Chase Lu kicked the doors of the central control hub. The metal hinges sheared off the concrete frame with a deafening crack. The thick slabs crashed onto the polished floor of the vast reactor chamber. The elite Titanium strike team stepped over the ruined metal and entered the industrial core of the enemy factory.Commander Graves stood waiting in the center of the room. He did not wear the tailored charcoal suit of a corporate proxy or the sleek gray uniform of a standard operative. He wore a dark tactical vest pulled tight over pale skin. Thick synthetic weapon nodes bulged beneath his flesh and pulsed with a sickly green luminescence. The immense chemical reactor hummed behind him. It pumped raw liquid fuel directly into the artificial veins grafted along his neck."The King of the North graces my assembly line," Graves spoke. His voice did not carry the grinding mechanical tone of the synthetic drones. He sounded entirely human.Chase leveled his obsidian sword. The golden Infer

Iron Tyrant stood in the center of the Elm Street lobby. Rain washed the dark city streets outside the reinforced security glass. He held a customized assault rifle against his tactical vest and watched the perimeter. The storm obscured the financial district but the veteran mercenary felt the sudden drop in atmospheric pressure.Seventeen men walked out of the heavy rain. They wore identical charcoal suits and moved with terrifying synchronized precision. They did not carry rifles or explosive charges. They stepped up to the front entrance and placed their bare hands against the thick security glass.Sickly green energy pulsed from their palms. The ballistic glass did not shatter or sound an alarm. The thick transparent material simply melted into a glowing puddle of liquid slag. The seventeen intruders stepped through the ruined frame and entered the lobby."Engage targets," Iron Tyrant roared.Fifty Titanium guards opened fire. The deafening roar of high caliber ballistics filled t

Chase Lu did not wait for the heavy armored transports to roll through the muddy gates of the Ironwood facility. The King of the North stood amidst the burning toxic slag of the ruined chemical reactors and felt a terrifying void tear open inside his chest. His localized spiritual tether to Bella screamed a silent agonizing warning across forty miles of dark provincial terrain."Take the vehicles and follow me," Chase commanded his strike team. The deep resonance of his voice rattled the remaining steel beams of the factory.Sect Master Lin and Victoria did not waste time arguing. They recognized the apocalyptic fury radiating from their sovereign. The mortal soldiers scrambled toward the muddy access roads to prep the convoys. Chase turned his face toward the distant city skyline.He ignited his Stage Six Qi Condensation foundation. The primordial Inferno Dragon Qi erupted from his meridian pathways with explosive violence. The blinding golden mist engulfed his dark coat and vaporize

The sweeping green line on the radar console blinked once before turning a violent shade of red. Captain Hill gripped the edge of the steel monitoring desk. He stared at the cluster of thermal signatures appearing at the very edge of the provincial boundary. The automated warning klaxons began their first loud cycle across the concrete compound.The Red Ridge Road border station served as the primary southern checkpoint for the Titanium Army. Eighty elite riflemen manned the reinforced bunkers and the elevated watchtowers. Ten earth cultivators from the Mountain Viper Sect held the perimeter ready to deploy kinetic stone barriers. They possessed enough firepower to halt a corporate military convoy. They did not face a convoy tonight.Hill stepped out of the command booth and looked south. The cold night air usually carried the scent of pine trees and damp soil. Tonight it smelled like sulfur and burning ozone.The night sky above the tree line no longer looked black. A deep crimson hu

Chase Lu kept his golden fire suppressed to avoid incinerating the penthouse. He stared at the immaculate charcoal suit of the intruder. Victoria held her rifle aimed squarely at the chest of the envoy. Sect Master Lin kept her steel blade lowered but ready."How did Chairman Vane send another proxy into my city," Chase asked. The kinetic resonance in his voice vibrated against the shattered glass on the floor. "I bankrupted the Capital Syndicate. I burned their assembly line."Envoy Kenneth did not raise his hands. He offered a smile of genuine pity. He walked past the sovereign and stepped toward the marble kitchen island. Victoria tracked his movement with the barrel of her weapon but did not pull the trigger.Kenneth picked up a crystal decanter and poured himself a glass of filtered water. He took a slow sip. He admired the expensive marble countertops before turning back to face the hostile room."You bankrupted a subsidiary," Kenneth answered. He set the glass down on the marbl