"They built a city of graves under the mountain."Vesper pulled her hands away from the glowing console."This is not a bunker," Vesper stated. "It is a subterranean city."Ryker stared at the three dimensional wireframe projected onto the command center screen.The Vanguard had seized the upper security station after breaking the kill box trap. The room was lined with thick server racks and heavy surveillance monitors.The map displayed the terrifying scale of the Elysium Ring.It did not stop at the auction floor. It plunged miles deep into the solid mountain bedrock. The fortress was a nightmare of layered concrete and steel."The facility is split into five distinct sectors," Vesper explained. She pointed at the glowing blue layers on the screen."The VIP levels are at the top. The mercenary barracks sit in the middle. The iron pits are at the very bottom.""Where do they keep the collateral?" Ryker asked."Sector four," Vesper replied. "It is a heavy containment zone located just

"They triggered the subterranean dam."Chloe's voice cracked over the secure comms. The sheer panic in her tone cut through the dark mine shaft."The structural sensors are redlining," Chloe warned. "Millions of gallons of water are rushing into the lower containment zone. It is a complete structural failure."Ryker stood in the center of the cramped tunnel. The defeated Wardens groaned on the dirt floor around him.The deep terrifying rumble of the approaching water vibrated through the soles of his heavy combat boots.The syndicate bosses had realized they could not win a physical fight. They decided to erase the entire battlefield instead."How many captive laborers are in the containment zone?" Ryker demanded."The thermal imaging shows over two thousand heat signatures trapped in the lower cells," Vesper reported from the upper command center. "The blast doors are locked. They have nowhere to run."Ryker looked at the four Vanguard operatives standing behind him."Get the freed p

"They are fortified on the other side."Vesper's voice was tight with tension over the comms.Ryker stood at the edge of the bioluminescent tunnel. He looked out over the massive subterranean chasm.The cavern was breathtakingly huge. It looked like the dark belly of the earth had split completely open. A faint orange glow from deep geothermal vents illuminated the jagged rock walls far below.A single narrow steel suspension bridge spanned the terrifying drop. It connected the lower mining levels to the heavy blast doors of the VIP sector."I see them," Ryker replied softly.Governor Kade Lau's remaining private army was waiting for him.Three hundred elite mercenaries stood in perfect tactical formation on the far side of the chasm. They formed a solid wall of heavy ballistic shields and matte black body armor.They did not hold standard assault rifles.Ryker saw the thick barrels of heavy machine guns resting on mounted tripods. He saw the bulky tubes of shoulder fired anti tank ro

"Initiate the total facility lockdown right now."The panicked voice of the surviving syndicate boss echoed over the public address system.Ryker Zhao stepped over the dead Warden and entered the main control room. The room was lined with massive server racks and glowing surveillance monitors.Heavy steel shutters slammed down over the reinforced glass observation windows. The main control room plunged into emergency red lighting.A deafening mechanical grind shook the stone floor beneath Ryker.He looked through the far archway leading to the VIP vault.A foot thick titanium secondary blast door dropped from the ceiling. It slammed into the bedrock with a resonant thud. The physical shockwave rattled the computer terminals in the room."They sealed the final vault," Ryker reported over his secure comms."I see the lockdown sequence on the network," Chloe answered from the upper command center. Her fingers flew across her keyboard.Vesper Nguyen stepped into the control room right beh

"I told you I would come back."Ryker Zhao stepped over the ruined titanium threshold. He walked into the furthest corner of the luxurious VIP holding cell.The air inside the massive vault was freezing. The syndicate kept their premium human collateral in a state of twisted luxury. Plush white carpets lined the damp stone floor. A pristine silk mattress sat in the center of the room.Skye Zhao sat on the edge of the silk bed.She wore torn grey rags that offered no protection against the bitter cold. Heavy iron cuffs bruised her thin wrists. A thick steel chain anchored her to the solid rock wall.Ryker dropped his bloody combat knife. The steel clattered against the stone floor.He did not need a weapon anymore. The war was over. He had slaughtered a provincial army and torn a mountain fortress down to reach this exact room.The terrifying aura of the Dragon Sovereign vanished instantly. The golden fire in his dark eyes faded into soft exhausted warmth. The supreme military commande