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CHAPTER 152
Andre returned with a scroll under his arm and the expression of a man who'd rehearsed his opening line."I've drawn up terms," he said, unrolling the parchment in front of Marco's chained figure. "Join the Basa family officially. A blood oath, standard for our inner circle. In exchange, full freedom, weapons access, protection under our network throughout Yuan Hua."Marco read the terms without moving his head much, the iron through his shoulders limiting his range of motion considerably."A blood oath," he repeated. "Binding for how long?""Permanently," Andre said. "That's the standard arrangement for anyone we bring fully into the family.""No."Andre's face fell. "You haven't even considered—""I've considered it," Marco said. "A permanent binding contract with an organization that burns its own people preemptively as a strategic choice. No.""We're not asking you to be cannon fodder—""I don't trust your organization," Marco said flatly. "Not after the intelligence about Craig n
CHAPTER 151
Chapter 151Marco woke to the specific pain of iron piercing muscle.His eyes opened slowly, the room swimming into focus in stages. Stone walls. No windows. Chains driven directly through his shoulder blades, anchoring him against a wall he had no memory of being brought to. His wrists were bound with something dark and pulsing that seemed to actively pull at his strength every time he tried to move."Demon-devouring stone," a guard nearby said, noticing his attention on the shackles. "Absorbs vital energy directly from the wearer. Struggle all you want."Marco reached instinctively for his Space Ring.Nothing responded."Already handled," the same guard said, with obvious satisfaction. "Tampered with the moment you were brought in. You won't be pulling any tricks out of storage."A young woman stood a few paces away, the same one from earlier, her expression carrying open contempt as she addressed the room."He's seen the hideout. He knows about the schism, the history, everything U
CHAPTER 150
Marco opened his eyes to a ceiling he didn't recognize and a circle of bearded faces staring down at him from close range.He sat up sharply and several of the faces stepped back. They were large men, the kind whose size suggested an occupation history involving physical confrontation, and they were all looking at him with the specific expression of people who hadn't decided yet whether he was a guest or a problem.Andre pushed through the circle, his expression carrying the relief of someone whose gamble had come out on the right side."You're finally awake." He settled into a chair nearby. "You were going after Craig. I didn't expect you to almost succeed.""Thank you," Marco said. He meant it. Then the regret arrived almost immediately. "Still. Almost isn't enough.""Don't feel bad about almost," Andre said, and laughed. "I helped with the follow-up work. Craig is dead. Properly this time."Marco looked at him. "You finished it?""With pleasure," Andre said. "That family burned eve
CHAPTER 149
Marco made it three steps out of the mansion's main entrance before the fireball arrived.It came fast and wide, the kind of attack that didn't need to be accurate because its size covered the margin of error entirely. He twisted sideways in a motion that shouldn't have been physically possible for someone his size, the heat of it passing close enough to singe the hair on his left arm.The ball continued past him and hit the building behind, the explosion sending a mushroom cloud of debris upward that leveled the structure completely. Several guards who'd been rushing through that doorway seconds earlier were simply gone.Marco turned toward where the attack had come from.Craig stood in the mansion's courtyard.The same Craig he'd just watched die with a sword through his chest.Same face. Same build. Same expression, which was currently wearing the particular contempt of someone who'd been waiting for exactly this moment.Marco looked at him. Looked back at the collapsed building wh
CHAPTER 148 PART 2
Marco stayed standing. "I'll manage from here.""I owe you an apology," Craig said, and to his credit he delivered it without obvious difficulty. "The timing made your story suspicious. Now that the supplies are confirmed gone..." He spread his hands. "Are you certain it was the Third Lady who arranged this?"Marco sat. "She devised the plan herself. I was present when she discussed it. She said she couldn't dissolve the family alliance outright, but if you appeared incompetent in your logistics role, she might find a way to maneuver the marriage agreement separately."Craig's jaw tightened. "She burned supplies to make me look incompetent.""She's very practical," Marco said."I want her to pay for this," Craig said, leaning forward. "Will you testify? At the right moment, your account could give me grounds to formally challenge the arrangement.""No," Marco said. "Coming here was already considerable risk for me. Public testimony would end my ability to operate."Craig studied him,
CHAPTER 148
The tea pot between them had been refilled three times. Andre treated it like something considerably stronger, each cup loosening his conversation further.Marco had gotten what he needed from the front-line intelligence. But one number was sitting unpleasantly in his chest."How many enforcers does the Gold Family have total?" he asked, keeping his tone casual as he poured another cup."Seventy-two," Andre said.Marco set the pot down carefully."Seventy-two," he repeated."The Gold Family's primary strength has always been their enforcer corps," Andre said, with the pride of someone discussing an institution they'd had strong feelings about before it destroyed their life. "Each one represents the family's peak combat capability.""Are they all at the level you described? Sterling's level?""Half of them have mastered Secret Skills," Andre said. "Each one is a top-tier existence in their respective discipline."Marco looked at his tea and did the arithmetic quietly. Half of seventy-t
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