Morning...


    Leony on the bed, a faint smile gracing his lips as he slept soundly.


    "You smelly little girls... How dare you tease your daddy like that? Aren''t you afraid of a good spanking on your little butts?" Leon mumbled incoherently, letting out an asional chuckle.


    But just as he sank deeper into his sweet dream, hurried footsteps approached his tent.


    "General Leon! Are you awake? Something bad has happened—I need your help!" A young man''s urgent voice shattered the calm, pulling Leon from his sleep.


    With a groan, Leon slowly opened his heavy eyes, rubbing his temples as he sat up.


    "Damn... Who''s making all this noise at this hour? Don''t they know I was in the middle of a beautiful dream?" He grumbled, his toneced with irritation.


    His handsome face, now slightly scrunched in displeasure, betrayed his dissatisfaction. Yet, he stifled his annoyance and reluctantly got to his feet.


    The grueling war from the night before left his neck, legs, arms, and waist sore and stiff. It was no surprise—after all, it had been a long time since hest fought seriously in a battle.


    Stretching his body, Leon swiftly changed from his casual clothes into his war mantle. He then activated his transformation technique, donning his half-face mask before stepping out of his tent.


    As he exited, he noticed Kaelen, dressed in ck armor, looking pale and panicked.


    "What''s wrong, Kaelen? Why wake me up so early?" Leon inquired calmly, though his tone betrayed his dissatisfaction.


    He nced at the dark sky, still scattered with a few stars. If not for the faint light of the rising sun in the distance, he would have thought it was still night.


    Kaelen''s expression shifted from panic to obvious relief when he saw Leon.


    "General Leon! I''m so d you finally came out. I was worried you wouldn''t answer earlier," he said with a sigh of relief.


    Leon''s eyebrows arched slightly, his curiosity piqued.


    "What happened? Why do you look so panicked and agitated?" Leon inquired casually, folding his arms across his chest.


    Kaelen''s face turned serious, and he nodded slowly.


    "Something serious happened, General," Kaelen replied, his voice tinged with worry. "A few soldiers went to deliver breakfast to Spear Hero Valen, but when they arrived, they found that he had somehow broken free of the chains binding him. He attacked our soldiers so fiercely that one of them was knocked into aa."


    He paused, his fists clenching. "A hundred soldiers have surrounded him now, but it doesn''t seem to be working. That''s why I came to you for help."


    Leon was taken aback, a hint of astonishment shing across his face.


    "Valen managed to break free from the chains? How is that even possible?"


    Leon asked inwardly, blinking in disbelief.


    The chains that bound Valen weren''t ordinary—they were infused with chaos power, and there was also a seal around his neck to prevent him from using his holy power.


    Shaking off his surprise, Leonposed himself and looked at Kaelen calmly.


    "Alright, don''t worry. Take me to the cell where Valen is," Leon said in a reassuring tone.


    Kaelen nodded quickly, relieved, and led Leon toward the cell.


    ...


    Inside the underground prison, a tense atmosphere thickened. At the far end, a tall, burly man in tattered armor red coldly at the hundred ck-armored soldiers standing before him.


    "What will you do? Step aside, or I''ll kill everyst one of you," Valen dered indifferently, his burly arms folded across his chest.


    The soldiers shifted uneasily at his words, but none dared to budge.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Spear Hero Valen, please, don''t be rash," one soldier spoke, his tone respectful but tinged with fear.


    Having fought alongside Archdemon Heidel in the previous war, the soldier knew firsthand how terrifying and ferocious the Spear Hero was. Therefore, he dared not provoke him any further.


    Valen''s eyes locked onto the soldier, and a crushing pressure descended upon him in an instant.


    "Who are you to teach me?" Valen sneered, his voice dripping with lethal intent.


    The soldier trembled in fear as the overwhelming pressure bore down on him, causing him to copse to one knee. Hisrades, pale and desperate, tried to help, but the pressure was so intense that they couldn''t move him an inch.


    One of the soldiers red at Valen and shouted, "Spear Hero Valen! If you keep this up, our general will make you regret it!"


    Valen raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised, before a mocking smile spread across his face.


    "Heh, threatening me? Do you really think I''ll fear him?" Valen taunted coldly.


    With that, an even stronger pressure descended on the soldier, forcing him to the ground, his face pale and contorted in fear. The other soldiers grew even more terrified, watching Valen''s rage spiral out of control.


    Just as they were on the verge of panic, footsteps echoed from behind them, and a calm voice rang out.


    "Valen, you''re causing quite amotion and ruining my rest. Now tell me, how would you prefer to be beaten with?"


