LETHAL EXTRACTION

The Neon Slaughter

The towering neon sign of The Apex Club bled bright magenta light into the cold, pouring rain. On the surface, it was an exclusive nightclub for the wealthy elite of Veridian City, a place where the rich came to burn their filthy money. Below ground, it was a bloody, unforgiving fighting pit where desperate men like Vance were beaten to a pulp for pure entertainment. Marco ran both operations with an iron fist from his heavily guarded penthouse suite on the very top floor.

Vance stood still across the flooded street, staring intensely at the front entrance. Two massive bouncers stood under the thick velvet awning, checking the VIP access cards of the arriving guests. They wore expensive tailored black suits and transparent earpieces, projecting an intimidating image of total professional security.

Vance gripped the beautiful silver sword hidden perfectly against his leg beneath his long, wet jacket. The freezing rain soaked his dark hair, but he felt no cold at all. The golden energy he extracted from Silas burned like a raging furnace inside his chest, demanding immediate release. He crossed the street, his wet boots making absolutely no sound on the slippery asphalt. His newly acquired supernatural speed made him feel like he was gliding effortlessly over the rough ground.

He did not bother trying to sneak through the dark back alley. He walked directly up to the grand front doors.

The bouncer on the left stepped forward, raising a massive hand to stop him. "Private event tonight. Show your card or get lost, trash."

Vance did not slow down. He did not say a single word. He channeled the Phantom Blade Swordsmanship into his muscles. The world around him instantly slowed to an absolute crawl. The falling rain looked like suspended diamonds hovering in the dark air.

He drew the silver sword in a blinding silver arc. The motion was so incredibly fast that the human eye could not register the blade leaving its scabbard. He struck with lethal precision using the flat side of the heavy blade, slamming the cold metal directly into the side of the bouncer. The massive man crumpled instantly, unconscious before his knees even hit the wet pavement.

The second bouncer reached frantically for the heavy pistol holstered at his hip. He was far too slow. Vance pivoted gracefully, stepping inside the guard of the man. He drove the heavy pommel of the silver sword straight into the sternum of the guard, shattering the bone and knocking the wind completely out of his massive lungs. The man collapsed, gasping for air that would never come.

Vance stepped right over their fallen bodies and pushed open the heavy glass doors of the club.

The heavy bass of electronic music hit him like a physical wall. The main floor was packed with hundreds of dancing bodies, oblivious to the violence happening just outside. Flashing strobe lights painted the massive room in chaotic bursts of red and blue.

Vance ignored the dancing crowd. The memories he extracted from Silas provided a perfect mental map of the entire building. He moved smoothly toward the restricted VIP corridor on the far right side of the main room.

Four armed security guards blocked the entrance to the corridor. They spotted Vance approaching with the drawn sword and immediately raised their weapons.

The blue System interface flashed brightly in the corner of his vision.

[Multiple Hostile Targets Detected. Commencing Tactical Engagement.]

Vance surged forward. The supernatural speed triggered fully, turning him into a terrifying blur of motion. He crossed the dance floor in a fraction of a second. The first guard tried to pull the trigger, but Vance sliced the heavy assault rifle cleanly in half with one effortless swing of the silver sword. He followed up with a spinning kick to the jaw, sending the guard crashing violently into a glass table.

The remaining three guards broke formation, their eyes wide with pure panic. Vance danced between them like a phantom. Every single movement he made was perfectly calculated. He disarmed the second guard with a flick of his wrist and knocked him out with a brutal palm strike to the temple. The third and fourth guards tried to tackle him simultaneously. Vance leaped gracefully into the air, twisting his body to evade their grasping hands. He landed perfectly behind them and slammed the hilt of his sword against the back of their necks in rapid succession.

The entire engagement lasted less than four seconds. Four elite guards lay unconscious on the carpeted floor.

[Minor Combat Experience Gained. Agility Stat Increased by Two Points.]

Vance did not pause to extract their useless street skills. He needed Marco. He walked past the fallen men and approached the heavy steel elevator doors at the end of the corridor. This was the private lift that led directly to the penthouse. It required a highly encrypted biometric scan to operate.

Vance pressed his bloody left hand perfectly against the glowing scanner panel. He closed his eyes and dug deep into the stolen memories of Silas. He visualized the exact frequency and pressure the elite assassin used to bypass the security lock. The System translated the memory into physical action, slightly altering the electromagnetic output of his own hand.

The panel beeped brightly and turned a welcoming shade of green. The heavy steel doors slid open with a quiet hiss.

Vance stepped into the lavish glass elevator and pressed the single glowing button for the top floor. The quiet hum of the machinery was a stark contrast to the loud music pumping below. He watched the city skyline rise through the glass walls as he ascended toward his final target.

The elevator chimed softly. The steel doors slid apart, revealing the massive, opulent penthouse suite. The entire room was lined with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Veridian City.

Standing in the center of the expansive room, flanked by six heavily armed bodyguards, was Marco himself. The crime boss was holding a smoking cigar, staring directly at the open elevator.

"Silas said you were full of surprises," Marco said slowly, blowing a thick cloud of grey smoke into the air. "But I never expected you to bring his sword."