Michael walked quietly to Mia's room, the faint hum of Aura stones resonating in his palm. He knocked once, then stepped in. Mia opened her eyes from meditation, her breathing calm, but her brow faintly furrowed—she had hit a wall in her progression.
"There's not enough natural Aura here," Michael said, placing three stones in front of her. "Use these. They should help you break through to the second circle."
Mia blinked in surprise, then gave a small bow of gratitude. "Thank you, Master."
Michael shook his head. "You're doing the hard part. Just remember—forceful breakthroughs without balance leave cracks in the foundation. Don't rush it."
She nodded seriously, already picking up one of the stones and channeling its energy. As she did, faint streams of shimmering light began to weave around her body, her aura reacting instantly.
Michael watched for a moment, pleased with the flow of energy, then turned and left the room, letting the door slide shut behind him.
"Earth's scarcity of Aura energy will become a real bottleneck soon," he muttered as he stepped onto the balcony again. The wind brushed against his face as he looked out across the estate.
He pulled up the system interface in his mind—holographic windows forming in front of him.
[AVAILABLE MISSIONS]
Acquire Leyline Node: "Abandoned Shrine - Japan" (Tier III Aura Concentration)
Aura Realm Seed (consumable-type Artifact): Hidden in Arctic Temple Ruins
[SHOP UPDATES]
Aura Field Generator: 120,000 Points
Chi Conversion Array (Earth-Compatible): 95,000 Points
Michael narrowed his eyes. "I'll need to secure better sources. These stones are a temporary fix."
Michael let out a quiet sigh.
"Even the system hasn't given me any world where there are Aura," he muttered, leaning back against the balcony railing. "Of all the worlds I've accessed—Supreme Magus, Vampire Diaries, Overgeared—none of them had Aura Stones or similar resources I could extract and bring back."
He tapped his fingers on the stone rail, frustrated. "So I'm stuck buying them from the system every time…"
He paused, then glanced at the system interface still hovering before him.
"System. Can I change the worlds into Aura-compatible ones?"
[Host can—however, it will require completion of a Great Mission.]
Michael frowned slightly. "Of course it would," he muttered. Still, it was something. He opened the mission tab and scanned the list. Some of them were nearly complete; others still needed time or action from his side. He could select or prioritize depending on what he needed.
That was one of the things he appreciated about the system—it didn't force a linear path. It all came down to him: his will, his choices, his pace.
His gaze then paused as he found good enough mission.
[ Uproot all of Kingpin's contacts ]
[ Completion: 56% ]
"Hmm… I guess killing Kingpin counted for 50%," Michael muttered as he tapped the floating display. "And those Black Lotus members must've added another 6%."
He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing in thought. "So the system's tracking not just the head, but every single connection… Makes sense. It's about dismantling the entire network, not just the king."
His silver eyes flickered again with quiet grin.
"Fine. I'll tear down every root he ever planted."
****
The skyline of New York shimmered under the evening sun as Michael descended atop Fisk Tower—once the fortress of the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk. Now, the penthouse office that had loomed over the city's criminal underbelly was under new ownership.
The rooftop door slid open without resistance—he'd already overridden every security measure remotely.
He stepped into the upper suite. The air was scented with subtle, expensive perfume and cold calculation. The marble floor echoed under his steps as he walked into the grand office where Wilson Fisk had once stood. Now, a new figure sat behind the reconditioned desk, draped in deep green and black.
Madame Hydra.
Her gaze rose the moment he entered—cold, calculating, yet touched with something else.
Respect.
She stood slowly and bowed her head, hands behind her back. "Michael," she said smoothly, voice devoid of challenge. "You honor my humble acquisition."
Michael didn't return the pleasantry. He walked forward, gaze piercing. "You took Fisk's throne. So you've inherited more than just his building."
She inclined her head. "I assumed control of what remained. The scraps after you burned through his empire. Most of his loyalists were either dead… or wise enough to run."
He paused just a few feet away, eyes glinting silver.
"I'm not here for theatrics," he said. "I want names. All of Fisk's remaining contacts. Suppliers. Brokers. Off-shore accounts. Anyone still using his channels."
Madame Hydra stepped aside from the desk, already tapping into a secure datapad. "Of course. I've had them organized for my own... consolidation. But if it's your will to take them, they're yours."
She offered the datapad with both hands, as one would to royalty. Michael took it without hesitation.
Her voice softened slightly, more curious than bold. "May I ask... is this a purge?"
Michael turned to leave, not answering at first.
Then, at the doorway, he spoke. "It's not a purge."
"It's extinction."
The doors hissed shut behind him, leaving Madame Hydra standing alone—head still bowed slightly, lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile.
In the lower districts of Manhattan, tucked between the remnants of old Fisk operations, a new gang had taken root—calling themselves the Crimson Talons. They weren't subtle. Flashy tattoos, black jackets with red claw marks, and heavily modified tech traced back to ex-Hydra suppliers. Their main trade? A new synthetic drug—Vyre Dust—a psycho-stimulant that gave users a brief rush of enhanced perception and physicality.
It was unstable, dangerous, and worse—it was addictive. Each hit burned through the mind, leaving users paranoid, erratic, or worse.
Michael stood atop Fisk Tower, gazing through the broken skyline in the direction of the Crimson Talons' stronghold—an old nightclub refitted as their base of operations. His eyes glowed faint silver, scanning through layers of reinforced glass and steel as if they were paper.
Behind him, Madame Hydra remained kneeling on one knee. "I've been trying to root them out, my lord," she said carefully. "But they're decentralized. Street-level pushers rarely know the top. And the top… it isn't entirely human anymore."
*******
Like it?
Read More at :- patreon.com/be_king