Chapter 60: Countdown
In the dimly lit corridor of the Syndicate’s main base, Adam stood over the spot where he had just hurled the attacking Roland’s First Prince, given the circumstances—out of sight with a powerful blast of energy from his sword. Dust and debris still hung in the air. Immediately, a translucent blue panel materialized before his eyes.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Host body control unsustainable. 10 seconds remaining.]
The words glowed with stark finality. Ten seconds. That was all the time Adam had left in Eric’s body.
A tremor of controlled chaos was beginning to ripple through the deeper sections of the base. Alarms, though perhaps not blaring overtly in this command section yet, were undoubtedly sounding elsewhere.
The twenty-five Masters who served as the Syndicate’s regional leadership and central command were in motion, not to fight, but to flee.
Orders were being barked, directing their subordinates and the bulk of the base’s soldiers towards secondary, hidden escape routes. The well-oiled machine of the Syndicate was prioritizing survival over confrontation.
Scene Shift: Roland Kingdom Capital – Royal Palace
Far from the subterranean turmoil, within the opulent chambers of the Royal Palace in Roland’s capital city, King James of Roland paced fretfully.
A messenger had delivered a report minutes earlier: an unidentified individual had been sighted flying at high speed towards the southwest.
The King stopped his pacing, his gaze fixed on a large map of the kingdom adorning one wall. The southwest. He knew instantly what lay there – the vast, dense Forest.
And beneath those ancient trees, hidden from the world, was the true heart of the Spider Syndicate, his Spider Syndicate.