Chapter 272: Rushed Movement (GT Bonus)
A huge thank you to Evvan for the Golden Ticket! Your support truly means a lot and keeps me motivated to continue writing and improving the story.
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Inside the highest floor of Cameron Headquarters, Mist King Marcus Danvers quietly reviewed several mission reports in his office.
At first, he thought Vikram had simply returned from another routine investigation. However, the moment he saw Vikram’s expression, his own gaze turned serious. This was not the usual look Vikram carried.
Mist King slowly placed the documents aside. "What happened?"
Vikram didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he quietly closed the office door behind him. Luna silently entered afterward and stood close beside him.
The moment Mist King saw her, his eyes narrowed slightly. Although she looked harmless, his instincts continuously warned him otherwise.
Vikram finally spoke. "I found the truth behind the zombie experiments."
The atmosphere inside the office changed instantly. Mist King’s expression became completely serious. "Explain."
Vikram calmly began recounting everything from the beginning: the hidden laboratories, the self-destructing facilities, the failed zombie experiments, the biological serum, the artificial blood-source project, and the real purpose behind it all.
The more Mist King listened, the colder his expression grew. Especially after learning that the vampires had never intended to create zombies.
Instead, the zombies were catastrophic failed products of their desperate attempts to solve their own extinction crisis.
Mist King slowly leaned backward in his chair. "...Those lunatics," he muttered. Even he immediately understood the scale of the disaster.
The vampires were running out of humans, feared their own extinction, and had created something they could no longer fully control. Worst of all, tens of thousands of frozen zombies already existed across hidden facilities worldwide.
Vikram then revealed the most critical part. "The serum itself. We still don’t know where it originally came from."
Mist King Marcus Danvers slowly nodded after hearing Vikram’s revelations. His gaze sharpened with renewed intensity. "But you found another lead."
It wasn’t a question. He could read it clearly on Vikram’s face.
Vikram replied calmly, "Yes." He then slowly turned his head toward Luna, who stood silently beside him like a quiet shadow. For several long seconds, the office fell into complete silence as Mist King waited.
Finally, Luna spoke in her soft, hesitant voice. "...Tree."
Mist King frowned slightly, clearly confused by the single word. Vikram stepped in and carefully explained everything Luna had remembered from her fragmented memories.
He described the massive underground facility hidden beneath Brooklyn City, the enormous blood-producing tree that served as the mysterious source, the presence of multiple powerful Vampire Princes overseeing the operation, and the extreme danger surrounding the entire location.
The moment Brooklyn City was mentioned, Mist King’s expression changed visibly. His usual composure cracked for a brief second.
Unlike ordinary baron or marquis territories, Brooklyn City was one of the most volatile and dangerous human-vampire conflict zones in existence.
It was a heavily fortified stronghold where open battles frequently erupted, and the balance of power was always precarious.
If multiple Vampire Princes had truly gathered there, this went far beyond anything Team 11 or standard hunter operations could handle alone.
Mist King slowly rose from his chair and walked over to the large interactive city map that covered one entire wall of his office.
His sharp eyes locked onto the Brooklyn territory marked in deep crimson.
"...Charles Xavier," he muttered under his breath. The Sand King ruled that region with absolute authority.
Any major operation inside Brooklyn would require his direct cooperation, or risk turning the entire area into a bloodbath.
Mist King turned back toward Vikram, his face grave. "You understand what this means, right?"
Vikram nodded without hesitation. "If Luna’s memories are accurate, the zombie outbreak itself could become a global disaster. We’re not just dealing with failed experiments anymore. This tree might be the true origin of the serum, the root cause behind everything."
Mist King remained silent for a long moment, processing the weight of the information. The implications were enormous.
A single failure in containment could unleash thousands of frozen zombies across the world.
The fragile peace between humans and vampires would shatter completely, and humanity itself might not survive the resulting chaos.
Finally, he asked, "How certain are you?"
