Chapter 173
Author: Back to the basics
last update Last Updated: 2024-08-23 03:03:39

The meeting room was thick with tension as Commissioner Geston took his place at the head of the table, the air heavy with the unspoken weight of the night's events.

The room was modest but functional, with dark wood paneling and a large, imposing table that dominated the space. Around it sat the key figures of the empire's police force, each a leader in their respective departments, each carrying the burden of the law in their own way.

Among them were Chief Inspector Reynolds, a stern man with graying hair and a no-nonsense attitude, and Lieutenant Carter, a wiry man known for his sharp instincts and keen eye for detail.

Detective Jameson, ever the diligent aide, stood just behind Commissioner Geston, his presence a quiet but steady support. His sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in the subtle shifts in posture and the flickers of unease that betrayed the minds of the seasoned officers.

This was more than just another meeting, it was a crossroads, a moment where the course of the
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    The room waited in tense silence as he finished reading. He closed the file and looked up, his gaze sweeping the room once more."What I’m about to share with you is classified," he said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Agent Marlowe here has been sent by the capital to oversee this operation. She is not alone."He turned slightly, gesturing toward the door. "We have also been assigned a special operative by the emperor himself. This operative will be leading the task force that we are proposing."“Another taskforce?” One of the men on the table stated and the tension only grew further.There was a sole reason for that, as the statement not only jabbed at the ones who had lost their subordinates, but it questioned the commissioner’s role as a leader.None present forgot, the death of every member of the last taskforce assembled to disband the Hughes' families criminal allies. It was an operation meant to secure them a win but unfortunately, it brought nothing but pain and sufferi

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    The sleek black vehicle glided through the dark streets, its tinted windows concealing the occupants within. Elias, ever focused, navigated the winding roads with precision, the engine's hum a steady backdrop to the quiet tension that hung in the air. Arthur sat in the back seat, his expression unreadable, his mind already piecing together the next steps in his plan. Beside him, Leon and Aaron were silent, each lost in their thoughts. Briar sat across from Arthur, her gaze fixed on the passing cityscape, though her mind was undoubtedly elsewhere.As they approached the base, the structure came into view, its silhouette stark against the night sky. Though it didn't appear as such in order to blend with the surrounding warehouses, the building was a fortress, both in appearance and in function, a testament to its owner, Charles, the most prominent information broker in the empire, a man who had pledged his allegiance to Arthur. The vehicle rolled to a smooth stop at the entrance, wh

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    While the rest of the world did consider the Merchant dead, she knew she couldn't let her guard down, especially not since she had pledged her loyalty to the war god.But Charles, upon noting her reaction, offered a reassuring nod. “I trust you will, Arthur. But be careful, gaining information on them is almost impossible. This unit is different; they’re not easily deterred.”As Arthur stood, signaling the end of the meeting, he stated. “Thank you for the warning, Charles. I’ll keep it in mind.”Charles rose as well, offering a firm handshake. “Good luck, Arthur. And remember, if you need anything, my resources are at your disposal.”With a final nod, Arthur turned and led his team out of the office, the weight of the new information settling on them as they made their way back to the vehicle. Briar remained quiet, her mind clearly racing with thoughts of the special unit, but Arthur’s calm presence seemed to steady her, a silent assurance that he had everything under control.As the

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    The uncle snorted softly, his gaze drifting lazily to Laura. "You seem awfully sure of yourself, Laura. But are you certain you're not letting your emotions cloud your judgment? After all, this whole debacle might never have happened if you hadn't been so involved."Turning to Ian he adjusted his position on his chair, continuing. “This is something that has never happened in any generations of the Hands but the moment your older brother handed their management to you, this happened. Pathetic.”Laura felt a flicker of irritation but quickly suppressed it. She knew her uncle had little respect for her, despite her being the patriarch's only daughter. He had always treated her as a lesser, someone who should be seen and not heard, a mere pawn in the family's grand game. But she was used to it. She had learned long ago how to navigate the undercurrents of the Hughes family politics."I'm simply relaying the facts as they were given to me," Laura replied evenly, refusing to rise to his

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    The dim glow of the city lights flickered in the rearview mirror as Laura sat in the back seat of the sleek, armored vehicle. Her brother Ian’s words echoed in her mind, but she pushed them aside. She knew her decision to meet with an information broker was necessary, despite the potential risks. Ian had secured a meeting with the patriarch, a crucial step in their plans, but Laura couldn’t shake the gnawing uncertainty about the identity of Arthur Smith, the man Jon had revealed to be the Reaper. She needed answers, and she needed them now."Lady Laura, are you sure you want to do this alone?" her bodyguard asked, his voice low but laced with concern."I won’t be alone," she replied, her tone steady. "You’ll be with me, and Charles has a reputation to uphold. He won’t try anything foolish."The driver pulled up to an unassuming building on the outskirts of the city. It looked like any other warehouse in the district, blending seamlessly into the industrial landscape. But Laura k

