2026-01-24 04:19:54Viviane sat still for a long time. She glanced at the wall clock, then opened the stock app on her tablet and searched for PetroX Energy. The chart was still calm and green. The news feed was clean. No sign of disaster.
“You’re completely insane, Matt,” Viviane murmured into the silence of the night. Yet, deep down, for the first time in a very long while, Viviane Lane felt a sliver of terrifying hope. She set her alarm for 8:40 a.m. She had to see it with her own eyes.
Meanwhile, in the dark guest room, Matthew stood before the mirror.
[MISSION ACTIVATED : WIN THE MONOLITH LAND AUCTION.]
[CHALLENGE : INSUFFICIENT LIQUIDITY.]
[SOLUTION : SHORT-TERM SYSTEM LOAN OPTION OR POST-AUCTION ASSET LIQUIDATION?]
“System ARC,” Matthew whispered. “Display Emergency Tactical Funding options.”
[EMERGENCY TACTICAL FUNDING : AVAILABLE AS ANONYMOUS BOND INSTRUMENTS. REPAYMENT DEADLINE : 24 HOURS. INTEREST : 50 PERCENT EXPERIENCE POINT REDUCTION.]
Matthew grinned at his own reflection. “XP interest? Cheap. Prepare the funds for tomorrow morning. We’re going land hunting.”
That night, Matthew slept soundly, while Viviane, lying beside him, could not close her eyes for even a second, waiting for the sunrise that would decide the fate of her marriage and her company.
8:44 a.m. Inside a black Mercedes-Maybach limousine gliding smoothly through Manhattan traffic, the silence felt suffocating.
Viviane Lane sat stiffly in the passenger seat. Her eyes were locked on her tablet screen, her index finger tapping the frame in a nervous rhythm. The Bloomberg financial news app was open, showing PetroX Energy stock still glowing a calm green.
“One more minute,” Viviane murmured, barely audible, then glanced at Matthew sitting casually across from her.
Matthew Thomas looked different this morning. He wore a jet-black suit, one of his impulsive purchases from the day before, perfectly tailored to his solid frame. His hair was neatly styled, and the predatory aura he had radiated at home the night before now felt even sharper, as if he had been born for this battlefield.
“You look nervous, Vie,” Matthew said calmly, gazing out the window at the approaching buildings of Rockefeller Center.
“Nervous? I’m betting the life of the company on the weather forecast of a man who just woke up from a coma,” Viviane hissed without taking her eyes off the screen. “If this stock doesn’t crash, the driver is turning this car straight to a psychiatric hospital.”
Matthew smiled faintly. “Be patient.”
The moment the digital clock on the dashboard flipped to 8:45, a red notification flashed onto Viviane’s tablet screen.
BREAKING NEWS : PETROX ENERGY’S ‘NORTH SEA GIANT’ MAIN PIPELINE SUFFERS MASSIVE LEAK. EUROPEAN OIL EXPORTS HALTED.
Within seconds, the green chart plunged into a vertical free fall of blood-red lines. Minus five percent… minus eight percent… minus twelve percent.
Viviane gasped, her breath catching as she stared at the screen in disbelief and awe she could not hide. “How… how did you know?” she asked, looking up at her husband.
“I told you, Viviane. I see what others don’t,” Matthew replied, leaning forward. “Now we have a deal. You get me inside, and you let me take control.”
Viviane swallowed hard, looking at her husband with new eyes. Fear of failure slowly gave way to adrenaline, and at last she nodded.
“Alright. Don’t make me regret this, Matt.”
***
Christie’s Auction House at Rockefeller Plaza was packed with New York’s elite. The room smelled of old money, mahogany, and tension hidden behind polite smiles.
Real estate developers, investment bankers, and hedge fund representatives sat in rows of velvet chairs, holding their bidding paddles. In the front row sat a heavyset man in a pinstriped suit that was slightly too tight. Reginald Holt.
Reginald was laughing loudly with the man beside him when he spotted Viviane entering. His laughter paused, then turned into a mocking grin when he saw Matthew walking at her side.
“Well, look who’s here,” Reginald called out, loud enough to draw attention. “Lane Corp’s Sleeping Beauty and her pet dog. I heard you almost died yesterday, Matthew. Too bad that truck missed by a few inches.”
