Chapter 448: The Scars of War

A black SUV pulled up in front of the restaurant’s windows. Spotting Alexander’s silhouette inside, Stephen motioned to him from the driver’s seat, and Alexander stepped out onto the street.

Stephen climbed out of the vehicle and wrapped him in a hug.

"You survived that hell... unbelievable," said Stephen, slapping his back. "Where were you hiding?"

"It’s a long story," said Alexander, letting out an exhale. "Can we leave? I want to take a shower and relax."

"Sure, let me drive," said Scott from the passenger seat.

Hearing the voice, Alexander turned toward the leader of TMC and froze. Scott’s face was covered in scars, and his body looked battered from combat.

"What happened to you?" asked Alexander, taking in the veteran’s injuries.

"I don’t have this monster’s ability and I can’t regenerate, so the wounds leave marks," said Scott with a smile.

"But what happened?" asked Alexander, getting into the back seat as the SUV pulled away.

"The war against the Federation turned violent," explained Scott, staring at the road ahead. "We thought they would initiate a standard battle, but their plans went deeper and we underestimated them. They launched strikes against our facilities. We had twelve strongholds and they found eleven; all of them were wiped out, with zero survivors."

Hearing this, Alexander’s heart stopped, and the air caught in his throat.

"What happened to...?" asked Alexander, his voice laced with anxiety.

"Take it easy, kid," said Scott, reading his mind. "We sent them to our secret stronghold from the start. Only we knew its location. However, they found out and dispatched two Great Pillars along with their armies. Luckily, you distracted one of them and we repelled the assault, even slaying their generals."

"And the girls?" asked Alexander, clenching his fists.

"They’re fine, they didn’t breach the stronghold," said Scott. "But tell us, what happened to you? How did you survive ten years in that place, or how can you fight Pillars now?"

"I don’t understand it myself; to me, it was hours," said Alexander, leaning back against the seat. "Down there I acquired a skill and lost control. When I came out of the Breach, I ran into a commander they called Divine Shield and killed her without control over my body. Her strike of light restored my clarity, and then I fought my way through the complex until I faced the Pillar of Flame when she attacked me."

"What a series of events," remarked Stephen, glancing at Alexander through the rearview mirror. "If you hadn’t drawn her away, we might be dead right now."

"Is she that strong?" asked Alexander, recalling the fight. "She didn’t seem like it; every time I moved out of her range she grew weaker."

"That’s true," said Scott, nodding. "She isn’t strong fighting in territories where the enemy is on the move, but when besieging a position, she’s dangerous. Her domain grows the longer she fights. If her flames reach the purple stage, she becomes a terrifying existence, and no one has seen her limit."

"I faced her purple flames," whispered Alexander, remembering the heat of the Abyss. "They were strong... fighting inside her flame domain is a pain."

Stephen slammed on the brakes, making the SUV’s tires screech against the pavement before turning toward the back.

"Shit! You faced that and you’re in one piece?" exclaimed Stephen, staring at Alexander.

"I have plenty of strength now," said Alexander, adjusting himself in the back seat.

"Then how about we go crazy?" said Stephen, a grin spreading across his face.

Scott narrowed his eyes from the passenger seat and scowled.

"You’re not thinking what I think you are, right?" asked Scott, his voice laced with warning.

"Why not?" said Stephen, slamming his fist onto the steering wheel. "Those bastards caught us off guard and wiped out our forces. If it weren’t for the four Empresses being away, they wouldn’t have kicked our asses so hard. There must be a mole, but right now is the time. What do you think? Do you want to go crazy? I need ten minutes."

Stephen reached into his coat and pulled out a glass vial filled with a liquid black as night.

"I want them to know why they call me the Calamity," said Stephen, tightening his grip on the vial. "I won’t leave a soul alive in their stronghold."

Alexander stared at the glass container Stephen was holding, feeling the pressure emanating from within.

"What is that?" asked Alexander, fixing his eyes on the black liquid.

"Remember when I told you I wiped out a planet with poison?" asked Stephen, a smile touching his lips. "The Federation tried to extract the formula from me when Scott saved my hide. However, I kept a bit, and I’ve continued the experiment and refined the formula. This is called [Desolate Earth]; I drop this vial into their fortress planet, and there won’t be a fortress anymore."

Stephen let out a laugh, filled with intent.

"I’m in," said Alexander, without hesitating. "I want to see them suffer... I’ll take down as many as I can."

Stephen turned toward the passenger seat and looked at the veteran.

"What about you?" asked Stephen, raising an eyebrow. "Are you coming or staying?"

Scott let out a sigh, running a hand over the scars on his face before looking at them.

"I wouldn’t leave you alone on this mission," said Scott. "But if we’re going to do this, let’s do it right."

Scott pulled a flash drive from his jacket and plugged it into the console port of the SUV.

"What are you doing?" asked Stephen, watching the screen.

"Those are the council’s exact coordinates," said Scott, his voice heavy with resolve. "You wanted to inflict terror? This is a gamble and a one-way ticket. To get out of that place alive, we’ll have to be ready to die."

Stephen stared intently at the dashboard display, his eyes wide with shock.

"How the hell did you get that?" Stephen said, turning to look at the veteran. "It’s the Federation’s best-kept secret."

"I was a slave in that place," Scott said, staring toward the horizon, his voice hollow. "...Something I prefer not to remember."