"Come on, face me, scum!" Rumlow roared with all his might, defiant even in the face of death.
He had grown to love the phrase the ancestors always shouted—a bellow of disdain, the essence of a barbarian's spirit.
Agent Hill turned away, unable to watch the inevitable end. But Fury and Dugan grew uneasy as the fatal shot never came.
"No one can stop a barbarian. Any challenge brings their wrath. Rumlow, you did well." A low, rage-filled voice echoed, its suppressed fury palpable.
A hand drew every gaze—not for its calloused roughness or the blue portal it emerged from, but for the monkey corpse it held. A gaping hole in the monkey's suit-clad chest matched the hand's size, blood dripping audibly to the floor.
Hit-Monkey hadn't even screamed through the walkie-talkie before Bul-Kathos ended its life. The monkey wasn't sinless—it targeted killers and criminals but, deceived by humans, had harmed innocents. If Taric were here, he might've spared it. But this was Bul-Kathos.
"Someone told me to let the mundane handle their affairs. I tried, and clearly, you've failed to satisfy me," the hulking figure said, stepping through the portal into the office's center.
His white hair and beard swayed without wind. Metal armor clanged like a tolling bell with each step.
"You don't know fear or the consequences of your mistakes. All you think about is dodging responsibility. So I'm here to teach you," Bul-Kathos declared.
This time, he wasn't in casual work clothes but the majestic Immortal King's armor—not as a man, but as the Barbarian King, the next Immortal King. Though not his favored Wastes set, this armor embodied the Immortal King's legacy.
"Are you ready?" Bul-Kathos asked, glancing at Rumlow, bleeding on the floor. He sensed wounds tied to some rule, piquing his curiosity. These scum didn't seem capable of wielding such power.
He spared no glance for Fury, Dugan, or Hill. He didn't know them, nor did he need to.
"You're Bul-Kathos," Fury said calmly, armed with detailed reports about him. But he underestimated the barbarian's might, seeing him as just another superhuman in a world full of them—one S.H.I.E.L.D. could handle.
"Looks like you're ready," Bul-Kathos replied, uninterested in Fury's talk of justice and global safety. He saw through them—glimmers of good, but reeking of sin.
He raised his head, ready to unleash a war cry as a greeting, when a golden circle appeared. Ancient One stepped through, interrupting him.
"Pleading for these scum again?" Bul-Kathos glared.
"I'm just watching. I can't stop you, can I?" Ancient One said softly.
"Better not," he replied, eyeing her sharply before lifting his foot.
With Earthquake's power, Bul-Kathos could control its direction and force, but even its weakest form was too much for these pests. Barbarians weren't known for precision—it took effort to avoid killing outright. He had to focus.
As his foot rose, Fury, Dugan, and the barely conscious Amphibian felt overwhelming dread. Amphibian's human side sensed danger, but his other half felt a primal terror, shattering his reason. He collapsed, kneeling in worship.
Bul-Kathos frowned. Such groveling reminded him of powerless humans begging demons, fueling his rage.
"Wait! We're for peace—" Fury began, his crisis sense screaming.
But before he finished, Bul-Kathos' foot descended without hesitation. Fury, perhaps regretful but not despairing, didn't know this was just a life-model decoy. A barbarian's wrath didn't just harm the body—it scorched the soul.
Ancient One's dimensional barrier enveloped them all, containing the chaos. Bul-Kathos said nothing. If she wanted to avoid panic, fine—the culprits were all here.
His foot struck the ground. The floor cracked, earth surged, and waves of heat erupted.
Ugh, I couldn't hit fifteen chapters today! The fifteenth will come a bit late. As punishment for not delivering, I'll guarantee seven chapters tomorrow! I've been grinding for thirteen or fourteen hours—it's no big deal! No need to wait up; release times might be irregular.
(End of Chapter)
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T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ
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