"Move!"

I took one step forward, and the floor groaned under my weight.

The soldiers flinched and raised their weapons—instinctively, like men facing a beast rather than a human.

Well, if even half the rumors about me were true, calling me a monster was not exactly wrong.

"General, please… return to your cell."

"Are you all stupid… or just that eager to die?" I asked, dragging my blade along the wall. Stone split beneath its tip, leaving a deep gash as though I had sliced through bread.

Even I was startled by my own strength.

"General Sun Wang, are you really betraying the Royal Family?" one of the soldiers asked—not in defiance, but in disbelief.

"What a stupid question. They imprisoned me—treated me worse than an animal—and left me to rot. I'd be the fool to do nothing."

They didn't say a word, probably buying time for more soldiers to come.

"Loyalty is commendable, but it won't stop your wives and children from mourning. Get out of my way, or you'll be killed so brutally that your loved ones won't be able to recognize you without stitching faces back together."

Those harsh words poured out of me without thought, old habits of the general. Even so, it works like magic.

Some dropped their stances and fled.

But as they turned, the Empire's fanatics cut them down without mercy.

Such men appear in every government: the ones who dedicate their lives to a banner, fully consumed by propaganda and the lessons drilled into them as children.

"We swore loyalty to the Empire, General Sun Wang. Something you knew little about!" one of them snapped. "The Emperor honored you—lifted a mere commoner to the rank of general out of his boundless grace!"

"Honor? Lifted?" I sneered. "Didn't I earn all that through my own military achievements? How many times did I save this nation? How many times did I gamble my life?"

Frankly, I didn't even need to argue with this background character, but I wanted to double-check if the information I'd been given was true. You always have to hear both sides, after all.

"That might be true, General—and under normal circumstances, we would've sided with you. But sleeping with the Queen and her daughters? That shows what kind of man you really are."

"That accusation again…" I muttered under my breath. By now, even I wasn't sure whether there was truth to it or not.

Then it hit me. Maybe I could use this whole rumors to my advantage for once.

"And what proof do you have that I actually did all that? Did they already conceive? And even if they did, how could you possibly prove they're mine? For all we know, this could just be a plot to destroy my name."

Pretty sure DNA testing didn't exist in this era yet.

"And why would the royal family do that?" His sword trembled, a faint shudder betraying the cracks in his conviction.

"You know why!" I took another step forward. "My influence was growing and they were afraid the people would choose me over them."

"That's preposterous!" he shouted, clutching his blade. He was in full-blown denial now.

"Then die with that loyalty of yours."

SWOOSH!

My body moved before I could think. By the time I realized it, I was already too close to stop my momentum.

BOOOOM!

The two soldiers in front were blown away—bodies twisting and shattering like pedestrians struck by a runaway carriage. My shoulder tore through them, the sound of splintering bone echoing off the narrow corridor walls.

But it didn't end there. Their bodies flew into the soldiers behind them, and in an instant, all were crushed, lifeless on the spot.

Damn, this body was far more powerful than I had imagined.

Looking down, the sight of the fallen turned my stomach. This was the price of war and the fate that befalls the weak.

"Stop him!"

"Don't let him escape!"

More soldiers came rushing. This time, I restrained my strength and dispatched them with more control.

My blade whistle in a single, wide arc; the first sweep took out three men as their balance gave way, the second severed their coordinated line and five collapsed before they could regroup.

It looked effortless because the gap between our strength was too wide.

The hallway smelled faintly of sweat and blood as I casually waved my sword, walking on as if I'd merely been trimming grass.

Soon I reached a thick gated door. It was locked, but one well-placed kick sent it flying off its hinges.

"So this is the taste of freedom." I coughed lightly and covered my nose.

On the surface, the entire compound was ablaze. Smoke curled into the sky like black dragons, and the clash of steel rang across the battlefield.

Blades flashed, sparks flying as swords met swords. Fighters vaulted through the air, launching kicks that shattered wooden beams and tore through shields.

From my vantage point, I could see the opposing army—dozens of swordsmen, spear masters, and fist fighters forming a wall in front of a huge gate.

Behind them, banners snapped violently in the wind, each marking a clan or sect loyal to the imperial family.

On my side, rebels, and wandering martial artists were forming ranks. Swords gleamed, axes swung, and arrows whistled through the air.

One of the senior fighters shouted.

"The General has arrived! With him at our head, we will win this war—slay every foe before us!"

His words sparked a chain reaction, and the entire battlefield erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Long live General Sun Wang!"

"Long live the Hero!"

"Long live the true emperor!"

The roar of thousands of voices shook the air, echoing across the entire compound.

Wow… so this was what it felt like to be respected and revered. I had to admit—it felt incredible. No wonder people got addicted to power and authority so easily.

"General, please take this."

Four men staggered toward me, carrying a long, narrow wooden case. Sweat ran down their faces, and every step wavered under its weight.

Inside rested a spear made of black metal, patterned with dragon scales that shimmered in the firelight. A long, slender spearhead jutted from its tip, sharp and wrapped in crimson cloth.

As soon as I gripped it, the strange emptiness in my hand vanished.

'It heavier than it looks.'

This… thing probably weighed over a hundred kilograms. I had to prepare myself mentally to lift it.

'Let's see."

With a casual swing, it sent air waves through, whipping everyone's hair and making the surrounding flames dance and recoil.

The opponents around me were distracted by the action, making mistakes that the rebel faction quickly exploited. It was a clear demonstration of how a single person could turn the tide of the battlefield.

No wonder they were so adamant about saving me. I was probably more valuable than the five thousand soldiers sent here for my rescue.

It made me wonder how I'd even been captured in the first place. There was no way it could have happened—at least, not unless I had willingly surrendered.

"Cut down those imperial dogs! The General stands with us!" another war cry echoed.

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