Kayden had left the small town where Felicity lived. He had healed the birthmark on Felicity’s face but refrained from making any requests of his own. He felt that asking for something in return would be unreasonable, so he chose to leave.
However, he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stayed to eliminate those who had come to assist Hunter. Kayden was certain that Hunter had planned everything meticulously before taking Felicity. If there was one decoy to distract him, there would undoubtedly be a second.
Not long after Kayden left the town, he found those who had come to assist Hunter. But they were all dead.
A total of twelve people had been killed, their bodies lying in the darkness of the night.
Kayden examined their wounds. They had been stabbed directly with two swift and deadly blades. Each strike was precise and intentionally avoided the heart. Kayden could think of only one person capable of wielding such knives with such deadly skill.
As if on cue, a lively woman’s voice rang out, “Defender, Wood Faulkner reporting for duty!”
In the darkness, a black silhouette emerged-a woman’s figure. Her appearance was cold and expressionless, her tight black outfit highlighting her sharp and commanding presence. This was none other than Wood Faulkner, the very person Kayden had once mentored.
Wood Faulkner had returned!
Just as Kayden had guessed who was responsible for the killings, Wood Faulkner appeared.
“Are you ready now?” Kayden asked coldly.
Wood Faulkner nodded firmly and said, “Yes, I’ve recovered my memories, Defender…”
Before she could say more, Kayden signaled for them to leave.
During the time of Kayden’s disappearance, the Zodiac Generals spent three months searching for him. They scoured the battlefield and even crossed borders, killing soldiers from several nations in the process.
They suspected that Kayden had been kidnapped by enemy forces. Eight countries were searched, but Kayden was nowhere to be found. The Zodiac Generals eventually split up to continue their search individually.
Wood Faulkner spent an entire year looking for Kayden, refusing to give up. During her search, she met a man who introduced himself as Asher Voss. He claimed to know Kayden’s whereabouts. Trusting his words, she followed him.
But when she finally met Asher Voss, she realized she had been deceived. She prepared to kill him, but before she could act, Asher Voss defeated her with a single move.
Even now, Wood Faulkner vividly remembered how easily she had been overpowered. Asher Voss’s strength was beyond anything she had imagined. It felt as though even a single finger of his was impossible to resist.
What happened afterward remained a blur. Wood Faulkner recalled being forced to take some kind of drug. When she woke up, she found herself in the Henderson family of Inassea.
She had been married to the young master of the Henderson family, but the truth was, the young master was already dead. In essence, she had been married to a corpse.
The Henderson family kept this a secret and fabricated a story that Wood Faulkner had brought misfortune to their household.
This was the extent of Wood Faulkner’s experiences during that time.
After listening to her story, Kayden asked, “Asher Voss is part of Hellblazer, isn’t he?”
Wood Faulkner replied without hesitation, “Yes, he’s with Hellblazer. They’re the ones who killed Flood. They’ve been trying to manipulate us, the Zodiac Generals. Flood was the first to resist. You know how stubborn Flood was.”
“Afterward, Flood was killed. But it wasn’t Asher Voss who killed him-it was his three Sentinels: Cyrus Nightbane, Sable Nightshade, and Juno Blackthorn. These three are his most trusted subordinates.”
Wood Faulkner had been privy to more classified information than Victor, which surprised Kayden.
“The entire southern region of Seclela is under Asher Voss’s control. He seems to hold a very high position within Hellblazer, Defender!”
It was clear that Asher Voss was no ordinary figure. Controlling an entire region spoke volumes about his power.
“He’s a master manipulator, thrives on controlling the tides of power, and is merciless in his killings,” Wood Faulkner said.
Coming from anyone else, such a description might not have fazed Kayden. But hearing it from Wood Faulkner gave the warning an entirely different weight.
“So, where is Asher Voss now?” Kayden asked directly.
Wood Faulkner shook her head. “I don’t know. His movements are unpredictable. If he doesn’t come looking for you, it’s almost impossible to find him.”
“Of course, I’m not doubting your abilities,” she added. “It’s just that he’s… unfathomable.”
“He’ll come to me,” Kayden said confidently. “Even if he doesn’t, Cyrus Nightbane will. I’ve already killed two of Cyrus Nightbane’s disciples-one was Hawthorne Eastwood, the master of Elysium Gate, and the other was Hunter.”
Kayden didn’t know much about Hunter’s background, but being Cyrus Nightbane’s disciple was enough to confirm his significance.
Kayden could have spared Hunter’s life, but he chose not to. He hated being falsely accused and despised threats even more. So, Hunter had died without a chance to retaliate.
Asher Voss…
Kayden pondered the name. At that moment, Wood Faulkner seemed to recall something and said, “By the way, Defender, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it? Speak.”
“When I was searching for you, I met someone who helped me a great deal. I promised him that once I found you, I’d return to treat his illness. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
“So, I wanted to let you know-I plan to fulfill my promise. Without his help, I might have been assassinated.”
“Alright. I’ll go with you,” Kayden said.
“Thank you, Defender!”
Kayden raised his hand to stop her. “From now on, call me Mr. Scott. I’m no longer the Defender.”
Hearing this, Wood Faulkner’s cold and strikingly beautiful face turned slightly red. Her gaze wavered as she said, “I’m sorry, Defender, for what happened before…”
It was difficult for her to bring up what had occurred between them in the past.
At one point, Wood Faulkner had even considered pursuing something more with Kayden. The thought now seemed laughable. But Kayden appeared unaffected, responding calmly, “It’s fine. It’s all in the past. Just call me Mr. Scott from now on.”
“Yes, Mr… Mr. Scott,” she stammered.
“Oh, by the way,” Kayden added, “after you left Inassea, a little girl came looking for you. She said she’s your sister-in-law.”