HEIR FROM THE ABYSS

Corrupted Arts

The loudest secrets are always kept by men who believe their employers will buy them a second chance at life.

Leo Walker stood entirely still against the broken masonry, his left arm completely numb from the crimson residue sizzling in the brickwork. The approaching roar of armored mercenary vehicles echoed through the iron gates of Sector 4, but his eyes remained locked onto the distant crane structure towering over the docks.

The numbing sensation from the specialized anti-magic compound was heavy, but it was not absolute. Leo closed his right hand into a tight fist, forcing the remaining current of his heritage through the right side of his body. The family ring did not vibrate, but a spark of raw kinetic force answered his command, surging into his legs.

In a single, explosive burst of physical speed, Leo launched himself toward the base of the crane, completely ignoring the armored trucks closing in on the alleyway behind him. He ascended the metal scaffolding of the tower in absolute silence, moving like a ghost through the pouring rain until he reached the high observation platform.

The mercenary sniper was already dismantling his long rifle, his hands moving with professional precision. He did not hear Leo step onto the metal grating behind him.

"The extraction compound successfully hit the primary node," the sniper muttered into his collar microphone, his back turned to the ledge. "Send the containment team to secure the body. The target is neutralized."

"You should always check the pulse before you file the report," Leo said softly.

The sniper spun around instantly, his eyes widening in absolute horror beneath his tactical visor. He reached for a secondary sidearm at his chest, but Leo moved faster. Leo grabbed the barrel of the specialized sniper rifle resting on the table and pulled the assassin forward by his tactical vest.

"How are you still moving?" the sniper gasped, his voice cracking as he struggled against Leo’s grip. "That round carried a high concentration bloodline suppressor! Your entire energy network should be completely paralyzed!"

"My network is much older than your employer's technology," Leo replied, his voice flat.

Leo raised his right hand, focusing every ounce of his remaining kinetic force directly into his palm. The air around his fingers warped with an invisible pressure. He slammed his open hand down onto the center of the heavy metal rifle chassis.

The thick steel and reinforced carbon fiber of the assassin's weapon groaned violently under the sudden application of gravity force. With a loud, metallic screech, the rifle bent completely out of shape, its internal mechanisms snapping and its blue power cells shattering into a cloud of useless sparks. Leo tossed the crushed heap of metal over the edge of the platform, watching it plunge into the dark water of the docks below.

"The rifle cost more than your life," the sniper whispered, his knees trembling as Leo stepped closer. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am the man who bought the land beneath your feet," Leo stated, his expression entirely detached. "And right now, you are going to tell me exactly what the Crimson Lotus Council is trying to hide inside my district."

"I am a licensed corporate contractor," the sniper said, trying to regain his composure as he backed away toward the safety railing. "I have absolute legal immunity under the capital city financial charter. If you touch me, the council will file an international execution mandate against your entire lineage."

Leo grabbed the sniper by his throat, lifting him completely off the metal floorboards with a single arm. He held the man out over the long drop into the ocean. "Your charter does not apply in the slums, contractor. And your lineage will be the one facing an audit if I don't get an answer in five seconds."

"Wait!" the sniper choked out, his gloved hands clawing desperately at Leo’s iron grip as his feet dangled in the empty air. "Do not drop me! I will talk!"

Leo pulled him back onto the solid platform but did not release his vest. "Speak clearly. Why did the council seal the borders of Sector 4 tonight?"

"It wasn't just to hunt your local scouts," the sniper panted, coughing violently as he clutched his throat. "They are protecting the regional development project. The high elders are running a massive operation on the very edge of the industrial sector."

"What kind of operation?" Leo demanded, his eyes narrowing as the silver circuit pattern inside his pupils began to return, slowly fighting off the effects of the red suppression fluid.

"They are practicing forced bloodline awakenings," the sniper confessed, his words coming out in a terrified rush. "They have been rounding up the residents of the slums for weeks. They are using an abandoned manufacturing factory near the old rail yards to inject them with unrefined energy extracted from the earth's crust. They are trying to create artificial soldiers to fight your family's faction."

Leo's face remained terrifyingly calm, but the air around the platform grew noticeably colder. "An abandoned factory on the edge of Sector 4. Who is supervising the research?"

"I don't know the specific names!" the sniper wept, his eyes darting around the dark sky. "They only give us coordinate markers! The main facility is heavily shielded against external energetic scans! Please, that is everything I know! Just let me take my transport and leave the city!"

"You chose the wrong employer for a long retirement," Leo said.

Before Leo could ask another question, the sniper's chest suddenly stiffened. The man's eyes rolled back into his head, exposing the whites as his jaw locked into a rigid, unnatural position.

"What is happening?" Leo asked, dropping the man onto the metal grating.

A sickening, low hum vibrated from beneath the sniper's tactical armor. Deep within the skin of the assassin's neck, a complex geometric pattern began to glow with a violent, unnatural shade of crimson light. It was a hidden blood-curse seal, woven directly into his biological data stream to prevent any external leaks to the Sovereign Group.

"The council," the sniper managed to squeeze out through his clenched teeth, his body convulsing wildly as he stared at Leo with absolute terror. "They always... watch the transmission."

A sudden, intense heat blasted across Leo’s face.

The sniper's body erupted into a torrent of dark red flames. The fire did not smoke, and it did not smell like burning flesh; it was a pure, corrupted mystical energy that consumed everything it touched in a matter of micro-seconds. The metal floorboards beneath the assassin began to liquefy under the sheer intensity of the heat.

Leo jumped backward, using a quick pulse of his kinetic shield to deflect the wall of hot crimson fire.

Within three seconds, the sniper was completely gone. There was no ash, no bone, and no clothing left on the platform. The only remnant of the assassin's existence was a clean, glowing circle burned into the iron railing, marking the absolute finality of the council's security protocol.

Leo stood alone on the high crane platform as the rain washed away the glowing red residue. He looked toward the northern edge of the slums, where the dark silhouette of the old rail yards cut into the midnight sky.

"Vance," Leo said, tapping his family ring to reactivate the communication link now that the suppression effect had completely worn off. "Cancel the scout evacuation. Tell our forward teams to redirect all surveillance toward the old manufacturing factory on the border."

"Young Master?" Vance's voice crackled through the earpiece, full of immediate concern. "What happened to the sniper unit?"

"The Crimson Lotus Council just paid their final invoice," Leo replied, stepping off the platform ledge into the dark air below. "And now, I am going to inspect their factory