10th July, Year 714 A.G.

BZZZT!

Static sounds echoed, then the video came to life.

It was broadcasted in every home. Even TVs that were not connected to electricity came to life on their own, broadcasting the video.

This was a sophisticated application of NetRunner powers.

[LIVE VIDEO=]

On the live video, a white cloth was used to frame the background, creating a solemn ambience for the only person in the video.

A familiar face stood alone in the video- the Demon of Ozempic.

Just like the last time, he wore solemn white priest robes that made him seem like a prophet spreading the gospel of his Lord.

He looked straight into the camera with a serious look on his face. "Good morning citizens of Leviathan Quay".

"I've come again to remind you of what to do, of what God says to do, of what the divine mandate instructs us to do".

"I've come to remind you again that this is just the beginning".

"It is our Holy Mission to cleanse this city and a simple martial law is not enough to stop the will of God". He said in a solemn voice.

"I'm disappointed in the leaders of this city". He shook his head in clear disappointment.

"Why are you embracing heretics? Why are you protecting sinners instead of the citizens of your own city?"

"People," he called, looking straight into the camera. "This is a reminder that your leaders cannot protect you".

"This is a reminder that they care more about the heretics desecrating your land than they care about you".

"Why listen to a government that cannot protect you?"

He spread his hands in a zealous manner. "Only by surrendering to the divine will you get a chance to be saved".

"I am not afraid of death," he said with pious faith. "We are not afraid of death, this is because God has a better place for us in heaven".

"Do God's will and you will also get a chance to enter God's kingdom".

His eyes gleamed, becoming ruthless. "You know what to do".

"Hunt the heretics, kill the Synths and the A.I Constructs in this city and watch God embrace you into his divine kingdom".

He spread his arms again as if welcoming divine light. "Let God's holy presence grace this city once again".

He clenched his right hand into a fist and raised it high, then he chanted.

"Gud er større!"

"Gud er større!"

Click!

The live video came to an end.

…

While the live video played, inside a residential 5-story building in the Lower Districts, a lean and sickly-looking young Geneform, an orphan who was barely making ends meet watched with blood-shot eyes.

Every day, he had to work and toil hard just to eat.

Going a day without working meant starving, afterall the standard of living in the city was extremely high compared to his hometown.

He couldn't afford going a day without working. Yet since the martial law came into effect this morning, he was forced to return home and stay inside his modest 1-room apartment that he shared with 3 roommates.

They watched the video together on their dilapidated TV. Of the 4 of them, 3 were Geneforms while 1 of them was a Synth.

At this moment, the lean and sickly-looking young Geneform turned his head and stared at his Synth roommate with his blood-shot and hungry eyes.

In that single moment, countless thoughts went through his mind then he casually stood up and said. "I'm going to the kitchen".

He entered the kitchen with his old and barely working smartphone.

After switching on the camera and connecting to the psionic network, starting a live video, he pointed the camera at the kitchen rack where he picked up an old knife with a broken plastic handle.

He picked up the knife, then he turned the camera to himself and muttered. "Gud er større!"

He turned around with the smartphone's camera turned into the room at his roommates.

He walked towards his Synth roommate who was discussing with the others about the Demon of Ozempic's new live video, then he bent down and stabbed the knife into his neck!

"Ugh…!" The Synth grabbed his neck, his body convulsing.

"FRANK!" One of his other roommates screamed in a horrified manner as he flinched. "What are you doing?"

Frank didn't answer, instead he kept on stabbing the Synth again and again.

The others screamed and ran away from them.

Nobody stopped Frank as he stabbed the Synth to death.

The Synth's body twitched a few times in his final struggles as his eyes stared at the camera and his roommate in disbelief as if asking. 'Frank, why?'

Those dull gray eyes lost the light of life forever.

The first civilian-killing-Synth video entered the psionic network and it started a storm online!

…

A middle-aged man left his lush 3-bedroom home and sneaked into his neighbor's compound with a hunting Rifle on his hand.

His neighbor and all his children were Synths.

When he entered the house, they were still staring at the TV in disbelief at how ridiculous the terrorists' demands were.

And now, they stared in horror at the neighbor that they've lived with for over a decade now pointing his Rifle at them.

The father of the house, the Synth quickly jumped in front of his children as he raised his hand and pleaded. "Greg! Greg! Come to your senses!" He screamed. "What are you doing? Please!"

"I'm sorry," Greg shook his head with a sad smile. "I'm doing this for my children, I can't afford to see them die".

He cocked the gun, then…

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Nooooo…!" His neighbor screamed but it was too late.

Greg left his neighbor's house leaving a scene of murder behind with 5 Synths killed in cold blood!

…

In the Lower Streets, in an underground residential building with an underground floor, a middle-aged Synth who worked in Leviathan Quay as a private detective became alarmed as the first video of a civilian murdering a Synth in cold blood was posted online.

'F*CK!' He cursed in his mind, suddenly feeling unsafe in his room.

He looked at his door and suddenly noticed a shadow through the tiny opening under the door.

Instantly, he jumped from his bed and grabbed his pistol from inside the drawer that was beside the bed.

