"Analysis complete. Fourteen layers of optical defense. Two layers of motion sensors. Recommended method: Laser Disruption Code 9A for silent breach."

Alaric studied the glowing projection with a blank expression. "Too slow. What if I do it manually?"

"Estimated 72 percent chance of early detection."

He smirked. "But it'll be faster."

From his wrist, a dark-blue light emerged, narrowing into a pure laser thread, thin and sharp like a gleaming wire.

Alaric guided it to a small node on the corner of the door, slowly tracing along the concealed energy patterns beneath the surface. One by one, each laser thread flickered out, like candles snuffed by a whisper.

After about a minute, a soft click sounded.

The lock released. The web of red lights around the door vanished.

"Twelve seconds faster than the system's projection." Alaric gave a small smile and stepped forward.

But before he could go any further, a shrill alarm pierced the silence. Beep. Beep. Beep. Red lights flashed from the ceiling corners. Sirens wailed.

The hologram on his hand vibrated, flashing a red-coded alert.

"Secondary security layer activated. Intruder detected."

Alaric didn't flinch. He remained standing in the center of the room as red light flickered across his body. "Good. Saves me the trouble of looking for you."

He turned his gaze to the ceiling corner where a surveillance camera blinked. Then he raised his voice slightly.

"You. Whoever you are. Keep hiding, and I'll bring this entire building down on top of you."

His voice wasn't quite a threat. It was more of a calm lure cast into still waters, designed to bait a predator. Alaric knew that anyone powerful enough to build a place like this wouldn't let himself be taunted without reacting.

Several seconds passed.

No answer. No movement. The sirens gradually faded, replaced by a deep hum as the security systems began auto-correcting.

Alaric stayed still. He knew the syndicate leader wasn't stupid. He wouldn't just walk out in response to a threat. And that was precisely why Alaric held back from charging in.

His eyes dropped to the marble floor reflecting his face. "If I walk in now, I'll be caught. This place is laced with traps. I'm not the first one to try."

He crouched down and retrieved something from his utility belt, a small tactical emblem shaped like a square with a metal ring at its center. Its surface was black nickel, etched with fine circuitry.

It was his Tactical Laser Emblem. Something he and his high-tier AI system had developed together. One of his most trusted weapons in dangerous operations.

He pressed the side of the emblem. Instantly, the device shifted, tiny panels unfolding like wings. A moment later, it elongated, twisting and locking into place over his arm. Merging seamlessly beneath his long coat.

Click.

Now his left arm was covered in a sleek, futuristic armor, like the limb of a combat-grade exosuit made of black titanium. Thin cables pulsed with blue energy along its surface, and each finger joint glimmered with a soft light. It was a precision weapon disguised as armor.

His right hand moved across a floating holographic panel in front of him, adjusting the combat parameters. Lines of code streamed rapidly, fine-tuning firepower levels, laser angles, and reflective effects for visual decoys.

Alaric double-checked his energy balance, then clenched his armored fist. From between his metal fingers, a deep blue spark flickered, forming into a blade-like laser beam that danced in the air like a sword of light.

He raised his arm slightly, watching the transparent blade hum softly against the smooth surface of his exoskeleton. "I've never used you before…"

"Energy at full capacity. Combat mode ready," the AI responded from within the emblem.

Alaric exhaled, his gaze fixed on the door at the far end, still sealed shut. "Well then, let's see how tough they are at keeping their secrets."

The floor of the room shook violently as the beam from the device in Alaric's hand shot forward like a flash of white lightning. The sound of two objects colliding echoed several times, enough to crack the once unyielding walls. Chunks of brick fell from above. The light from Alaric's weapon created a scene that almost resembled a brutal meteor shower.

This beam wasn't just any ordinary energy. Each time Alaric pressed a control panel on his wrist, electrical currents wrapped around his body, and in an instant, the atmosphere felt like an overloaded magnetic field—too dense to comprehend. The scene before his eyes swayed like a painting shaken by an earthquake.