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    It was what the likes of a treacherous family like them deserved.The Hughes family would get no mercy from the war god, just the pain, suffering and tears they had brought upon the Rhyfel family.Their actions had birthed the unstoppable existence that was the war god, and that very same existence that their actions had created would now be what would bring about their demise.Truly ironic if one were to consider it.And so following his order while having an idea of Arthur's intentions, the prominent information broker returned to his seat, eyeing the bodyguard as he prepared to carry out his plans.“So, are you done compiling the necessary information?” She questioned, her tone hinting at the sense of urgency she felt, although she tried to hide it.“Well, I am now, lady Laura.” he replied, adjusting his posture on his chair.“Then why the delay? Is he that important of a person that revealing his identity is problematic?” Her question did little to hide not just the sense of urgen

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    Laura stepped out of the study, her heels once again clicking against the marble floor as she moved briskly through the corridor. The conversation with Ian and their uncle still echoed in her mind, but she couldn’t afford to dwell on it now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.As she stood by the car that had brought her, she began to consider her next course of action. While she was granted authority over the Hands of the Hughes family due to her father, the patriarch's current state as well as her older brother, the heir apparent’s view on handling things, her authority was limited.Something as drastic as handing over information on the group whose identities were the most secured amongst all of the seven great families was not something she had the clearance to do, so in that case, she needed to seek who could.This was a one in a million opportunity and she was sure no one else but Charles could grant her the information that would help both her and the rest of the Hug

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    So while she was not one to so readily show emotions outwardly unless she deemed it necessary. Her experience growing up as the daughter of the patriarch in the Hughes family had made her this way.It was necessary for her survival, so her visible nervousness had hinted to her bodyguard and driver who watched her from the side, on how drastic the situation was.Her mind drifted to the response of her father should the news be delivered. She wondered if he would side with her uncle, his brother who had blamed the fall of two of the Hands on her “bad management.”As if that wasn't enough, more stray thoughts seemed to emerge, only further worsening her nervous state.What would the patriarch say? How would he react to the news of the war god’s return? And more importantly, what would he decide about the information Charles held?Taking a deep breath, Laura pushed those thoughts aside and steeled herself. She had a role to play, and she would do it to the best of her ability. The Hughes

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    Leonard Hughes sat behind his large desk in his study, a chilled glass of whiskey in his frail hands.If he had been told this would be how the great Hughes family that had survived and prevailed for centuries would fall, he would not believe.But that was the cold harsh reality.It was ironic and somewhat of a sick joke that it all ended on the same day that it started.Like someone had chosen it particularly because of its significance. Perhaps they had.On that very day fifteen years ago, The Hughes family, Burton family and Williams family, three of the seven great had joined hands together to bring the downfall of the Rhyfel family.Their actions against them had long begun, but that day marked the finale, the end of it all.They had pooled their resources together and attacked the Rhyfel family estate with the intention to spare not a single soul.And surely they would have succeeded at that, if not for the bravery of the young flower of the Rhyfel family, Luna Rhyfel.Pushing a

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    His eyes widened as he took in the information: financial records, names, operations, evidence that implicated the Hughes family in countless crimes. It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for, but even more comprehensive than he had hoped."This is… beyond what I expected," he murmured, still processing the weight of what he held. Then, snapping into action, he pressed a button on his desk intercom. "Bring in Agent Marlowe and Special Operative Ryder."Within moments, the door opened, and two figures entered. Agent Marlowe, a sharp-eyed woman with an air of calm authority, and Special Operative Ryder, a tall, muscular man with a cold, calculating demeanor. They had been sent from the capital, handpicked by the emperor to assist in cleaning up the city, a task that had proven more daunting than either had anticipated."Commissioner," Marlowe greeted, nodding as her eyes flicked over to Isabella, recognizing the family resemblance.The commissioner wasted no time. "We’ve just rec

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    His voice, though weakened, was laced with bitterness. “Saul... if only you had been more competent. We wouldn’t be facing this now.”With a final, pained sigh, Leonard collected himself, his expression hardening into a grim resolve. “Summon all the Hands back to the estate immediately. We cannot let Rhyfel breach our defenses.”Ian nodded sharply, understanding the gravity of the command. “Yes, Father. I’ll see to it.”As Ian departed to carry out his father’s orders, Leonard muttered under his breath, his words dripping with venom. “Uther Rhyfel… you’ve always been a thorn in my side. Even from beyond the grave, your son continues to cause me trouble.”Meanwhile, Arthur Rhyfel was making his way through the bustling city streets with a purposeful stride. The same city that had seen his return for the first time was once again unaware of the storm that was brewing beneath.He approached a sleek black vehicle, where Elias, his driver, waited at the wheel. Arthur’s destination was Is

