The dust settled.
Ryo stood in the aftermath of the battle, his breath ragged, his muscles still thrumming with power.
The Lazarus squad was gone.
For now.
Karin and Vos were still trying to process what the hell had just happened.
> "Whew. That was fun, huh? So, rookie—how does it feel to officially become a walking war crime?"
Ryo ignored the system's voice. His mind was still locked on what the Lazarus leader had said.
> "You really are one of us."
The words burned.
He looked down at his hands—steady, unshaken. His wounds were gone. His body felt stronger than before.
And worst of all—
It felt normal.
Like he was always meant to be this way.
Ryo exhaled. Focus. There were more important things right now.
Like why the hell the Lazarus soldiers left.
The Real Threat
Vos broke the silence.
"They had us." His voice was gruff, uncertain. "They could've finished us. Why didn't they?"
Karin scowled. "They weren't trying to kill us. Just Ryo."
Her gaze flicked to him. "Or… maybe recruit him."
Ryo felt her tension.
The way she looked at him now—like he was something else. Something unknown.
He didn't blame her.
Because he wasn't sure what he was anymore.
Then—the system pinged.
> [WARNING: HIGH-PRIORITY ALERT]
[HELLION COMMAND SIGNAL DETECTED]
Ryo's stomach dropped.
"Oh, shit."
The holo-terminals flickered, overridden by a new transmission.
A distorted, authoritative voice filled the room.
> "Lazarus Command—report status."
Vos cursed. "They're still connected to Hellion."
The transmission crackled.
> "Lazarus Command—respond. If compromised, activate Protocol Ragnarok."
Ryo had no idea what the hell that meant.
But judging by the way Vos's face paled—
It was bad.
Protocol Ragnarok
Karin's fingers flew across the terminal. "I'm locking them out—buying us time."
The system pinged.
> [ATTEMPTING TO DECODE: PROTOCOL RAGNAROK]
[TRANSLATION: TOTAL FACILITY PURGE.]
Ryo's pulse spiked.
"Shut it down. Now."
Karin was already moving. "I'm trying! But something's blocking me—"
The transmission shifted.
A new voice entered the channel.
Smooth. Cold. Amused.
> "No need to panic."
The hairs on Ryo's neck rose.
This wasn't just some Hellion officer.
This was someone above even them.
> "Prototype 001. We've been looking for you."
Ryo's blood ran cold.
They knew.
They knew he was here.
Run or Fight?
Vos grabbed him. "We need to go. Now."
Karin's screen flashed red.
> [EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN ENGAGED.]
The doors slammed shut.
The system pinged.
> [WARNING: FACILITY SELF-DESTRUCT IN 10 MINUTES.]
Ryo gritted his teeth.
No.
No more running.
He turned to Karin. "Can you reroute the system?"
She cursed under her breath. "Maybe, but I need time."
Ryo turned to Vos. "Can you hold the door?"
Vos cocked his shotgun. "I can slow them down."
Ryo's fists clenched. His body was screaming to fight.
For the first time since he arrived in this world, he wasn't just reacting.
He was choosing.
> "Hell yeah, rookie. Let's make this a real war."
The Battle for the Iron Labyrinth
The alarms blared.
Boots echoed down the halls.
The Hellion forces were coming.
Ryo rolled his shoulders. His body felt ready.
Stronger.
This time, he wasn't going to hold back.
The war machine inside him was awake.
And it was time to see what it could really do.