Chapter 120: A Duel Across the Century

The colossal ancient dragon turtle remained deep within the Atlantic Ocean, having long since fallen into a deep slumber and transformed entirely into an island.

Kyle and Howard, who had finished drafting the preliminary designs for their base, were returning to the New York estate by helicopter as night began to fall. As the chopper touched down on the open ground in front of the manor, Kyle stepped out just as a military jeep pulled up from the forest road, its headlights washing over him in a bright, glaring beam.

Who would be visiting so late?

To Kyle’s surprise, the jeep came to a halt beside the helicopter. A bald young man with a single eye and dark skin—who seemed almost to possess a natural camouflage in the night—stepped out first. He wore a dusty trench coat and smiled, revealing a row of clean, white teeth.

"Fury." Kyle shook his head and chuckled; it was him. After days of Fury’s relentless pestering of Howard, the man had finally managed to track down the location of Kyle’s secluded estate.

"Kyle, it’s been a few days..." Fury walked over with a grin, but his face quickly hardened into a look of feigned indignation as he changed his tone. "You had it easy retiring, but do you have any idea how much administrative work I’ve had to handle for you?"

"The capable should do more; I’m just giving you a stage to showcase your talents." Kyle blinked, patting Fury on the shoulder in a soothing gesture.

"Don't give me that. In any case, you owe me extra pay for this," Fury glared at Kyle.

Kyle couldn't help but laugh, nodding in agreement. "No problem. Double pay, plus an 'Employee of the Month' bonus."

"Look who else I brought," Fury said with a smile, stepping aside. From the jeep behind him, a middle-aged officer with a rugged, robust physique stepped forward.

"Joseph." Kyle smiled and embraced the large man, patting his back firmly.

Joseph and Fury were both friends who had provided him with immense help during World War II, and they remained among the few military contacts he still kept in touch with.

"Fury and I have resigned, yet your position has only climbed higher," Kyle teased.

Joseph, wearing the rank of Major on his shoulders, shrugged with a wry smile. "It’s all thanks to the glow of your reputation as the 'Symbol of Peace.' You might not know this, but General Chester has retired from his five-star rank, and before doing so, he promoted every officer who had fought alongside you."

"He said that if you’re willing to return, he will personally nominate you for a five-star general commission!" Joseph looked at Kyle with a grave and earnest expression.

"I think I’ll pass. I could barely handle the duties of a Major General, let alone a five-star general. That would just end up being a burden on Fury again."

Kyle refused with a calm expression, showing no obsession whatsoever with the five-star rank.

Fury nodded in full agreement, smiling at Joseph. "I told you, Kyle wouldn't agree to go back to the military."

"I was just delivering the message anyway; I had no intention of pleading General Chester’s case," Joseph said bluntly and carelessly.

"Since you’ve both traveled so far, let’s head inside," Kyle suggested, looking at Howard, Fury, and Joseph. It was quite the reunion of old friends for one evening.

The three guests nodded, and Kyle, acting as the host, led the way to the main entrance of the manor.

"Master." Two maids in the lobby bowed in greeting as Kyle returned. One young girl approached with a hurried look and whispered, "The Wolf King and Crimson Eye are currently sparring in the backyard."

"Oh? They’re at it?" Kyle was pleasantly surprised, and Venom, currently manifesting as a leather jacket, began to stir with an excited, restless energy.

'Wolf King' and 'Crimson Eye' were the family codenames for Logan and Yu Tong, used whenever outsiders were present.

"Come on, let’s go take a look," Kyle waved, leading the three men toward the backyard.

Logan was naturally combative, and Yu Tong was prideful and headstrong; Kyle had anticipated a clash between them sooner or later, though he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

"Only through battle can one truly entrust their back to another," Kyle mused to himself, recalling his own duel with Steve back at the base. That was a youth he had long since left behind.

In the backyard, on the open lawn illuminated by vintage lamp posts, Lucy and three or four dozen children sat in a circle, watching the 'sparring arena.'

Inside the circle, a weathered man in a leather jacket and jeans stood face-to-face with a cute little girl wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a sword. Age-wise, this was undoubtedly a 'cross-generational' duel between a man in his sixties and an infant of barely fifty days.

"I’m coming for you," Logan warned. He crossed his arms over his chest, and three bone-white claws extended from each fist.

The children nearby gasped at the sight.

Just as Logan was about to spring forward, Yu Tong suddenly called out in a soft, small voice, "Wait!"

"Hm?" Logan asked, confused, as he watched Yu Tong retreat a few steps.

"Boss said that you are a warrior-type and I am a mage-type. When sparring, we must maintain a certain distance," Yu Tong explained, walking until she was ten meters away from Logan before stopping.

Mimicking Kyle’s usual movements, Yu Tong gave a light wave of her small hand. Muramasa, the sword strapped to her back that was half as tall as she was, detached from its leather sheath through her telekinesis and hovered above her head, shimmering with a cold, piercing light.

"Carbonadium." Logan looked at the Muramasa with a hint of wariness. Thanks to Kyle’s regular lessons, he knew that weapons made of this material were specifically designed to suppress his healing factor.

However, wariness aside, he was an experienced combatant—there was no reason for him to surrender the initiative!

Logan let out a low growl, raised his claws, and lunged forward. His combat style relied on his superhuman, beast-like physique and his razor-sharp bone claws.

The moment Logan closed the distance, Yu Tong’s small face tightened in focus. Channeling her superman-level telekinesis into the floating Muramasa, the blade tore through the night air with a sharp whistle.

*Clang! Clang!*

Muramasa forced Logan to halt his advance, its automatic slashes clashing repeatedly against his claws with a series of crisp, metallic rings.

From a third-person perspective, it was a bizarre, supernatural sight: Logan with his wolf-like claws locked in a fierce struggle against a Japanese sword moving of its own accord.

"What a nuisance," Logan muttered, feeling slightly agitated as he watched the Muramasa deflect his strike and immediately come back for more. He glanced at Yu Tong, standing five meters away.

At that moment, he finally understood what Kyle meant by the distinction between warriors and mages.