Project Icarus
Author: Matt Gray
last update2026-05-06 15:23:32

Chapter 161

The Black Estate - Front Lawn

Joe, Cora, and Lena were standing on the ruined grass, staring up at the sky.

The morning clouds parted, and a shadow fell over the entire district.

The dreadnought descended and it was so massive that it blotted out the sun, casting the Black Estate into a sudden artificial twilight.

The sheer atmospheric displacement of the ship sent hurricane-force winds whipping through the streets.

"He actually did it," Joe yelled over the roaring wind, holding
Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • The Invoice

    Chapter 258The silence over the Sector 3 port was heavy, broken only by the hiss of steam rising from the half-submerged European warship out in the harbor.Joe slowly stepped out from behind the black Range Rover. He lowered his pulse rifle, walked to the edge of the pier, and looked out at the massive steel hull sitting in the mud. He took out his comms unit."Cora," Joe said smoothly into his earpiece. "Cancel the emergency alert. And call the scrap yards in Sector 8. Tell them we have a four-hundred-thousand-ton metal recycling project sitting in the bay.""Wait, it's over?" Cora’s voice buzzed back, sounding completely bewildered. "The scans showed a Class-5 capital ship entering the harbor thirty seconds ago!""Yeah, well, Adrian decided he didn't like the color scheme," Joe chuckled. "It’s a submarine now."On the pier, Arthur Pendelton was struggling to stand up beneath the crushing weight of Adrian’s hand. The silver-and-white power armor was whining, its internal servomotor

  • Structural Rejection

    Chapter 257The HMS Sovereign hovered over the harbor like a giant, gray steel anvil waiting to fall on a glass house."I just want to say," Joe yelled over the deafening roar of the warship’s heavy fusion thrusters, leaning out from behind the armored Range Rover with his pulse rifle raised, "for a country that prides itself on tea and polite conversation, your military diplomatic strategy is surprisingly crude!"Arthur Pendelton didn't bother replying to Joe. He stood on the edge of the concrete pier, his silver-and-white power armor gleaming in the shadow of the massive warship. The ice-blue eyes behind his visor were filled with absolute, unwavering confidence."Target the Administrator," Arthur commanded into his wrist communicator. His voice echoed across the open water, amplified by his suit’s speakers. "Fire primary railgun batter—""Arthur," Adrian Black interrupted, stepping forward. He was still wearing his plain black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, looking like a guy who had

  • Return to Sender

    Chapter 256"Surrender the city," Joe repeated, standing next to Adrian on the concrete pier. Joe looked at the armored European man, then looked at the floating mountain of shipping containers hovering in the sky above them. "Buddy, did you just wake up from a nap, or are you just functionally blind? Because the guy you are talking to is currently juggling a hundred thousand tons of steel."Arthur Pendelton did not look intimidated. He stepped entirely out of the freezing shipping container. His silver-and-white power armor adjusted to his movements with a soft, mechanical whine. He looked up at the floating cargo containers, his ice-blue eyes scanning the physics on display."Very impressive," Arthur said. He tapped a sleek device on his armored wrist. "Macro-kinetic levitation. A massive, localized manipulation of the gravitational constant. We detected the energy spikes from Europa. It is the primary reason the Crown sent me.""The Crown," Adrian said. He did not drop the containe

  • High-Stakes Tetris

    Chapter 255 Within twenty minutes, a convoy of fifty loaded trucks was already rolling out of Sector 3, heading for the grocery stores and hospitals of Aethelgard."You see, Victoria," Adrian said, finally turning to look at her as a massive red medical container floated gently past them. "Leverage only works if the other person needs what you have. I don't need your cranes. I don't need your holding company. I just needed you to unlock the gate."Victoria swallowed hard. Her entire corporate strategy, her revenge for her father, was floating harmlessly in the sky, completely useless. She was a brilliant businesswoman, but she had tried to apply standard economics to a god.She opened her briefcase, her hands shaking, and pulled out the physical deed to the port."I surrender," Victoria said quietly, holding the paper out. "You win, Administrator. Take the port."Adrian didn't take the paper. He let a massive green container touch down gently on the concrete behind her."I don't want

  • Offloading

    Chapter 254The new, armored black Range Rover glided through the streets of Aethelgard with the smooth, silent purr of a predator."Okay, I admit it," Joe said, gripping the leather-wrapped steering wheel. He adjusted the climate control and sighed happily. "The Bentley was a classic, but this? This is peak tactical luxury. The suspension is absorbing the potholes in Sector 3 like they don't even exist. And the seat warmers? Boss, my lower back has never felt so respected.""I told you, Joe. We are upgrading the aesthetic," Adrian Black said from the passenger seat. He was checking his datapad, still wearing his black shirt and gray trousers. "We need to project quiet, modern authority. Nothing says 'I own the city' quite like a convoy of tinted Range Rovers rolling through a blockade."Behind them, a line of nine identical black Range Rovers followed in perfect formation, carrying Captain Graves and a detachment of heavily armed Iron Guard officers.They approached the Sector 3 ship

  • Etiquette and Economics

    Chapter 253Adrian Black sat at the long mahogany dining table in the Black Estate. For the first time in weeks, nobody was shooting at his house.He was wearing a simple black shirt and gray trousers. The new kitchen staff had just placed a steaming bowl of afang soup and a plate of soft eba in front of him. Lena was gone, retired to the coast, but she had clearly left strict instructions. The food was perfect. Adrian washed his hands and started eating. It felt incredibly good to just sit down and have a normal meal.Joe walked into the dining room. He dropped a set of heavy car keys on the table."The Bentley is officially scrap metal," Joe said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Genesis crushed the engine block. I had the Iron Guard tow it to the junkyard. So, what are we driving now? Are we taking the armored drop-ship to the grocery store?""No," Adrian said, swallowing a bite of food. "I ordered a new fleet of vehicles this morning. Ten black Range Rovers. They have heavy

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App