Chapter 368: True apex predator
Every one of the projected officials was glaring at Vangar with undisguised fury.
"Vangar!"
One of the senior officials, five gleaming stars displayed prominently on his shoulders, practically pointed a finger at Vangar’s face as he roared.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Starlight Prime Tech is one of the Empire’s key strategic industries. How dare you interfere with it? And through such despicable means, no less, forcing your way in as a shareholder."
His face was red with rage.
"Do you have any respect left for the Empire?"
"Do you have any respect for the rest of us?"
Before he had even finished speaking, another middle-aged official dressed in a perfectly pressed Administrative Council uniform immediately jumped in.
His neatly combed hair hadn’t shifted a single strand, but his voice was sharp enough to cut through steel.
"Vangar, have you lost your mind?"
"Starlight Prime Tech was built under our support. You don’t get to stick your hand into it simply because you feel like it."
His expression darkened.
"Are you trying to start a war with us?"
Meanwhile, at the center of the storm, Vangar reclined comfortably against the sofa.
One long leg rested over the other.
A steaming cup of tea sat casually in his hand.
The outrage surrounding him might as well have been distant background noise.
He even took the time to blow gently across the surface of the tea before finally lifting his eyes.
The contempt in them was unmistakable.
"A war?" His voice was low. "You think you’re ready?"
The words struck like a blade forged from ice.
Instantly, the room fell noticeably colder. His gaze swept lazily across the furious holograms. Several faces had already turned a sickly shade of green from anger.
A mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"Starlight Prime Tech was built entirely by Dax. The support you speak of was never charity."
His eyes narrowed.
"You saw his talent. You saw the company’s potential. So you dangled empty promises in front of him while quietly planting your own people inside."
His voice sharpened.
"Like parasites. Slowly feeding on his life’s work. Waiting for the right moment to swallow both him and his company whole."
The smile vanished.
He set his teacup onto the table. The crisp sound echoed through the lounge like a hammer striking metal. It landed heavily on every listener’s heart.
"Compared to that, my methods are practically honorable. And yet you have the nerve to call it support."
He leaned back.
"I only want money. I have no interest in interfering with Starlight Prime Tech’s decisions. I’ll give him complete freedom."
His gaze swept across the projections.
"But you?"
The disdain in his voice deepened.
"You want his money. You want his company. And you want control over him."
A cold laugh escaped him.
"You really have no shame at all."
The accusation landed with brutal precision.
Several officials visibly stiffened. Their expressions turned ugly.
It felt as though someone had ripped away every layer of carefully maintained disguise and exposed their true intentions to the world.
The Administrative Council official immediately lashed back.
"That’s nonsense!" His voice rose sharply. "We’re protecting the Empire’s interests. We’re preventing critical technologies from falling into the wrong hands."
"Empire’s interests?"
Vangar laughed. The sound was low and utterly devoid of humor.
Slowly, he rose to his feet. The moment he stood, the atmosphere changed. His towering frame radiated a pressure so overwhelming that it became difficult to breathe. His presence alone was enough to dominate the entire room.
"I’ve killed more Zerg than you’ve ever seen."
His voice rang through the lounge.
"The peace you enjoy today was bought with the lives of my soldiers."
His eyes darkened.
"They bled and died on the battlefield. Not so you could sit safely in the Imperial Capital playing political games. Not so you could seize other people’s work through manipulation and greed."
He took a single step forward. Murderous intent erupted from him without restraint. The temperature seemed to plummet.
"Save your righteous speeches. I’m making this very clear."
His gaze locked onto each official in turn.
"From today onward, Starlight Prime Tech has nothing to do with any of you. Anyone who dares interfere with its affairs again..."
A cruel smile appeared.
"...can explain themselves directly to the Beast God."
The Administrative Council official visibly recoiled.
Even through the holographic projection, the terror on his face was impossible to hide.
His voice cracked.
"Vangar... y-you..."
The projection flickered slightly from the instability of his emotions.
"You wouldn’t actually kill us, would you? You aren’t afraid of being dragged before a military tribunal?"
These men stood at the pinnacle of Imperial power.
They were accustomed to commanding others. Accustomed to having every order obeyed without question.
Never in their lives had someone threatened them so openly. So unapologetically.
At the question, Vangar smiled.
Slowly, he raised one hand. His long fingers curled inward. The motion was small, yet it looked as though he were closing his grip around an invisible fate.
"Kill you?" His eyes fixed upon the official like a predator studying prey.
"I’ve executed traitors. I’ve slaughtered infiltrators. The Empire’s laws grant me extraordinary wartime authority."
