"Then let's set our next transaction for three days from now, Master Ryan," Selvera proposed. "By then, I'll have gathered the ores you need. And please, don't forget to bring more weapons and equipment—I'll take as many as you can offer."
"All right," Kaito replied with a confident nod. "You won't be disappointed."
With their trade concluded, the two promptly departed from the black market, each returning to their respective countries to begin preparations for the next exchange.
By the time Kaito stepped out, the sky had already begun to dim. Outside the town, players were trickling back from their grinding spots, preparing to log off. Kaito also began his journey back to South Glade Town from the forest outskirts.
Once he arrived, the first thing he did was message his team.
"I'm heading out for a bit. If anything urgent comes up, send me a message—I'll handle it when I'm back."
The Genesis team was still diving into dungeon runs. Since most of the players were using A-grade virtual helmets, they still had about three to four hours of playtime remaining. Kaito had already instructed them to log out once their session ended, take their nutrient doses, and immediately begin their scheduled physical training under his aunt's supervision.
He had also informed the core members to log out along with the rest and undergo training with them.
Only after confirming that everything was proceeding smoothly, Kaito himself logged out.
[ Logging out…]
...
On the very night Kaito had instructed the AI to alert his family, he remained logged into the game—completely unaware of the chaos unfolding in the real world.
At the Ren family's main residence, a secure alert was silently issued to every elder and battle-ready member of the clan. The message was clear: tonight, the Velthorn family would make a desperate move to cover their tracks before the Federation could arrest them tomorrow morning.
The intelligence had come through the AI. According to it, Bane Velthorn and his associates were slated for arrest by dawn. Knowing this, the Velthorn family was pulling every string, mobilizing resources, and calling in favors in a last-ditch effort to shield their illicit operations—and possibly escape justice.
Inside a high-security villa at the edge of Silvercrest City, the Velthorn family's core members had gathered. Bane Velthorn sat in the center, his expression grim, fingers tapping nervously on the armrest of an ornate chair. As a Rank 2 late-stage martial artist, his aura was oppressive, but tonight, even his presence felt frail against the pressure mounting around him.
His younger brother, seated beside him, was a Rank 2 mid-stage cultivator, dressed in a midnight-blue robe and furiously making calls to known contacts. His expression soured with each failed attempt.
In the corner of the room, the next generation of the Velthorn bloodline—three young men and a teenage girl—stood silently, their faces filled with unease. The girl, no older than sixteen, clutched her hands tightly as tension hung heavy in the air.
"Damn it! Even they're not picking up anymore," muttered Bane's brother Dren, slamming his communicator onto the desk.
But before another word could be exchanged, the lights flickered—and then the power was cut completely.
A sharp tremor passed through the villa's foundation, followed by the unmistakable sound of reinforced doors being breached. Panic erupted.
"They've come for us!" shouted one of the younger Velthorns.
Bane rose, his expression steel-cold now. "No. This isn't the Federation..."
The eastern wall of the Velthorn villa exploded inward, bricks and dust cascading like a tidal wave. Standing in the breach was Luther Ren, Kaito's father, his coat fluttering from the shockwave, eyes calm and cold as steel. His aura swelled outward like a collapsing star, drawing breath from the room itself.
At his side stood Rygar Ren, the third brother—leaner, but no less imposing. Unlike Luther, Rygar didn't radiate calm. His presence was sharp, like a drawn sword waiting to taste blood.
Bane's eyes widened. Even before a word was spoken, he recognized the technique in Rygar's stance.
Behind them poured in the elite strike team of the Ren family. Twenty-three battle-hardened cultivators moved with fluid precision—each clad in ancient armor infused with energy circuits glowing a faint blue. Their weapons, salvaged from the ruins beneath the Ancestral Library, pulsed with stored kinetic runes. There were rune-hardened sabers, anti-mana glaives, crescent halberds, and one massive warhammer that sparked with condensed pressure. These were weapons forged in the age of energy-artifact warfare—each one enough to level a small unit.
Outside the perimeter,100 support guards of the Ren family spread across the compound like liquid shadows, cutting off every escape route. The Velthorn residence was surrounded.
"You... Ren family!" Bane snarled.
Bane Velthorn stood abruptly, his Rank 2 late-stage aura crackling with desperation. "So you've come to die as well," he growled, narrowing his eyes at Luther. "You think you can also take a piece of the pie with your strength?"
