CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199- THE HELL GATE

"No—no, not that!" Janice frantically shook her head, panic flooding her eyes. This man before her was like a devil incarnate; the danger radiating from him was suffocating. She didn’t want to be near him—not for a second longer. He didn’t seem human.

"Ugh—" Her stomach churned violently, and Janice couldn’t stop herself from dry-heaving. Yet, in front of this twisted man, her disgust and fear only seemed to awaken the bloodthirsty beast within him.

"You pervert! Let go of me!" One of her hands was gripped tightly by him. Even a little pressure left her already swollen hand bruised and broken.

"Heh, pervert... You mean me?" The Silver Emperor suddenly released her, then straightened to his full imposing height. His towering figure loomed over Janice’s fragile form. A flicker of melancholy flashed in his eyes, barely noticeable. "Once, a woman called me a pervert too."

Yes, he was twisted—a man with a warped soul who took pleasure in torment. The women crawling at his feet were not trophies of honor, but victims of his revenge. He delighted in destroying all things beautiful.

The root of all his tragedies was his mother. The Silver Emperor was the half-brother of Black Hawk, but their lives diverged sharply. Black Hawk’s mother shone like a radiant star, while the Silver Emperor’s was a shadowed mistress, hidden away in the dark. The title of Gatekeeper was rightfully Black Hawk’s, inherited openly and proudly.

Since Black Hawk took control of the Hell Gate, the Silver Emperor—still young—had lurked nearby, waiting for the perfect moment to exact revenge for himself and his mother, and to seize Black Hawk’s place.

After four of Black Hawk’s fiercest generals deserted the organization, the Silver Emperor knew his chance had come.

But he underestimated Black Hawk’s influence. With a single word, Black Hawk recalled the four generals, and with Charles and the others backing him, he became unstoppable. The Silver Emperor had no choice but to grow colder and more ruthless.

"Charles’ woman? Of course I won’t hurt you. But that depends on whether he’s willing to cooperate." The Silver Emperor smiled seductively, a cruel lock covering his unpredictable expression. Janice watched in horror as he picked up a silver mask and strapped it over his face, then cast her a dark, suggestive glance before vanishing from sight.

He always had an inexplicable obsession with Eastern women...

Janice couldn’t help but recall his earlier words. That face... seeing it only made her more terrified. If he always wore a mask, why did he want her to see his true face?

Could it be...

The thought shocked her so deeply that her heart pounded wildly. He looked like a merciless demon. It was no wonder she was so scared. In the past, she had clung to hope—believing she and Charles would have an ending together. That belief had kept her fighting through despair.

But now, trapped in this mire of conspiracy and darkness, she was utterly lost—unable to see even a glimmer of light.

"Your Excellency, they have arrived," the Silver Emperor said as he stepped out of the room. Clad in his black robe, his handsome face was concealed behind translucent lenses. As he said, no one had ever seen his true self.

Except his mother, that other woman, and now Janice—she was the third.

Suddenly, a clap echoed, footsteps floating lightly in Charles’ ears. He couldn’t wait any longer.

"Where is she?" When he learned Janice had been kidnapped and brought to Las Vegas by the Silver Emperor’s men, his heart sank. Damn it—how had he overlooked her safety? Worse, the traitor inside Hell Gate was none other than Black Hawk’s half-brother, a man a full generation younger. They should never have been involved in this coup.

"I haven’t seen such a beautiful Eastern woman in a long time. What do you say we make her mine?" The Silver Emperor’s grin grew more wicked. Having trained alongside them, he knew better than anyone the importance of these four to Hell Gate.

Brian the Savage, Steven the Thunderstrike, Shaun the Flame, Charles the Night Asura—

Undeniably, the Silver Emperor admired them. Years of biding his time had fueled not only his desire to reclaim what was his, but also to sever Black Hawk’s strongest limbs.

The ultimate gate to Hell demanded loyalty.

Therefore, they were destined enemies.

"Matters between men—dragging women into it—isn’t that shameful?" Charles struggled to keep calm, locking eyes with the shadowy figure. Yet those hidden enchanting eyes cast a strange light that even made Brian and Shaun uneasy.

"Heh..." A laugh as light as dust yet sharp enough to pierce their hearts. "One woman isn’t enough. I can bring two, three more..."

As his gaze fell on Shaun and Brian, they finally understood. The Silver Emperor was truly ruthless.

Cornered like this, they had no choice but to pick—love or loyalty.

Charles clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms. Knowing Janice was here, knowing she was scared and needed him—he couldn’t save her.

"How much longer do you need to think?" The Silver Emperor’s voice was cold, edged with amusement. "I’m afraid if I lose my patience, I might just swallow your little treasure whole. Then regret will be too late."

He was confident—this time, he’d bet on the right hand.

Love—truly the greatest stumbling block for men. Especially for men like them, ruthless and unforgiving. Once they fell, they rarely rose again.

A bitter smile curled on the Silver Emperor’s lips as his thoughts flickered to the woman who had betrayed him. That cheap, worthless thing called love made him sick to his core.

He had tried more than once to convince them to back off. He was a man who understood grudges clearly—so long as they stayed out of his fight with Black Hawk, he wouldn’t stoop to using a woman as leverage against him.

But now—

"If you lay a finger on her, I will kill you!" Charles roared, his voice raw with fury. He had seen the Silver Emperor’s cruelty and recklessness firsthand. Aside from Black Hawk, the Silver Emperor was the second most powerful lord of the Hell Gate.

What had started as a brotherly feud had erupted into a savage war for the throne. Their alliances began to fracture.