The Retired Young Mercenary Is Secretly a Billionaire-Chapter 208: The Hundred!!!!

The Sylven Power Plant stood like a silent sentinel near the edge of the Sylven Forest, its concrete spine cutting through the mist that rose every morning from the river. Beyond it stretched the unexplored green, dense trees tangled with shrubs so thick that sunlight barely touched the forest floor. Some of those plants were poisonous, their beauty hiding quiet death. Others were older than recorded history, roots digging deep into secrets no one had ever returned to tell.

The Sylven Forest was protected under Raven law. Not just protected, but revered. It carried unique species of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. Creatures that moved only at night. Plants that bloomed once in decades. People had tried to explore it over the years. Adventurers, researchers, treasure seekers. Most never returned. Those who did came back broken, silent, or half mad, speaking of sounds in the dark and paths that shifted when you looked away.

Years ago, the government had planned a mining project within the forest. Heavy machines were prepared. Survey teams entered the outskirts. That same year, the Sylven River flooded without warning. Water rose violently, swallowing equipment and camps overnight. Local villagers believed the forest had rejected the intrusion. Protests erupted across the region. Old men stood by the riverbanks, women lit lamps for the forest spirits, and children carried signs demanding the land be left alone.

The President of Raven had stood with them.

He called it coincidence in public statements, but his actions told another story. He placed a complete ban on exploration and exploitation of the Sylven Forest. No mining. No research. No expansion. The forest was declared untouchable, its silence protected by law.

The Sylven River itself was a lifeline. Its water fed farms across multiple cities, sustained fishing communities, and powered tourism downstream. The Sylven Power Plant was built carefully, stopping miles before the forest boundary. From that point onward, the land was restricted. Armed patrols watched the perimeter. Surveillance drones monitored the skies. Beyond that invisible line, only one settlement existed.

A fisherman village.

Weathered houses stood on stilts above the water. Boats rocked gently at their docks. The people there lived simply, bound to the river and the tides. It was from this village that the treasure hunters planned to begin their expedition.

They did not know they were already being watched.

Miles had arranged everything in advance. Permits appeared where none should exist. Patrol schedules shifted subtly. Cameras went into maintenance at just the right times. Some perks came with being a General, especially one the system quietly trusted. No alarms were raised. No reports were filed.

Several boats had already been transported to the village under the cover of routine supply deliveries. Engines tested. Equipment hidden beneath fishing nets. Survival gear packed alongside weapons. Everything waited in silence, resting on the edge of law and legend.

One day remained.

One day before the hunt began.

And deep within the Sylven Forest, something ancient stirred, as if the land itself was aware that footsteps were coming again.

....

Evening settled softly over Pearl Villa, the sky outside the wide kitchen windows turning amber and blue as the sun dipped behind the distant trees.

Voices echoed gently from the kitchen.

"Mom, you really do not have to prepare anything for me."

Elena did not even look up as she continued packing food into small containers, her hands moving with the quiet authority of a mother who had already decided the outcome.

"You said you are going for camping in the forest. I do not want you to stay hungry if you do not find any food there. You have to take these snacks with you."

Miles leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching her with a helpless smile.

"There will not be a problem with food."

Elena finally turned, fixing him with a look that had ended arguments long before they ever began.

"You are taking these. This is final."

Miles laughed softly, surrendering.

"Alright mom. I will take them. Do not worry."

Daniel entered the kitchen just then, loosening his sleeves, the faint smell of spices and wood following him in. He paused at the doorway, taking in the scene, then smiled.

"I thought you were not feeling well when you left the Atelier. But it seems like a different story here."

Elena gave him a playful glance.

"Why are you here, dear. Do you not have to refill the inventory today."

Daniel walked closer, resting his hand lightly on the counter.

"The stock arrived early. Work is done already. Only a few boxes left to arrange."

Miles straightened.

"Need any help father?"

Daniel shook his head.

"Not really. The staff will take care of it. Have you packed already?"

"Yes," Miles replied. "I do not really have many things to pack."

Daniel studied him for a moment.

"Who else is going?"

"Me and some old friends."

Daniel nodded slowly.

"Well, take care."

"I will."

Daniel glanced around the kitchen again.

"Is anyone else hungry?"

"Dinner is prepared already," Elena said. "Wait for a while."