Luther said voice like stone. "You are underestimating us too much"
From behind, a rumble echoed through the walls as Rovan, the 2nd Rank mid-tier guardian of the Ren family stepped in. His hulking frame was covered head-to-toe in volcanic black armor. The axe slung across his shoulder could cleave hover tanks in half. His deep-set eyes stared blankly ahead, indifferent to the threat in front of him.
Rovan didn't speak. He didn't need to.
"Weapons up!" Bane shouted.
Suddenly 200 Velthorn guards spread through the estate in prepared formations, rifles raised. The plasma muzzles of their assault weapons shimmered as safeties disengaged.
"Fire!"
The first volley cracked out like thunder.
But the bullets didn't penetrate. The Ren family's rune-armor shimmered, absorbing or deflecting the kinetic impacts. Plasma rounds dissipated harmlessly against defensive glyphs carved into every breastplate and helmet. It was like shooting arrows at steel walls.
"Advance!" Luther barked.
What followed wasn't a battle. It was a slaughter.
The Ren elites surged forward like phantoms. Rygar's blade cleaved the first gunner in half, the body folding before the guard even saw him move. Rowan's axe came down on a squad, crushing the floor and vaporizing the five guards beneath with a singular swing.
Across the courtyard, Velthorn men screamed as the support squad of Ren family guards poured through the perimeter in coordinated groups. They wielded equally lethal runic weapons—blades, energy-infused spears, and blunt mana-burst staves. Bullets bounced off them like rubber, while each swing of their weapons tore through armor and limbs.
"Fall back to the cover!" one Velthorn commander screamed.
Too late.
The cover was already overrun. The Ren family Squad had tunneled beneath it using magnetic disruptors taken from the ruins. When the Velthorn soldiers reached it, they found only death—sliced bodies and bloodstained walls.
Back in the main villa, Rygar spun midair, blade arcing with silver fire. Dren Velthorn met him head-on, launching a condensed energy blast from his gloves.
"Rygar!" Dren bellowed. "You won't have it easily!"
"I wasn't planning to," Rygar replied, and disappeared.
He reappeared behind Dren mid-strike.
Clang!
Their blades collided. Dren's glove sparked violently, but Rygar's blade sliced through the mana shield and buried halfway into Dren's arm.
"AAARGH!"
Dren stumbled back, clutching his shoulder.
"Your toys don't work on us anymore," Rygar hissed, slicing downward again. This time, it was aimed for the neck.
But Dren rolled. He was still Rank 2 mid-tier, still fast.
They clashed again—this time near the center pillar of the grand hall. Stone cracked and pillars fell. The entire estate seemed to groan under the weight of their fury.
Meanwhile—
"BANE!"
Luther Ren's voice echoed like thunder as he crossed the main chamber.
Bane turned, blood draining from his face. "You're insane! You think you can kill me and walk away? The Federation will not spare you!"
Bane was already in shock stunned by the ruthless new face the Ren family had revealed.
"You don't need to worry about it," Luther said calmly. "Till the time they get here, What they'll get are just corpses."
"But why are you doing we haven't offended you to that extent" said Bane trying to distract Luther so that he can deal a fatal blow still as scheming as ever.
But luther had already learned a lesson to never again underestimate an enemy so he didn't say anything and
With a burst of power, he surged forward.
Bane fired three shots from his energy revolver, aiming center mass. Luther didn't dodge. The bullets struck him—and stopped.
Runes exploded from Luther's armor in concentric rings. The bullets flattened mid-air, harmless.
Bane's eyes widened. "What…"
Luther was already in front of him.
CRACK!
The punch to the gut bent Bane in half. Before he could drop, Luther grabbed his throat, lifted him, and threw him across the hall. He smashed through a wall, coughing blood.
Outside—
The remaining Velthorn guards were dying in droves. The courtyard ran red with blood. Rune weapons glowed faintly as they absorbed life-force from the battlefield. It was overkill— None of the Velthorn's weapons had any effect on the Ren family. Plasma rifles proved useless, their shots dissipating against rune-infused armor. Explosive drones were neutralized mid-air, unable to breach the layered defenses. Even their EMP grenades were rendered ineffective, absorbed entirely by the energy-siphon barriers projected from Rovan's shield.