Alaric stood tall in the middle of the large room, staring at the walls now covered in jagged cracks. His eyes reflected a light that contrasted sharply with the chaos around him. He knew exactly what he was doing. Alaric wasn't aiming to destroy the entire building. At least, not yet. But this was enough to shake his opponent's ego, to make the mastermind behind it all feel threatened.

"If I bring it all down now, I'd be buried here too," his lips curled into a thin smile.

"But if just a portion… it'll be enough to make you angry and force you to show yourself."

He shifted his weight, adjusting his stance while refocusing on his target. His right hand rose again, and the device on his arm spun slowly, emitting a soft hum. At the tip of it, energy began to accumulate, preparing like a swirling army of light, ready to be fired at any moment.

And sure enough, Alaric fired again…

Flaaash!

The beam struck a large statue at the side of the room, perhaps a decoration or a symbol of the organization. The statue exploded, its head shattered into pieces, leaving behind thick dust that billowed into the air.

Alaric raised an eyebrow, surveying the aftermath with a half-smile. "This should get him to come out," he said coolly. "I'll wait until you're sick of seeing your headquarters crumble."

As he expected, a deep voice echoed from the walls that still stood firm.

"Don't touch that statue!"

The voice came from all directions. Alaric turned, but didn't react with panic. Instead, he lowered his hand, as if waiting for something interesting to happen.

Footsteps began to sound...

Thud… thud… thud…

Slowly, the rhythm and pressure in each step changed, growing clearer with each passing moment. And at the exact moment, the footsteps stopped right behind him.

Alaric remained still. He could feel the cold aura creeping along the back of his neck.

"You…" The voice was sharp and strained. "How dare you create chaos here. How dare you damage this place!"

The sound of shoes screeching to a halt. Then, there was another breath—this time, not his own.

Alaric turned slightly, only half his face visible. "Finally showing yourself," his lips curled into a faint smirk.

From behind the dust cloud, the figure revealed itself. Its sharp gaze reflected an aura of threat as it took in the cracked walls. Its hands balled into fists, veins tensing in the arms.

In that room, only the faint crackle of electricity from Alaric's weapon could be heard, still pulsing in his hand.

The young man stared at the figure before him, unflinching. "I've been waiting long enough. But if you think I'm here for a friendly chat…" He paused, his tone growing more intense. "Then you're gravely mistaken."

Dust and small debris continued to fall, forming a thin veil between them, one that was still transparent enough for both to see the other.

The man's face slowly came into sharper focus. His jaw clenched tight, and the veins on his neck bulged. He wasn't just angry; he was offended. No doubt, his oversized ego was seething. He looked like someone who had never been attacked or disrespected.

Alaric kept his eyes locked on him without backing down, tilting his head slightly as he muttered to himself, "Fine… if he attacks first, I'm ready. I'm not here to run."

And sure enough... the man took a step forward, then two, before shouting in a booming voice, "Enough of you testing my patience!"

In an instant, his arm shot forward, long and flexible, stretching like a mechanical tendril. The joints in it creaked as it extended, and with a hiss of metal, it aimed directly at Alaric's neck, attempting to strangle him in one swift motion.

But Alaric had already read the move. He ducked and swiftly sidestepped, the air from the metal tendril's whip brushing through his hair. He spun halfway around and locked eyes with the man, his gaze sharp.

"You…" Alaric's voice was firm, pressing every word. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you for answers here?"

"Why are you kidnapping children and imprisoning them?"

His voice echoed, cutting through the silence of the room. "I would think with all your wealth, you wouldn't need to do that. So why?!"

Alaric's words reverberated off the walls, each phrase striking harder than the last. The man slowly retracted his mechanical arm, the hinges creaking like a rusted chain. A cold, inhuman smile spread across his face.

"So you're not an idiot after all…" he said with a low laugh. "You understand everything. So... what do you want?"