Chase leaned against the glass partition. The sterile air of the medical bay felt heavy and stagnant. The ruined synthetic operative lay on the stainless steel table in a pool of black sludge. The King of the North processed the terrifying scale of the Capital Syndicate operation. They faced an enemy that manufactured biological bombs and fueled them with liquid magic."We cancel the offensive sweeps," Chase ordered. He turned his attention to the security commander. "If Chairman Vane can print these husks in a laboratory we cannot wage a war of attrition in the streets. We will bleed out before we find the source of his assembly line."Victoria nodded in agreement. She holstered her encrypted tablet. "I will recall the strike teams. I will pull the heavy infantry back to the Elm Street tower and fortify the lower levels. We establish a static defense grid. We hide behind our reinforced concrete and force them to breach our chokepoints.""We do not hide," Bella corrected the veteran s

Three heavy armored SUVs rolled out of the Elm Street tower subterranean garage. The black vehicles turned onto the rain slicked asphalt of Grayson Avenue and headed toward the financial district. Rain hammered against the reinforced ballistic glass. Victoria sat in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle. She held a heavy assault rifle across her chest and watched the empty sidewalks.High above the street level Chase Lu crouched on the edge of a corporate skyscraper. The King of the North looked down at the convoy crawling through the dark canyon of glass and steel. He kept his golden fire suppressed to avoid broadcasting his position. Sect Master Lin stood beside him. She projected a localized field of cold Yin energy to mask their thermal signatures from enemy drones."They are crossing into the Miller Avenue corridor," Victoria reported over the encrypted radio network. "We are approaching the primary plaza. Sightlines remain clear. I see zero movement on the ground."Chase grippe

The heavy steel blast doors laid in ruins across the polished concrete floor. Dust settled over the shattered server racks. The synthetic intruder stepped into the command center and ignored the destruction he just caused. He wore a tailored charcoal suit that remained untouched by the debris.The surviving Vanguard guards raised their rifles from the floor. They aimed for the head of the intruder.Chase Lu stood between the stranger and his wife. The golden Inferno Dragon fire roared from his shoulders and cast harsh shadows across the room. The kinetic heat warped the air and dried the blood on the floor.The stranger did not look at the guns. He did not look at the blinding golden fire. He walked forward with a smooth measured cadence. His leather shoes clicked against the concrete with terrifying rhythm. He kept his dead eyes locked entirely on Bella Song."Stop moving," Chase commanded. The deep resonance of his voice rattled the remaining glass in the window frames.The intruder