Driven by desperation to save his father, Henwell swings his war spear wildly, cutting down enemies in every direction.

  He forcefully shields Obian and the remaining knights, escorting them back to the nearest defensive circle.

  This is the Peace Haven knights’ stronghold, where Henwell orders his men to protect the wounded.

  Then, Henwell picks up the pace.

  Like a rampaging bulldozer, he sweeps through all four defensive circles.

  His goal is clear: wipe out every Twin-Eyed Fury Spirit, then move away from these circles.

  When the Twin-Eyed Fury Spirits spawn again, they’ll appear around Henwell instead.

  Half an hour ter, surrounded by nearly fifty Twin-Eyed Fury Spirits, Henwell finally annoyed.

  Blood Will ignites within him, a bzing crimson fme enveloping his body.

  His war spear shes out like a blood dragon, tearing through the encircling Fury Spirits at lightning speed.

  With Blood Will’s power, every strike Henwell nds—whether or not it hits a vital spot—disperses the Fury Spirits instantly.

  Minutes pass, and the Fury Spirits’ spawn rate can no longer keep up with Henwell’s relentless sughter.

  Seizing the brief lull before the next wave, Henwell charges toward the four defensive circles, war spear in hand.

  Moving so fast he leaves a streak of blood-red light under the night sky, Henwell clears a wide swath—over ten meters across—in every area he passes.

  After circling the four defenses and sughtering countless Fury Spirits, the knights finally get a moment to breathe.

  Henwell then races back to his original spot, cutting down the newly spawned Twin-Eyed Fury Spirits once more.

  This cycle repeats every ten minutes. Henwell’s relentless rounds easing the pressure on the other knights again and again.

  The reason Henwell fights so fiercely is partly because Obian’s condition is truly dire.

  Obian’s repeated probing to confirm his identity stirs complicated feelings in Henwell.

  But Henwell isn’t the same young man he was over a decade ago.

  He now leads a rge group of people who have pced their lives and futures in his hands.

  As their leader, he has to think about the bigger picture.

  As long as the Vorry throne isn’t occupied by Arius or Fabio, Henwell’s true identity remains a gring weakness.

  All these conflicting emotions weigh heavily on Henwell’s mind, leaving him restless and unable to find the right moment to expin things to his father.

  Or perhaps, Henwell struggles to face the darker parts of his own heart.

  Deep down, he wonders: if he were to reunite with his father, where would Obian’s loyalties lie?

  Would his father wholeheartedly support Henwell’s decisions?

  Would he cooperate with Henwell’s actions?

  Unlike Henwell, Obian is a native Ika.

  He’s fought and bled for Ika all his life, his feelings for the kingdom far deeper than those of Henwell, the “outsider.”

  What Henwell pns to do could become a massive threat to the Ika Kingdom.

  In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Henwell might become Ika’s greatest enemy.

  On top of that, Obian isn’t just Henwell’s father, he has two other sons and a daughter.

  Obian is now a rising star in Ika, a newly minted powerful viscount with real authority, and a senior officer in Ika’s top knight corps.

  In his early forties, Obian is in his prime, with a brilliant future ahead.

  It’s likely he’ll one day become the commander of the Golden Guard Knights.

  That would almost certainly elevate him to the rank of count.

  So would Obian truly support Henwell?

  Henwell is his eldest son, but Ika is his mothernd.

  His friends, family, and subordinates are all Ika people.

  One day, Henwell will have to attack the Ika Kingdom.

  At that moment, Obian’s decisions will heavily influence Henwell’s pns.

  Henwell’s personal code forbids him from acting against filial piety.

  This respect for family comes from his experiences across two lifetimes.

  Emotionally, Henwell’s bond with Obian this life isn’t as deep as with his parents in previous lives.

  But the upbringing and love he’s received this time prevent him from ever raising a sword against his own father.

  That’s simply against Henwell’s principles.

  Even if it never comes to that, what if Obian comes as Ika’s representative to negotiate?

  That would put Henwell in an incredibly difficult position.

  These worries are just one part of the tangled emotions swirling inside Henwell.

  All these troubles have transformed into raw killing intent, fueling Henwell’s ferocious, unrelenting rage in battle.

  However, despite killing so many Fury Spirits, Henwell doesn’t notice any obvious increase in his strength.

  Unlike other battles, he can’t gain something like experience points from the sughter.

  Still, after cutting down so many Fury Spirits, Henwell senses he’s absorbed some strange energy.

  Something inside his body is growing stronger, though he can’t quite put his finger on what it is.

  He also feels another power intensifying—his Shackles of Civilization.

  With more and more Fury Spirits falling to his bde, a faint milky-white glow appears beneath Henwell’s Blood Will.

  But because his Blood Will’s blood fme burns so fiercely, only Henwell himself can perceive this subtle light.

  No matter what, killing monsters always brings some gain.

  Shackles of Civilization is his only real edge to go toe-to-toe with opponents far beyond his level, so Henwell fights even harder.

  He doesn’t know how much time passes before he suddenly realizes dawn is breaking.

  At this point, no Fury Spirits manifest in the real world anymore, and those already present begin to fade away.

  Henwell takes advantage of the moment to unch one st brutal sweep.

  After more than ten minutes, everything finally settles into calm.

  All traces of battle left by Henwell and his group slowly vanish.

  It’s as if time rewinds and repairs the damage—the shattered ground, colpsed walls—all gradually restore themselves.

  In the end, every mark of conflict is erased.

  Everyone stares bnkly at the scene.

  If not for the wounds on their bodies, they’d think it was all a hallucination or a nightmare.

  Henwell takes a deep breath and immediately helps carry the wounded back inside.

  He boils water for sterilization and personally tends to the injured, including Obian.

  All this is a cover for his true intent: to care for his father’s wounds.

  He can’t even be the first to treat Obian’s injuries.

  Two hours ter, Henwell finishes the surgery on Obian.

  Wrapped in bandages and looking weak, Obian smiles at Henwell.

  “Thank you, lord of Blood Hill, for your aid and rescue.”

  Henwell returns the smile softly.

  “Helping each other is only right. It’s an honor to fight alongside you.”

  At the very end, Henwell silently mouths a word without sound.

  Obian is stunned for a long time, not even noticing when Henwell leaves.

  Only he sees the shape of Henwell’s lips and understands the unspoken word: Father.

  “It’s an honor to fight by your side, Father.”

  Tears stream down Obian’s face as he closes his eyes, silently thinking, “I’m grateful too, my son.”