Restart: the ultimate system

A New Target

Kai shut the ledger and tucked it into his coat. The weight of it felt heavier than simple paper—it was the key to dismantling everything the Duke had built.

Edric let out a low whistle as he glanced over Kai's shoulder. "That list is enough to start a civil war."

Vale adjusted his tattered cloak, his eyes sharp. "More than that. This could break the Ouroboros Order's hold on the kingdom."

Kai didn't respond. His mind was already racing, calculating their next move. They couldn't afford to celebrate yet.

They still needed to escape.

A Silent Alarm

The moment Kai turned, he felt it—a presence.

Cold. Watching.

Then a whisper slithered through the chamber.

"Thieves."

The shadows twisted, warping unnaturally.

Vale cursed. "The vault is warded against intruders."

Edric unsheathed his blade, stepping back as the air around them darkened. "And here I thought this was going too smoothly."

Kai activated [Silent Step], his presence dimming. But even as he moved, the darkness followed him.

A figure emerged from the void. Not a man—something else.

Its form flickered, shifting between flesh and shadow. An Eidolon.

Kai's grip tightened around his dagger. "We need to move. Now."

The Fight Against the Eidolon

The creature lunged.

Kai dodged to the side, but the Eidolon was fast—too fast. Its clawed hand grazed his shoulder, and a wave of unnatural cold spread through his body.

Vale threw out a hand, murmuring an incantation. A barrier shimmered into existence.

The Eidolon recoiled, hissing.

Edric seized the opening, slashing his sword through the creature's midsection. Black mist erupted, but the wound didn't hold.

Kai activated [Phantom Blade]—his dagger glowed with ethereal energy as he lunged forward, slicing across the Eidolon's throat.

This time, the creature screeched—its form distorting as it collapsed into shadow.

The vault trembled. The alarm was fully triggered now.

Kai turned to the others. "We need to go. Fast."

A Desperate Escape

They sprinted out of the vault, moving through the darkened corridors of the estate.

Above them, the sound of boots pounding against marble signaled the arrival of the Duke's personal guards.

Edric glanced at Kai. "Plan?"

Kai gritted his teeth. They needed a distraction.

He reached into his pouch, pulling out a small enchanted stone.

A fireburst crystal.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it behind them.

The explosion tore through the corridor, engulfing the path in flames.

Screams erupted from the guards trapped behind the blaze.

Kai didn't stop running.

Through the hidden servant tunnels.

Out into the night air.

They had done it.

They had the ledger. They had proof.

Now, they were going to tear Duke Ravencourt's world apart.

The Duke's Wrath

A Kingdom on Edge

The night sky was still thick with smoke when Kai, Edric, and Vale reached their safehouse—a hidden chamber beneath an abandoned church in the lower district.

Kai dropped the stolen ledger onto the table, its weight echoing through the small room. The names inside were worth more than gold. They were weapons.

Edric exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "We did it."

Vale, ever cautious, peered toward the entrance. "No. We survived. That doesn't mean we've won."

Kai didn't argue. He turned his attention to the ledger, flipping through its pages. "We need to act fast. The Duke will already be searching for us."

And he was right.

Because at that very moment, Duke Alistair Ravencourt was preparing for war.

The Duke's Fury

In the highest tower of Ravencourt Manor, the Duke stood before his assembled knights, his expression unreadable.

Before him knelt a group of cloaked figures—not his usual guards, but the Duke's personal enforcers.

"The ledger has been stolen," the Duke said, his voice a blade against the silence. "You all know what this means."

One of the figures hesitated. "My lord… if the names in that book become public—"

A flick of the Duke's fingers.

The man's body collapsed in on itself—his bones twisting, his flesh withering in an instant. His lifeless corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud.

The other enforcers stiffened, their breath held.

The Duke stepped forward, his cold eyes scanning his remaining soldiers.

"I will not ask for excuses," he murmured. "I will only ask for results."

His gaze darkened.

"Find them. Kill them. And burn that ledger to ashes."

A Plan for Revolution

Back in the safehouse, Kai traced a finger over the list of names. "These aren't just nobles. There are military officers, guild masters, even members of the royal court."

Edric leaned closer. "So what's the move? We expose them all at once?"

Kai shook his head. "No. If we go public, the Order will just cover their tracks. They'll spin the truth before we have a chance to act."

Vale nodded. "Then we need to divide and conquer."

Kai smirked. "Exactly."

They would take down the Duke's allies one by one, turning his own supporters against him.

And when the Duke was alone, weakened, desperate—

Then they would strike.

The first target?

A high-ranking commander in the King's Guard.

If they could turn him, the Duke would lose a crucial line of defense.

Edric grinned, cracking his knuckles. "This is going to be fun."

Kai's eyes burned with determination.

The war had begun.

The First Betrayal

Target: Commander Aldric Voss

Kai, Edric, and Vale studied the ledger under the flickering candlelight of their safehouse.

One name stood out—Commander Aldric Voss, one of the most respected officers in the King's Guard. He was a hardened warrior, loyal to the kingdom, but his name being in the ledger meant one thing:

He was in league with the Ouroboros Order.

Vale tapped the page. "If we turn him, the Duke loses a valuable pawn. If he refuses… we eliminate him."

Edric smirked. "I like the second option."

Kai, however, saw a better play.

"No. We don't just turn him." He leaned forward. "We make him betray the Duke."

The Setup

Commander Voss was a man of pride and reputation. He had spent decades building his status—but what if that reputation was shattered?

Kai's plan was simple: expose Voss's involvement with the Order—but in a way that forced him to side with them.

"The Duke is ruthless," Kai murmured. "If he even suspects Voss might be compromised, he'll have him executed."

Edric grinned. "So we put Voss in a position where he has to choose—die for the Duke or betray him first."

Vale nodded. "A well-crafted lie can be more dangerous than a blade."

Kai smirked. Exactly.

The Trap is Set

They tracked Voss to a private club reserved for nobles and high-ranking officers. The place was crawling with guards, but Kai had no intention of fighting his way in.

Instead, he slipped into the club disguised as a server, his [Phantom Step] skill making his movements invisible to untrained eyes.

From across the room, he saw Voss sitting at a corner table, speaking with a nobleman—one of the Duke's supporters.

Perfect.

Kai moved silently, sliding a small enchanted letter into the nobleman's pocket.

The letter contained forged evidence—documents implicating Voss in a conspiracy to overthrow the Duke.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

A Man on the Edge

The next evening, the rumors had already begun to spread.

Voss stormed into his private residence, slamming the door behind him. His hands trembled as he scanned the documents—letters, bank transactions, coded messages—all linking him to treason.

He knew they were forged. But would the Duke believe that?

No. The Duke didn't believe in innocence.

Voss cursed, gripping his sword. He was being set up.

Then, a voice from the shadows:

"Quite the predicament, isn't it?"

Voss spun, drawing his weapon—only to see Kai standing in the corner, arms crossed.

Kai smirked. "If the Duke sees those documents, you're a dead man."

Voss's breath was heavy. "Who are you?"

Kai stepped closer, his voice calm. "The man offering you a way out."

Betrayal in Motion

Kai laid it out plainly.

"The Duke will sacrifice you to protect himself. But if you betray him first—if you give us everything you know about his operations—you might just survive."

Voss hesitated. His entire career had been built on loyalty. But he wasn't blind.

He had seen what the Duke did to those who failed him.

And now, he was the one failing.

Finally, his grip on his sword loosened.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Kai's smirk widened.

"Everything."

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