CHAPTER 129: THEY LOST THE RIGHTS!

Hunter’s monster truck roared through the jungle, tearing branches and sending mud flying.

Behind him, the elites gave chase, their headlights cutting through the night. Bullets rattled against the armored body of his truck, but the vehicle held firm.

Hunter gripped the wheel, eyes sharp, weaving left and right through the uneven track.

The jungle echoed with gunfire and the roar of engines. He touched his earpiece.

"Knight, talk to me. Have you reached the docks?"

Static buzzed, broken voices cutting in and out before Knight’s voice finally came through. His tone was calm, but Hunter could hear the tightness underneath.

"We ran into trouble. Some of them followed us into the jungle.

They set up a block, and we walked straight into an ambush.

Our truck is gone—burned out. But don’t worry, we made it out alive. I already dealt with most of the attackers."

Hunter’s grip tightened on the wheel. His eyes flicked to the mirror, where the elites’ headlights glared like hunting beasts.

"Damn it," he muttered. "That’s the last thing we needed."

Knight’s voice came again, steady, firm, unshaken. "Don’t lose focus, Hunter. Keep them on you.

We’ve taken the long route through the jungle and found a cave. The rescued are shaken, but alive.

I’ll hold them together. You just keep the elites chasing your tail."

Hunter exhaled slowly, forcing himself back into control. His lips curled in a sharp grin.

"Don’t worry about me. They’ll regret chasing this far."

He swerved just as an SUV tried to slam into his side.

"Not today," he muttered. He yanked the handbrake, spun the truck, and rammed straight into the SUV, crushing its front.

The vehicle flipped into the trees with a fiery crash.

Another two vehicles closed in from behind. Hunter snatched two grenades, pulled the pins with practiced ease, and hurled them out the window.

The jungle lit up with a pair of explosions. Flames rolled through the undergrowth, swallowing one SUV whole.

Hunter yanked the wheel to the right. He needed to cut through the jungle road that led toward the port. His focus was locked, every second counting.

Then—CRASH!

Something heavy slammed into the rear of his truck. The impact was so strong it shook his bones.

The monster truck lurched forward, tires screeching as it lost grip. Mud sprayed everywhere as the beast of a machine skidded across the track.

Hunter fought the wheel, but the force was too much. The truck bounced off the uneven ground, swayed dangerously, then flipped.

The world spun in chaos—trees, headlights, and metal blurring together. Glass shattered around him, shards catching the moonlight like silver rain.

The sound of grinding steel roared in his ears as the truck rolled over and over.

Finally, with a bone-jarring crash, it landed upside down.

Smoke hissed from the ruined hood, and the wheels spun uselessly in the air, screeching like dying beasts.

On the ridge above, the old man arrived with his team. His coat flared in the wind, his eyes like cold steel.

Guards surrounded the wreck at his command. "You good-for-nothings!" he snarled.

"A single man, and you still fail? Catch him alive or dead. He does not leave this island. Jam all signals now!"

"Yes, Master!" the guards barked.

They marched down the slope, rifles ready. Smoke poured from the overturned truck.

Slowly, they approached, weapons trained on the wreck. One soldier grabbed the crushed door and yanked it open.

The seat was empty.

"Master!" one of the guards called out, his voice cracking. "He’s not here. The truck is empty!"

The old man’s face twisted with rage. "Impossible! He should be broken inside that wreck!"

He pointed into the trees. "Search! He’ll be hurt—he can’t have gone far. Find him. Kill him!"

The guards spread out, combing the jungle. Flashlights cut across the thick undergrowth.

They fired shots into the bushes, trying to flush him out. But the forest answered only with silence.

One guard paused, frowning at the ground. "Blood..." he muttered, kneeling by a smear on the leaves. A trail led deeper into the jungle.

"Follow it!" another barked.

But the trail ended near a fallen log, the blood stopping cold. Nothing more.

From the ridge above, the old man raised a pair of binoculars. He scanned the wreck below, his face tight, his hand trembling with fury.

Smoke curled into the sky, but there was no sign of Hunter.

His teeth ground together. "Enough," he spat. His voice carried like a whip across the night.

"Cut off the hands of those fools who failed to recognize him!"

The guards stiffened, horror flashing in their eyes, but none dared to argue. The order was absolute.

The old man turned slowly toward Dr. Lopez and the other lead researchers. His gaze was sharp, his words colder than steel.

"And you three... you failed to recognize your own missing team member. You couldn’t even tell an imposter was in front of you.

What use are you in advancing my research?"

The trio lowered their heads, their faces pale.

"Drop your badges," the old man snapped. His voice thundered across the ridge. "Get out of my sight.

"You are finished. Don’t ever think of returning to the research world," the old man said, his grave voice echoing like a final judgment.

Dr. Lopez’s knees almost buckled. "No... Master, you cannot do this to us," she whispered, her voice shaking.

The old man turned his gaze on them. His eyes burned cold and merciless, and his face twisted into a menacing glare.

That look alone was enough to strip the strength from their bodies. The three researchers trembled as if the ground itself had given way beneath them.

Silence fell. The night seemed to hold its breath. Slowly, the trio lowered their heads.

Their badges slipped from their hands, falling to the dirt with a dull, final sound.

They dejectedly slumped, their shoulders heavy with shame. None dared to speak again.

They knew better than anyone that to oppose the old man was to vanish without a trace.

No one would ever find their bodies if they crossed him. His wrath was not only feared—it was absolute.