The palace's council chamber loomed like a battlefield, its ancestral swords glinting under torchlight as Khalid Al Maktoum strode in, Sultan, the Bengal white tiger cub, prowling at his side. The cub's ivory fur shimmered, his blue eyes fierce with a predator's instinct, mirroring Khalid's own resolve. The World Impact Matrix (WIM) interface burned in his vision, its mission pulsing: *Eliminate Watcher influence in Dubai. Neutralize final traces. Reward: 25,000 points.* With Saeed's escape and armed rebellion threatening the palace, Khalid's 78,000 points, bolstered by skills like *Elite Combat Training*, *Counter-Surveillance Expertise*, and *Enhanced Loyalty Aura*, were his arsenal. The destruction of the Watcher's warehouse hub had crippled their network, but Saeed's final stand—backed by a hidden Watcher operative—threatened to expose the WIM unless Khalid ended it now.
Sultan's growl echoed through the chamber, silencing the murmurs of the king's council. King Hamdan sat at the head, his face a storm of fury and grief. Vikram, the Rajasthani prince, stood nearby, his white hawk, Chandra, perched on his arm, his allegiance to Khalid a fragile thread. The forged documents linking Saeed to the Watcher's tech, combined with the warehouse data, were Khalid's trump card. His *Watcher Signal Jammer*, active for another 12 hours, ensured no surveillance could track him, but Saeed's rebellion was a desperate gambit to seize power and expose Khalid's "unnatural" foresight.
The system flashed: *Final Watcher Trace: Saeed mobilizing with hidden operative. Confront to end influence. Reward: 25,000 points.* Khalid's *Enhanced Perception* caught the clatter of boots outside—Saeed's men, armed and closing in. Sultan's ears twitched, his claws flexing, ready to defend his master.
Hamid, breathless, burst through the chamber doors. "Your Highness, Saeed's at the main gate with a dozen loyalists—mercenaries, not palace guards. They're demanding the king's audience, claiming you staged the attacks to frame him."
Khalid's *Elite Combat Training* mapped the threat: a dozen men, likely armed with Watcher tech, were a match for his guards unless he acted decisively. The system chimed, offering a new opportunity:
**Impact Opportunity: Defeat Saeed in front of the council and expose the final Watcher operative. Reward: 12,000 points. Bonus: +8,000 points if you ensure no WIM exposure.**
Khalid gripped his concealed dagger, Sultan's warmth grounding him. "Father," he said, his *Negotiation Mastery* steady, "Saeed's rebellion threatens our dynasty. Let me face him. I have proof of his treason."
The king's eyes narrowed, but Vikram stepped forward. "I stand with Khalid, Your Majesty. Saeed's men trapped my entourage. His actions shame the UAE."
The council murmured, swayed by Vikram's words and Khalid's *Enhanced Loyalty Aura*. The system pinged: *Impact Progress: Council support rising. +3,000 points. Total: 81,000.* King Hamdan nodded. "Bring Saeed here, Khalid. End this."
Khalid bowed, Sultan's roar punctuating his exit. "Stay close, little king," he whispered, striding toward the main gate.
---
The palace courtyard was a warzone, Saeed's mercenaries—clad in black, wielding advanced rifles—clashing with Khalid's elite guards. Saeed stood atop a marble fountain, his thobe torn, his eyes wild with desperation. "Khalid!" he shouted, spotting his brother. "You've poisoned Father against me! Your tech schemes are a lie!"
Khalid's *Counter-Surveillance Expertise* detected a faint signal from Saeed's wrist—a Watcher device, likely a communicator. The hidden operative was among the mercenaries, feeding Saeed intel. Sultan growled, his claws scraping the stone, drawing the mercenaries' attention. Khalid's *Elite Combat Training* calculated angles: flank the group, isolate Saeed, expose the operative.
The system flashed: *Watcher Operative Suspected: Mercenary leader, left flank. Capture alive.* Khalid signaled his guards to hold position, then unleashed Sultan. The cub charged, his roar scattering the mercenaries. Khalid darted forward, disarming two men with precise strikes, his dagger flashing. Sultan pounced on the mercenary leader—a grizzled man with a cybernetic earpiece—pinning him to the ground.
"Saeed, it's over!" Khalid shouted, dragging the leader toward the fountain. "Your Watcher allies are finished. Their hub's ash, their signals jammed."
Saeed's face paled, but he drew a pistol, its design too sleek for 1985. "You're the anomaly, Khalid! Your foresight—it's not human! The Watcher warned me!"
