[ CHAPTER 20 ]
POWER, FOR SALE
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Power used to be earned.
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Now—
it was being negotiated.
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— Aftermath
The footage spread before the reports did.
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Grainy at first.
Shaky.
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But clear enough.
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A Stage 2 monster—
brought down—
not by elites…
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…but by coordinated fire.
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Not clean.
Not instant.
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But real.
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— Kaldrex State
"…run it again."
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"…we already did."
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"…then explain how a low-tier squad pulled that off."
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Silence.
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"…new weapons."
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— Orion Pact
"…cross-checking source."
"…weapon pattern doesn't match any registered design."
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"…origin?"
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"…unknown."
Pause.
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"…but consistent."
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— Vantor Bloc
"…market just changed."
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"…no," another voice said.
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"…the market just exploded."
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— The Council (Second Session)
They didn't wait.
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They reconvened immediately.
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Same chamber.
Same tension.
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But now—
no one was pretending.
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"…we test again," one said.
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Bram didn't respond.
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He already knew.
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— The Second Test
Another monster.
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Ironhide Boar
Stage: Low Stage 2
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Bigger.
Heavier.
More durable than the last.
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Its body strained against restraints—
metal bending slightly under pressure.
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"…this one nearly broke containment," someone muttered.
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Bram stood off to the side.
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Watching.
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Not interested in the monster.
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Interested in the result.
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— Execution
"Positions."
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This time—
they didn't rush.
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Five soldiers.
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Spread.
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Angles calculated.
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Breathing steady.
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"…fire."
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Shots rang out—
sharp—
compressed—
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Each round hit with force—
not scattered—
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Focused.
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The boar jerked—
roared—
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But didn't fall.
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— Adjustment
"Again."
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They corrected.
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Tighter formation.
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Better timing.
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More discipline.
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Fire.
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Impact after impact—
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The outer hide cracked.
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Not shattered—
but weakened.
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"…it's working," one whispered.
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— Final Sequence
"Full volley."
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Eight shooters now.
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Synchronized.
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Fire.
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The barrage landed—
relentless—
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Cracks spread rapidly—
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The monster staggered—
collapsed—
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Dead.
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Silence.
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— The Realization
No cheers.
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No celebration.
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Just—
understanding.
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"…we didn't lose anyone," someone said quietly.
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"…last time, we lost three."
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Another voice:
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"…with this…"
Pause.
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"…we can challenge Stage 2."
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Silence filled the space.
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No one corrected him.
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Because no one could.
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— The Shift
They turned to Bram.
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Different eyes now.
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Not authority.
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Not control.
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Need.
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— The Truth (Hidden)
"…how?" one asked.
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Bram answered simply.
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"Efficiency."
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Nothing more.
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He didn't explain:
- Energy conversion
- Frequency alignment
- Full crystal utilization
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They wouldn't understand.
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And he didn't need them to.
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— The Price
"…cost."
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"Fifty thousand credits per unit."
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Silence.
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"…and advanced variants?"
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"One hundred twenty thousand."
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No hesitation.
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No negotiation tone.
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Just statement.
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— The Weight
"…that's high."
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Bram looked at him.
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"For survival?"
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No reply.
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— The Deal
"…we'll start with a limited batch."
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"Payment first."
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"…of course."
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They didn't argue anymore.
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— Outside
The news didn't stay contained.
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It leaked.
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Fast.
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— Mercenary Channel
"…confirmed."
"…Stage 2 taken down with weapons."
"…no elite required."
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"…you serious?"
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"…I saw it."
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Silence.
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"…find the supplier."
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— Black Market
"…price just went up."
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"…no—"
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"…everything just changed."
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— Orion Pact (Internal)
"…if this spreads…"
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"…power balance collapses."
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— Demon Territory (Brief)
A report delivered.
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"…human weapons increasing efficiency."
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Pause.
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"…they can now challenge Stage 2."
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Silence.
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"…we'll observe," the voice replied.
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No urgency.
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No panic.
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Just attention.
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— Back to Bram
He stood alone now.
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Watching the reactions unfold.
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Not surprised.
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Not impressed.
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Just calculating.
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"…Stella."
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"Yes."
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"Production capacity."
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"Scalable. Requires material input."
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"Expected demand?"
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"Rising exponentially."
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A faint smile.
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"…good."
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— The Strategy
He didn't need to flood the market.
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That would be stupid.
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He needed—
control.
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Limited supply.
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High demand.
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Dependency.
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— The Realization
"They don't need to understand it…"
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He looked at the weapon in his hand.
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"…they just need to rely on it."
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— Closing Shift
Across the world—
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Orders were being placed.
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Requests sent.
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Plans rewritten.
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Weapons recalculated.
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And somewhere—
far beyond—
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Something stronger—
watched.
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Waiting.
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— Final Line
Power wasn't replaced.
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It wasn't lost.
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It wasn't broken.
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It was being redistributed.
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⬇️ AUTHOR NOTE
Now the world is changing 🔥
👉 Would YOU rely on weapons instead of power?
👉 Or would you still train to reach Stage 2?
And the real question:
👉 If everyone can fight… who truly wins?
Drop your thoughts 👇