"You heard him. Move it!" Jason shouted to the nearby teams. He turned back to Ethan, his eyes narrowing. "Whatever you're building, it sounds like it's going to need a lot of power."

"You have no idea," Ethan said the leader.

Before Jason could reply, the heavy sound of boots echoed from the corridor. Old Falcon approached them, his usual stoic face replaced by a look of grim fascination. He held a tablet in his hand, his eyes darting between the screen and Ethan.

"The world is in absolute chaos, boss," said Old Falcon.

"More than usual? What happened?" Ethan asked the young man.

"The Soaring Blaze family... or what's left of them. They were wiped out in a single night. Not just defeated—annihilated. Their main hall is a tomb of withered husks. It didn't even make a sound. No alarms, no distress calls. Just total silence and a lot of empty ash," said Old Falcon.

Ethan felt a chill of realization. He thought of the withered old woman in the veil at the auction, the one who had practically begged for the elixir. "Wait... the woman from the auction. The Matriarch."

"Not just any matriarch. That was the Blood Rose of the Blackwood lineage," said Old Falcon, his voice hushed with a rare kind of respect. "Twenty years ago, she was the nightmare that kept the Union's enforcers awake at night. The Soaring Blaze were the ones who led the ambush that destroyed her family and left her to rot with a curse. They thought they had buried her."

"I knew she was powerful, but this..." Ethan said the young man, his mind racing.

"You don't understand, Ethan. By giving her that potion, you didn't just save a client; you released a hurricane," said Old Falcon. "She was the most feared assassin and strategist in the underworld's history. And now, every organization that had a hand in the Blackwood purge is looking over their shoulder. They know she's back, and they know you are the one who gave her the thorns to strike back."

Ethan leaned against a shipping crate, a slow, dark smile spreading across his face. He hadn't realized the scale of the fuse he had lit, but the chaos was exactly what he needed.

"So, I've accidentally created the most dangerous ally on the planet," Ethan said the leader.

"Or the most dangerous debt-collector," said Old Falcon. "Either way, your name is now tied to the return of a legend. Things are going to get very loud, very quickly."

"By restoring the Blood Rose, you've earned the favor of a goddess of death, yes. But you've also earned the undying hatred of every power-player who helped bury her," said Old Falcon. "The underworld is screaming, and they're screaming your name. The smart ones? They're already packing their bags and fleeing the city, terrified of being caught in her wake. But the desperate ones? They'll see you as the source of the problem. They'll try to use you as a bargaining chip to stop her, or worse, they'll try to extinguish their fury on you since they can't reach her yet."

Ethan felt the weight of the situation. He wasn't just a businessman anymore; he was a focal point in a war that had been brewing for two decades.

"They'll think I'm the weak link," Ethan said the young man, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

"Exactly. To the rest of the world, you're just the merchant who provided the weapon. They don't know about your 'Legacy' yet. They see a target," said Old Falcon. "Every mercenary, every fallen house, and every Union lapdog who participated in the Blackwood purge now has a reason to want your head on a spike. You've broken the balance of power, and the balance has a way of trying to right itself by crushing the person who tilted it."

Jason, who had been listening silently, gripped the hilt of his sidearm. "Let them come. We've got a billion dollars in hardware and a fortress that's about to go dark. If they want to reach the boss, they'll have to walk through a mountain of lead first," said the soldier.

Ethan looked at the black card Celestial had sent him, then at the crates of weapons. He realized he was no longer just building a company; he was building a war machine.

"I don't plan on being anyone's 'weak link'," Ethan said the leader. "Old Falcon, stay on the comms. I want to know the second any movement is detected toward Royal. Jason, double the perimeter guards and get those tanks hidden but ready. If the underworld wants to discharge its fury on me, I'll make sure they burn in the process."

[It seems your quiet life is officially over,] said the System in his mind. [10,000 points for that sanctuary is starting to look like a bargain, isn't it?]

"Shut up, System. I'm working on it," Ethan thought with a grim smirk.

"Jason, I want to see the building I ordered. Is it ready?" Ethan asked the leader.

"It is. According to your specifications, it's situated in a more secluded sector, a few miles from here. It's been reinforced and isolated as you requested. I'll take you there immediately," said Jason.

They walked out of the loading bay toward a sleek, matte-black SUV. Ethan expected a quiet, discreet trip to inspect his new property, but as he stepped into the passenger seat, the ground began to vibrate with the hum of dozens of engines.

From every corner of the Royal compound, armored vehicles began to roll out. One by one, more than thirty black SUVs and tactical trucks formed a massive, impenetrable convoy. They lined up in a perfect, synchronized column, flanking Ethan's vehicle.

"What is all this? I thought we were just going for a drive. Why so much noise? We should be staying under the radar," Ethan said to jason, looking at the sheer scale of the escort. Not even presidential motorcades boasted this level of blatant security.

Suddenly, a rhythmic thumping sound echoed from above, growing into a roar that rattled the windows of the SUV. Ethan leaned forward, looking through the windshield and up into the sky. Six combat helicopters, their side-mounted gatling guns deployed and manned, were circling the area, carving a path through the clouds above the convoy.

"Boss, now that everyone knows your position and what you're capable of, there is no such thing as a secret anymore," said Jason as he gripped the steering wheel and pulled out of the gates. "Every satellite, every spy, and every hitman in the city has their eyes on you. They want to know exactly who they're dealing with. In this climate, discretion is just an invitation for an ambush. It's better to be careful—and loud."

Ethan watched the shadow of the lead helicopter pass over the road ahead. He realized Jason was right. The time for hiding in the shadows was over. If the world was watching, he would give them something terrifying to look at.

"Fine. Let them watch the parade," Ethan said the leader. "Let's see if the building is worth all this trouble."

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