Fan Casting Swordsmoke: Mercenary Isle

Sasha and Bao arrive on Mercenary Isle aboard the same cargo ship Jack and Grace took— with Norman, shackled. The truth hits fast: the ship was a one-way. With no extraction plan, they follow Norman to a hidden checkpoint in the island’s underground black market. There, cloaked salesmen greet them with suspicion. Sasha demands directions to the abandoned Mall—rumored hideout of Jack and Grace—but the men stay silent. Tension rises. Norman suddenly lunges, grabs Sasha’s gun, and guns them down. He turns the weapon on her. “You’re all walking toward death,” he warns. But Bao knocks him back with a swift strike. “You’re still a prisoner,” he growls. They find a map and push forward, dodging patrols and dispatching Mercenary Units. Norman tries to flee twice but fails under Bao’s icy watch. At the Mall, they find Jack and Grace surrounded. “Marc isn’t here!” Jack yells. “It was a trap!” Bo’s voice crackles over Sasha’s radio, confirming it. All eyes turn to Norman. He grins. Sasha aims her gun. Norman offers a deal: he’ll lead them to a helicopter. The water is radioactive—no escape by sea. In return, Bo must free the Hunters. Trapped, they agree. At the flight pad, a towering man with armored gauntlets blocks their path. “I’m Agent Gunn,” he says. “Call me the Chosen.” Norman freezes. Gunn is second-in-command. The real Chosen waits behind. Bao hurls up an ice wall. They run. They reach the helicopter. Gunn calls out: “You’ll find your friend, but you’ll wish you didn’t.”