Vikram glanced at Luna once more before answering honestly, "Certain enough that I came directly to you first, without reporting it through normal Federation channels."
The room fell silent again. Mist King understood exactly what those words carried. After discovering a traitor within the Hunter Federation, Vikram had grown extremely cautious about sharing sensitive information.
The fact that he had bypassed all standard protocols and brought this directly to the Mist King showed just how serious, and how credible, he believed this lead to be.
At that moment, Mist King no longer hesitated. He immediately activated the highest-level communication system in his office. Soon afterward, the holographic screen lit up, and a middle-aged man appeared on the display.
He had a sharp face, golden-brown eyes, and wore a long sand-colored coat. An aura as heavy as an endless desert radiated from him. It was Charles Xavier, the Sand King, ruler and protector of Brooklyn City, and one of humanity’s strongest SSS-Rank Hunters.
Charles looked slightly surprised to receive a direct emergency call from Marcus. "Marcus? What happened?"
Mist King wasted no time and began explaining everything: the hidden laboratories, the biological serum, the failed zombie experiments, the thousands of frozen zombies, and finally, the critical lead pointing to Brooklyn City.
The deeper the explanation went, the darker Charles Xavier’s expression became. When he heard the most alarming detail, his voice turned ice-cold. "Multiple Vampire Princes... inside Brooklyn?"
Unlike ordinary vampire nobles, Princes were among the highest-ranking vampires, second only to Kings themselves. Even one Prince secretly operating inside a city was a terrifying threat. The possibility of multiple Princes gathered beneath Brooklyn was almost unthinkable.
Charles suddenly stood up from his seat, his sand aura unconsciously spreading across the holographic screen. "That’s impossible..." But after seeing Mist King’s grave expression, he quickly realized this was no exaggeration.
Vikram then spoke directly. "There’s something beneath Brooklyn, a massive facility connected to the serum’s origin. And possibly... the true origin of the zombies themselves."
Silence filled the communication channel. Charles exhaled slowly, his face now deadly serious. "If this is true, then Brooklyn City is sitting directly above a catastrophe."
Mist King nodded. "That’s exactly why we need your full cooperation."
Charles understood the gravity of the situation immediately. There was no room for secrecy anymore. If multiple Vampire Princes were truly operating beneath his city, this had become one of the largest operations in years.
"Fine," Charles said firmly. "I’ll cooperate fully."
The calm Sand King vanished in an instant. In his place stood Brooklyn’s supreme commander. He began issuing rapid orders without hesitation.
"Mobilize all top-level Hunter Teams. Seal major underground sectors. Prepare emergency evacuation routes. Activate all city defenses. And place every SS-Rank Hunter on immediate standby."
Meanwhile, inside Cameron City, Mist King also began mobilizing forces openly. SS-Rank Hunters, elite squads, special operations units, and high-level awakeners all received emergency deployment notices. Even Team 11 was called back to full combat readiness.
The atmosphere across both cities grew tense and heavy. Everyone could sense that something massive was about to unfold.
Charles finally looked toward Marcus again. "When do we move?"
Mist King turned his gaze to Vikram. In the end, he was the one who had uncovered the truth.
Vikram answered calmly, "As fast as possible. Because once the vampires realize we’ve discovered Brooklyn... they’ll either escape or activate the project immediately."
The atmosphere grew even heavier. Everyone understood what that meant. This operation might very well decide the future of the entire world.
---
In the following days, both Cameron City and Brooklyn City entered a state of full mobilization. The scale of preparation was unlike anything seen in recent years.
Military convoys rumbled continuously along the highways, carrying troops, heavy weapons, and supplies.
Hunter transport aircraft roared across the skies in formation, their shadows sweeping over the landscape below.
Public announcements declared emergency hunter deployments, causing ripples of unease throughout the civilian populations.
Especially in Brooklyn City, the atmosphere grew thick with tension. For the first time in years, Sand King Charles Xavier had personally activated the city’s highest combat protocols.