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    As he rounded a corner, he saw her, Luna, his older cousin, the only living family he had left and his only true reason for engaging in such a war. Yes, he wished to avenge his deceased family, yet if she had not saved him on that day, fifteen years ago, he would not have been alive to do so.She was his sole purpose for being alive and the one dearest to him. The one he had to protect at all costs.Many would claim that the war god had no weaknesses, and that was in fact true. Luna Rhyfel was not his weakness but his strength and while she might be the weaker of the two, should anything befall her it will not break the war god, no.It would simply unleash the demise of the ones foolish enough to commit such an act.The earth itself would not hide them from his fury if they were to do something as hopelessly stupid as even attempting to bring about the demise of the flower of the Rhyfel family.She was standing by the large windows that overlooked the estate’s gardens, her gaze dist

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    But what he did not expect was that his former mission would be erased and replaced with a new one. This had never happened since he had first got the system and the message alongside it hinted that he was in the endgame now.[New Mission: Destroy the final family involved in the downfall of the User's family, the Hughes family.][Rewards: The avenger, Acquisitions of the Hughes family possessions and the revelation of the origin of the {System}.]He leaned back in his seat, holding his chin in thought. There was no time to waste and failure was not an option.It never was.A rapid knock alerted him as the door opened and the three he had called in, walked inside, prepared for their new tasks.“Take a seat, all three of you.” He ordered, his tone cold and reserved.The three picked up on it, doing as they were told immediately. While one would have assumed that Leon would be the first to pick up on the graveness of the situation from his tone, it was actually Briar.Due to her previou

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    Ian took a deep breath, knowing the next part would be the hardest to convey. “To gain more information about him, we need to surrender information on the Hands of the Hughes family.”Leonard’s eyes sharpened, a dangerous glint appearing in his gaze. The Hands of the Hughes family were their most protected assets, their identities known only to the inner circle. To give up that information was to expose the family’s very core, to lay bare their most guarded secrets.He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment as he considered the implications. Ian waited, his breath almost held as he watched his father’s face for any sign of what he might decide.Outside the warehouse that served as Charles’ base, Laura sat in the backseat of the car, her fingers tapping against the leather seat in a rare display of impatience. The weight of the conversation with Ian earlier still hung over her, the gravity of what was at stake gnawing at her composure. She glanced at the warehouse, its weathered

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    So while she was not one to so readily show emotions outwardly unless she deemed it necessary. Her experience growing up as the daughter of the patriarch in the Hughes family had made her this way.It was necessary for her survival, so her visible nervousness had hinted to her bodyguard and driver who watched her from the side, on how drastic the situation was.Her mind drifted to the response of her father should the news be delivered. She wondered if he would side with her uncle, his brother who had blamed the fall of two of the Hands on her “bad management.”As if that wasn't enough, more stray thoughts seemed to emerge, only further worsening her nervous state.What would the patriarch say? How would he react to the news of the war god’s return? And more importantly, what would he decide about the information Charles held?Taking a deep breath, Laura pushed those thoughts aside and steeled herself. She had a role to play, and she would do it to the best of her ability. The Hughes

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    Laura stepped out of the study, her heels once again clicking against the marble floor as she moved briskly through the corridor. The conversation with Ian and their uncle still echoed in her mind, but she couldn’t afford to dwell on it now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.As she stood by the car that had brought her, she began to consider her next course of action. While she was granted authority over the Hands of the Hughes family due to her father, the patriarch's current state as well as her older brother, the heir apparent’s view on handling things, her authority was limited.Something as drastic as handing over information on the group whose identities were the most secured amongst all of the seven great families was not something she had the clearance to do, so in that case, she needed to seek who could.This was a one in a million opportunity and she was sure no one else but Charles could grant her the information that would help both her and the rest of the Hug

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    It was what the likes of a treacherous family like them deserved.The Hughes family would get no mercy from the war god, just the pain, suffering and tears they had brought upon the Rhyfel family.Their actions had birthed the unstoppable existence that was the war god, and that very same existence that their actions had created would now be what would bring about their demise.Truly ironic if one were to consider it.And so following his order while having an idea of Arthur's intentions, the prominent information broker returned to his seat, eyeing the bodyguard as he prepared to carry out his plans.“So, are you done compiling the necessary information?” She questioned, her tone hinting at the sense of urgency she felt, although she tried to hide it.“Well, I am now, lady Laura.” he replied, adjusting his posture on his chair.“Then why the delay? Is he that important of a person that revealing his identity is problematic?” Her question did little to hide not just the sense of urgen