Ethan observed the battle from the shadows, his expression calm, almost entertained. The clash between vampire and werewolf had reduced the old hall to ruins. Pillars lay cracked across the stone floor. Dust hung in the air like a thin gray mist. Blood stained the walls in dark streaks.
He had already made his decision about this world.
If Earth was to be brought under control, it could not remain divided between hidden predators fighting pointless territorial wars. The vampires and the werewolves would either kneel or be erased. There was no third option. His plans required unity, and unity required dominance.
The berserk werewolf roared and drove the vampire backward with brutal force. Its claws tore through stone as if it were paper. Its massive body was covered in coarse black fur, muscles bulging with violent power. Each strike carried enough strength to shatter concrete.
The vampire was fast, but he was losing ground.
"You will have to die, little dog," Ethan thought coldly as he watched the creature gain the advantage.
The werewolf lunged forward, jaws wide, ready to rip out the vampire’s throat.
"Your death sentence was written the mont you dared to kill mbers of my gang."
Ethan stepped forward.
The single step echoed through the hall like a thunderclap.
A horrifying aura burst from his body and descended upon the battlefield like an invisible mountain. The air itself grew heavy. The pressure crushed downward with overwhelming force.
The vampire froze mid-motion. The werewolf halted mid-lunge.
Both turned their heads toward Ethan, their instincts screaming danger.
The vampire’s face turned pale. His legs trembled before giving out entirely. He collapsed to his knees, gasping.
"Who is he?" he forced out between breaths. "I cannot breathe. How is this possible?"
The werewolf fared far worse.
An unseen force seized the massive creature and lifted it from the ground. Its claws scraped uselessly against empty air. It thrashed and roared, trying to break free, but the invisible grip remained absolute. No amount of physical strength could challenge it.
Ethan raised his hand slowly.
He made a simple clenching motion.
The werewolf’s body compressed inward as if crushed by a giant fist. Bones shattered in rapid succession. Organs ruptured under unbearable pressure. Fur, flesh, and blood collapsed into a grotesque mass. The sound of breaking bone echoed sickeningly across the hall.
A second later, the creature imploded completely.
What remained splattered across the floor in pieces too mangled to identify.
Silence filled the hall.
The vampire stared at the remains, his eyes stretched wide with horror. He had fought that werewolf for nearly an hour and had nearly died several tis. Yet the being who had just intervened had destroyed it with nothing more than a gesture.
He understood sothing important in that mont.
He was no longer the predator.
Ethan walked forward with asured steps and appeared directly in front of the kneeling vampire. The distance between them vanished as if space itself had obeyed him.
"I want you to beco my slave," Ethan said calmly. "What is your answer? If you agree, blink once. If you refuse, blink twice."
The vampire did not hesitate.
He knew that resistance ant imdiate death.
He blinked once.
"A wise decision," Ethan replied.
The crushing pressure lifted instantly. The vampire inhaled sharply, pulling air into lungs that had nearly collapsed. His body trembled, not from weakness but from fear.
Ethan knelt and drew a complex runic circle onto the stone floor with his finger. The lines glowed faintly as they ford. The symbols seed to absorb the surrounding light, creating an unsettling darkness at their center.
Without access to conventional energy manipulation in this world, he would invoke the laws directly.
"Place one drop of your essence blood here," Ethan instructed, pointing to the center of the circle.
The vampire did not dare question him.
From his heart, he summoned a single drop of concentrated blood essence. It hovered briefly in the air before falling onto the runes.
The mont it made contact, the circle ignited in crimson light.
The vampire felt a connection form instantly. It was deep and irreversible. His will bent naturally toward the man standing before him. There was no resistance, no struggle. The bond was absolute.
"Good," Ethan said, rising to his feet. "Now gather all your assets and bring them to the slum district. Find the Black Bull Gang and deliver everything to them. After that, you may operate independently under my authority."
The vampire bowed deeply.
"Yes, my lord."
He turned and vanished into the night without looking back.
Ethan stepped outside the ruined building. Jas was waiting near the alley entrance, pacing nervously.
"What was that thing?" Jas asked imdiately. "Did you find out what it was?"
Ethan glanced at him briefly.
"I will let you et soone tomorrow. Let us go."
Jas had dozens of questions, but he had already learned that Ethan would not answer anything before he chose to. He swallowed his curiosity and followed him back.
The next night, the Black Bull Gang headquarters felt unusually tense.
A handso young man stood at the entrance. He carried himself with effortless dignity. His posture was straight, and his gaze was calm but sharp. His presence alone made the low level thugs uncomfortable.
They did not know how to behave around him.
Inside a private room, Ethan, Jas, and the young man sat facing one another.
"Jas, this is Edward," Ethan said. "He will be the ATM booth of the gang for now."
Edward’s lips twitched slightly at the phrasing, but he nodded politely.
Jas studied him carefully. Sothing about Edward felt different.
"And Edward," Ethan continued, "this is Jas. He will be the long term financial backbone of the gang."
Jas’ expression shifted with faint pride.
Edward offered a polite smile.
"And yes," Ethan added casually, "you can transform. Let him see."
Edward nodded. He stood up slowly.
Jas watched with focused curiosity.
Within seconds, Edward’s eyes turned crimson. Two sharp fangs extended from his upper jaw. From his back, two crimson bat wings unfolded, stretching outward with a faint rustling sound.
Jas jumped to his feet instantly.
His face showed a mixture of fear and astonishnt.
"Are you a vampire from the legends?" he asked directly.
Edward inclined his head.
"Yes."
Jas looked at Ethan, who remained completely calm.
"Enough," Ethan said. "Let us move to business."
"How can you be this calm?" Jas demanded. "He is a vampire."
"Because I am not a child like you," Ethan replied evenly.
Jas scoffed. "You are two or three years old probably. That still makes you a child."
Ethan coughed lightly and ignored the comnt.
"Edward, how much capital do you control?"
"My lord, I possess approximately five hundred million Federation Coins," Edward answered without hesitation.
Jas nearly choked.
"Good," Ethan said. He handed Edward a detailed list. "Use your subordinates to acquire every ingredient on this list in bulk quantities. Operate independently, but report to regularly."
Edward accepted the list and bowed.
"As you command."
He left the room imdiately.
Jas stared at Ethan with open admiration.
"You truly are sothing else," he admitted. "Even a vampire calls you my lord."
Ethan leaned back slightly.
"I am going to establish a large scale underworld auction house," he said. "How much capital will be required to begin?"
Jas thought carefully.
"If you want sothing functional but discreet, two hundred million Federation Coins should be sufficient at the start."
"Very well. You will manage the project," Ethan said. "Can you handle it?"
Jas straightened his back.
"Yes. Leave it to . But make sure Edward provides the funds first. Once my elder brother sees your pills and understands their value, money will not be an issue."
"There is no need to worry," Ethan replied.
He sent a ssage to Edward instructing him to release the necessary funds imdiately.
Jas shook his head slowly.
"You are building sothing far bigger than a gang, are you not?"
Ethan did not deny it.
Everything was moving precisely as he had planned. The supernatural races would beco tools. The underworld economy would flow through his hands. Influence would expand from the slums to the cities and eventually across nations.
If events continued on this path, it would not take long before his na carried weight across the entire planet.
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