Chapter 149 - The Final Goodbye – Faking My Death

    (Samuel''s POV – Cutting All Ties to the Past)

    With Project Hades reduced to rubble, Henry and I stood outside, watching the factory collapse in flames.

    Smoke rose into the night sky, a monument to the destruction we had left behind.

    But my work wasn''t done yet.

    I pulled out my phone and dialed Volkov.

    The call barely rang twice before his deep Russian-accented voice came through.

    "Samuel. I assume Project Hades is no more?"

    I smirked, exhaling a breath of satisfaction. "Completely wiped out. But I need you to handle something for me."

    Volkov chuckled. "Of course you do. What is it this time?"

    I grinned. "I''m faking my death."

    There was a brief pause.

    Then—

    Volkov burst out laughing. "Hah! You always impress me, Samuel. But faking your own death just to get away from your pathetic wife? Now that''s something else."

    I chuckled. "Mr. Volkov, you know me. If I want to fake my death, I''ll do it. And as for that whore? She can spread her legs for whoever she likes—I don''t give a damn."

    Volkov laughed even harder. "Ah, Samuel. You truly have no mercy."

    I smirked. "Why should I? She had no mercy when she brought men into our bed and humiliated me."

    Volkov exhaled, his tone turning serious. "Very well, Samuel. I will arrange everything. By tomorrow morning, the world will believe you are dead."

    I grinned. "Good. And while you''re at it, I want a new passport."

    Volkov raised an eyebrow. "A new identity? And what name shall I put on it?"

    I smirked, my emerald eyes glowing with amusement.

    "Wolf."

    Volkov chuckled. "A fitting name. Ruthless, calculating, and untouchable."

    I nodded. "Exactly. Make sure it''s Russian. That way, Bardot won''t even think twice."

    Volkov hummed in approval. "Consider it done. I will handle Arkanis and ensure his daughter is safe by morning. Your papers will be ready as well."

    I let out a satisfied breath. "Perfect. Then tomorrow... Samuel Gebb dies. And Wolf is born."

    Henry, who had been listening in, smirked. "Damn. You really like making things dramatic."

    I grinned. "Hey, if I''m gonna disappear, might as well make it interesting."

    Volkov chuckled. "Indeed. Well then, Mr. Wolf, I''ll see you soon."

    The call ended.

    I exhaled, staring at the flames of what was once Project Hades.

    Goodbye, Samuel Gebb.

    Tomorrow, I would no longer be a private investigator with a failed marriage.

    Tomorrow, I would be a ghost.

    And the world?

    It wouldn''t even know what hit it.

    ----

    [SYSTEM ALERT: QUEST COMPLETE – WAR OF ASCENSION]

    Objective Completed:

    ? Eliminated Supreme Executioners of Project Hades

    ? Eradicated the Demonic Generals of the Hidden Order

    ? Destroyed the Abyssal Anchor

    Rewards:

    +10 Levels Each (Samuel: 116 | Henry: 116)

    New Hidden Abilities Unlocked

    Entry to the Final Stage of This World Unlocked

    Cooldown Timer Activated – 3 Years Until Next World

    ----

    (Samuel''s POV – The Countdown Begins)

    As soon as the system notification popped up, I felt an immense surge of power flooding my body.

    The Black Heart inside me pulsed violently, adapting to the new strength.

    I clenched my fists, feeling the raw power coiling within my veins.

    This... was something else.

    Henry, standing beside me, rolled his shoulders, a golden aura swirling around him as his own Titan Heart adjusted.

    He glanced at me, smirking. "Well, look at that. We finally hit the requirement."

    I let out a dark chuckle. "Tch. About time."

    Then, another notification popped up.

    ---

    [SYSTEM ALERT: TIME UNTIL WORLD TRANSFER – 3 YEARS]

    NOTE: The system requires a three-year cooldown before transporting players to the next world. Use this time wisely to grow stronger and prepare for future threats.

    ---

    I smirked, staring at the countdown timer in my system.

    Three years.

    I knew it.

    This world still had things to offer.

    Opportunities.

    Power.

    And most importantly—unfinished business.

    Henry exhaled, taking a sip from his whiskey flask. "Three years, huh?"

    I chuckled. "Plenty of time to wrap things up."

    Henry grinned. "Damn right."

    Our journey wasn''t over yet.

    And in three years...

    The next world would open.

    And I would be ready.

    (Samuel''s POV – A Past Buried in Flames)

    The night air was thick with the smell of gasoline.

    I stood beside my Maserati, staring at the lifeless body sprawled on the ground.

    A man who had no importance to me.

    A man who, a few hours ago, was breathing, laughing, thinking he had control over his life.

    Now?

    Nothing but a corpse waiting to burn.

    I poured the last of the gasoline over him, watching as the liquid soaked into his clothes, the ground beneath him already stained with his own blood.

    I flicked open my lighter, staring at the small, dancing flame.

    My mind drifted back—to a question that had been lingering for far too long.

    ---

    Should I Tell Her?

    Abigail Bardot.

    The woman who hated me.

    The woman who ruined me.

    But once upon a time... she loved me.

    And once upon a time—I loved her, too.

    Would things have been different if she knew the truth?

    Would she have forgiven me if she knew why I left her at her lowest?

    Because it wasn''t by choice.

    It was because of my so-called uncle, Mark.

    The man who controlled the Bardot family''s downfall.

    The man who promised to invest in her company—

    But only if I walked away and left her broken.

    Four years ago, when she needed me the most, I became the villain of her story.

    Because that''s the role Mark wanted me to play.

    I sighed, rolling my shoulders. "None of it matters anymore."

    Abigail made her choices.

    And now, so had I.

    I wasn''t Samuel Gebb, the heartbroken husband.

    I wasn''t the man she could torment and humiliate.

    Now?

    I was the Wolf.

    ---

    Burning the Past

    I flicked the lighter shut—then tossed it onto the gasoline-soaked body.

    WHOOSH!

    The flames roared to life, consuming the corpse in an instant.

    The fire''s glow reflected in my emerald eyes, flickering like the past I had just erased.

    No evidence.

    No name.

    Just another unmarked grave in the world of monsters.

    I leaned against my car, lighting a cigarette as I watched the fire burn.

    As the smoke curled into the air, I let out a small, dark chuckle.

    "Uncle Mark... was he really the villain of this story?"

    Or was there something bigger at play?

    Something I hadn''t seen yet?

    I exhaled, shaking my head.

    "Doesn''t matter."

    Because in the end...

    Everything burns.