Sirens echoed at regular intervals, while reinforced checkpoints sprang up across major districts.
Residents watched with growing anxiety as elite forces moved through the streets and massive sand barriers rose higher around the city’s perimeter.
Whispers spread quickly, something catastrophic was approaching.
High-ranking hunters from multiple regions answered the urgent summons and rapidly converged on Brooklyn.
Some arrived alone, moving with quiet confidence. Others led entire elite teams, their presence commanding respect.
Specialized awakeners trained for underground warfare also joined, bringing unique skills for navigating tight tunnels and surviving in confined, hostile environments.
Team 11 officially departed for Brooklyn City as well. This time, unlike their previous missions, every member fully understood the gravity of the situation.
The possibility of multiple Vampire Princes operating beneath the city, combined with the threat of thousands of frozen zombies being released, meant the entire metropolis could collapse into chaos overnight.
After several hours of travel, the massive outline of Brooklyn City finally emerged on the horizon.
Compared to Cameron City, Brooklyn was far larger and more heavily fortified. Gigantic defensive walls, reinforced with layers of steel and enchanted stone, encircled the sprawling urban center.
Countless floating sand barriers hovered in the outer sectors, ready to shift and form impenetrable shields at a moment’s notice.
Military checkpoints lined every major road, and watchtowers bristled with heavy weaponry.
The moment Team 11’s vehicles passed through the main gates, they immediately drew attention.
Their reputation had spread rapidly across multiple regions in recent months. Whispers followed them through the streets, "That’s Team 11..." "Vikram is here..."
The once-lazy hunter who had risen dramatically through the ranks was now one of humanity’s most discussed awakeners.
Many eyes lingered on Vikram, while others curiously noted the quiet golden-haired girl who stayed close by his side, her presence both mysterious and intriguing.
As the team made their way toward the central command center, the streets buzzed with urgency, soldiers double-checking equipment, hunters sharpening their resolve, and civilians being quietly guided toward safer zones.
Everyone could feel it: the calm before the storm. The battle for Brooklyn, and perhaps the fate of the world, was about to begin.
---
Inside Brooklyn Headquarters, large numbers of elite hunters had already gathered in the main operation hall.
The air was thick with tension and anticipation as seasoned warriors from different regions waited for the briefing.
When the grand doors opened, Team 11 entered together. Instantly, multiple gazes shifted toward them, particularly toward Vikram.
Some looked curious, others evaluative, and a few carried open doubt. The rumors surrounding him had spread far and wide, and many wanted to see if the man matched the growing legend.
At the center of the hall stood several powerful hunters. One of them, a tall silver-haired man carrying dual black blades on his back, smiled arrogantly the moment he saw Vikram.
"So this is the famous Plant Summoner?"
His name was Leon Hart, an SS-Rank close-combat hunter from Brooklyn known for his aggressive personality and overwhelming pride. He stared at Vikram with a clear challenge in his eyes.
Beside him, a woman with short crimson hair calmly crossed her arms. Unlike Leon, her gaze remained cool and observant.
This was Scarlett Reeves, an SS-Rank tactical hunter specializing in battlefield analysis and strategic planning. She studied Vikram silently, as if already calculating his worth in the coming operation.
Nearby, a massive muscular man laughed loudly, his deep voice echoing through the hall. "Hah! He looks younger than the rumors said."
This was Magnus Cole, a giant of a hunter famous for his reinforcement abilities and brutal frontline combat style. His presence alone felt like a walking fortress.
Many of the surrounding hunters quietly discussed among themselves. Recently, the rumors about Vikram had grown almost unbelievable.
They spoke of how he had single-handedly destroyed multiple vampire barons, led Team 11 to dominate entire regions, commanded an army of powerful plant druids, and uncovered the terrifying truth behind the zombie experiments.
Some believed the stories, while others suspected exaggeration. Either way, all eyes were now on him.
