The dungeon lay behind them—a hollow shell filled with corpses, broken stone, and the lingering presence of blood-soaked power.
The moment they returned to the surface, Zairon's body hummed.
A wave of energy surged through him—raw, potent, undeniable.
[Ding!]
Congratulations. You have reached C Rank.
New threshold unlocked: Sovereign's Aura (Passive Boost).
He let the power flow through his limbs, his breath steadying, his vision sharpening. His body felt lighter. Stronger. The earth beneath him felt like it responded to his will.
"Finally…" he whispered, smirking to himself, "a step closer."
He raised his voice, and the Legion immediately fell silent.
"Today, the Sovereign Legion proved its strength. And for that, I commend you."
A wave of cheers surged—but he held up a hand, silencing them again.
"But our work is far from over."
"There are still places festering in the dark corners of this world… filth that treats people as cattle. Traffickers who profit from pain." His gaze burned. "And they dared to exist in my world."
His voice dropped, deadly calm.
"Today, we change that."
Gasps echoed among the Legion members. Zairon continued:
"I won't be joining you today. This is your mission."
"You will move in squads. Gareth, Maruna, Zareth—each of you will lead a front. Lena will remain as the command center support and healer overseer."
He paced slowly in front of them, his black coat fluttering with every step.
"Shut down every small trafficking operation in this region. Leave no trace of them behind."
"Do not engage the larger syndicates yet. We are not ready for that storm."
He turned sharply, locking eyes with his warriors.
"But we will be."
"Burn their warehouses. Destroy their chains. Set the captives free. And make sure every scumbag left alive spreads one message:"
He raised his hand high—and clenched it into a fist.
"'The Sovereign Legion is coming.'"
The Legion roared like thunder in response.
The world was about to witness a new kind of justice.
And this was only the beginning.