Restart: the ultimate system

A Man with No Way Out

Commander Aldric Voss sat in silence, his jaw tight. Everything he had built—his career, his loyalty to the kingdom—was now crumbling beneath him.

He had served Duke Ravencourt for years, believing the man to be an unshakable force of power. But now?

Now, he was nothing more than a pawn, a piece to be discarded the moment he was no longer useful.

Kai leaned forward. "You're already dead, Voss." His voice was calm, almost casual, but the weight behind his words was undeniable. "The moment the Duke gets wind of those letters, you won't have time to explain yourself."

Voss clenched his fists. "And you expect me to just hand over everything I know?"

Kai smiled. "I expect you to survive. And the only way you do that… is by switching sides."

Vale, watching from the shadows, added, "You don't have long. By now, the Duke's spies have likely caught wind of the rumors. They'll be watching you."

Voss's breathing was heavy. He was trapped.

Stay loyal and die. Or betray the Duke and live.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, slowly, Voss made his choice.

"I'll tell you what you want to know," he said. "But if I do this… the Duke will never stop hunting me."

Kai smirked. "Then we better make sure he falls first."

Secrets of the Ouroboros Order

Voss didn't hold back.

For the next hour, he laid bare the Duke's operations—his connections, his strongholds, his hidden forces.

"The Ouroboros Order isn't just a secret society," Voss murmured. "It's a network. Every noble, every military leader they control is just another piece in their grand design."

He pulled out a sealed document from his personal desk. "This… this is what you're really after."

Kai took the document, breaking the wax seal. Inside were coded messages, orders issued directly by the Duke.

One line stood out immediately:

"The Black Sun moves at dawn. The king will fall, and the Order will rise."

Kai's eyes narrowed.

The Duke wasn't just consolidating power—he was preparing for a coup.

The Duke Strikes Back

But before Kai could react, a sudden crash shattered the moment.

The window behind them exploded inward—a black-cloaked assassin lunging through the shards of glass.

Kai barely dodged as a dagger slashed past his throat.

Edric, waiting outside, reacted first. He drew his blade, cutting down another figure who had slipped through the doorway.

More shadows moved in the alleyway outside.

Vale cursed. "The Duke sent his hunters."

Voss paled. "The Black Hounds."

The Duke's personal assassins—merciless, relentless, and trained to eliminate traitors.

They were here to erase Voss.

A Battle in the Streets

Kai activated [Phantom Step], vanishing into the dim candlelight as a dagger swiped toward him. He reappeared behind one of the assassins, driving his blade into their back.

Edric fought fiercely, his sword clashing against the twin daggers of another attacker. He kicked the assassin backward, sending them tumbling through a stack of wooden crates.

Voss, still a warrior at heart, grabbed his own weapon and joined the fight. "You'll have to kill me yourself if you want me dead!"

Vale whispered a chant, summoning a wave of force that sent two more assassins crashing into the walls.

But for every one they cut down, more came.

"We need to move!" Kai shouted.

Edric cut down another opponent and kicked open the side door. "This way!"

Voss hesitated—but then followed.

They fled into the darkened streets, their pursuers close behind.

The city of Eldoria was no longer safe.

The war against the Duke had begun.

The War Begins

Hunted Through the Streets

The city of Eldoria was alive with torches and shouting as Kai, Edric, Vale, and Voss sprinted through the back alleys. The Black Hounds weren't just assassins—they were relentless.

Every street they turned into, more figures emerged from the shadows.

Kai gritted his teeth. There was no outrunning them.

"We need an escape route!" Vale called out, his cloak whipping in the wind as he narrowly dodged an arrow that embedded itself into a wooden post beside him.

Edric scanned the rooftops, then smirked. "Up."

He grabbed a crate and vaulted onto a low rooftop, motioning for the others to follow. Kai didn't hesitate, activating [Phantom Step] to move like a ghost through the darkness.

Voss struggled but managed to pull himself up. Vale was the last, using a burst of magic to lift himself before an assassin's blade could pierce his back.

From their vantage point, they could see the full scale of the Duke's response.

Dozens of guards and assassins flooded the streets below. The Duke wasn't just sending hunters—he was locking down the entire district.

A Desperate Gamble

Kai turned to Vale. "Do you have enough energy to cast an illusion?"

Vale shook his head, wiping sweat from his brow. "Not strong enough to fool an army."

Kai's mind raced. If they couldn't disappear, they needed a distraction.

Then he saw it—a massive shipment of alchemical supplies being transported in wagons below.

He smirked. That'll do.

"Edric," he said, "get ready to jump."

Edric blinked. "What?"

Kai didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed a handful of fireburst crystals from his pouch and tossed them toward the wagons.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the streets, sending debris and fire into the air.

The Black Hounds staggered as flames consumed their surroundings. Smoke billowed upward, obscuring everything.

"Now!" Kai leaped off the rooftop into the chaos below.

Edric cursed but followed, landing in a roll before cutting down a stunned guard. Vale and Voss landed behind them, already sprinting toward an open sewer grate.

Kai wrenched it open. "Inside! Now!"

One by one, they vanished into the darkness beneath the city—just as more of the Duke's forces arrived.

The Underground Resistance

The tunnels beneath Eldoria were ancient, twisting ruins that had existed long before the kingdom was built.

Few dared to venture into them. But Kai knew someone who did.

After several turns and hidden passages, they arrived at a hidden chamber—an old smuggler's den, lit by flickering lanterns.

Figures emerged from the shadows, weapons drawn. But when their leader stepped forward, she smirked.

"Well, well. Didn't expect to see you again, Kai."

She was tall, with short raven-black hair and a scar across one eye. Lyra Vex. Leader of the city's underground resistance.

Kai exhaled, sheathing his dagger. "We need your help."

Lyra's eyes flicked to Voss, who still wore his commander's uniform.

She raised an eyebrow. "This should be interesting."

The Duke's Next Move

Meanwhile, back at Ravencourt Manor, Duke Alistair stood in his war chamber, listening as his assassins reported their failure.

The Duke's expression was cold.

"You mean to tell me… you let them escape?"

The lead assassin swallowed hard. "The explosion created too much chaos, my lord. We—"

CRACK.

The Duke's gloved hand shot out, gripping the assassin's skull. Dark energy surged—and in an instant, the man's body withered into ash.

The other assassins flinched but did not move.

The Duke slowly turned toward his remaining enforcers.

"Find them," he said, his voice a whisper of death.

His eyes burned with cold fury.

"And this time… do not fail."

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