The battle had lasted so long that time seemed to have lost its meaning. The once-silent forest had now become a battlefield of destruction. Trees were broken, the ground was pockmarked with small explosions and bullet holes, and mud mixed with blood pooled in several places.
In the midst of that darkness, three shadows still stood.
Wolf.
A ghost. And before them, a figure still stood tall—Seraphin.
The three of them were breathing heavily, their bodies covered in wounds. But not one of them retreated.
Seraphin wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and laughed softly.
“It’s been three hours,” he said mockingly. “Two elite hunters… against one. And yet I’m still standing. How pathetic.”
The wolf spat on the ground.
“Too much talk for someone who will soon die.”
The ghost rolled his painful shoulder.
"He's deliberately provoking our emotions," he muttered softly. "Don't be provoked."
Seraphin just smiled faintly.
"Ah... still having time to give advice in the middle of battle. How touching."
Before he could finish his sentence, the Wolf had already sped ahead. His movements were as swift as a shadow pouncing on Seraphin. The knife in his hand swooped down on Seraphin's neck.
But Seraphin parried it with an elbow, twisted his body, and then kicked the Wolf hard in the stomach.
BUUK!
The wolf was knocked back a few steps, but before he could fall, the ghost had already entered from the right side. A straight punch was aimed at Seraphin's face.
Seraphin ducked, the blow only grazing the air.
Then with a lightning-fast movement, he swept at the Ghost's feet.
BRAK!
The ghost fell to his knees first, but he immediately rolled himself up and got back up.
Seraphin clicked his tongue.
“You two are stubborn.”
The wolf grinned as he wiped the blood off his temple.
“I haven't seen the real stubbornness yet.”
The wolves attacked again, this time in tandem with the Ghosts. They moved from two different directions, trying to force Seraphin to defend.
The Wolf Knife flashed in the air.
Ghost Punch hit from the opposite side.
Seraphin spun her body between them, parrying one attack, kicking away another. Her movements were smooth, efficient, almost like dancing in the midst of battle.
The forest was filled with the sound of crashing.
Punches.
Kicks. Blades clashing.
But slowly fatigue began to set in.
Three hours of fighting is no small feat even for elite fighters.
Seraphin suddenly turned her body in a sharp motion.
TWOO!
His kick hit Ghost's chest with full force.
The ghost was thrown far back.
His body hit the ground and then slid into a large mud puddle.
BYUUR!
“Gh—!”
The ghost tried to get up, but the mud held him back.
Seraphin glanced at him briefly and then let out a short laugh.
“One out of the game.”
The wolf immediately seized the moment. He lunged from behind, gripping Seraphin's body tightly.
“Now!” he shouted at the Ghost.
But Seraphin didn't panic in the slightest.
With a quick movement he slid his hand behind the Wolf's head… and then grabbed his hair.
“I said… two against one isn’t enough.”
BRAK!
Seraphin slammed the Wolf's head into the ground brutally.
The wet ground cracked from the impact.
The wolf was silent for a moment, his gaze rolling.
Seraphin then took out a slender knife from his pocket. His eyes were cold.
“Good fight,” he said quietly. “But enough for now.”
He raised the knife, preparing to stab it into the Wolf's chest.
However-
BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A barrage of gunfire shattered the night.
Seraphin's head jerked up hard.
His body froze for a few seconds… then fell to the ground without a sound.
The wolf panted on the ground, his eyes still blurry.
From behind the trees, Palu and his squad emerged, their rifles still smoking.
Palu walked over, then extended his hand to the Wolf.
“Too long, man,” he said casually. “We’re running out of time.”
The wolf stared at the hand for a few seconds… then grabbed it and stood up.
He took a deep breath, then said in a sarcastic tone.
“No one needs to know about this.”
Hammer raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
The wolf grinned faintly.
“Two against one… almost lost. That was embarrassing.”
Some of the Palu squad members chuckled.
Meanwhile, several members of the Eagle squad ran towards the mud puddle.
"Ghosts! Hold our hands!"
They pulled Ghost's body out of the heavy mud. His uniform was covered in mud up to his face.
