Chapter 378: The Hunt

In the command room of Osborn Private Military Island, an electric energy filled the atmosphere. Low voices mingled with the sound of boots clattering against the cold, steel floor, while the steady hum of machinery reverberated through the expansive complex.

Arthur occupied the head seat at the circular command table, a calm presence amid the surrounding storm of activity.

His hands rested thoughtfully on the glossy surface of the table, where holographic displays floated above it—maps, coordinates, and ominous red markers pulsated like a heartbeat across different continents.

The air was thick with tension, yet a strong sense of determination bound the gathered officers together.

Seated around the table were a dozen battle-hardened leaders from Osborn’s top divisions, their uniforms absent of any national emblems, bearing only the fierce crest of a beast with two swords—a symbol of allegiance to Arthur alone. Each officer commanded thousands of troops and stood ready to follow his orders without hesitation.

Among them was Gunner, the uncompromising leader of Aegis-7, his face set like granite and his combat vest half-open, revealing a scar that traced his jawline.

The other officers were distinguished leaders of various units within the Osborn Private Army. There was Colonel Rae Ivers, in charge of the Red Wolf Unit, known for their rapid assaults and urban demolition expertise; Major Kellan Drake, the head of Phantom-12, specialists in stealth operations and covert recovery; General Marcus Vehl, who led Iron Vanguard, experts in heavy mechanized assaults; Captain Seraph Varle, who commanded Black Halo, proficient in aerial reconnaissance and drone warfare; Commander Niko Saranov, head of the Specter Division, adept in digital sabotage and intelligence gathering; and Lieutenant Yara Quinn, the tactical coordinator for Sable Talon, specialists in reconnaissance and extraction missions.

They were all focused, their eyes fixed on the holographic displays when Evolon’s ethereal form flickered into being at the center of the room.

“Patriarch,” Evolon began, its voice smooth and commanding, “we’re launching Operation codename: The Hunt. Our mission is to eliminate all known VULTURE installations across Panterra. Our top priority? Genetic research centers, data vaults, and containment facilities. We have an estimated engagement window of seventy-two hours.”

The holographic maps spun above the table, breaking down into defined sectors, Verdania, Aurelia, Noctis, Zephyria, Lunara, and Aquarion,each highlighted in crimson, with white markers scattered like stars in a perilous sky.

“Current intelligence reveals two hundred and twelve sites worldwide,” Evolon continued, its tone calculated and precise. “Fifty-three of these have been confirmed as active. The remaining locations serve as logistics support, financial channels, or safe houses. Your teams will operate in unison, without communication with outside networks, and no leaks will be tolerated. Is that understood?”

A soft chime echoed as Evolon proceeded to designate specific sectors with urgency and clarity.

“Aegis-7 and Red Wolf: your objective is Verdania.”

“Phantom-12: focus on Aurelia.”

“Iron Vanguard: target the industrial sectors of Zephyria.”

“Black Halo: manage airspace suppression in Noctis.”

“Specter Division: oversee global surveillance.”

“Sable Talon: provide support and extraction.”

Arthur leaned in, hands firmly on the table. “No survivors in leadership roles,” he declared, his voice steady yet unwavering.

“Gather everything else. Data cores, samples, and even corrupted drives. Every piece of information they’ve created belongs to me.”

“Yes, Patriarch,” the commanders replied in unison, a chilling but devoted chorus.

Evolon initiated a dynamic sequence of tactical visuals, showcasing schematics of labs, heat maps of security patrols, and strategies to bypass digital defenses.

“All operations will begin in a staggered sequence. Once we initiate infiltration, the world must remain oblivious to the existence of this mission.”

Turning to Arthur, it continued, “I’ll take control of all global surveillance systems. Civilian satellites, military feeds, communication towers, everything will go dark for six hours under a fabricated solar interference.”

Arthur nodded in agreement. “We need it to appear natural. The world should believe the sun simply blinked.”

Evolon lit up with a flickering confirmation. “Got it. I’ll also deploy layered ghost signals to disrupt civilian data traffic, hiding our aerial maneuvers.”

Arthur scanned the assembled commanders, his voice low yet cutting through the tension in the room. “This isn’t a war; it’s a purge. While life goes on above, we will eliminate the disease festering below.”

In the Osborn Military District, deep within Varenya’s coastal region, massive hangar doors slowly opened to the morning light. Armored carriers rolled across the runways, engines roaring like beasts poised for action. Fighter jets stood in tight formation, their sleek fuselages shining like silver in the warm glow of sunrise.

Huge helicarriers, resembling flying fortresses, hummed ominously as their turbines came to life. Inside the command towers, alarms rang out, not in panic but as a powerful anthem of purpose.

“Unit Aegis-7; deployment confirmed.”

“Red Wolf on standby.”

“Specter Division; signal cloaking activated.”

“Black Halo; drone carrier ready to launch.”

The world’s most advanced private military was ready for action. Thousands of soldiers clad in tactical exosuits moved with incredible precision.

Armored vehicles stood poised, their engines humming softly, while drones folded their wings in preparation for flight.

