Vicky Thorne stood in the center of The Vault's private training room, a vast, soundproofed chamber of reinforced steel. The silence was absolute. He was processing his recent level-up, the power of Level 13 thrumming under his skin, waiting for direction.
His status screen hovered in his vision, now clean and correct.
VICKY THORNE: STATUSLevel: 13 |
XP: 1,200 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14) |
Stat Points Available: 3 |
STR: 18 |
SPD: 17 |
END: 17 |
Chi: 10 / 10 |
He had three points to spend. His thoughts were clear, his strategy crystallizing. The enemies he now faced weren't just mindless beasts. The Silent Dragon was an organization of trained, disciplined warriors who wielded an unknown power. The Chi users.
Against such an enemy, over-specialization was a risk. He couldn't just be a "tank" or a "rogue." He had to be all of them. He needed a balanced, invulnerable form, a perfect union of speed, strength, and resilience.
"System," he commanded, his voice crisp in the quiet room. "Allocate."
VICKY THORNE: STAT ALLOCATION
Stat Points Available: 3 | | +1 Strength | | +1 Speed | | +1 Endurance |
He felt the power surge, a familiar, glorious rush that felt like cold, liquid fire being poured into his veins. His muscles didn't just grow; they became denser, his nerves sharper, his entire physical form harder. He clenched his fist, and the air itself seemed to crackle with the contained, kinetic energy. He was a finely tuned weapon.
VICKY THORNE: STATUS (Points Allocated)
Level: 13 |
Stat Points Available: 0 |
STR: 19 |
SPD: 18 |
END: 18 |
He was now strong enough to punch through a bank vault, fast enough to be a phantom, and durable enough to withstand anti-materiel rifle fire. And he was about to go to war.
In The War Council,
He walked into the central command center, where his inner circle was waiting. The atmosphere was different. The giddy thrill of their new power was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp focus. The holographic map of Veros was active, but instead of showing monster nests, it was flashing red with the known movements of the "Silent Dragon" gang.
Mila Torres, his Queen, stood at the head of the table, dressed in a sharp, black corporate suit. She looked like she was born for this, a general in her war room. Marcus Keller (Lvl 7) was at a data terminal, his fingers flying, and Elias Vance (Lvl 7) stood by the armory, his massive arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the dragon symbol.
"They made their move," Vicky said, his voice cutting through the silence. "They tagged our kill. It was a message."
"It was a mistake," Mila countered, her voice firm. She tapped the holo-table, bringing up a complex web of corporate logos and financial charts. "I've spent the last twelve hours working with Marcus. We've officially declared war on the Silent Dragon. We're just deciding on the kind of war."
Marcus spoke, not looking up from his screen. "Master, the Silent Dragon is not a simple street gang. They are a multi-national organization. On the surface, they're the 'Silent Dragon Wellness & Security' corporation. They run high-end dojos, private security for billionaires, and health retreats. They're a legitimate, registered entity."
Mila took over, her inner cop shining with a predator's light. "And because they're legitimate, they're fatally vulnerable. They have to file taxes. They have payrolls. They have business licenses and health and safety codes to follow. They have everything a normal, law-abiding company has."
She looked at Vicky, a small, dangerous smile on her face. "And as the former head of the VCPD's financial crimes unit, I know exactly how to use a 'legitimate' company's paperwork to bleed it to death. We can't just fight them in the shadows, Vicky. We have to strangle them in the light."
Her mind was already working, formulating the attack plan. "First, I'll have Senator Hayes trigger simultaneous, city-wide health and safety inspections on every one of their dojos. He'll claim an 'anonymous tip' about illegal steroids. While they're drowning in inspectors, Marcus will trigger a full-scale IRS audit of their parent company. At the same time," she continued, her eyes alight, "I'll use a shell to file an anonymous tip about their 501(c)(3) 'charity' front being used for money laundering. We'll tie them in so much legal red tape, they won't be able to afford the bullets to shoot at us."
Vicky felt a surge of pride and that strange, warm fondness. She was perfect. "A two-front war, then. Mila, you and Marcus begin the corporate assault. Seize their assets. Drown them in audits. I want them so tangled in legal and financial nets that they can't even afford their guns."
"Understood, Master," Marcus said, a flicker of admiration in his own cold eyes.
"And while you're the 'light,'" Vicky continued, his eyes turning cold, "Elias, the Alpha Squad, and I will be the dark. We will dismantle their shadow operations. We will hunt their Chi-users. We will do to them what we did to the 'Dock Rats'—but this time, we aren't just sending a message."
He looked at the pulsing dragon symbol on the map. "We are assimilating them. I want their power. I want their Chi. I want their knowledge. By the time we're done, the Silent Dragon will be nothing more than a new scale on my hide."
The First Hunt
"Marcus," Vicky commanded. "Find me their weakest link. A non-public, low-security facility. A place where they conduct their real business."
"Already found, Master," Marcus replied instantly. He isolated a new location on the map. "A warehouse in the old shipping district. They use it as a training and storage facility for their 'Disciples.' It's where they handle their black-market weapons and Chi-enhancement drugs. Minimal public exposure. Tonight, our intel says a skeleton crew of four Disciples is on duty."
