Chapter 1355
“Bang p>
The microchip beneath the skin of his neck ruptured instantly.
Special Envoy Mordecai convulsed violently, black blood oozing from his face before
he crashed rigidly to the ground.
He was dead beyond any doubt.
Fine metal fragments were mixed in the dark pool of blood.
Jasper recognized the debris immediately; it was a miniature explosive chip
implanted long ago, detonated remotely at this exact moment.
“Fuck,” he cursed. “They actually planted explosives in their own people p>
A nauseating metallic scent hung heavy in the air.
The group stared down at the corpse, their brows furrowed.
Jerrick’s expression darkened, and he let out a low curse. “Damn lunatics. They even guard against their own like this p>
Julian walked in from the corridor and nudged Mordecai’s rapidly stiffening body with his shoe. “Silenced on the spot. How ruthlessly efficient p>
A thought struck Jasper, and he turned to Serena. “Serena, speaking of which… can you really cure someone after they’ve been turned into an Obsidian Augment p>
“No,” Serena replied evenly, her gaze fixed on the body. “Once they become an Obsidian Augment, their cells, genetics, and neural pathways are permanently altered by the serum. It is biologically impossible to revert them back to normal p>
Jasper’s eyes lit up. “So, you were just bluffing him earlier p>
“Yes,” Serena said.
He flashed her a thumbs-up. “That’s my girl. You learned from the best p>
Jerrick smacked the back of Jasper’s head. “Is this the time for jokes? Our priority is dragging the Obsidian Sun out of the shadows p>
He turned back to Serena. “Everything Mordecai just blurted out… Whitecliffe Harbor, Project Zero-Transit, and The Raven. I’ll get my people to investigate p>
Serena gave a curt nod.
Nicholas had already stepped into the room.
Crouching down, his gloved fingers parted the torn flesh at the back of Mordecai’s neck, revealing the shattered metalli fragment His gaze turned somber.
“It wasn’t a standard tracker,” he said, his voice chilled.
“It’s a composite neural controller rigged with a lethal toxin p>
“Once triggered, it detonates remotely while simultaneously obliterating the central nervous system p>
“Even with immediate medical intervention, he couldn’t have been saved p>
Standing nearby, Julian stared at the shrapnel, a deep crease forming between his brows. “Meaning, from the moment he took charge of this branch, his life never belonged to him p>
“He was nothing more than an expendable hound for The Overlord p>
Serena remained silent, her clear eyes entirely devoid of emotion.
In her mind, she rapidly filtered through the final words Mordecai had desperately choked out.
Whitecliffe Harbor.
Project Zero-Transit.
The Raven.
These were the only loose ends The Overlord had failed to sever before silencing him.
“Serena p>
Nicholas rose to his feet and looked at her. “The Dragon-Thorn Squad just reported in. They managed to stall a portion of the underground base’s self-destruct sequence, but the core database mainframes were wiped and transferred twenty mÃnutes ago p>
“The data transfer route likely perfectly aligns with the ‘Project Zero-Transit’ Mordecai mentioned before he died p>
Julian glanced up, adding, “Furthermore, any evidence within the base directly linking back to The Overlord has been meticulously scrubbed clean p>
“It looks like He paused, a freezing edge entering his eyes. “He was entirely prepared to cut his losses and run at a moment’s notice p>