085. The Fierce Demon Iron King (Part 1)
Viral.Z Tower, Nakis Countermeasures Group conference room.
Kerry Stamm rushed down the hallway, his personal communicator blowing up with messages as everyone berated him, the head of security, for his failure, including some of his superiors.
Normally, Kerry would never dare talk back to these high-ranking managers, always treating them with a pleasant demeanor.
But things were different now, with Master Andrew personally overseeing the situation; Kerry had no choice but to retort irritably.
For Viral.Z, they were in an extremely tough time.
Arriving at the conference room door, Kerry, a seasoned elite of the Zeta tier, could hear the arguments and shouting from inside, despite the soundproofing.
"I've been here for five hours, and you still haven't given me a suitable plan!"
"Master Andrew, you must understand, we've done our best. Viral.Z only has 120 employees here, yet Nakis' blood is spread throughout the entire planetary fortress,"
Kerry listened closely. The speaker was Strategic Director Martin Chamberlain, who was trying to reason with Andrew and calm the half-dragon's anger.
"If we recklessly start operations, it will certainly lead to significant losses. We don't have a biochemical synthesis base here, so we can't create a large-scale army of live soldiers in a short time…"
"Are you short on funds?" Andrew shouted. "Is it so hard to cobble together a Vanlenkov auxiliary unit? Haven't you suppressed colonies before, or did you stash all the money in your own pockets?"
Andrew's words were blunt and harsh. Given his refined upbringing, it must've been a grave mistake to cause such a reaction, making Kerry sense trouble.
But he'd expected things to go downhill.
He knocked and entered, only to be met by Andrew's fiery dragon eyes, like two molten spheres. The oppressive aura from his bloodline caused Kerry to stumble. Adjusting his suit, he forced a smile and, looking around, realized he was the calmest one here.
The high-ranking company executives, usually so imposing, feared by millions with just a flick of their fingers, were mere nobodies in the presence of this pure-blooded young dragon master. They couldn't match his lineage, faith, or wealth.
Chamberlain, seeing Kerry's arrival, gave a slight nod, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Even as a steel elf of the high elves, this silver-gray-skinned, muscular man felt the immense pressure under Andrew's gaze, whose noble bloodline bore the blessing of the great god Red King, rendering him beyond any ordinary Zeta-tier.
"Glad you finally made it, our bodyguard."
Chamberlain stepped forward, patting Kerry on the shoulder, seemingly wishing him luck.
In truth, he communicated telepathically:
'Andrew's furious, probably under pressure from headquarters.'
'So, our embezzlement…'
'It's probably impossible to hide now. Just as well. Nakis' blood needs a lot of manpower for ground collection, and you recently hired a local alien security team, right? Just expand it.'
'Understood. Actually, I have a better idea. The locals' economy is already shattered, so recruiting should be easy.'
Their telepathic exchange took only a moment. Kerry hurriedly approached, handing Andrew a file:
"Master, given the urgency, I'll get straight to the point. Vanlenkov's situation is complex, with military installations everywhere, and the fortress's surface area is extensive. Even if we assemble a Vanlenkov auxiliary force for ground operations… It's difficult to make them turn guns on their own people, no matter how desperate they are."
Andrew's face remained expressionless:
"I didn't ask you to list problems. Pointing out issues is something even beggars can do. You're earning 450,000 annus a year, not to work like a beggar."
"Yes, you're absolutely right!"
Kerry remained composed and continued:
"Having Vanlenkov's aliens form an armed force is unreliable and prone to backlash, but we can instead recruit them as test subjects. By spreading the word that Nakis' blood is a dangerous fungus, we can prompt infected aliens to come to us for treatment… reducing the required manpower to reception and containment, tasks even robots can handle."
"Now that sounds more reasonable."
Andrew leafed through the proposal, his expression softening slightly:
"But you still need to raise a team, whether through brainwashing or bribery. We don't have much time. Within a month, headquarters expects to receive 10 units of Nakis' blood."
"Understood, understood."
Seeing Andrew's temper settle, Kerry and the others relaxed:
"Actually, Master Andrew, we already have 700 temporary workers from Vanlenkov, so we just need to—"
Wham!
He hadn't finished when the glass walls of the conference room shattered with a deafening shockwave echoing throughout.
Faces turned pale as Kerry immediately shielded Andrew, blocking shards of glass with his body.
Andrew, hands clasped behind his back, remained calm as his guards surrounded him, raising protective shields with commendable professionalism, knowing full well that their charge was stronger than they were.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Chamberlain, thrown to the floor by the shockwave, looked at Kerry, the head of security, with fury on his iron-gray face.
"Kerry!"
"I don't know! That thing just now was moving at least ten times the speed of sound; there was no time to communicate!"
Kerry hadn't even finished speaking when another massive explosion shook the building, causing the floor to tremble.
Only now did the alarms begin blaring, though against the fractured building, they carried an oddly forlorn tone.
"The load-bearing structure's been breached!" Kerry shouted into his communicator while barking orders to his men: "Everyone to the shelters! Our magic staff is activating shields—don't panic; it's just a typical terror attack—"
He was cut off by a loud rumbling from above.
It was here.
Whoosh!
A shadow tore through the sky, trailing crimson lightning, aiming straight for the tower.
—What the hell kind of speed is this?!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In a mere blink, even the Zeta-tier elites couldn't react as the thunderous blade sliced through forty floors, followed by rippling explosions that echoed, sending shockwaves through the building!
"Stand aside, you worthless fools, and witness the blessing of the gods."
Andrew stepped forward, hands behind his back, chest out, taking a firm stance. He bowed his head slightly and murmured:
"Exalted Goddess, you are the guardian of capital, the God of Syndicates, Lord of Cartels, the Spirit of Consortia, the Ancestor of Trusts. You make capitalist groups thrive eternally, letting the economy grow unchecked. You let millions of property owners sleep peacefully. Please allow me to softly call upon your name—"
Boom! Crash!
The ceiling shattered as a vicious blade struck down. Andrew raised a single finger, not even looking up.
"In your name, Red King's blessed follower of the 'Soul of Plunder' prays—"
"I! Jania! Have arrived!"
Andrew's prayer was interrupted by a fierce roar. The malicious voice filled his ears, and crimson lightning erupted, making Andrew's calm, arrogant expression instantly shift. His raised finger turned into a full hand.
Clang!
But he was a moment too slow.
The blessed hand took the full brunt of the sword's impact, his extended finger obliterated by the electromagnetic explosion.
Snap.
Andrew froze mid-gesture.
His suspended hand had its index finger cleanly severed.
The sword strike, blocked by divine protection, lost momentum and sank heavily to the floor, like a tank crushing down.
Clang!
Andrew lowered his head.
His lava-like eyes burned with fury as they met the emotionless golden crystalline eyes of his opponent.
Smoke billowed as the figure knelt on one knee, seemingly studying him—just as he studied the figure.
"You."
Andrew withdrew his hand. His draconic bloodline quickly regenerated the lost limb, and his secreted venom numbed the pain, yet his rage was unabated.
"Very well. Very well indeed."
He'd suffered too many indignities today.
Flexing his regenerating finger, he chuckled:
"You dared strike a god's favored one. You've angered not just me, but the great deity—Tell me, what gave you the courage, nameless assassin, to challenge a god's chosen blessed with divine power?"
"Borrowed power?"
In the smoky haze, a tall figure clad in armor rose slowly:
"I am a god."