    The soldiers quickly turned to see Kaelen walking toward them, with Leon by his side. A wave of relief washed over their faces, as if they had just seen their savior.


    "Greetings, General!" one of the soldiers said respectfully, and the others followed suit.


    Leon offered a small, calm nod, his gaze turning to Valen, who was ring at him with palpable hatred.


    "How did you manage to escape?" Leon asked casually, his gaze briefly resting on the shattered chains scattered next to Valen.


    Instead of answering, Valen gave a cold smile. He opened his palm, and the Soaring Dragon Holy Spear materialized in his grasp.


    "Hahaha! What a coincidence that you showed up. I can''t wait to defeat you and end your life!" Valen eximed, his voice filled with excitement.


    Before Leon could react, Valen vanished from his position, reappearing two meters in front of him. He spun the Soaring Dragon Holy Spear and thrust it toward Leon''s heart.


    "Die!" Valen roared.


    *Boom!*


    A loud explosion erupted, sending a shockwave that caused the soldiers behind Leon to be knocked back several meters.


    "Hahaha! I finally got you!" Valenughed triumphantly.


    But before he could fully savor his victory, a powerful punch struck his cheek.


    *Bang!*


    In an instant, Valen was sent flying and crashed into the prison wall, creating a hole three meters deep.


    Leon calmly rubbed his hands and gazed dismissively at the unconscious Valen.


    "Did he really be this foolish after just one day in confinement?"


    Leon muttered with a light chuckle.


    Valen should have realized just how powerful he was, yet he still attacked in desperation. What else could be said, other than that he was foolish?


    Leon approached Valen and ced an even stronger seal around his neck, ensuring that he wouldn''t break free again.


    Turning to the still-dumbfounded soldiers, Leon calmly ordered, "Return to your rest. Have five of you escort Valen to the other holding cells."


    The soldiers quickly snapped out of their daze, looking at Leon with admiration and respect.


    "As youmand, General!" they replied in unison.


    With a small smile, Leon said nothing more and walked out.


    ***


    The sun gradually rose, casting its soft light over the world.


    Luna slowly opened her eyes as she sat up in bed, rubbing them with a sleepy motion.


    "Are you awake? Did you sleep well?" A man''s soft voice suddenly broke the silence, startling her.


    She turned her head to find Leon, dressed in a ck mantle, standing beside the bed and cing breakfast on the small bedside table, a smile on his face.


    Snapping out of her daze, Luna smiled sweetly and nodded.


    "Yes, it was the best sleep I''ve had in a while, especially since the news of your death was announced by the Empire," she replied softly.


    Leon chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed and gently running a hand through her slightly messy ck hair.


    "I''m grateful you always worried about me. But now, I''m here, and you don''t need to worry anymore," Leon said affectionately.


    Luna''s eyes softened into crescents as she enjoyed the touch and heard hisforting words.


    "You''re right," she responded, her voice bright with excitement.


    Seeing Luna''s spoiled demeanor, Leon couldn''t help but smile. To anyone who knew her, Luna appeared cold, aloof, strict, and indifferent.


    But only in front of him did she show this softer, more spoiled side. After all, they had grown up together, and Luna had always been open with him, sharing her deepest emotions.


    "I brought you breakfast," Leon said, picking up the te he had set on the nightstand earlier and handing it to her.


    Luna took the te, her eyes lighting up as she saw the spread—slices of forest beef, boiled potatoes, and a variety of vegetables, all looking mouthwateringly delicious.


    Her gaze softened as she looked at Leon.


    "Thank you, Leon," she said with genuine gratitude.


    "You''re wee. Eat up," Leon replied casually.


    Luna nodded, spearing a slice of meat with her fork before eagerly taking a bite.


    "This is so delicious! Did you cook this?" she asked excitedly, her mouth full.


    Leon smiled with a hint of pride as he nodded. "Yes, I cooked it."


    Upon hearing this, the sparkle in Luna''s eyes brightened, and she continued eating with enthusiasm.


    She hadn''t had Leon''s cooking in a long time, and there were moments when she missed it deeply. Thankfully, she could finally savor it again.


    In no time, Luna finished every bite on her te, leaving no leftovers.


    Leon took the empty te and handed her a ss of water.


    "By the way, Luna," Leon said, setting the te down on the broken nightstand before continuing, "I may need your helpter. Would you mind?"


    Luna, still sipping her drink, paused for a moment before nodding firmly.


    "Of course, Leon. Just tell me what you need," she replied softly.


    Leon quickly outlined the n he had prepared the night before, detailing the steps Luna would need to take.


    After hearing his n, Luna couldn''t help butugh softly, her confidence evident as she nodded casually.


    "Leave it to me, Leon."