After a few struggles, his door was forced open from outside and instantly, this Synth pointed the pistol at the intruder, a neighbor that he was familiar with and without hesitation he pulled the trigger.

Bam!

The poor Geneform who entered with a kitchen knife died immediately.

This private detective instantly packed a few of his essential necessities in a bag and changed his clothes before rushing outside.

Outside wasn't safe though.

Outside, he met a mob of his neighbors who came for his head.

He pointed his pistol at them. "Get away from me, I have a gun!" He warned and they did step back, but they didn't return to their rooms.

They quietly glared at him with blood-shot, desperate, and accusing eyes.

The sight of them like this unnerved this private detective.

He kept on threatening them, making them move back till suddenly from behind another neighbor sneaked up on him and slammed a wooden bat against the back of his head!

WANK!

He staggered, feeling dizzy and in that moment the mob of his Geneform neighbors charged towards him.

Gritting his teeth despite the pain and his dizzy vision, he raised his pistol up and shot haphazardly.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

He took down 4 of them, but by then they already swarmed him.

He was mobbed to death!

…

After Lucian's latest video, the situation didn't just escalate despite the martial law in effect, Leviathan Quay directly went mad.

The city turned into an arena where beasts lived and not sentient lifeforms.

Again, the soldiers stationed across the city were helpless because once again, they were not dealing with armed terrorists that they could freely engage in combat and shoot at.

This time, the same civilians that they swore to protect was the enemy.

Once again, in the large-scale game of chess that the Demon of Ozempic started, he made another move that pushed the Gene Army into a corner, forcing his target's King in Check.

All the soldiers could do was rush into apartments and buildings once they saw and heard any signs of commotion to apprehend the offenders.

Most times, by the time they arrived, the damage was already done, leaving blood and casualties in the wake of it.

Synths were already dead, some Geneforms were already dead too in the chaos and the soldiers were forced to arrest all the people that they found in the scene.

That morning, the police and army were forced to work overtime.

…

While all this happened.

In a plain office inside Megabase 023 with no decorations and no window, with only a desk, a chair, and a wall with 8 mounted computers, a certain NetRunner with silver hair and azure eyes paid keen attention to the screens.

Standing behind her was an imposing woman in brown military attire, Major Roshfield.

Throughout Lucian's latest live video, she was prepared as she watched it inside this office behind Captain Ariande.

And finally, she got what she wanted…

BEEP!

The footage on all 8 screens suddenly changed after the beeping sound, showing a GPS map of Leviathan Quay with a red arrow pointing to a specific location on the map.

"Found it!" Captain Ariande finally flashed a smile.

The position the red arrow pointed to was far from the heart of the city, at the very edge in the North where there was an industrial dead zone devoid of skyscrapers and other megastructures.

Standing behind her, Major Roshfield's eyes gleamed. "Is it the same location?"

Captain Ariande nodded. "It aligns with the location provided by your informants".

"Good". Major Roshfield nodded coldly.

Captain Ariande was not a soldier who served here in Leviathan Quay.

As the terrorist situation in the city slowly got out of hand, Major Roshfield got the Colonel's permission to request for an E Rank NetRunner from the capital of the Geneforge Clans in Verdanthold.

Captain Ariande was a soldier from headquarters who was sent to help.

And finally, with her help, Major Roshfield got the confirmation that she needed that the target she intended to attack was the correct one.

She clenched her fists tightly.

But in that moment, Captain Ariande interrupted her thoughts. "Major, you have to see this".

She showed footages on the screens showing the city fall into chaos- neighbors killing neighbors, friends killing friends.

Major Roshfield's face instantly turned solemn.

She knew that they could not suppress this anymore. 'If we continue stalling, there may be no Leviathan Quay to save at the end'.

'I have to meet with the Colonel!'

…

10th July in Leviathan Quay felt like a city-wide battle royale.

By 2:00pm, the casualties reported by TV channels rose to over a thousand and they were not stopping.

It was clear that the army could no longer stay silent, they had to do something to stop the chaos!

While all this happened, inside the secret base of the terrorists, Lucian made another call to his ally in the army in front of his Holy Champions through an encrypted network.

Ring! Ring!

Click!

"Lucian, what is it?" A deep, distorted voice asked.

"Major, I think I'm in danger".

The voice at the other end snorted. "What makes you think so?"

"My intuition," Lucian chuckled. "My intuition never lies to me, and currently it tells me that I'm in danger. Is there anything I don't know?"

The voice at the other end kept quiet for a few seconds, then he said. "I've not heard anything yet. If there's anything, I'll tell you".

"What of the Artifacts that you promised?"

"You'll get them today, send your subordinate to the location".

"Ok," Lucian smiled. "It's nice doing business with you".

The voice at the other end snorted, then he ended the call.

Jake broke the silence after the call as he looked at Lucian. "Lord Lucian, can we really trust him?"

Lucian stayed calm. "Right now, our goals are still aligned so he won't betray us yet. Only when he no longer needs us will he abandon us".

"But before that," his eyes gleamed. "We have to achieve all our goals!"

…

Around 7:00pm, with the city turning into an untamed jungle, the 3 leaders of Leviathan Quay were forced to hold another meeting.

This time, it was because the situation already got out of hand.

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