UNDERGROUND TUNNELS — NIGHT
The cold stone walls echoed with dripping water and distant footsteps. Su Chen moved swiftly, his breath controlled but steady. This labyrinth beneath the ruined city was a grim reminder — there was no escape, only survival through sheer will.
A DANGEROUS ALLIANCE
Li Wei stepped beside him, eyes narrowed.
"We need help. There's a faction willing to trade info — but they want a price."
Su Chen's jaw tightened.
"Everything has a price in this world. What's theirs?"
THE PROPOSITION
The faction's leader, a ruthless woman named Xue Yan, demanded an uneasy alliance — one that tested Su Chen's limits and moral code.
"I want your system's core access," she said coldly. "Give it to me, and I'll help you burn them down."
BETRAYAL'S COST
The decision tore at Su Chen. Sharing the system's power meant risking everything — losing control, becoming vulnerable.
But without her aid, victory was impossible.
THE DARK PATH
He weighed the cost — the lives lost, the power gained, and the soul slipping further into darkness.
"Fine," Su Chen said finally, voice steel and resignation. "But if you betray me…"
His glare promised a reckoning worse than death.
ENDING SCENE
The alliance sealed in silence, the underworld shifted beneath their feet.
Su Chen stared into the void.
"This war will consume us all — but I will rise from the ashes."
End of Chapter 39