Chapter 12: A Ruthless Command

With a scream, the tattooed thugs, who had looked fearsome moments before, snapped to attention, dropping their sticks in terror as they turned and fled.

Not even bothering to wipe the crimson gore from their faces, they only wanted to get away as fast as possible.

Their brains couldn’t fathom why these elite soldiers would follow Yenir’s orders!

Bang!

Bang!

Aaaaahhhh!!

A crisp crack echoed as a leg bone shattered.

Accompanied by the sound of slicing air and piercing screams, before they could get far, one thug had his leg broken by a single kick from the squad leader guarding Yenir.

Grabbing them by the hair, Captain Huang expressionlessly dragged the men before Yenir and spoke respectfully:

“Lord Yenir, do you have any further commands?”

Even though Yenir hadn’t ordered their capture, that didn’t stop Captain Huang from trying to read his master’s mind.

Facing these extortionists, he acted without the slightest hint of mercy.

“Please, spare me… I beg you!!”

“We’re sorry… we’re so sorry…”

They wept bitterly.

Before Yenir could utter a word, one of the captured tattooed men began trembling and pleading frantically.

Though they didn’t know what was happening, one thing was clear to them.

If Yenir ordered their death, they were as good as doomed!

Stripped of all arrogance, they knelt repeatedly through agonizing pain, begging Yenir for mercy.

A soft laugh escaped.

Yenir looked down at the men kneeling before him, his eyes devoid of pity.

Don’t be fooled by their pitiful cries; when it came to torturing ordinary people, they showed no mercy at all.

Glancing up at Captain Huang waiting for his orders, Yenir smiled gently and spoke in a calm tone:

“Captain Huang, please… eliminate them all.”

He believed in rooting out threats completely; for scum who might endanger his family, leniency was simply not in Yenir’s vocabulary.

The moment his words fell, those who thought they would be spared trembled and shrieked in terror:

“No! No!!”

Before their pleas could even form, a series of crisp head-exploding sounds rang out. Captain Huang, expressionless, retracted his fist and shook his arm.

Forcing a smile, he continued to regard Yenir with respectful deference:

“Do you have any further commands, sir?”

His eyes betrayed a hint of surprise and something unusual.

In this post-apocalyptic world, killing isn’t uncommon—especially when it’s these kinds of scum.

Yet Yenir’s decisiveness and ruthlessness deeply shook him. Such resolve seemed far beyond what one would expect from someone his age.

Noticing Captain Huang’s clear desire to ingratiate himself, Yenir spoke again:

“Hmm, then kindly inform my mother for me.”

“She should be at the Gunpowder Factory; please tell her I’ve returned.”

As he spoke, a flash of tenderness shimmered in Yenir’s eyes.

In his past life, his greatest regret was never affording his mother and little sister a single good day. Reborn and with fate altered, he would never let them suffer again.

Understood.

“Please, no need for courtesy.”

Standing tall, Captain Huang replied respectfully before solemnly pressing the Communicator on his shoulder:

“Level Three Directive.”

“Notify the nearest unit at the Gunpowder Factory to send someone to retrieve Lord Yenir’s mother. And ensure her safety at all costs.”

With that, Captain Huang smiled at Yenir in a friendly manner, unconcerned by the shocked stares of the surrounding survivors.

“Lord Yenir, if there’s nothing more, I’ll take my leave.”

“Our Fourth Special Protection Team will patrol the area 24 hours a day. Just notify me if you need anything.”

Glancing at Yenir’s residence, Captain Huang’s eyes flashed as he added:

“If you need to change locations, we can arrange that for you right now…”

Before he could finish, Yenir shook his head gently, indicating it wasn’t necessary.

Changing his residence was inevitable—but not at this moment.

Seeing Yenir refuse, Captain Huang smiled casually; but once Yenir went inside, that smile instantly vanished from his face.

He turned around, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk.

After a moment, he coldly regarded the onlookers and gestured for his team to move:

“Send two more squads over here.”

“Ensure that Lord Yenir’s safety is guaranteed!”

The onlookers were taken aback; many gazed at Yenir’s doorstep in utter disbelief.

After the guard team withdrew, shocked murmurs arose:

“Lord Yenir!? Why do these Military Department personnel show him such respect!?”

“My goodness, what on earth is happening!?”

“How does Yenir command them!?”

They were in disbelief.

These people, living on the fringes, had never witnessed such an extravagant display.

For them, even a regular security guard was considered a big shot—let alone these elite Military Department operatives.

Looking at the corpses on the ground, a few people in the crowd shook their heads in desolation:

“I don’t know, but one thing’s for sure—the Yenir household is destined for greatness!”

“Yenir’s mother really did raise a fine son…”

….

Outside the gathering, a member of the elite team looked at Captain Huang and couldn’t help but ask in a low voice:

“Captain Huang, are you getting too chummy with that kid?”

“He’s only just become an Awakened, after all…”

It was hard to understand. Although orders from above stressed protecting Yenir, that didn’t mean they had to treat him with such reverence.

Frankly, Captain Huang’s actions placed him on a subordinate level. Just hours ago, Yenir was nothing more than an ordinary trainee!

Captain Huang is a bona fide elite officer!

With an impassive expression, Captain Huang let out a soft laugh before addressing his team casually:

“Kid? Ingratiating?”

“Don’t say I’m currying favor with him. Believe it or not, even Lord Xiao Hai is ready to align with him.”

Right now, Yenir is just a Level 0 Awakened with meager strength. But give him time—he has the potential to become a top commander!

If we don’t bond with him while his status is low, eventually we won’t even qualify to look up to him.

Shaking his head, Captain Huang recalled Yenir’s earlier display:

“Don’t underestimate Yenir. How many can boast a trainee who, as a mere human, dared to detain an Awakened and bet that his talent would silence everyone? Who else can claim that? And his display just now… was anything but ordinary!”

Filled with genuine admiration, Captain Huang sincerely praised him.

“A calm demeanor, resolute will, and ruthless action—this kind of person, even without an SS-level talent, is destined for success.”

Listening to the captain’s lavish praise for Yenir, the men stood in stunned silence before realizing it was indeed true.

…..

Inside the crude tin shack, Yenir looked at his familiar “home” with a tinge of nostalgia.

Gazing at his little sister—exhausted, tearful, and asleep with a runny nose from crying—he shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his face.

After a moment and with a hint of anticipation, Yenir took a deep breath and immediately began studying his skill book.

After a brief silence, a cold system message suddenly rang out:

Beep: Task completed. Gained 4 free attribute points.

Beep: Detected C-level skill: Thrust. Detected sword-type skill!

Buzz—

In an instant, a dazzling light burst forth in his consciousness.

One second later, the Sword God System’s alert sounded again:

Beep: Skill upgraded successfully.

Sword Technique: Thrust has been upgraded to an SSS-level skill—Sword Storm!

Sword Storm: By consuming 4500 points of spiritual energy, it summons a torrent of sword qi, delivering a devastating blow to the target area in an instant! This skill features superspeed, armor-piercing, destruction, slicing, and disintegration properties!

Note: The destructive power of this skill has been multiplied by its current rank! Use with caution!