Chapter 73: Escalation
The stronghold was secured, but the city pulsed with an undercurrent of tension. House Valen had suffered a devastating blow, and now the entire criminal underworld was watching, waiting for the next move. Raizen knew that this wasn't over. It wasn't just about breaking their power—it was about making sure they never recovered.
The system pulsed.
[Mission Update: Prepare for Valen's Counterattack]
[Objective: Fortify the stronghold and reinforce alliances]
Liana reviewed the intercepted communications, her fingers gliding over the holographic display. "Valen's leadership is in disarray, but that won't last. Their off-world contacts are still viable, and we've cut into their supply lines, not severed them."
Kain exhaled, arms crossed. "Which means they're going to come back hard. They need to make an example of us, or they'll lose what little hold they have left."
Raizen nodded, his golden eyes sharp. "Then we give them something else to fear."
Joran leaned forward, grinning. "You're thinking of hitting them before they regroup?"
Raizen smirked. "Exactly. We cripple them further before they can retaliate."
The system pulsed.
[New Mission: Strike Valen's Core Operations]
[Objective: Identify and sabotage their last remaining supply caches]
Liana tapped the display, highlighting a new location on the map. "There's one more supply depot we haven't touched yet. It's heavily guarded, but if we take it, Valen loses their last stockpile of weapons and tech."
Raizen cracked his knuckles. "Then that's our next target."
The assault on the final depot began under the cover of darkness. Unlike the last raid, Valen had reinforced their security, expecting retaliation. Armored sentries patrolled the perimeter, and drones buzzed through the air, scanning for intruders.
Raizen and his team moved swiftly, keeping to the shadows. Liana deactivated key surveillance points as they advanced. The countdown had begun.
The system pulsed.
[Engagement Window: Stealth Priority]
Kain dispatched the first guard with a precise strike, his knife sliding effortlessly through armor gaps. Joran took a more direct approach, crushing a sentry's skull with a single blow. The team moved in unison, carving a path toward the depot's central control hub.
Raizen infiltrated the main storage sector, his Draconic energy pulsing with suppressed force. He could feel the power coiling inside him, growing stronger with each battle, each conquest. As he approached the core, a massive automated turret activated, locking onto him.
The system pulsed again.
[Threat Identified: Automated Defense System - Tier D]
Raizen exhaled, planting his feet. The moment the turret fired, he moved faster than the targeting system could track, closing the distance in a blur. With a single, devastating punch, he shattered the turret's main casing, sending sparks flying. The depot's alarms blared.
Liana's voice crackled through the comms. "We're out of time! They've called reinforcements!"
Raizen sprinted to the control panel, overriding the security locks. The entire cache of weapons and tech began its self-destruct sequence.
The system pulsed.
[Mission Complete: Valen's Last Supply Depot Destroyed]
[Bonus Achieved: Enemy Reinforcements Delayed]
Explosions rippled through the facility as Raizen and his team made their escape. As they regrouped back at the stronghold, he knew one thing for certain—Valen was finished.
But now, their true backers would step in.