Cybernetic hounds growled, their lenses glowing a faint red, eager to spring into action.

From the ramp of one of the helicarriers, Gunner’s voice resonated over the comms, filled with purpose: “All teams, get ready for global engagement. Operation ’Hunt’ is underway. For the Osborn Family!”

A chorus of voices roared back through every channel, united and determined. “For the Family!”

Then, without warning, the sky ignited. Waves of aircraft soared into the air, bursting through the clouds, their engines lighting up the horizon with flames. High above, Evolon enveloped global networks like a digital god, swiftly infiltrating communication satellites, silencing feeds, rerouting transmissions, and rewriting data logs in an instant.

“Civilians have no observation capability; it’s zero percent,” Evolon reported into Arthur’s earpiece. “The world is blind.”

Back in the war room, Arthur watched as global maps faded one by one, successfully slipping into an eerie stillness. The weight of silence that blanketed nations was almost tangible. “Proceed,” he commanded, his confidence chilling.

Evolon’s voice came through the encrypted comms like a distant storm: “Initiate.”

“The Hunt Begins.”

“Verdania; Aegis-7’s Assault.”

The desert night erupted into flames as Gunner’s team burst from stealth carriers, crashing through the roof of a hidden VULTURE facility. Suppressed rifles fired quietly while security drones fell from the sky, victims of electromagnetic bursts sweeping through the corridors. Inside, they stumbled upon eerie rooms filled with empty containment pods and grotesque glass tanks housing failed bioengineering experiments.

“Burn it all,” Gunner’s voice was icy and devoid of any compassion. “Leave no trace.”

With a crack of explosives, the sky glowed a furious red.

“Aurelia: Phantom-12 Infiltration.”

Major Drake maneuvered across rain-slick rooftops with his unit, their silenced blades gliding through guards like shadows in the darkness. They infiltrated the upper levels of a biotech tower disguised as a pharmaceutical startup. In the basement, dozens of servers pulsed with a glowing blue light, humming with data.

“Evolon, connection established,” Drake whispered, urgency threading through his voice.

“Copy that,” Evolon responded, its voice smooth yet carrying an urgent undertone. “Data extraction is underway.”

As encrypted streams of information flowed deep into the heart of the Dominion Sanctum, a palpable tension settled in the air.

—

“Noctis: Black Halo Air Support”

High above, Captain Seraph Vale oversaw her drones as they patrolled the darkened skies. They moved like silent guardians, vigilantly searching for any escape transports that might be trying to flee.

“Unidentified heat signature detected at coordinates 34.2 North, 12.9 East,” one of her drones reported.

“Confirm the target,” she commanded, her voice steady and clear amidst the night’s static.

In a heartbeat, a drone powered by jet engines swooped down, releasing two precision missiles that plunged into the mountain base below. The night was suddenly illuminated by a burst of flames that flared brightly for a moment before the darkness reclaimed its domain.

—

“Zephyria: Iron Vanguard Strike”

Meanwhile, massive tanks rumbled across the icy tundra, their cannons lighting up the snowy horizon. “No one left behind. Keep pushing forward,” General Vehl’s commanding voice resonated through the raging storm.

The VULTURE’s final line of defense began to crumble under a barrage of plasma fire.

Inside, the lifeless forms of human test subjects lay frozen and abandoned, pale like obsolete data chips left in a digital wasteland.

——-

Hours passed quickly, like grains of sand slipping through fingers, until Evolon’s feeds flickered back to life—each confirmation a pulse of success: Site Neutralized.

Dozens of laboratories blazed, their secrets turned to ash. Servers succumbed to flames conjured by vengeance. Names once important faded into the abyss of forgotten history.

Arthur stood firm before the central map, his eyes tracking the flickering red markers vanishing from maps across the globe.

“Status report,” he inquired quietly, urgency simmering beneath his calm exterior.

Evolon filled the chamber with its measured, yet critical voice. “All VULTURE sites are neutralized. Data transfer is still ongoing. We’ve secured approximately 78% of total archives. No civilian presence detected, but…”

Arthur’s attention sharpened. “But what?”

“The name Dr. Riven Kastel appears repeatedly in all the recovered data,” Evolon explained. “His digital footprint is woven throughout every operation, yet he remains elusive, as if he’s crafted himself to exist solely in the aftermath of destruction.”

Arthur’s jaw clenched, determination hardening within him. “So, the ghost is still out there.”

“Yes,” Evolon confirmed. “And the pursuit has only begun.”

As Arthur exhaled slowly, the holographic lights shimmered in his gaze. Outside the Sanctum, the night appeared deceptively calm, unaware that empires built on death had just collapsed into smoke.

“Keep all units ready,” he commanded, his voice infused with unwavering resolve. “Kastel will show himself eventually. And when he does…”

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to linger in the air, his tone as sharp as a blade being unsheathed.

“…he will come to know what it truly means to be hunted.”

A silence enveloped the room. The lights in Evolon dimmed, casting flickering shadows on the walls.

The map faded to black, leaving behind a tangible tension that pulsed within the stillness.

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