Viviane stiffened, about to respond, but Matthew placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
“Save your energy,” Matthew whispered into her ear. “We’re here to buy land, not entertain a circus clown.”
Reginald snorted. “Buy? With what? Discount coupons? That Brooklyn Navy Yard land needs a twenty-million-dollar cash deposit up front, kid. Lane Corp can barely pay its electricity bill this month.”
Matthew looked Reginald straight in the eye. System ARC began scanning him through Matthew’s retinas.
[SCANNING TARGET : REGINALD HOLT.]
[FINANCIAL ANALYSIS : IN PROGRESS.]
[LIQUID ASSETS : $85,000,000.]
[WEAKNESS DETECTED : HIGH LEVERAGE IN NEVADA CASINO PROJECT. IF FUNDS EXCEEDING $90 MILLION ARE DEPLOYED TODAY, PRIMARY BANK LOAN DEFAULT WILL OCCUR.]
A thin smile appeared on Matthew’s lips. The information was a golden bullet.
“Worry about your own wallet, Reg,” Matthew replied calmly. “I hear your Nevada casino project is desperate for fresh capital. Be careful not to overspend here and go bankrupt there.”
Reginald’s face paled instantly. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. How does Matthew know about the Nevada casino? That project is confidential.
“Sit down,” Reginald growled, his humor gone. “We’ll see who’s crying later.”
The auction began. One by one, properties across Manhattan and its surroundings were sold. The auctioneer’s rapid, rhythmic voice filled the room, punctuated by the echoing crack of the gavel.
“Next, Lot 402,” the auctioneer announced.
The massive screen displayed an aerial map of a wide coastal plot in Brooklyn. A strategic location. An abandoned shipyard. But to trained eyes, it was a logistics gold mine. The heart of Project Monolith.
“Fifteen hectares at the Navy Yard. Heavy industrial and commercial zoning. Opening price, ten million dollars.”
“Ten million!” shouted a developer from the left.
“Twelve million!” countered a representative from a Chinese investment group.
“Fifteen million!” Reginald Holt barked confidently, raising his paddle marked with the number 88 high while turning toward Viviane with a mocking wink.
The room fell silent. Fifteen million was a fair market price for the disputed land.
“Fifteen million from Mr. Holt,” the auctioneer called out. “Any other bids? Sixteen?”
Viviane gripped paddle number 101 in her lap with trembling hands. Cold sweat coated her palms. She turned to Matthew, who remained silent and motionless. “Matt? We have to go in now. Our absolute ceiling from remaining company cash is eighteen million.”
“Wait,” Matthew said flatly.
“Wait for what? He’s about to close!” Viviane whispered in panic.
“Fifteen million, going once…” the auctioneer raised the gavel.
Reginald was already standing, straightening his suit, ready to claim victory with a smug grin.
“Fifteen million, going twice…”
Matthew’s hand finally moved. He snatched the bidding paddle from Viviane’s grip with a motion that was gentle yet firm.
"Going once, fifteen mill..."
Matthew raised the paddle. As he opened his mouth, a sharp pain struck him. It felt like a hot needle stabbing directly into his brainstem. This was the ARC System’s mechanism reacting to an unreasonable request.
Matthew suppressed a grimace behind a stone-faced expression. "One hundred million dollars," he said. He didn't shout. His calm voice cut through the air like a lightning bolt, a stark contrast to the cold sweat beginning to soak his back.
