Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Although Axel had already plotted against Orion and Griffin, he had never once underestimated these two gang leaders from Dune.

Now, looking at the situation in front of him, he realized he had definitely underestimated the scale of this operation.

Without a solid follow-up plan, Axel figured even if they managed to take down Orion, getting out alive would be impossible in a place like this.

These people weren’t like Wolfe’s lackeys, who could be bought off with money. When push came to shove, they didn’t hesitate to kill.

You could see that from the gang fight that day.

Cassia lingered at the entrance of the fortress for a while, surveying the area. What surprised Axel was how few people there were in the open fields of the fortress. There wasn’t even a guard in sight.

He continued to follow her, moving deeper into the compound. As they reached the gate, Axel’s expression shifted.

He was no stranger to the scent of blood—after all, years of bloodshed had made him hyper-sensitive to it. The area might’ve seemed quiet at first, but as he drew closer to the fortress, the stench grew stronger.

It seemed his worst fear had come true.

Sure enough, as they entered the fortress and passed through a small door into a warehouse-like building, Axel could hear the unmistakable sounds of a fight inside.

Cassia moved silently, like a shadow, staying out of sight in the warehouse’s blind spots. Inside, at least thirty people were engaged in a brutal brawl.

What Axel found reassuring, though, was that while these men were vicious, they weren’t overly strong.

It looked like Cassia knew exactly where Orion would be. While the chaos unfolded around her, she darted between crates and piles of goods, making her way deeper.

Suddenly, someone shouted, “Who’s there!”

The group paused, momentarily distracted by the sound of someone breaking in, but they still couldn’t see who it was.

Cassia slipped in unnoticed, but Axel had a harder time.

The fighting group hesitated for a moment, and that was enough to force Axel to stop dead in his tracks.

“The reinforcements are on their way. I’m going to protect the boss—hold them off!” Axel shouted, hoping to buy Cassia some time.

At his sudden appearance, a one-eyed man in the group lit up with recognition.

“Haha, good! Let’s finish these bastards off today!” he yelled.

With that, the fight reignited with even more fury, and chaos erupted once again.

As she saw the people behind her fail to catch up, Cassia let out a quiet sigh of relief. Ahead, there was a narrow alley, and about ten meters further on, a half-open door. Blood seeped from the crack, and the silence inside was unsettling.

Despite the rage building inside her, she hesitated for a moment before stopping at the door. This ”father-daughter relationship” that had deceived her for over ten years was finally coming to an end.

She lifted her chin, her energy surging through her body. Without another thought, she thrust the door open with a swift motion and stepped inside.

The room was large, the kind of space where Orion usually spent his time. Several bodies were sprawled across the floor, blood pooling around them. Cassia’s stomach turned as she recognized their faces.

These were people from the gang who had always been kind to her. So Benjamin had really been planning this all along. Unfortunately, she would never hear their voices again.

Benjamin was half-slumped against a load-bearing pillar. When he saw Cassia suddenly appear, his slightly old face was full of shock.

”How did you come back? I’m not... cough, cough,” Benjamin’s voice faltered, blood sputtering from his mouth as he struggled to speak. His eyes were full of despair.

He had thought that, even if he died here, it wouldn’t matter. He had seen her potential, had hoped that, when the truth came to light, she would eventually seek vengeance for him—even after his death.

But Cassia was here now. And that hope was crushed.

His gaze shifted to Orion, who sat slumped, his head lowered, unable to hide the exhaustion in his posture. His left arm hung limply, clearly broken, and his body was soaked in blood—but still, his condition was far better than Benjamin’s.

The room was silent except for the ragged breathing of the three remaining people. Axel stood quietly just outside the door, his presence unnoticed, waiting in the shadows.

After what felt like an eternity, Orion finally spoke, lifting his head with obvious effort. His face, once so imposing, now looked weary.

“Cassia.” His voice was heavy.

”Orion.” Cassia spoke his name, but it was not the familiar term of ”godfather” that had once rolled off her tongue. It was cold, distant—unfamiliar.

Orion’s eyes softened just a little, and his lips curled into a sad, almost resigned smile. “So, you know everything.”

Cassia’s heart clenched at his words. His tone wasn’t one of guilt or remorse, just acceptance. It was as though this moment had been inevitable.

Benjamin’s pained voice broke through the tension. “Cassia... what are you doing? This... this isn’t the way.”

But Cassia didn’t flinch. She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto Orion. She had no intention of backing down.

”What are you doing? According to the arrangement I made for you, it’s actually quite good.” Orion’s gaze flickered toward her, noticing for the first time the woman standing before him.

She wasn’t the innocent, uncertain girl he had taken in all those years ago. She was different—hardened, fierce. Beautiful.

“I came back to avenge my parents,” she said, her voice low but full of power.

The words felt like a blade cutting through all the years of false affection, of empty family bonds.

As soon as the words left her lips, all the warm memories, the ”father-daughter” illusion they had built, shattered.

”Well, you’re definitely the child of the Moncrief family,” Orion said with a faint smirk, his eyes showing a rare, almost admiring gleam.

Cassia’s anger flared, but Benjamin seemed to lose his last bit of control. He staggered to his feet with what little strength he had left, his face contorted in desperation.

”Orion!” He shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. ”You killed her parents! And now you want to kill her? You’ve watched her grow up, for god’s sake! Give her a chance to live! Cassia, go!”

Benjamin’s coughing fit made the words barely audible, and the pain on his face was a stark contrast to the cold indifference around him.

But Orion was unfazed. His tone was casual, almost dismissive. ”She chooses this path, she’s already ready to be killed at any time.” He shrugged slightly, as though speaking of an inevitable consequence. ”I saved her life once. She should be grateful.”

The air was thick with tension.

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