Munitions Empire Chapter 2027 - 1889

Darkness flooded over her like a relentless tide, swallowing her completely. Intense agony stabbed her nerves like searing needles, pulling her from the depths of unconsciousness. The world whirled around, fractured, and pieced itself back together in her sight, though everything stayed blurred, draped in a dense fog.

Billows of nausea paired with pounding headaches assaulted her, nearly sending her back into a faint. She instinctively tried to moan, but her tongue met an odd emptiness. She automatically ran her tongue over her gums, finding the spots where two gleaming gold false teeth once sat now bare, leaving only chilly gaps.

Shards of memory flashed through her mind like broken glass. She fought to connect these pieces, remembering the torment from her two rotten teeth, and how she finally shelled out a huge sum for those brilliant gold replacements.

The gold that stood for riches and prestige was gone now, swapped for an empty lightness, as though a chunk of her body had been brutally torn off.

She figured the captors holding her here suspected poison hidden in her false teeth, so they yanked them out roughly.

With awareness sharpening, a fierce ache erupted from her wrist, like myriad fine steel spikes jabbing her nerves, making her gasp sharply. She forced her arm up to check the wound, only to spot a bare forearm bound firmly in wrappings. A dull throb and numbness pulsed from the fracture site, and she gaped in horror, comprehending her hand had vanished.

Right then, an aged voice rang out by the bedside: "The bone got smashed by a bullet, blood vessels fully cut off. Traffic jammed up bad that day, and by the time the ambulance hit the hospital, certain parts couldn't be fixed anymore..." The tone held a detached chill, like chatting about someone else's minor issue.

Sofia strained to turn her head, fixing her eyes on the speaker. An old fellow with a cane sat beside the bed, skinny yet with a firm, robust voice free of shaky weakness. His sunken eyes sparkled with a profound, inscrutable light.

The elder halted, then continued, "Of course, that's the polite version. Truth is, we figured you had no use for that hand, so off it came." A hint of amusement laced his words, treating it like no big deal. This offhand manner sent icy shivers down Sofia's spine.

Sofia's eyes shifted to her remaining hand, clamped tight to the bed frame, linked by IV lines to a bag overhead, multicolored fluids dripping steadily into her veins. She drew in a steadying breath, battling to quell the fury and terror boiling inside.

She knew lashing out in anger or shame would just make her look weaker, delighting her tormentors; calm was essential. Outbursts would invite ridicule, and wrath in captivity only amused foes. Thus, she clamped down on her feelings, projecting cool detachment.

Composure gripped her forcibly as she parted her dry lips, her voice coming out raspy and unfamiliar even to her own ears: "You're quite the character. Mind sharing your name?"

The old man let out a chuckle, treating the query like a negligible trifle.

"Me?" He hesitated briefly: "Sure, they call me Li’ao."

"Li’ao?" Sofia echoed the name quietly, rummaging through her memories for any link but drawing a blank. It meant nothing to her.

Li’ao tapped his cane lightly on the floor, creating soft rhythmic thuds that cut sharply through the quiet room. He arched a brow faintly; a subtle grin tugged at his lips, carving a brief but deep line on his face that revealed his smug pleasure.

His gaze shone with the triumph of a hunter securing its quarry, evidently pleased at hiding his true self for so long. He rubbed his palms together slowly, slender fingers scraping softly, akin to savoring a flawless creation or plotting his following step.

Speaking deliberately with a touch of smug superiority, he said: "For an intel chief, keeping your real identity hidden from foes is basic, isn't it?" He stopped, eyes locking on Sofia with a sly spark, like a blade plunging into her chest: "You, Sofia, obviously flunked that one."

After that, he lingered silent, mockery dancing in his eyes as if scorning her failure. He cleared his throat softly, drawing out the suspense like baiting a hook, speaking only after she looked his way: "Now, I can tell you who I am because..." He stretched the words teasingly, eyes twinkling mischievously like a cat batting at prey: "I don't need to hide anymore."

He inclined his old frame a bit closer to Sofia, murmuring in a secretive tone: "I used to run a tavern named..." He halted once more, drawing out the pause deliberately to build tension, before pronouncing each syllable clearly: "Silver Fox."

Settling back into his seat, he straightened up, his eyes locked steadily on Sofia, scrutinizing her every reaction. He saw her complexion drain to a ghostly pallor in a flash, her eyes flooding with astonishment and incredulity.

