Chapter 12: The Shadow of the Warlord
The afterglow of the lab was cut short by a sound that vibrated through the very marrow of the building—a deep, mechanical thrumming. It wasn't a monster; it was the heavy, rhythmic beat of a Sky-Cutter, a high-altitude military transport used by the warlords of the upper peaks.
[WARNING: HOSTILE POWER SIGNATURES DETECTED.]
[THREAT LEVEL: HIGH.]
Han Chen stood over the spent, shivering form of Xara Vance, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the reinforced observation windows. In the distance, a massive armored vessel, bristling with harpoon cannons and heavy gatlings, hovered just meters away from the Sears Tower.
"Grom," Xara whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched a tattered lab coat over her marked body. "He's come for the data... and for me."
"He's late," Han said, his voice a low growl. He turned to Lin Mei, who already had her laser-blade active, its blue edge humming with lethal intent. "Mei, guard the elevator. If anyone breathes without my permission, take their head."
"With pleasure," she smirked, her eyes glowing with the fierce loyalty of a bonded warrior.
The Arrival
The observation window didn't just break; it exploded. A massive, magnetic grappling hook smashed through the glass, followed by a squad of armored men wearing heavy, oxygen-sealed masks.
In the center of the squad stood a giant of a man. He stood nearly seven feet tall, his body encased in rusted, powered exoskeleton armor. One of his arms had been replaced by a massive, steam-hissing hydraulic pincer. This was Warlord Grom.
"Dr. Vance," Grom's voice was a metallic rasp, amplified by his helmet. "You've missed your production quota. The upper peaks are thirsty for your serums."
He paused, his visor turning toward Han Chen. The exoskeleton hummed as he shifted his weight. "And who is this scavenger? Did you find a new pet to play with in your cage, Doctor?"
[DYNASTY EYE PROMPT: WARLORD GROM (LEVEL 28)]
[TRAIT: 'BIO-MECHANICAL TERROR']
[THREAT: HE POSSESSES A 'SYSTEM-JAMMER' PROTOTYPE.]
Han stepped forward, his Pheromone\ Control clashing against the oppressive, mechanical aura Grom radiated. He didn't look like a scavenger anymore; he looked like a predator claiming his territory.
"She doesn't work for you anymore, Grom," Han said, his hand resting casually on Xara's shoulder, his fingers digging into her soft skin to remind her who she belonged to. "The doctor, the data, and this tower... they all belong to the Dynasty."
"Dynasty?" Grom let out a booming, distorted laugh. "I've crushed 'Kings' like you on every mountain from here to the Himalayas. Men, bring me the girl. Kill the scavenger. Slowly."
The Clash of Power
Four raiders lunged forward, their electrified batons crackling.
Han didn't move until they were inches away.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: HYDRO_KINESIS + STAGE_1_EVOLUTION]
The moisture in the air—thick with the steam of the lab and the blood of the previous hunt—condensed instantly. Four needles of high-pressure water shot through the air, piercing the raiders' helmet visors with surgical precision. They dropped like stones, brains turned to slush.
Grom's laughter died. "A mutant? No... something else."
The Warlord roared, his hydraulic pincer snapping as he charged. The floor tiles shattered under his mechanical weight. He swung the massive claw, aimed directly at Han's chest.
Han didn't dodge. He caught the pincer with both hands, his boots skidding back across the lab floor, leaving deep grooves in the metal.
[STRENGTH OVERLOAD: 120% CAPACITY]
"You talk too much for a man who's about to lose his only arm," Han hissed, his muscles bulging, the golden light of the System glowing through his skin.
Grom's exoskeleton whined in protest. "How... how can a human hold back three tons of hydraulic pressure?"
"Because I'm not just human anymore," Han replied. With a violent twist, he didn't just stop the pincer—he wrenched the metal limb out of its socket. Sparks and hydraulic fluid sprayed across the room like oil-black blood.
Grom screamed, stumbling back.
[DING! BOSS DAMAGE CONFIRMED: +800 POINTS]
[SYSTEM POINTS TOTAL: 9,800/10,000]
Han didn't give him a second to breathe. He lunged, his fist striking Grom's chest plate with the force of a falling star. The armor buckled, and Grom was sent flying through the shattered window, plummeting toward the dark, churning waters hundreds of meters below.
The Final Push
Han stood at the edge of the broken window, watching the Warlord disappear into the abyss. He turned back to the lab. Xara was staring at him, her violet eyes wide, her knees hitting the floor in total, genuine submission. She had seen the impossible.
"He... he was the terror of the seas," she whispered.
"And I'm the man who ended him," Han said. He walked over to her, his hand reaching out to grab her hair, pulling her face up to his. "You said there was a vault, Xara. Lead me there. I want my final points."
[NOTIFICATION: LOYALTY INCREASED – XARA VANCE: 75%]
[THE VAULT IS OPENED.]
Inside the vault sat a single, glowing crystal—a Mana_Heart.
As Han touched it, the System roared.
[DING! 10,000 POINTS REACHED!]
[INITIATING SYSTEM LEVEL 3 ASCENSION: 'THE DIVINE LINEAGE']
[REWARDS: HARAEM_TELEPORTATION, ADVANCED_MAGIC_ARMORY, PREGNANCY_ACCELERATION_TAB]
Han felt a surge of power that nearly blinded him. He looked at Lin Mei and Xara, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, golden light.
"The tower is clear," Han said, his voice echoing with divine authority. "Xara, start the serum production. Mei, prepare the transport. We're going back to the Nest. I have three wives now... and I intend to spend the night making sure you all remember who your God is."
Progress Report
* System Level: 3 (Divine Lineage)
* Status: Warlord Grom defeated. Sears Tower captured.
* New Items: Evolution Serums, Mana Heart.