Chapter 28 – Martial Law
The defeat of Iron Fang changed public perception.
Bounty hunters hesitated.
Rumors spread that hunting Audrey was no longer profitable.
The Underground movement expanded quietly.
But the palace responded aggressively.
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The Royal Decree
Early one morning —
A massive announcement echoed through the capital.
Royal Heralds declared:
"Due to escalating insurgent activity and threats to national stability…"
"His Majesty hereby enacts Martial Law."
The decree included:
- Military patrols across all major cities
- Suspension of certain civil protections
- Authority granted to royal forces to arrest suspected insurgents
- Direct crackdown on illegal assemblies
And most importantly:
"The Underground faction is declared an enemy of the state."
Shock spread instantly.
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Military Deployment
Elite royal battalions were deployed.
Checkpoints appeared at:
- Trade routes
- Border zones
- Urban districts
- And suspected Underground supply hubs
Soldiers received direct orders:
"Locate Audrey."
"Capture or eliminate."
The bounty was increased dramatically.
Now funded directly by state emergency authorization.
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Inside the Underground Base
Audrey monitored developments through intelligence reports.
Selene analyzed military troop movements.
Aria trained fighters for potential direct confrontation.
Suddenly —
A messenger burst into the room.
"Emergency breach!"
Selene's eyes sharpened.
"Explain."
The messenger handed over a data chip.
"It came from one of our logistics officers."
"Encrypted coordinates were leaked."
Audrey scanned the file instantly.
His expression darkened.
"These coordinates…"
"They point to our main supply depot."
Silence fell.
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The Betrayal
Audrey activated system tracing.
Golden threads tracked metadata embedded in the leaked file.
He identified the origin.
A mid-level logistics coordinator.
Someone trusted.
Someone granted access to operations.
Selene whispered:
"He had full visibility of our supply chain."
Aria asked coldly:
"Where is he now?"
Audrey tracked the signal.
"Heading toward the capital."
"He delivered information to someone."
---
Intercept
Aria moved immediately with a strike team.
They intercepted the traitor on a forest road before he reached safe territory.
The man froze when he saw her.
"Commander…"
Aria's expression was cold.
"Why?"
The traitor trembled.
"They promised protection."
"They said if I provided location data…"
"My family would be removed from the wanted list."
Aria replied firmly:
"You traded loyalty for illusion."
He shouted desperately:
"I had no choice!"
Aria disarmed him instantly.
But she did not execute him.
Instead —
She restrained him and prepared him for interrogation.
---
Extraction of Truth
Audrey arrived shortly after.
He activated system truth verification.
Golden light surrounded the traitor.
Under pressure —
The man revealed everything.
The leak wasn't random.
It was orchestrated.
A royal intelligence division had infiltrated the Underground months ago.
They allowed the traitor to rise slowly.
They monitored operations.
They waited for a central base to form.
Then they used him to expose it.
It was strategic entrapment.
---
The Trap Activated
Before they could relocate the base —
Military forces were already mobilizing toward the leaked coordinates.
Heavy battalions.
Mage artillery.
And elite suppression units.
Audrey realized quickly.
"They want us to stay and defend."
"So they can surround and annihilate."
Selene asked:
"What's the plan?"
Audrey smiled coldly.
"We abandon the base."
"Leave decoys."
"And turn the location into a trap instead."
---
The Counter-Trap
They evacuated key personnel within hours.
Hidden escape routes activated.
High-value equipment relocated.
Then —
Aria left behind automated defense constructs powered by stored gold energy.
When royal forces arrived expecting easy capture —
They triggered the defenses.
Explosions erupted.
Barrier traps activated.
The site became a battlefield.
But no major leaders were present.
The military realized too late:
The base was empty.
They had attacked a ghost.
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Aftermath
The traitor was publicly exposed.
His confession was recorded.
Audrey broadcast the recording through underground channels.
It spread across regions.
People saw:
The government used infiltration to expose resistance.
Trust in the martial law decree weakened.
Meanwhile —
Inside the palace —
The king received reports of failure.
His expression darkened.
Serene — the concubine — watched quietly.
"This man adapts."
She whispered.
"He turns traps into counter-traps."
The king replied:
"Then we escalate further."
And this time…
They prepared something far more dangerous.
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🔥 End of Chapter 28
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