Hercules Metals Intersects 285 m of 0.47% Copper, Including 56 m of 0.89% Copper at the Leviathan Porphyry System and Discovers New Silver Zone in Southern Flats with 10.7 m of 420.5 g/t AgEqLeviathan Continues to Expand, while a New Epithermal Silver Discovery Unfolds in the Southern Flats ZoneA new epithermal silver-lead-zinc center has been identified in the Southern Flats Zone, supported by multiple drill holes spaced more than 1 km apart, indicating potential for the largest epithermal silver system on the Hercules Property. The first 2025 hole into Southern Flats, HER-25-06, intersected:10.7 m of strong veining grading 257.2 g/t Ag, 2.18% Pb, and 4.62% Zn (420.5 g/t AgEq),Within a broader 119.9 m interval grading 31.2 g/t Ag, 0.29% Pb, and 0.86% Zn (59.7 g/t AgEq)This is the first new silver discovery at Hercules since the 1980s, confirming a major southern extension of the Ag-Pb-Zn epithermal system. Early indications from this new zone show potential for the most continuous section of Hercules Rhyolite, the favourable host unit for silver mineralization, which may span more than 1 km in strike length, 1 km in width and 100 m in thickness.Potential to Expand Epithermal Silver Discovery Closer to Surface - Follow-up drilling continues to intersect Hercules Rhyolite across all holes in the Southern Flats Zone, including structurally-controlled zones of silver-lead-zinc epithermal veining. As shown in Figure 1, the rhyolite was intersected significantly closer to surface in 2024 drill hole HER-24-16, as well as drill holes HER-25-23 and HER-25-25, for which assays are pending. Surface mapping has also identified altered Hercules Rhyolite at surface, approximately 1.6 km along strike to the south of HER-25-06.Leviathan's Footwall Zone Intersected in HER-25-12 - Drill hole HER-25-12 intersected the thicker footwall portion of the Leviathan porphyry system, returning:285 m of 0.47% Cu, 63 ppm Mo, and 1.0 g/t Ag,including 56 m with bornite-chalcocite mineralization grading 0.89% Cu, 41 ppm Mo, 1.7 g/t AgHigh-Grade Core Extends South - Visual core logging indicates Leviathan's hypogene-enriched core may expand southwest of HER-25-12, in recently completed drill hole HER-25-15 and the currently in-progress drill hole HER-25-18, for which assays are pending. A pre-collared drill hole, PRE-25-21, is planned to continue testing this corridor southwest of HER-25-18, in early 2026, following the holiday break.Phase II MT+ELF Survey Completed - The previously announced Magnetotelluric ("MT") survey has been further infilled from 1,000 m to 250 m spacing to significantly improve resolution of the 5-km-long Leviathan conductivity anomaly and refine estimates of cover thickness in the south. The updated inversion model is expected to materially enhance targeting of both porphyry and epithermal mineralization in Southern Flats.Three ongoing drill holes, HER-25-18, HER-25-21 and HER-25-25 have been paused for the holiday break. HER-25-18 is at 841 m depth in relict biotite (potassic) alteration with copper sulfide and pyrite veining that indicate a potentially wider portion of the Footwall copper shell than previously recognized. HER-25-21 is pre-collared and ready for completion with a core drill. HER-25-25 intersected Lower Plate Triassic rocks in the Southern Flats Zone at 808 m depth, in altered porphyry leach cap cut by what appear to be a younger phase of Jurassic silver-lead-zinc epithermal veins. Both holes are scheduled to resume in early February 2026, subject to weather conditions.Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 22, 2025) - Hercules Metals Corp. (TSXV: BIG) (OTCQB: BADEF) (FSE: C0X) ("Hercules" or the "Company") reports further results from its ongoing 2025 drilling campaign on the Leviathan porphyry copper discovery at its Hercules Property in western Idaho (the "Property"). Results continue to demonstrate strong continuity and thickness of Leviathan's Footwall Zone. Drill hole HER-25-12 ("25-12") returned 285 m of 0.47% Cu, 63 ppm Mo, and 1.0 g/t Ag, including 56 m of 0.89% Cu, 41 ppm Mo, 1.7 g/t Ag. The first 2025 drill hole in the Southern Flats Zone, HER-25-06, intersected 10.7 m grading 257.2 g/t Ag, 2.18% Pb, and 4.62% Zn (420.5 g/t AgEq), within a broader interval of 119.9 m grading 31.2 g/t Ag, 0.29% Pb, and 0.86% Zn (59.7 g/t AgEq), revealing the presence of strong epithermal mineralization concealed in Southern Flats. The hole reached its Triassic lower plate target for porphyry copper mineralization, but terminated short of its planned depth, intersecting a narrow interval of bornite-chalcopyrite mineralization grading 1.06% Cu and 0.29 g/t Au over 4.57 m. Pyrite "D-veins" were observed downhole with sericite-chlorite alteration, typical of the outer phyllic halo of a porphyry system, with the final 5.7 m of the hole ending in 68.9 g/t Ag.Although the hole was lost before reaching its target depth, the alteration observed is consistent with proximity to a nearby porphyry center. Step-