Crypto Lord: The Digital Dominion System

Chapter 10: First Counterattack

The brightness of Ethan’s monitors made the dark apartment glow with blues and greens candles.

 Charts went across multiple screens with red and green candles battling for dominance. 

His heartbeat raced against his chest but he remained steady but alert. The Phantom Trader had become a name talked about across online forums.  Every move he made seemed to draw more attention.

Tonight, the market felt… wrong.

“System,” Ethan muttered, leaning closer to the screen, “give me a full scan. Something’s off.”

A crisp chime rang in his ears.

“System Alert: Market Manipulation Detected

Status: Unnatural pump signals forming.

Estimated origin: Coordinated wallets.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. Someone was laying bait.

Across the city, in the gleaming Holt Capital skyscraper, Damien Holt stood behind his analysts. His sharp suit glistened in the fluorescent light, and his cold eyes locked onto the live feed of trading activity.

“Is the trap set?” he asked without turning.

One of the analysts, a pale young man hunched over his keyboard and nodded nervously. “Yes, sir. We’ve planted synthetic buy pressure across three mid-cap coins. The order books look organic, but it’s nothing more than wash trades. The target should bite.”

Damien smirked. “Good. Let’s see if Phantom Trader is truly a phantom, or just another fool with luck. Once he buys in, we dump everything. He’ll be wiped out in minutes.”

His fingers drummed against the glass desk. This wasn’t about the money; it was about control. No one humiliated Damien Holt, especially not some masked online rookie stealing his spotlight.

Ethan squinted at the charts. Three coins, XEN, LURA, and DYN were surging with sudden, aggressive volume. The candles looked strong, but something about the rhythm was artificial. It was like watching a puppet show with too-perfect movements.

“System, detail scan. Show me the wallets pushing this.”

“Initiating Whale Watcher Scan…

Top wallets identified. Transaction flow abnormal. Repeating patterns detected.

Probability of manipulation: 89%.”

“Damn,” Ethan muttered. “They’re trying to bait me.”

A softer chime followed.

“Warning: Trap Sequence Detected]

Advisory: Do not engage. Orders designed to liquidate retail positions.”

Ethan leaned back in his chair and lips curled into a grin. “You think I’ll just jump into your pit? No. Let’s flip this.”

He cracked his knuckles and began typing furiously.

“System, prepare Shadow Orders. Place staggered shorts on XEN, LURA, and DYN but hide them until the fake pump peaks.”

“Affirmative. Shadow Orders armed.

Trigger condition: Whale exit detected.”

Minutes crawled like hours. Ethan watched as the price of XEN rocketed upward, dragging retail traders with it. Forums lit up with chatter. “XEN to the moon!” “Whales loading up, don’t miss it!”

It was all smoke and mirrors.

At 2:07 a.m., the dump hit. Thousands of sell orders had crashed into the market. Prices had collapsed within seconds. Retail traders screamed into the void, their dreams liquidated in the blink of an eye.

But Ethan was already there.

“Trigger Activated: Shadow Orders Executed

Profit Margin Secured: +$41,500 (XEN)

+ $23,000 (LURA)

+ $15,500 (DYN)

Total: +$80,000.”

His screen flashed green with confirmation. Ethan laughed, the sound was sharp and triumphant.

“They tried to bury me,” he muttered, “but I sold the shovel.”

Back at Holt Capital, the mood shifted violently. Analysts scrambled as numbers poured across their screens.

“Sir!” one stammered. “He didn’t fall for it. He… he shorted us! Phantom Trader profited off the dump!”

Damien’s smirk shattered. His eyes blazed with cold fury as he leaned forward. “Impossible. No one spots those traps, not without inside information.”

“But the records are clear, Mr. Holt. His orders triggered seconds before the dump. He anticipated everything.”

Damien slammed his fist against the desk, the sound echoing through the office. “So he isn’t just lucky. He has an edge. Something no ordinary trader could possess.”

He narrowed his gaze at the glowing charts. Phantom Trader was thriving. And worse, he was making Holt Capital look like fools.

“Find him,” Damien hissed. “I don’t care what it costs. I want Phantom Trader unmasked.”

Back in his apartment, Ethan exhaled a long breath. His balance now gleamed on the corner of his screen: $220,000.

“System, report status.”

“Balance Update: $220,000.

Quest Progress: First Million Goal -  22% Complete.

Congratulations: You have earned the title ‘Trap Slayer.”

Another notification popped.

“Achievement Unlocked: Outsmart the Wolves]

Reward: Advanced Risk Shield activated. Future losses reduced by 10% for 24 hours.”

Ethan’s pulse raced. The system wasn’t just keeping him alive, it was sharpening him into a weapon. Every victory leveled him up and every risk made him stronger.

“I’m coming for you, Damien,” Ethan whispered, eyes locked on the glowing charts. “You won’t see me coming until I’ve taken everything from you.”