Chapter 42: The Bulwark!

In less than two minutes, the remaining monsters were wiped out, their bodies dissolving into specks of data that scattered into the air.

The battle was over. The warehouse ruins temporarily fell silent, leaving only the burly man’s heavy panting and the quiet sobs of the two young students who had survived the ordeal.

The burly man leaned heavily against the metal door bolt, using it to steady his swaying body. Blood continued to seep from his wounds, and his HP was clearly approaching its limit.

He raised his head. Aiden Cross had already put away his gauntlets. His breathing remained steady, as calm as if he had merely taken a leisurely stroll.

The burly man’s murky eyes held gratitude, and a faint trace of vigilance.

"Th... Thanks."

His voice was hoarse and deep, rough as grinding gravel.

Aiden Cross gave a slight nod. His gaze fell upon the man’s hands.

They were large and heavily calloused, his thick knuckles trembling slightly from overexertion. Then Aiden’s eyes moved to his posture.

Even while severely injured, the man was still unconsciously positioning himself between the two students and any potential danger.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Bulwark."

The sudden word caused the burly man’s body to stiffen.

A sharp glint erupted from his eyes, like a beast whose most guarded weakness had just been touched.

"Wh... Who are you?" His grip tightened around the door bolt, and his muscles instantly tensed.

That name represented a past he had buried deep within his heart. It had once been his number in a modern gladiator arena he had entered at some point in his life to earn money.

Aiden Cross’s expression remained unchanged. "Who I am doesn’t matter."

His tone was flat, completely unaffected by the sudden hostility. "What matters is that you’re about to die."

He glanced at the blood still flowing from Silas’s wounds. "Either you’ll bleed out, or the next wave of monsters will finish the job."

His words were direct and cruel. Silas’s face paled further. He knew Aiden was right.

He could feel his vitality draining away alongside his blood. His vision had already begun to blur, and even standing upright was becoming difficult.

Aiden didn’t say anything more. Instead, he reached into the miniature space of the Damaged Ring of Greed and retrieved something.

A shield. It was a massive tower shield forged entirely from dull metal, with vicious collision spikes along its edges. Ancient runes covered its center, while a reassuring blue halo shimmered faintly across its surface.

[Resolute Tower Shield]

[Quality: Rare Grade]

[Equipment Requirement: Level 5, Strength 15, Constitution 12]

[Attributes: Physical Defense +25, Block Value +50, Constitution +1]

[Special Effect: Steady Block (Passive) , When successfully blocking, there is a chance to completely negate the damage of one physical attack.]

[Durability: 40/40]

"Catch." Aiden casually tossed the heavy tower shield toward him.

His movement was so relaxed that it was almost absurd considering the weight of the shield.

Silas subconsciously reached out and caught it. The moment the shield landed in his hands, its weight nearly pulled his arms downward.

Cold metal pressed against his palms, and the sensation immediately cleared some of the fog from his mind.

Then he saw its attributes. His pupils contracted. His breathing suddenly quickened. "Physical Defense +25..."

And then there was the special effect. [Steady Block].

His eyes widened like copper bells. ’Rare quality!A Rare grade shield!’

At this stage of the game, this was practically an artifact. Countless tank players would fight tooth and nail for equipment of this caliber. A shield like this could drastically increase a tank’s survivability and raise an entire team’s defensive capability by another level.

"Th... This is too precious! I..." Silas’s voice trembled. He wanted to refuse. But the tower shield in his hands felt like sweet spring water to someone dying of thirst.

It was hope in the middle of despair. With this shield, he could survive.

And if he survived, he could better protect the people behind him.

"I gave it to you, so take it." Aiden interrupted him before he could finish. His tone remained completely indifferent. "A shield I don’t need, in exchange for the goodwill of a future powerhouse."

His eyes met Silas’s. "I think it’s worth it."

Aiden deliberately described the shield as something he didn’t need. At the same time, he openly framed the exchange as an investment.

That made the enormous value of the gift easier for Silas to accept while subtly planting a seed for their future relationship.

Silas gripped the edge of the shield tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He stared deeply at Aiden Cross, as though he wanted to carve that young, calm face into his memory.

He didn’t understand calculations or investments. He didn’t understand why this stranger knew about his past.

He didn’t even understand why Aiden had chosen to help him. He only knew one thing.

He owed this man a debt that could not be measured. "I... My name is Silas Kane."

His voice was hoarse, but every word carried immense weight.

"This life... from now on, is yours!"

It was the heaviest promise he could make with the simplest words.

Aiden looked at him for a moment. "My name is Aiden Cross."

This time, he gave his real name. It was a preliminary gesture of trust. "First, treat your wounds and survive."

Aiden paused, "In the future, we’ll meet again."

He didn’t say anything else. After giving Silas a slight nod, he glanced at the two terrified students behind him before turning around.

His destination was the Rezvani parked at the far end. He had arrived suddenly. And he left just as decisively.

Silas Kane, The Bulwark, leaned against the newly acquired tower shield as he watched Aiden’s departing figure.

Only after the rugged Rezvani vehicle disappeared around the corner of the ruins did he slowly retract his gaze.

He lowered his head and looked at the blue halo shimmering across the shield.

Then he glanced at the wounds that were still stinging across his body.

An indescribable, complicated emotion surged through his heart.

He carefully strapped the shield onto his back before turning toward the two students.

"Let’s go."

His voice remained hoarse. "We need to find somewhere safe."

Silas knew that from this day onward, his life had taken a new direction.

Meanwhile, inside the driver’s seat of the Rezvani, the corners of Aiden Cross’s lips curled upward slightly.

"The Bulwark."

Silas Kane had been famous in his previous life for his absolute defense and fearless loyalty.

He was one of the few lone wolves who never belonged to Damien Bale’s faction yet still managed to carve out an extraordinary reputation for himself.

His class, Unyielding Battle Body, was only B-rank. But Aiden knew its true potential. The class possessed extremely high growth potential and several hidden traits.

In the later stages, it could even evolve into the S-rank Berserker Overlord. A Rare shield he couldn’t use in the early stages... In exchange for the loyalty and goodwill of a future top-tier tank.

This investment could only be described as a ten-thousand-fold return.

Aiden’s smile deepened slightly. Rescuing Silas had never been the true objective. It was merely the opening move.

The real goal was to lay out his pieces before anyone else realized the game had begun. The Rezvani continued forward, its engine roaring through the ruined streets.

Aiden’s gaze shifted toward the deeper parts of the city.

His next target was a person who would become incredibly important in the future.

"Purple lily." A woman with terrible luck... Yet one who possessed the power to turn the tables when pushed to the brink.

Aiden stepped on the accelerator. The Rezvani surged forward. The hunt had begun.