Chapter 66: House Hurst Under Siege!
Norcrest, the wealthy district.
This was where the city’s most powerful families gathered, where every scrap of land was worth a fortune.
The House Hurst estate alone covered nearly a hundred acres. Calling it a mansion barely did it justice.
It was closer to a private fortress.
On any ordinary day, luxury vehicles crowded the entrance and influential guests came and went without pause.
Ten minutes ago, that changed.
Searchlights tore through the night sky above Norcrest.
The growl of engines rolled across the ground like distant thunder, strong enough to make the crystal chandeliers inside the estate tremble.
Black armor poured in from every direction.
Hundreds of heavy armored vehicles from Antares Command sealed the surrounding streets, their dark frames crouched at every intersection like steel beasts. Under the moonlight, rows of cannon barrels pointed toward the estate, locking down every building, courtyard, and stretch of wall.
More than a dozen attack helicopters circled overhead.
Their rotors battered the air, bending the expensive trees and flowers across the grounds nearly flat.
Beside the armored vehicles stood rows of soldiers in black combat suits and sealed tactical helmets, each carrying a Black Gold blade.
Only ten minutes had passed since the order came down.
That was all Antares Command needed to turn the power that had ruled Norcrest for years into an isolated island.
...
Three figures stood before the main gate.
Jazz held the left flank, built like a tower, a massive alloy shield strapped across his back.
On the right stood Alar, lean and smiling, bow already in hand.
Kaia stood between them.
Her fitted combat suit traced the strength coiled through her body. One hand rested on the hilt of her blade, fingers tightening by the slightest degree.
House Hurst was not some underground gang that survived through intimidation and street violence.
Its influence ran through Norcrest like the roots of an ancient tree.
Business.
Politics.
Even the provincial martial association.
House Hurst had people everywhere.
That was why Antares Command had tolerated so much for so long. Everyone knew the family’s hands were dirty. Everyone knew it handled business that could never stand in daylight.
Still, without evidence strong enough to survive every challenge, no one moved against them.
Even during Manester’s command, any attempt to warn House Hurst or arrest one of its people required proof beyond dispute.
Joren had been in office for less than twelve hours.
No warning.
No approval.
Not even a search warrant.
He had simply mobilized the entire force and surrounded their home.
"If this goes wrong, Joren will not be the only one dragged down."
Kaia pressed her lips together.
"Manester will be caught in it too."
Was this only meant to establish authority?
Or was Joren settling a private grievance?
The first would be reckless.
The second, worse.
...
Beneath the House Hurst estate, inside a sealed chamber, a long table stood beneath dim lights.
Orson Hurst sat at its head.
Before the public, the head of House Hurst always wore the image of a cultivated, easygoing philanthropist.
That man was nowhere to be seen now.
The whites of his eyes had vanished, replaced by a murky dark yellow.
Beneath the skin of his neck, countless tiny shapes writhed like insects. Every so often, one pushed upward and formed a grotesque swelling before sinking back down.
Orson lifted a wineglass and drained the scarlet liquid inside.
It had been extracted moments ago from the heart of a Rank Three Voidbeast.
"This feeling..."
His eyes closed as the blood went down.
"Wonderful."
The swellings beneath his skin gradually receded.
In their place rose an immense aura.
Early stage Rank Five.
And still climbing.
"Your compatibility is better than I expected."
Across the table sat a figure wrapped entirely in a black robe.
One hand emerged from the sleeve, pale enough to seem almost transparent, and tapped lightly against the tabletop.
"Once you cross this step, you will no longer be that useless man who spent more than ten years trapped at the same bottleneck."
"You will gain power."
"Eternal life."
"And a place among our true bloodline."
Orson’s eyes opened.
Greed and fervor burned within those dark yellow pupils.
"Once the plan is complete, all of Norcrest will become an offering to Lord Bloodfiend."
A dry, rasping laugh came from beneath the black hood.
"What about Dace?"
Orson’s smile widened.
"I invested heavily to push him through as quickly as possible."
"Thirteen gifted students. Every one of them fed to him."
He licked his lips.
There was not a trace of guilt in his voice.
"The purity of their flesh and blood was excellent."
"At this rate, he should finish the last batch of feed tonight."
"And once he reaches Rank Five..."
Orson clenched his fist.
His knuckles cracked one after another.
"You."
"Dace."
"And me."
"Three Rank Five fighters."
"With pressure from within and without, even Manester will lose his head."
His entire body trembled as he spoke.
He had endured humiliation long enough.
"Once Norcrest falls, we use it as our base."
The black robed envoy’s voice drifted through the chamber.
"A million people, all turned into blood feed."
"That achievement would be immense. When the Blood Ancestor descends and grants his blessing, your bloodline may even rise to the level of count."
"Count..."
Orson’s breathing quickened.
A noble bloodline said to possess an undying body.
For that, the lives of everyone in Norcrest meant nothing.
If a city had to die so that he could become a god, then so be it.
He was still lost in that vision when a violent tremor rolled through the ceiling.
Rumble.
Then the alarms began.
Orson’s brow tightened.
The dark yellow light in his eyes turned vicious.
"What happened?"
The estate manager stumbled into the chamber and nearly fell flat.
"Master..."
"Something terrible has happened!"
Orson gave a cold snort.
Pressure crashed down and forced the man to the floor.
"Why are you panicking?"
"Has the sky fallen?"
The manager lay trembling against the ground.
"Antares Command is here."
"All of them."
"Hundreds of armored vehicles have surrounded the estate. Nothing can get out. Not even a mosquito."
Orson shot to his feet.
"Antares Command?"
Across the table, the black robed envoy straightened for the first time.
His voice turned sharp.
"Has the plan been exposed?"