Blackridge Penthouse, London – 3:13 AM
The grand office of William Yates was drenched in the low, amber glow of the city skyline. He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, sipping from a glass of aged scotch, his expression composed—until the call ca.
His private line buzzed. Only one person ever called it.
He picked up.
"Speak."
A trembling voice responded.
"S-Sir... it's Dubai. Factory Node-07 has been... compromised."
His eyes narrowed.
"Define 'compromised.'"
There was a pause. The man on the other end barely whispered it.
"Destroyed, sir. Burned to the ground. The entire asset chain in the UAE is... gone. Security feed shows two individuals. One used divine-class weaponry, the other..."
A gulp.
"...is presud to be Samuel Gebb."
CRACK!
The glass in William's hand shattered, blood trailing down his fingers unnoticed.
He turned slowly, eyes glowing with cold, seething rage.
"Samuel Gebb... and Henry Hans..." he muttered, walking toward the fireplace.
He grabbed the poker and drove it straight into the marble wall beside him.
"They think this is a ga?"
Another call ca in. Paris. Accounts frozen.
Then Berlin. Storage units ransacked.
Then a third. Luxembourg accounts—traced and under investigation.
With each report, William's carefully-constructed empire collapsed like dominoes.
He didn't scream.
He didn't curse.
He smiled—thin, tight-lipped, venomous.
"You bastards think you've won. But you forgot one thing..." he said, voice low.
"...I built this empire from nothing. And I'll burn the world down before I let it go."
He turned to his aide.
"Summon the Black Chamber. Initiate Protocol Nocturne. And find Owen Yates... alive. I want him to watch."
The aide hesitated.
"Sir... he's no longer the sa Owen. He's stronger. Too strong."
William's gaze snapped to him.
"Then get soone stronger."
Thunder rumbled over London as William Yates prepared for war.
---
[Owen's POV – Serenity Crater, Temporary Base]
The wind howled over the edge of the crater as I stood alone, looking out over the broken landscape where the final roars of the Alpha Tyrant once echoed. Now silent. Still.
The moonlight washed over my armor, cracked and bloodstained, but my eyes were locked on the data feed streaming across my retinal display.
William Yates.
He moved faster than I expected. Samuel and Henry had done their part. Dubai's node was nothing but ash now. And yet... he didn't crumble. He adapted.
Typical viper.
I tapped my comm-crystal.
"Verdant Hollowstag. Seraph-Lynx. Status?"
The calm, deep voice of the Hollowstag responded first.
"All beasts are settled in the sanctuary. Tyrants included. They've begun their training regins."
Then Seraph-Lynx chid in, tone sharper, more analytical.
"Academic divisions are functioning. I've divided the units based on tactical intelligence and behavioral patterns. As per your orders."
Good.
I closed the feed, then muttered to myself,
"Ti to pull the next thread."
I brought up the system.
----
[Main Quest: The Broken Crown – Phase II Unlocked]
Objective: Track down William Yates' fallback network and eliminate his surviving political and criminal connections across Europe.
Bonus: Expose his bloodline deals with the Shadow Syndicate.
----
A map of Europe unfurled in front of , glowing with red-hot marks.
Geneva. Brussels. Prague. Ro.
Each one a nerve ending in William's network.
But one burned brighter than the rest.
London.
I clenched my fist.
"You want to watch, William?" I muttered.
"Then watch this."
I turned, walking toward the Helicarrier waiting behind . A dozen elite beast guards followed in silence. My personal guard—those who'd bled beside in the Tyrant War.
As I stepped aboard, I reached for my communicator again and said,
"Samuel, Henry... I'm going to London. This ends where it started."
The engines ignited. The crater fell behind.
War was coming to the empire of snakes.
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