The ghost wipes the mud from his eyes.
“Ah… damn. That kick was pretty good.”
One of the members asked quickly.
“Where is Alpha?”
A member of the Palu squad answered while reloading his rifle magazine.
"Alpha is chasing Magnus. They're going deeper into the forest."
The ghost immediately stared at the dark forest in the distance.
The wolf stood beside him, twisting his sore neck.
“Then we can't stay here long.”
The ghost nodded slowly.
"Correct."
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His eyes turned sharp.
“We have to move now.”
Night deepened. The island's forest transformed into a sea of shadows. A thin mist hung between the tall trees, while the occasional sound of gunfire broke the silence like a distant flash of lightning.
On the eastern side of the forest, Hammer, Ghost, and Wolf moved quickly through the dark bushes. They left Seraphin's body lying cold on the muddy ground.
There was no time to confirm the enemy's death.
Their mission is not over yet.
The wolf ran ahead while occasionally looking back.
"Their breath is still warm," he said quietly. “The rest of Seraphin's army fled north.”
The ghost running beside him replied coldly.
"Good. It's easier to hunt panicked prey."
Palu checked the bullets in his rifle as he ran.
“Don't be careless. They're still Obsidian troops. Even the ones left are dangerous.”
The wolf grinned in the darkness.
“That's what makes it fun.”
The three of them darted deeper into the forest, followed by dozens of remaining troops from their squad. The sound of snapping twigs, heavy breathing, and rapid footsteps mingled with the echo of gunfire far ahead.
Meanwhile, high above the forest canopy…
The Eagle Team moved silently.
Shadow after shadow leaped from tree to tree like invisible forest spirits. Their hooks and tree-clawed boots allowed them to move swiftly without touching the ground.
The eagle leads the way.
He stopped for a moment on a large branch then raised his hand to signal a stop.
His entire army immediately froze in their respective positions.
One of the members whispered softly through a small microphone on his helmet.
“Distance to enemy base?”
The eagle peered through his tactical binoculars.
“Still three kilometers,” he replied calmly. “But the guard is starting to tighten.”
The other members murmured.
“We are only a few left… but there are still hundreds of them.”
The eagle lowered its binoculars.
In the dim moonlight, his eyes looked cold.
“We didn’t come to count the numbers,” he said quietly.
“We came to end the war.”
Several members nodded.
Then they were on the move again—jumping from tree to tree, so fast they were almost impossible to see from the ground.
They really move like ninjas at night.
Meanwhile…
Deep in the western jungle of the island.
Alpha and his squad are still chasing Magnus.
The shots continued to ring out.
BANG!
BANG! BANG!
Bullet flashes cut through the darkness.
Alpha ran screaming.
“Don't give them any distance!”
But Magnus knew the forest like his own backyard.
In front of him, Magnus was running with a faint smile.
“Go deeper…” he muttered.
He pressed a small button on the trigger device in his hand.
Click.
A few seconds later—
BOOM!
A huge explosion shook the ground.
The ground on the left side of Alpha's path was blown up by a mine.
Two members of Nox Aegis were thrown into the air.
“Mine!” shouted one of the members.
Magnus continued running while activating another trap.
Click.
From the trees fell barbed steel wire which wrapped around the legs of one of the members.
SRAK!
“Arghh!”
Magnus chuckled.
“Welcome to my playground.”
Alpha growled.
“Everyone be careful! This is a trap field!”
But Magnus' traps didn't stop.
Click.
BOOM!
The second mine exploded.
The ground split open, wood chips and rocks flew.
One by one the Alpha squad members fell.
Their breathing became heavy, their faces covered in mud and blood.
Until finally…
Alpha Squad only has three people left.
One of the members said in a tense voice.
“Alpha… this is not a forest… this is a field of death.”
Alpha stared ahead with sharp eyes.
“We've come too far to turn back.”
They kept moving among the shadows of the trees.
But Magnus was still waiting ahead.
He activated the next trap.
A trap he calls:
“Black Pit Mine.”
A large trap hole filled with high-pressure explosives.