He understood the weight those two words carried for Sofia. He realized he could now reveal his true self to her at last. He sensed the endless pursuit between them was reaching its conclusion, with him emerging as the supreme winner.

"Silver Fox..." The words rasped from Sofia’s parched lips like rough sandpaper, laced with an uncontrollable quiver. An unseen grip seemed to throttle her throat, hindering every breath.

Sofia’s stare nailed itself to Leo’s features, her eyes stretched wide, desperate to etch every line and crease into her memory forever. This wasn’t merely a face—it embodied a nightmare, a terror that had stalked her for years on end.

In that instant, time appeared to halt; silence enveloped the room, broken only by Leo’s cane tapping rhythmically, Sofia’s labored breaths, and the thunderous beat of her heart. Her thoughts blanked out as memories whirled by like a frantic merry-go-round—hair-raising pursuits, brutal clashes, endless defeats—all collapsing into utter despair and regret right then.

After what felt like ages, Sofia managed to speak, her voice cracked and feeble, akin to a flame dancing precariously in the breeze, on the verge of snuffing out.

"You’re very impressive." She forced out the phrase, a faint note of respect threading through, conceding to a worthy rival while dismissing her own long years of toil.

"I’ve never gained an advantage over you." Sofia averted her eyes from Leo’s visage toward the ceiling overhead. Its stark whiteness spun her into vertigo, as if adrift in nothingness. She blinked languidly, attempting to shake off the disorientation.

"Whether it was in the Eastern Continent, or in the Western Continent..." Her words trailed softer, barely above a whisper. Visions of her perilous days in the Eastern Continent resurfaced, brimming with hazards and trials. She also recollected her time in the Western Continent, deceptively calm yet rife with hidden storms. Wherever she went, the Silver Fox’s shadow lingered inescapably.

Naturally, she remained unaware that her foes encompassed not just the Imperial Security Bureau, but also the special ops of the Imperial Internal Affairs Department, the military intel of the Great Tang Empire... and even the Emperor’s personal guards from the Great Tang Empire. Her adversaries numbered plenty, truly many, and they were... exceptionally powerful, immensely so.

Gentle illumination cascaded from above, bathing the room and Sofia’s ashen features in light. The space gleamed with pristine perfection, resembling a surreal illusion. Sofia sensed herself suspended midair, her body slipping from her command.

"This makes me happier than receiving a medal." Leo’s booming chuckle shattered the quiet, carrying a smug undertone. To Sofia, it grated like the boast of a triumphant foe.

"Compliments from an enemy are always especially precious." Confidence and arrogance saturated his words.

"I didn’t expect someone as important as you to come see me." Sofia strained to raise her head, eager to inspect her injuries, yet weakness overwhelmed her, thwarting each try. Her frame weighed like iron, every motion draining her utterly.

"Oh, sorry." Spotting her effort, Leo courteously gestured with his hand, directing the nurse across the bed to assist. She caught on swiftly, stepping to the headboard and flipping the electronic control. A quiet whir from the motor gradually elevated the bed’s upper section, propping up Sofia’s form.

At last, Sofia could survey her state: thick wrappings bound one knee, the other leg unscathed. She was clad in baggy hospital garb, uncovered by any sheets.

"I thought you had cut off my leg too." Sofia eyed her unharmed limb, her tone tinged with bitter irony. Discreetly, she flicked a glance at the nurse nearby.

Instincts honed over years warned her that, even unarmed and unbound, this attendant could overpower her effortlessly multiple times over.

"Hahaha! I’m no big shot." Leo’s guffaw rang out as he checked his pocket watch, dropping a bombshell that floored Sofia: "In a moment... the real important person will come. His Majesty The Emperor is coming to visit you."

After his words, he slipped the pocket watch back into his pocket. Even after all these years, he remained fond of that imprecise timepiece, which constantly demanded adjustments to function correctly. The reason was simple: it had been a gift from His Majesty The Emperor in the past.

"R-really?" As Sofia uttered the question, the shake in her own voice was unmistakable to her.

"It’s true." Leo realized that His Majesty The Emperor’s car must have reached the hospital entrance by now: "He granted your dying wish. His Majesty The Emperor is very compassionate, isn’t he?"

"Yes, indeed." Sofia shut her eyes, facing that man for the first time in her most miserable condition.

Ten years earlier, at the Flame Castle, without wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, not immobilized on a hospital bed... this encounter might have unfolded differently...

Forget it.