His voice remained calm. That only made it more terrifying.
"And right now, your actions are undermining military morale. They threaten the stability my soldiers purchased with their blood."
His gaze turned razor sharp.
"In my eyes... that isn’t much different from collaborating with the enemy."
Silence descended. Absolute silence.
Then Vangar’s eyes slowly swept across every horrified face before him.
"You can test me if you’d like."
A smile curved his lips.
"Let’s see whether I reach a military tribunal first..."
His gaze hardened.
"...or whether your heads leave your shoulders first."
A sharp electronic hum suddenly echoed through the room.
The sound shattered the suffocating silence like a blade cutting through glass.
One of the holographic projections could no longer withstand the overwhelming pressure.
The image flickered violently twice before shattering into countless particles of light that scattered through the air.
The remaining officials stared at Vangar, their entire bodies chilled to the bone.
At last, they understood.
The man standing before them was not a politician who could be bargained with, manipulated, or pressured.
He was a true apex predator.
A beast that would not hesitate to devour anyone who crossed him.
And the most terrifying part was that Vangar never made empty threats.
If he said he would do something, he would do it.
Watching the once-arrogant officials shrink into terrified silence, Vangar suddenly lost all interest in continuing the conversation.
They looked like frightened grandchildren being scolded by an elder.
Pathetic.
With a casual wave of his hand, he sliced through the air before him.
Instantly, every remaining holographic projection vanished.
The suffocating tension that had filled the lounge disappeared along with them.
Peace returned.
Those officials should consider themselves fortunate.
At least today, he had still been willing to waste a few words on them.
The day he stopped talking altogether would be the day none of them lived long enough to see another sunrise.
Having finally dealt with the irritating swarm of flies, Vangar released a slow breath.
Then he turned around... And froze.
At the entrance stood Rory. Leaning casually against the doorway, she was watching him.
For a split second, Vangar’s heart nearly stopped.
Just moments ago, he had resembled a demon king crawling out of the depths of hell itself, radiating a murderous aura that practically screamed, Cross me and die.
The instant his eyes met Rory’s, every trace of that terrifying presence vanished.
His broad shoulders unconsciously stiffened. His back straightened. The fist he had been clenching relaxed awkwardly. His fingers curled and uncurled as he suddenly found himself unsure what to do with his hands.
He knew Rory was awake. But how had she come out of her room so quickly?
Had she seen everything? Every word? Every threat?
The image of himself standing there, openly talking about separating heads from shoulders, flashed through his mind.
Wasn’t that a little too aggressive? Had he frightened her?
Rory had always been somewhat wary of him.
Now she had witnessed him threatening powerful Imperial officials with execution.
Surely she would see him as an even more violent and dangerous beast than before.
Regret and anxiety surged through him like a flood.
The handsome face that hadn’t changed in the slightest while facing the Empire’s furious leaders now revealed unmistakable nervousness.
Even tension.
Looking at Rory, he spoke cautiously.
Trying very hard to make his voice sound gentle.
"R... Rory." His throat tightened. "When did you come out?"
After a brief pause, he added awkwardly, "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
Unfortunately, his excessive nervousness achieved the exact opposite effect.
Instead of sounding gentle, his voice came out stiff and awkward.
Beside Rory, Jasper watched the entire exchange and couldn’t help pressing a hand to his forehead.
What exactly was Vangar worried about?
Couldn’t he see that the excitement in Rory’s eyes was practically impossible to suppress?
Meanwhile, Rory was equally confused.
Why was Vangar acting so nervous? Did he think she had been frightened by what she saw?
A smile spread across her face.
Without warning, she walked straight toward him and threw her arms around him.
"Vangar." Her voice was bright with admiration. "You were so cool just now."
"...What?" Vangar’s entire body locked up.
His brain abruptly stopped functioning.
For several seconds, he genuinely couldn’t process what he had heard.
Cool? Not terrifying? Not violent? Not frightening?
Rory released him and nodded with complete sincerity.
"Yes." Her eyes sparkled. "The way you handled them was incredibly cool. So powerful! So commanding!"
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.
That overwhelming confidence. That absolute dominance. That effortless ability to crush people who deserved it.
It had been amazing. Absolutely amazing.
She looked at him with open admiration.
"I mean it. You were incredibly handsome just now."
Vangar stood there in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, Rory’s thoughts were running in a completely different direction.
That was the kind of presence she wanted.
That kind of overwhelming authority.
That kind of confidence.
That kind of power.
Just imagining herself one day standing there and effortlessly shutting down a room full of arrogant people like Vangar had done...
The thought alone was unbelievably satisfying.
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