The house soon filled with the familiar warmth of shared food and quiet conversation. Hope talked excitedly about her day. Asher explained something scientific with exaggerated seriousness. Daniel listened with a proud smile. Elena watched them all, her eyes returning to Miles more often than she realized.

Night fell gently over Pearl Villa.

Later, when the lights were dimmed and the house grew quiet, Miles lay in his room staring at the ceiling for a long moment. Tomorrow, the Sylven Forest awaits. The unknown. The past. The hunt.

He closed his eyes.

Miles slept early, calm and easy.

Tomorrow would not be an ordinary day for him.

...

The day finally arrived.

Miles stood at the edge of the Pearl Villa driveway, the morning air cool and steady against his skin. Hope and Asher clung to him, one on each side, refusing to let go until Elena gently pried them away.

"Be good," Miles said softly, ruffling their hair. "Listen to mom and dad."

"We will," Hope said bravely, even though her eyes shimmered.

Asher nodded hard. "Come back soon big bro."

Elena held his face between her palms, searching his eyes like she always did, as if trying to memorize him.

"Eat properly," she said. "And don’t push yourself."

Miles smiled. "I promise mom don’t worry."

Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder, firm and grounding. "Happy journey."

Miles nodded once, then turned away before the weight of it could settle deeper.

The chopper lifted him into the sky soon after, slicing through the morning clouds toward the last unrestricted airspace. Wind roared around the craft, the land below slowly changing from city to river and finally to dense green that stretched endlessly.

When the chopper descended, the grass below bent violently under the spinning blades.

Miles jumped out, pulling his bags free as the machine settled.

A man stood beside a rugged vehicle, posture straight, eyes sharp.

"Greetings, young master."

Miles turned, recognition lighting his face.

"Maddox. Long time no see. Seems like Clarissa does not want a scratch on me."

Maddox opened the vehicle door with a respectful nod.

"Clan Supreme sent me when you requested a warrior for this trip. Though I know you do not require my protection, I promise I will protect you with my life."

Miles smiled faintly. "Do not worry Maddox. Nothing is going to happen to any of us. Just be with me and follow what I mentioned in the mission draft."

"Alright, young master."

Maddox reached into the car and pulled out a long, narrow case.

"Clan Supreme sent you something."

Miles opened it carefully.

Inside rested a dagger, elegant and deadly, the phoenix insignia etched into the blade like fire frozen in steel.

Miles held it up, admiring the balance.

"It is beautiful."

He closed the case and nodded once.

"Let us go."

The chopper lifted away with a brief salute, leaving behind only silence and wind.

Maddox drove toward the fisherman village as the sun dipped lower, painting the Sylven River gold. Miles watched the water flow beside them, memories stirring quietly. Pain, blood, fire, healing. This land remembered him, whether it wanted to or not.

By the time they arrived, evening had fully settled.

The fisherman village glowed with lanterns and firelight. Boats lined the riverbank, rocking gently. Voices filled the air, foreign accents blending into a tense hum.

Miles stepped out of the car.

Every eye turned toward him.

At least a hundred people stood there, none of them belonging to this place. Their stares were sharp, hungry, measuring. Predators assessing distance.

A group detached itself from the crowd and walked forward.

Elias. Basil. Artem. Hilda. The Monk. The Sheikh. The tribal man.

Hilda could not even meet Miles’s eyes. Her hands trembled slightly at her sides.

Elias smiled first.

"Well well. You have finally arrived, Miles Sterling."

Miles returned the smile, calm and unbothered.

"What took you so long."

"I was enjoying the sunset driving beside the river."

Elias chuckled. "I think you know this is not a picnic spot. How did you pull off the security checks for us."

Miles shrugged lightly. "I spent some money."

"Money well spent then."

Artem narrowed his eyes. "You brought only one person."

The Sheikh tilted his head. "Will you be able to survive with one man on your side?"

Miles did not answer immediately.

Instead, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small glass container. Inside, suspended in clear acid within another tube, rested a metallic key.

The crowd stirred.

"Do you think this is the only key," Miles said calmly.

Elias leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean?"

"This is just a key," Miles continued. "But there is a way to rotate it. Only I know the sequence."

He looked around slowly, meeting each of their gazes.

"So I do not have one person protecting me."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I have a hundred."

Silence followed.

Basil smirked, unreadable.

Artem exhaled slowly. "Well played."

The river flowed beside them, indifferent.

And somewhere deep within the Sylven Forest, something is moving strategically in shadows.