Building The Strongest Family

Flashback - A Few Months Ago...

The crystal chandelier cast a warm, inviting glow over Arthur's study, nestled deep within the Osborn estate.

It was late, well past midnight and the city of Neo-Luminara pulsed in the distance like a slumbering beast illuminated by stars.

The estate itself was cloaked in near silence, save for the faint rustling of pages and the rhythmic ticking of a bronze clock above the fireplace.

Arthur sat behind a massive obsidian desk, his elbow resting on the leather inlay as his sharp gaze fixed intently on a series of dossiers laid out before him.

Crime families, smuggling operations, hidden auctions, illegal labs, he had been tracing these threads for months, meticulously weaving together the entire underground world of Aegis District into his grasp.

Just as he snapped shut the final dossier beneath his gloved hand...

---

[Congratulations to Host for Completing Mission 2]

[Control the Underground World of Aegis District]

[Status: Complete]

Suddenly, blue notification panels erupted in front of Arthur, catching him off guard.

"Finally! It's about time," he breathed out with a relieved smile. "Just one more mission to go."

He quickly refocused and examined the system rewards.

---

[System Rewards Are Being Issued]

[ Reward 1: +10% Emotional Reduction (Total Reduction: 15%) ].

[ Reward 2: Shadow Lord's Regalia Set (Classified Equipment) ].

[ Reward 3: Authority Token: Phantom Hall (Exclusive Underground Command Center Unlocked) ]

[ Reward 4: Underground Network Optimization Protocol (All underworld operations efficiency +70%) ].

Arthur's eyes lingered on the first reward. His expression turned blank as he let out a bitter chuckle tinged with pain.

He felt... nothing not excitement or pride or even relief,just a dull ache where anticipation should have thrived; then that too faded into numbness.

Fifteen percent emotional reduction. That was how much of his emotional spectrum had been carved away by this system, a piece of his humanity sliced off like gristle from meat.

It was the price for power and control; it kept everything moving forward. Initially, it had helped him silence doubts and drown guilt but now? He could hardly feel anything unless magnified through sheer willpower.

He leaned back slowly, closing his eyes as a wave of contemplation washed over him. "I think this is the price for power... at least, I assume," he muttered softly. "What do people call this? Ah, yes...selling your soul to the devil. But even that doesn't strip away your emotions."

Arthur remained slumped in his chair, a melancholy expression settling on his face. After a moment's thought, he opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"Hey, system," he said, "I don't want this kind of reward anymore. I refuse to become an emotionless human being."

[Negative Host: The rewards issued by the system are random and not selective. Rewards are given based on the Host's current mission and situation.]

"So you mean my current situation calls for stripping away my emotions?" Arthur asked softly.

This time, the system fell silent.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Arthur murmured, "I'll take things step by step for now."

"Evolon," he called out as he reclined back in his chair once more.

Evolon flickered to life on the wall-mounted projector, casting a cool blue glow across the room.

"Congratulations, Sir! You now hold full dominion over the Aegis District's underworld."

"I just received a package, a badass suit! It's already in your core data; pull it up," he said flatly.

A rotating 3D display shimmered into view:

[Shadow Lord's Regalia Set]

[ Item 1: Sovereign's Trenchcoat (Classified) ]

[ Material: Reactive Nanoweave Thread + Obsidian-Scale Layering ].

[ Effects: Invisibility in low-light zones; Resistance to kinetic damage; Auto-regenerative cloak fibers; Temperature insulation; Enhanced intimidation aura ]

[ Item 2: Crownsteel Combat Suit (Tier-S) ]

[ Material: Adaptive Alloy Mesh with thermal sync lines ]

[ Attributes: Bulletproof; Blade-resistant; Augmented Speed (+15%); Strength Amplifier (+20%); Tactile Feedback Interface for close combat.]

[ Item 3: Whisper Mask ]

[ Feature: Real-time voice distortion; identity suppression field; biometric masking. ]

[ Passive Aura: Dominance of the Forgotten All underworld factions will instinctively defer or fear the presence of wearer ].

[ Shadowbrand: All kills performed while wearing this set increase fear index of the wearer's identity across Aegis or any underground territory by +2 levels ].

---

Arthur studied the trench coat, a sleek blacker-than-black fabric with ruthless angles and reinforced lining, as if it had been forged in silence itself. "Damn! What a cool suit!"

He smirked at its various attributes. "System, I have to hand it to you, this type of reward is really badass! I like it ".

With a mere thought, he summoned the Shadow Lord's Regalia, and before him materialized a mannequin-like figure adorned in the formidable suit.

Arthur stood up, stepping closer to admire the sleek design of the regalia.

As his fingers glided over the fabric, it felt like liquid silk, smooth and flawless, with an inky blackness that seemed to absorb all light around it.

"Tsk! This is incredible! I haven't felt this excited in a while," he said, his voice tinged with awe as he gazed lovingly at the Shadow Lord's Regalia.

Turning away from the stunning sight, he commanded, "Evolon, open Phantom Hall."

"Affirmative, Sir," came Evolon's prompt response as another panel materialized.

---

[PHANTOM HALL]

[ Status: Active ]

[ Location: Deep Underground Sector 9 (Encrypted) ]

[ Features: Quantum Surveillance Nodes

Command Grid with Multi-Channel Ops

Underground Network Relay Access

Holding Cells (Invisible Security Grade) ]

---

This was more than just a reward; it was an entire infrastructure.

A command center concealed from even federal satellites now lay under his exclusive control.

Within these hidden walls, Arthur could orchestrate mercenary legions, navigate black-market trades, eliminate threats with precision, and expand his influence as fast as possible.

He paused for a moment to breathe deeply and soak it all in.

"Phantom Hall is impressive! With this, my underground force finally have a headquarters. Not bad at all!" Arthur rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded in satisfaction.

After closing the panels with a flick of his wrist, he returned to his seat and swiveled around to gaze out at the skyline of Neo-Luminara.

His hand rested beneath his chin as he contemplated the city sprawling before him.

"Do you think I'm becoming too cold-blooded?" Arthur mused aloud.

Evolon's blue visage glowed softly as if ready to respond but Arthur quickly interrupted him. "You know what? Just don't answer."

For a fleeting moment, concern flickered across Evolon's face, a human-like expression that vanished almost instantly as if emotions were foreign to its existence.