CHAPTER 291: A WEB INSILVER LIGHT

Back at the Dominion Sanctum the moon hung high in the sky, casting its mesmerizing silvery glow over the estate, it felt like stepping into a painting,a perfect picture of tranquility.

Arthur reclined on his bed, which floated three feet above the polished obsidian floor, held aloft by silent magnetic cores that defied gravity.

The sheets draped over him were woven from deep blue synth-silk, absorbing every hint of light around them.

His cold blue eyes fixated on a holographic screen suspended in mid-air.

On repeat, a haunting image played: a circle burned into the earth,a perfect crater where once a lab had thrived.

Steam curled up from its edges as light glinted off the glassy soil, revealing a void carved with surgical precision.

Evolon’s voice cut through the silence, smooth and toneless.

"Biohazard Alpha destroyed. Core vaporized. No survivors. Gunner’s unit has advanced to secondary target. Projected clearance rate: three days. At current pace, all labs in the Noctis Continent will be erased."

Arthur let Evolon’s words linger in the air like smoke from an extinguished candle; he breathed steadily, each inhale deliberate and calm,an embodiment of control.

Finally, he spoke.

"Show me."

The holographic feed morphed before him into a map,the Noctis Continent rendered in scarred topography.

Red dots pulsed where VULTURE labs had stood,six in total,while one flickered and faded away to reveal a gray scar where life once thrived. Five remained stubbornly alive.

Supply routes appeared next: convoys on the move, patrol schedules ticking away like time bombs, civilian grids lighting up ominously like stars before dawn.

Corporate data streams intertwined with government feeds and militia chatter created an intricate web of information where nothing could hide.

Arthur studied it all with an inscrutable expression; his head tilted slightly but his gaze unwavering.

"Three days," he murmured softly but firmly. "And then there will be silence."

The screen split again as new feeds flooded in: news anchors stammering through reports of "unconfirmed explosions," government officials scrambling to deny rumors about bioweapons research while civilians uploaded shaky drone footage before their feeds abruptly cut to static.

"Already trending across six networks," Evolon reported matter-of-factly. "Censorship protocols engaged; however, inefficiencies are expected as leaks propagate."

Arthur turned his attention to another floating screen displaying raw surveillance footage, VULTURE patrols scattering amid chaos, commanders barking orders into radios while armored trucks burned behind them.

He watched impassively until he blinked slowly as if bored by what unfolded before him.

"It’s not just destruction I’m after," Arthur said quietly. "That’s predictable enough. What I want is to observe how ripples spread outwards... Which hands move first".

Evolon obeyed, and with a flicker of light, dozens of overlays sprang to life.

Encrypted bursts flared between black-market arms dealers; corporate moguls shifted funds offshore like shadows in the night; a militia unit gathered along the border, masquerading as mere "exercises."

Each thread glowed in its own hue,red for immediate threats, orange for opportunistic players, blue for hidden responses bubbling beneath the surface noise.

Arthur’s lips curled into something that resembled a smile but felt more like a prelude to stormy weather.

"Good."

For what felt like an eternity, silence enveloped them.

Evolon remained still,Arthur remained silent with a calm face.

His hand floated above the projection, fingers weaving through the luminous threads like a pianist warming up before a grand performance.

Each graceful motion triggered fresh feeds: clandestine councils debating strategy, cartel envoys exchanging hushed whispers, and a corporate CEO signing off on midnight orders to ramp up security at critical facilities.

Then Arthur spoke again, his voice smooth yet sharp as a knife’s edge.

"Mark those hands that twitch. Those who act too soon expose themselves. But those who remain still...,"

He paused for a moment, locking his gaze onto a sector of the map where no reactions stirred,a pocket too quiet, too perfect. "...they are our closest watch."

"Acknowledged," Evolon replied flatly. Its voice was devoid of emotion, yet the lights on the projection dimmed slightly in recognition,like stars bowing in deference.

Arthur leaned back against his pillow ever so slightly but kept his eyes glued to the unfolding chaos ahead.

"Three days," he declared with chilling certainty. "Every lab reduced to ash. In that time frame, I want every whisper cataloged, every shadow tracked and every ripple documented. Governments will panic; factions will posture; and those lurking in darkness... will finally crawl into the light."

"Understood."

Another feed burst open,aerial drone footage revealing Gunner’s convoy departing from a smoldering crater behind them.

The trucks maneuvered along jagged roads under cover of night while their occupants sat silently inside,their faces unreadable as they embodied precision without need for glory.

Arthur watched them intently for what felt like ages; his pale eyes mirrored their images in cold silver.

"Efficient," he murmured with satisfaction creeping into his tone. "Just as expected."

His voice lowered further now,almost contemplative.

"A man like Gunner doesn’t crave loyalty; he demands direction. As long as his hands are moving, others will believe that blade belongs to him."

The corner of his mouth twitched,a fleeting flicker of satisfaction breaking through.

Evolon adjusted the feed once more: "Secondary target thirty-one kilometers south. Estimated breach: two hours. Resistance forecast: elevated. Probability of exposure: moderate."

Arthur exhaled softly not quite a sigh but controlled nonetheless.

"Exposure is irrelevant. By the time they understand, there will be nothing left to expose."

Silence stretched like a taut string in the vast room around him, where dark stone met hovering architecture and walls glimmered with faint geometric patterns.

It felt less like a bedroom and more like a sanctum,an arena carved out for one purpose: control.

Arthur let his eyes flutter shut for just a moment, feeling the gentle hum of the bed beneath him as its suspension coils cradled him in stillness.

When he opened them again, the map blazed red across his vision,a stark reminder of what lay ahead.

One by one, the holographic screens dimmed until only the map remained, its red points pulsing steadily like heartbeats in an ominous rhythm.

With deliberate grace, Arthur lifted a hand, fingers grazing the edge of the projection.

"And when the last lab falls, Evolon..."

"Yes, Patriarch?" came Evolon’s smooth response.

His eyes were half-lidded; his voice calm yet sharp enough to slice through tension.

"...begin the real hunt."

In an instant, the map zoomed outward,from the Noctis Continent into an expansive world beyond.

New points flickered into existence,faint but spreading,a web far larger than those six ominous red dots.

Arthur’s expression remained impassive. Yet his gaze was cold and infinite; it held everything,the weight of countless decisions and their consequences.

And within that silence hung a chilling truth: destroying the labs was never meant to be an end,it was merely the opening move in a much larger game.