"Good," Vicky said. "Elias, you and the squad are on standby. This one... this one's personal. I need to know exactly what a trained Chi-user can do against me before I send my army."
That night, Vicky moved alone.
He was a ghost. He wore a simple, dark, non-reflective suit. He didn't drive; he ran, his SPD (18) carrying him across the city's rooftops in a silent, near-invisible blur. The city was a smear of light and sound, but he was a phantom, a whisper of wind passing between buildings.
He arrived at the warehouse and perched on a neighboring roof, his Blood Sense scanning the interior. Four heartbeats. All human. All... strong. Their Chi was faint, but clear—a muddy, flickering energy. They were all Iron Tier Disciples, barely Level 10 in his System's terms.
He dropped from the roof, a three-story fall, and landed on the gravel below without a sound, not even a displaced pebble. He didn't break the door; he picked the lock, his enhanced senses allowing him to feel the tumblers click into place in less than a second.
He slipped inside. The warehouse was dark, filled with crates of illegal arms and vials of glowing liquids. The air smelled of dust, chemicals, and the faint, ozone-like tang of Chi. Two Disciples (Lvl 10) were sparring in a cleared area, their fists glowing with a faint, weak Chi. "You're slow," one of them grunted, landing a light blow. "The Bronze Adept will have our heads if we fail the next test."
Vicky watched from the rafters, a silent predator. He analyzed their movements. They were fast—faster than any normal human. But to his SPD (18), they looked like they were moving through wet cement.
He decided to test their defenses. He picked up a small pebble from a ledge and, using Titan's Strength, flicked it.
The pebble shot across the room, breaking the sound barrier with a tiny snap, glowing red from the friction.
The first Disciple's eyes widened. He felt the attack, a sudden spike of lethal intent. He managed to raise his arm, his Chi flaring, just as the pebble struck. CRACK! The sound of his forearm shattering was deafening in the silence. The Disciple screamed, clutching his arm, staring in disbelief at the tiny, smoking pebble on the floor. "What... a pebble...?" he stammered, his mind unable to process it.
"What—" the second Disciple yelled, spinning around.
Vicky dropped from the rafters, landing directly between them. He landed so softly, he made no sound.
The second Disciple, reacting on pure instinct, roared and threw a Chi-powered punch at Vicky's chest. It was a blow that could shatter concrete, his fist wreathed in brown energy.
Vicky didn't dodge. He didn't even activate Blood Shield. He just... took it.
The impact was solid. The Disciple's Chi flared, trying to burn, to penetrate. And it did... nothing. It sizzled against Vicky's simple Henley and died, like a lit match thrown into the ocean. It felt like a child's punch. Vicky's END (18), combined with his natural vampire durability, meant the attack didn't even make him flinch.
The Disciple's face went from rage to pure, abject terror. He was staring at his fist, which was pressed against Vicky's chest, and Vicky was just... looking at him, his eyes glowing with a faint, amused, crimson light.
"My turn," Vicky said.
He grabbed the man's fist. The Disciple's bones crushed under his grip. Before the man could even scream, Vicky's other hand was on his forehead.
Blood Sovereignty (Lvl 1):Tell me about the Bronze Adept.
The man's mind, already reeling in pain and terror, broke. The information flooded Vicky's mind in a visceral, painful rush. The Bronze Adept was their leader in Veros. He was a Tier 2 Chi-user. He was obsessed with finding the "energy signature" (Vicky) that had killed his men at the docks. He was arrogant. He believed he was the only predator in the city.
"Thank you," Vicky said. He opened his mouth and bit down. The Disciple's Chi-infused blood flooded his system. It was cleaner than the "Dock Rat" leader's, more potent.
VICKY THORNE: STATUS
XP Acquired: (1x Iron Tier Disciple @ 300) = +300 XP |
Total XP: 1,500 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14) |
Chi: 10 / 10 |
The first Disciple, the one with the broken arm, was scrambling for a panic button. Vicky was on him in an instant, a black phantom. He didn't bother with a fight. He snapped his fingers in front of the man's face. The man's eyes rolled back. Sleep.
He consumed the other two Disciples in the same way: locate, incapacitate, drain. It was an extermination, not a battle.
VICKY THORNE: STATUS
XP Acquired: (3x Iron Tier Disciple @ 300) = +900 XP |
Total XP: (1,500 + 900) = 2,400 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14)
Chi: 10 / 10 |
He left the four men alive, but drained and broken, their Chi-channels shattered, their power gone forever. He walked out of the warehouse, his mind already processing the new intel.
He knew their leader's rank. He knew their motives. And he knew, with his new, overwhelming power, that they stood no chance. The war had begun, and he had just won the first battle without taking a single scratch.
END OF CHAPTER 28: STATUS UPDATE
VICKY THORNE: STATUS
Level: 13 |
XP: 2,400 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14) |
Stat Points Available: 0 |
STR: 19 |
SPD: 18 |
END: 18 |
Chi: 10 / 10 |