of Death faced off against the twenty thousand Hall of Valerian fighters who had surrounded them.
Despite their overwhelming numbers, the Hall of Valerian forces were no match for the ferocity of the Guards of Death.
“Lynx, what do we do? The boss hasn’t come out yet!” Tiger shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
Lynx, ever calm, replied, “Don’t worry. The boss will make it. He always does.”
Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, a series of explosions erupted from the heart of the island. The massive Hall of Valerian headquarters began to collapse in on itself.
Tiger’s eyes widened in shock. “Lynx, what’s happening?”
They turned to see the towering structure crumbling into ruin, consumed by flames and debris.
Tiger and Lynx stood frozen, their faces pale.
“The boss!” they cried in unison.
Chris was still inside. Had he perished in the explosion?
At that moment, Seraphina, who had been unconscious nearby, stirred awake.
Shaking her head to clear the dizziness, she looked around, disoriented. Memories flooded back-Chris had been thrown off a cliff by Judge, and she had spent every moment since hunting Judge to avenge him.
But Judge had defeated her, and she had been captured and brought here, unconscious until now.
When Seraphina’s gaze fell on Tiger and Lynx, realization dawned.
“Chris brought you here to rescue me?” she asked.
Tiger nodded grimly. “Yes, but the boss is still inside!”
“What?!”
Her heart sank. Without another word, Seraphina darted toward the ruins.
Tiger roared, “Kill every last one of them! Avenge the boss!”
Riled by Tiger’s command, the Guards of Death launched a savage counterattack.
The Hall of Valerian forces crumbled under the onslaught, their ranks scattering in panic.
In less than half an hour, the battle was over.
The bloodied earth was littered with the bodies of Hall of Valerian members-thirty thousand in total-all slain.
Standing amidst the aftermath, Tiger and Lynx looked toward the smoldering ruins.
Seraphina was already digging through the debris, desperately searching for Chris.
Tears welled in their eyes as they watched her frantically claw through the rubble.
Could it be? Was Chris really gone?
“Everyone, start searching for the boss!” Lynx shouted.
At his command, the Guards of Death swarmed the ruins, determined to find their leader.