Chapter 31: The council of shadows

Chapter Thirty-One: The Council of Shadows

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The wind blew softly through the open balcony, ventilators humming as they cleansed the air. On one of the most luxurious hotels in the Mid-Spires, a lady moved swiftly, her footsteps echoing down the marble hallway. She wore a long jumpsuit that hugged her curves, every movement deliberate, every step a sharp click against the polished floor.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The door slid open as she approached. She entered slowly, taking in the room with a quiet gaze. Exquisite. High-tech furnishings. Gold and black painted walls. The kind of place that whispered wealth and power.

He sure has great taste, Priceless murmured.

"Yeah. You love it?"

Lion's Dude walked toward her, his gaze fixed on her figure. The light gleamed on his reddish hair, dressed in white sleeves and black pants that showed his lean, muscular frame. His voice was low, almost intimate.

Priceless smiled at him.

"Of course, my one and only young lord of Starry's Corporation. I've been waiting to meet you since. But you failed to come by after being so frustrated about that... event."

Lion's Dude's jaw tightened. He bent his head low, forcing himself to calm down.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to."

He turned away, his fists clenching.

"But I swear I will get revenge. I must find out who that thief is."

Priceless stared at him in silence.

"No need," she muttered, walking slowly toward him. Her heels clicked against the ground, a beautiful swagger in her step. She moved like water — seductive, deliberate, unstoppable.

"Wh—What do you mean?" Lion's Dude stammered.

She stopped an inch away from him, her fingers stroking his chest. Her blue eyes locked onto his golden ones.

"I know you want me badly," she whispered.

There was a linger of silence as Lion's Dude swallowed.

"Yeah. But why are you suddenly playing soft?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I want you to forget about it," Priceless said, her voice calm.

"Forget about what?"

"The thief. I will compensate you with a surprise."

Lion's Dude's eyes shook. "You say what? You know the thief?"

"Shh." She placed a finger on his lips. "Like I said, I will compensate you. Twice the value of the armadillo. Just forget about the thief."

Her voice was slow and soft — but beneath it, something sharp. Something deadly.

Lion's Dude's body stiffened.

"But you know I can't let that go easily. I must kill the—"

Priceless's lips pressed against his.

They kissed.

He could feel her breath, her scent. His eyes widened. She pressed him against the wall, her body against his. He couldn't resist — didn't want to. He held her waist, pulling her closer, his lips pressing deeper.

Then she smiled.

"Deal."

She pushed him gently with a single finger, grabbed her bag, and walked away. Her heels clicked against the floor, disappearing into the wind.

Lion's Dude staggered, touching his lips. He stared at the empty doorway, surprised at what he had just done.

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A Day Later — The Orbital Station

A massive ring-like building floated in space, drifting around the Orbital Station. It was covered in black high-tech glass, stars shimmering across its reflective surface. Inside, various people gathered around a long, high-tech tinted glass table.

Elites of Geotequar.

Geotequar — the name of the planet that held the Deep Slums, Mid-Spires, and Upper Spires together.

Cups of coffee sat at every corner of the table. The Chairman of the Survey Corps stood, his golden hair catching the light from the shimmering stars.

"Welcome everyone. It's nice to meet you all. The meeting today will be both tense and exquisite."

He let out a dead smile and sat, tapping the table. A holographic screen displayed before them.

"I remember we signed a contract to detonate everyone in the Deep Slums so we could transform it into a tourist center. But it seems the Caucian race hacked into our system, causing the drone to wipe out the entire planet instead."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"This is alarming. Out of all twenty races of beings, the Caucians are one of the deadliest. Although... I was shocked to see some of their skin beginning to resemble ours."

He yawned.

"Whatever. They're still humans like us. Different skin textures and colors — which applies to all races. But that is that. We should prepare for war. War is coming. But before we go further, we must solve an underlying issue — our biggest threat: the Valdrex Empire."

A lady rose abruptly.

"Look, Den. We elites are meant to be subordinates of the Valdrex Empire. They hold the royal bloodline. Without them, our race would crumble."

"It's already crumbling." Den looked at her, then at everyone. "We thought Prince Dorian was kidnapped. But it's evidence now — he's just hiding. Like a little child too scared to play with bullies. Is that what you call the crown prince? He doesn't have the leadership spirit. That is why we formed this council. The Survey Corps. To regain freedom from a royal empire that makes decisions only by their own wish."

"But their military greatly outmatches us," Lion's Dude spoke, summoning courage. "If there's something we shouldn't do, I'd say it's civil war. We might end up stirring more trouble."

"Yeah," another elite added. "Their family may be silent, but their military is on another level. And Prince Dorian — it's clear he's a god. His ability to slice anything, including concepts, is insane. Is that who you want to fight?"

Den's eyes swept the room.

"That is why we have us. Seated amongst ourselves are gods and Cosmic Class hunters. Also, I believe the young lord of Starry's Corporation would be willing to help us produce an exquisite number of planet-busting weapons. It's clear you are now our biggest military corporation."

One female elite stared at Lion's Dude. He buried his head down.

Den continued: "If we don't strike, we will still one day become victims. In this world, you don't hesitate. Opportunities are one in a million."

For a while, there was silence.

Den's eyes caught a lady at the other end of the table. Brown skin. Long black hair. A cool smile on her red lips. Percy's boss — the CEO of Vex Industry. She sat relaxed, legs crossed, silent.

"Do you have any suggestions, Miss Selene?"

Selene's eyes blinked. She grabbed her cup, took a sip of coffee, and set it down. Silence.

Everyone stared at her, surprised by her rude behaviour.

"Guess you aren't in the mood, huh?" Den smiled, bending down to the glass table. He shook his head.

"Our final take is this."

A holographic screen floated up — huge, large. Everyone stared.

"News got out that a Cosmic Class beast had soul backlashed a hunter and escaped to the Mutated Class portal. Hunters who saw it were said to be deeply traumatized. But that isn't all."

Den played the video.

The world was purely black and white. A red moon rose above. Color drained from the sky.

All hunters murmured. All elites murmured.

"When did this happen?"

"Time had paused. Not even one of us knew what was happening. Only a few sensed it after everything had happened."

Some feared. Their hearts beat faster.

"So what does this mean?" Den paused, staring at everyone.

Silence stretched.

Then a smile curved around his lips.

"It means the Mid-Spires can be wiped out in the blink of an eye — at any second, even as we speak."

Everyone's voice fell silent. Shocked.

"What a coincidence."

Selene's voice came out like honey and silk — but beneath it, a sharp blade ready to cut. She stared at the screen, delight in her eyes.

Den's eyes caught hers, confused by her unreal beauty and her strange, unsettling calm.

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End of Chapter Thirty-One.