Anyone who falls into it will trigger a chain explosion.
Alpha ran straight without realizing it.
His steps hit slightly softer ground.
CLICK.
Her eyes widened.
"Trap-!"
The ground beneath him collapsed.
BANG!
Alpha fell into a dark hole filled with detonators and explosives.
One of the members shouted in panic.
“ALPHA!!”
Inside the hole, Alpha saw dozens of glowing red detonators.
Just one touch…
The whole area will explode.
He whispered softly.
“So this is the end…”
But right at that moment—
From the top of the tree a swift shadow glided.
Hawk.
He jumped down while hooking the rope to the branch of a large tree above.
His body flipped in the air.
In a hanging position, he grabbed Alpha's vest.
"Hold!"
Alpha grabbed his arm.
The eagle pulled the rope hard.
SWOOSH!
Their bodies were lifted out of the hole—
And at the same time…
BOOM!
A huge explosion destroyed the hole.
A wave of heat hit their backs as they were both thrown to the ground a few meters away.
The ground shook. Dust and flames rose into the air.
Alpha was panting on the ground.
The eagle stood up, patting the dust off his shoulders.
Alpha looked at him.
“You took so long.”
The eagle grinned faintly.
“I have to make sure you really need help first.”
One of the remaining members laughed in relief.
“We almost turned to ashes.”
Alpha stood up slowly, staring at the dark forest where Magnus had fled.
His eyes were cold.
“Magnus is still ahead.”
The eagle spun the rifle in his hand.
"Good."
He stared at the forest which was now filled with smoke from the explosion.
“Now we hunt back.”
Shortly after the massive explosion in the forest subsided, other shadows began to emerge from behind the trees. Wolf, Hammer, and Ghost finally arrived where Alpha and Eagle were.
Their steps were heavy, their combat clothes were full of mud and dried blood. Everyone's breathing sounded rough after the long battle throughout the night.
The wolf stopped right in front of Alpha.
“What’s up ahead?” he asked in a surprised tone as he looked at the ground covered in explosion scars.
Alpha pointed towards the darkness of the forest in front of them.
"Magnus," he said simply. “He made this forest a field of death.”
The ghost squinted.
"Trap?"
The eagle who was crouching on the ground answered while shifting the soil a little with his small knife.
“It’s not just a trap,” he said calmly. “It’s a multi-layered system of traps.”
It shows a thin, almost invisible wire between the leaves.
“Tripwire… if this interests—”
He threw a small stone at the wire.
SRAK!
A few meters in front of them, the ground suddenly exploded slightly.
BOOM!
Palu took a deep breath.
“Damn… we haven't even gone in yet.”
The eagle rose and began pointing at several spots on the ground.
“There are several types here.”
He pointed to the blast hole.
“Pressure mine… pressure mine.”
Then he pointed to the tree trunk.
“Deadfall trap. The tree will fall if the cable is cut.”
Then he pointed to a bush that looked ordinary.
“And the most dangerous… pit traps.”
The wolf growled softly.
“Magnus really doesn't want us to get to his base.”
Alpha looked ahead with a calm face, but his eyes looked heavy.
He quickly counted the number of troops remaining.
Only about a hundred people.
One hundred.
Of the five hundred who came to the island.
On the other hand…
The Obsidian Legion still has around a thousand men.
Plus three living monsters:
Magnus.
Valen. And their leader… Orion Kael Draven.
But they don't know one thing.
Valen had been beaten half to death by Orion until he fainted.
Alpha sighed softly.
He turned to his troops.
Tired faces. Bodies covered in wounds.
They had been fighting non-stop since morning.
Alpha said softly but firmly,
"We'll stop here first."
The wolf turned quickly.
“We're almost there.”
Alpha shook his head.
“If we keep moving now, we will die of exhaustion before we meet the enemy.”
He looked at his entire squad.
“Ten minutes.”
Some people immediately sat on the ground.
Someone is cleaning the weapon.
Some closed their eyes for a moment.
Palu smiled slightly.
“You rarely give yourself a break.”
Alpha answered briefly.