The council, watching from the chamber windows, gasped. Khalid's heart raced—the WIM was at risk. He activated his *Enhanced Loyalty Aura*, calming the crowd, and used his *Negotiation Mastery*. "You're delusional, Saeed. Your greed blinded you. This—" he held up the mercenary leader's earpiece, "—proves you sold our secrets to foreigners."
The system chimed: *Impact Progress: Saeed's credibility crumbling. +5,000 points. Total: 86,000.* Khalid tossed the earpiece to a guard, ordering it locked in the vault with the warehouse data. The mercenary leader, under Sultan's claws, spat, "The Watcher will rebuild. You can't stop time."
Khalid's *Counter-Surveillance Expertise* confirmed the earpiece was dead, thanks to the *Watcher Signal Jammer*. He knelt, whispering to the leader, "Where's the Watcher's core? Talk, or Sultan gets hungry."
The leader's eyes darted to Saeed, then widened in fear. "No core in Dubai. It's… elsewhere. Beyond 2000. You're marked, prince."
The system flashed: *Watcher Intel Gained: Core beyond 2000. +5,000 points. Total: 91,000.* Khalid stood, signaling his guards to bind the leader. Saeed, cornered, fired wildly, but Khalid's *Elite Combat Training* let him dodge, tackling his brother into the fountain. Water splashed as Sultan roared, leaping to Khalid's side, his presence terrifying the remaining mercenaries into surrender.
The council rushed into the courtyard, King Hamdan at their head. "Saeed," the king thundered, "you've betrayed our blood. Exile is your fate."
Saeed, soaked and defeated, glared at Khalid. "You'll fall, brother. The Watcher sees all."
Khalid's *Enhanced Perception* caught a final signal—a faint pulse from Saeed's pistol. He smashed it, the *Watcher Signal Jammer* ensuring no data escaped. The system erupted: *Impact Opportunity Complete: Saeed defeated, operative captured. +12,000 points. Bonus: +8,000 points for no WIM exposure. Total: 111,000.*
---
In the council chamber, Khalid presented the forged documents and warehouse data, framing Saeed's rebellion as a foreign plot. The mercenary leader, interrogated in secret, revealed only fragments: the Watcher's tech came from a "future hub," but Dubai was now a blind spot, thanks to Khalid's actions. The system confirmed: *Mission Complete: Watcher influence in Dubai eliminated. +25,000 points. Total: 136,000.*
Khalid opened the system shop, his points a fortune:
**System Shop: New Items Available**
- *Time Anomaly Shield: 50,000 points. Protects against temporal surveillance for 48 hours.*
- *Global Influence Aura: 40,000 points. Enhances presence in international negotiations.*
- *Desert Star Ventures Blueprint: 30,000 points. Optimizes tech investments for billions.*
He spent 50,000 points on the *Time Anomaly Shield*, his total dropping to 86,000. A pulse of energy enveloped him, cloaking the WIM from any future surveillance. The system's glitches ceased, confirming the Watcher's local network was dead. Khalid's foresight—his Microsoft stake, his Dubai vision—was now attributed to genius, the WIM's secret buried forever.
Vikram approached, his hawk calm. "You've saved us, Khalid. Rajasthan's yours to command. The tech hub deal is on."
The system chimed: *Alliance Secured: Vikram loyal. +5,000 points. Total: 91,000.* Khalid nodded, his *Enhanced Loyalty Aura* sealing the bond. "We'll build an empire, Vikram. No shadows, no Watchers."
---
That evening, Khalid sat in his study, Sultan curled on a velvet cushion, his purr a quiet victory. A letter from Meryl Streep arrived, her words electric: *Your legend grows, Khalid. I'm landing in Dubai tomorrow to launch the film project. Let's make it unforgettable.* The system pinged: *Romantic Opportunity: Host Meryl's project launch. Reward: 5,000 points.*
Khalid wrote back: *Unforgettable's my promise, Meryl. Welcome to my world.* The system chimed: *Romantic Progress: +2,000 points. Total: 93,000.*
But as he sealed the letter, Hamid entered, his face grim. "Your Highness, a message was found in Saeed's quarters—a code, mentioning a 'future hub' and your name. It's not Watcher tech, but… it's not from our time."
The system flashed: *New Mission: Investigate future hub. Reward: 30,000 points.* Khalid's grip on Sultan tightened, the cub's eyes meeting his. The Watcher was gone from Dubai, but a larger threat loomed beyond 1985. As Sultan roared, Khalid vowed to protect his empire—no matter what time it came from.