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CHAPTER 208 : Silver Blood
The sharp metallic scent of blood mixed with the strange artificial sweetness of pure Aetherian silver blood, filling every corner of the emergency medical ward inside the Archon bunker.The harsh white glow of fluorescent lights illuminated the cold metal operating table where Princess Seraphina lay weak and motionless. The alien princess's breathing, once calm and regal, had become shallow and broken. Cold sweat dampened her pale face.Beside the bed, a biometric life monitor emitted slow, fragile beeps, like the ticking of a clock counting down the final seconds before oblivion."Her cosmic blood pressure is dropping exponentially! Her life energy is leaking rapidly from the plasma burns in her internal organs!" One of the human medical staff members shouted in absolute panic.His rubber gloves were soaked with Seraphina's silver blood, which continued to flow across the sheets."Her body temperature has fallen below the critical threshold! She'll suffer total organ failure within
CHAPTER 207 : The Voice from the ARC System
The Leviathan shook violently, causing cracks to spread across the bridge floor. A dense, blinding blue-white ion beam shot through the darkness of the solar system.The beam moved with extraordinary precision, slipping through narrow gaps between Vanguard plasma blasts that nearly scorched their hull, then struck directly into the reactor core of the lead Vanguard vessel.A spectacular chain explosion erupted. In less than five seconds, the enemy ship's fusion reactor detonated from within, creating a domino effect that shattered the shields of the two surrounding vessels.The three massive cruisers broke apart, blossoming into cosmic fire and glowing debris above the lunar orbit.Nikolai laughed wildly, slamming his fist against a metal console hard enough to dent it."Direct hit! We did it, Boss! A brilliant suicide tactic!"Caleb collapsed into his chair, tears of relief mixing with the lingering terror choking him. The entire bridge crew erupted into cheers, celebrating a victory
CHAPTER 206 : Attack on the Moon
The blaring howl of the sirens was brutal and deafening, a highest-level alarm accompanied by flashing red lights.The sound echoed throughout every corner of Archon Global headquarters, bathing the massive facility in pulsing crimson light and transforming its grand corridors into a sea of panic.Matthew rushed out of the room. The nerves in his legs still throbbed from the system's penalty the previous day. Pure adrenaline dulled the pain coursing through his body, while Viviane and Seraphina remained behind.As he burst into the main command center, chaos reigned inside. Dozens of operators ran frantically through the room, shouting reports into their communication headsets."Mr. Thomas!"Caleb Foster, usually calm behind his computer screens, ran toward him with a face as pale as a corpse."The human lunar base! Our Titanium-X mining colony is under attack!"Matthew wasted no time. He immediately strode toward the central command console. The enormous three-dimensional holographic
CHAPTER 205 : Matthew's Dilemma
The specialized Aetherian medical ward built within the western wing of Archon Global headquarters was unnaturally quiet, a stark contrast to the restless chaos of the metropolis outside.The room was immaculate white, illuminated by a soft blue glow emanating from walls coated with energy-absorbing materials.The only sound that filled the chamber was the steady rhythmic hum of life monitors tracking the bio-energy fluctuations within the room.Matthew sat hunched forward in an ergonomic chair at the center of the chamber. To his right, upon an advanced medical bed floating several inches above the floor, Seraphina rested peacefully. Her breathing was slow and steady.From her abdomen, a warm golden radiance continued to flow outward, creating an invisible thread that Matthew could clearly feel, an energy bond connected directly to his heartbeat through the ARC system.A primal emotion slowly ignited within Matthew's chest as he looked at Seraphina. It was an emotion he had never ima
CHAPTER 204 : The First Symptoms
Two days had passed since the massacre in the conference room and the execution in the underground chamber.That afternoon, the luxurious penthouse suite atop Archon Global's towering headquarters became the silent witness to another moment of overwhelming tension.The late afternoon sunlight pouring through the massive glass walls flooded the gold-and-mahogany interior with a warm amber glow. Yet that warmth was unable to melt the rigid and oppressive atmosphere surrounding the people gathered around the oval table.Vincent Chen, the Asia-Pacific business titan who had become Matthew's closest ally, tapped his index finger rapidly against the polished mahogany surface. Deep lines creased his forehead, revealing the stress he was struggling to contain."Matthew, the Asian markets are in complete chaos," Vincent said, breaking the long silence."The sudden deaths of the three human faction leaders from the so-called ventilation system failure in this building two nights ago can't be co
CHAPTER 203 : Nikolai's Interrogation
"What are your orders, Mrs. Viviane?" Veronica asked.Her hands hovered over the virtual keyboard, ready to receive execution commands.In the darker corner of the room, Princess Seraphina stood silently. Her white robe, woven from strands of pure energy, glowed faintly, adjusting itself to the atmosphere of the room. Her silver eyes continued to observe Viviane.For a long time, Seraphina, as a member of a highly evolved humanoid race, had looked down upon Viviane. She had considered Matthew's Earth-born wife too fragile and emotional, incapable of standing beside a conqueror of galaxies.But tonight, Seraphina sensed something different. A profound darkness radiated from Viviane's soul."Where are they now, Veronica?" Viviane asked without blinking."They are still inside Conference Room B, ma'am. Fifty floors underground. They're waiting for confirmation that the sabotage succeeded."Viviane slowly approached the primary control panel. The sharp clicks of her high heels against the
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