“Because it's rare that we fight against a thousand people in a jungle full of mines.”
The ghost laughed softly.
"Makes sense."
Meanwhile, Elang was still walking slowly around the front path.
He observed the soil, leaves, tree trunks.
Sometimes he sticks a small knife in to test the soil.
Sometimes he throws small stones in a certain direction.
A few seconds later—
BOOM!
Another small explosion occurred in the distance.
The eagle nodded slowly.
“Magnus uses a spiral pattern.”
Alpha turned his head.
"You mean?"
The eagle drew a line on the ground with a knife.
“The densest traps on the straight path to headquarters.”
He drew another circuitous path.
“But there’s a gap on the east side. It’s further… but safer.”
The wolf grinned.
"Good. I'd rather hunt than walk through a minefield."
Alpha stands up.
“Once everything is ready… we will move via the Eagle route.”
He stared into the dark forest.
“This war is not over yet.”
—
Meanwhile…
At the Obsidian Legion headquarters.
Magnus entered the command room with heavy breathing.
Orion stood in front of a large screen displaying a map of the island.
He didn't even turn his head when Magnus entered.
Magnus said,
“They are still alive.”
Orion just smiled faintly.
"Good."
Magnus continued,
“Seraphin… is dead.”
The room was silent.
But Orion just said in a flat voice,
"Not bad."
Magnus was a little surprised.
Orion added without emotion,
“He is too careless.”
He then looked at the map of the island.
“Let them go deeper.”
Magnus frowned.
Orion continued coldly,
"And let Seraphin's corpse be eaten by forest animals."
He finally turned to Magnus.
“Now it's your turn.”
Magnus nodded.
“What are your orders?”
Orion said slowly,
“Finish him off.”
Magnus immediately understood.
Hannah.
Orion said softly but terrifyingly,
“If we lose… they can't win.”
Magnus immediately turned around and walked quickly towards the detention room.
But when he got there—
He froze.
The cell door opened.
Empty.
Magnus stepped in with a tense face.
“Hana?”
No answer.
He saw the open handcuffs on the floor.
Magnus immediately understood something.
He whispered softly,
"Impossible…"
Only four people have access to open the cell.
Orion.
Seraphin. Magnus. Valen.
Orion is impossible.
Seraphin is dead.
Magnus himself had just arrived.
That means only one person.
“Valen…”
—
One hour earlier…
Valen wakes up on the floor of the Orion chamber.
His body was covered in wounds.
Her face was bruised.
His leg was bleeding from the gunshot.
He tried to stand up… but immediately fell.
But he still forced himself to get up.
Walking with a limp, he left the room.
Every step felt like a knife stabbing into his leg.
But he kept walking.
Finally he arrived at the detention room.
In that cell…
Hana sat curled up crying.
When the door opened—
He was scared.
“Don’t… please… don’t hurt me…”
Valen stood in front of the door with a trembling body.
He unlocked Hana's handcuffs one by one.
Click.
Click.
Hana looked at him confused.
“W… why…?”
Valen smiled weakly.
His face was covered in blood.
“Because… maybe this is the only way… I can become human.”
Hana was still shaking.
“You… are one of them…”
Valen lowered his head.
"Yes."
He opened the last handcuff.
“But I don't want to die as a monster.”
Hana's tears fell.
Valen said softly,
“I've done too many bad things.”
He looked at Hana with truly regretful eyes.
“At least… before it all ends… I want to do one thing right.”
Hana whispered,
“Why help me…?”
Valen answered in a voice that almost broke.
“Because you're the only person in this place… who still looks human.”
He then reached out his hand.
"Come on."
Hana was doubtful.
Valen said softly,
“I won't hurt you.”
He added in a low voice,
“If they find you… Orion will kill you.”
Hana finally held his hand.
Valen endured the pain in his leg.
He limped while carrying Hana out of the headquarters.
Enter the dark forest.
The rain started to fall slowly.
Hana said with a trembling voice,
“Your leg… is bleeding…”
Valen just smiled a little.
"It doesn't matter."
He looked up at the night sky.
“At least this time… I'm going in the right direction.”
