The Bloodline System

Chapter 1467: The Cleanup

Authorʼs Note: Unedited Chapter

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”I donʼt have to say, ʼUse force if necessaryʼ because it will be... but keep casualties to a minimum.”

And with that, Gustav set out on his own darker path—hunting down the crime lords and kingpins who had plagued the Nereus Sector for too long.

His reputation as a formidable force grew with each step he took into the shadowy corners of the sector, where the criminal elite hid in their fortified dens.

Karnex, known as ʼThe Untouchable,ʼ was a notorious crime lord whose operations spanned across smuggling and illegal weapons trade. His lair was a fortified compound deep in the industrial quadrant, guarded by a cadre of heavily tech-armed mercenaries.

Gustav approached the compound under the cover of night. As he neared, the guards became alert to a presence, their nerves on edge. Without hesitation, Gustav surged forward, not bothering to evade shots from blasters as they bounced off his body.

Within moments, he had dealt decisive strikes to the body of the guards, taking them down one after the other.

He breached the compound with explosive force, the doorways, and walls crumbling under his power.

Inside, he encountered Karnex, a hulking figure clad in armor designed to withstand heavy assaults. It would seem that he had already been alerted of the threat.

The crime lord roared in defiance and charged augmented fists aiming to crush Gustav.

[ Atomic Manipulation Has Been Activated ]

The battle was brutal and swift. Gustav dodged a crushing blow, then countered with a thrust of his palm surrounded by milky-colored waves that sent Karnex flying into a wall, the impact leaving a spider web of cracks in its wake.

The armor fell off his body like tissue as Gustav manipulated its atomic structure.

Before Karnex could recover, Gustav was already upon him, delivering a final strike that silenced the crime lord permanently.

Bang!

His hand ripped right through Karnexʼs chest.

Gustav didnʼt stop, he moved on to the next person on his list...

Vela, known as the Siren of the Slums, controlled the illegal narcotics and trafficking rings. Her stronghold was less a fortress and more a maze of underground tunnels beneath the slum districts, her domain veiled in shadows and deception.

Gustav navigated the underground passageways with his perception spread out. He was well aware of the traps and ambushes that lay in wait.

Vela who had snakes for ears, appeared almost out of thin air, her appearance beguiling and her intentions lethal. She attacked with a mix of seductive illusions and deadly strikes, hoping to disorient and then dispatch Gustav.

Unfortunately for her, due to Gustavʼs high perception and mental fortitude, her ability was useless. Gustav could see right through the dance of shadows and light pinponting precise locations of hidden foes.

Without restraints, he pierced through illusion after illusion, dealing blows to her henchmen.

Bang!

A henchman thrust a glowing dagger from his blindspot which he spun around to slap away while swinging his other hand forward.

Bang!

A single punch was destructive enough to deal with foe after foe.

When he finally cornered Vela, the confrontation was quick. Gustavʼs hand shot out, seizing Vela by the throat, and lifting her from the ground.

”H-how?” She grasped for straws of breath with a look of disbelief.

”Because your abilities are merely cheap parlor tricks before me. Goodbye,”

With a quiet word of finality, he extinguished her life force, her body going limp in his unyielding grasp.

In the wake of the seismic shift in the Nereus Sectorʼs criminal underworld—triggered by the swift and brutal takedown of its most notorious kingpins—a palpable wave of fear spread among the remaining criminal elites.

Stories of Gustavʼs merciless approach spread like wildfire, igniting a desperate sense of survival in the other crime lords. They knew they had to unite or fall individually to the formidable adversary.

In a clandestine meeting held in the depths of a derelict space station orbiting a remote asteroid, the remaining kingpins convened. The atmosphere was thick with tension, each leader acutely aware of the dire necessity of their alliance.

Zorath, the Alien Hybrid, known for his strategic mind and ruthless methods, addressed the gathering first.

”This Gustav, heʼs not just a man. Heʼs a force weʼve not seen before. Alone, weʼve seen our peers fall. Together, we may stand a chance.”

Marnix of the Void Clan, a being of shadow and deception, nodded in agreement, his form flickering in the dim light.

”Our combined might, our resources, and our henchmen with abilities that rival his, itʼs our only shot.”

With a pact forged in desperation, the crime lords mobilized their forces. Supernatural abilities pooled from across the sector—telekinetics, pyrokinetics, beings with the power to manipulate the fabric of reality—all rallied under a single cause: the downfall of Gustav Crimson.

As Gustav received intelligence about the new alliance, he prepared for the inevitable confrontation. Standing alone in the heart of the Nereus Sector, where the echoes of his recent battles still whispered through the abandoned streets, he awaited the coming storm.

The crime lords approached with their forces in a macabre parade of power and malevolence, converging on Gustavʼs position. The air crackled with the energy of impending battle, charged with the collective might of dozens of supernatural beings.

Zorath was the first to speak as they approached.

”Youʼve disrupted the balance, Gustav Crimson. Did you think we would not come for you?”

Gustavʼs response was a smirk, his confidence unshaken.

”I was counting on it.”

With no further words needed, the battle erupted. Marnix unleashed the first strike, shadows coiling like serpents toward Gustav, seeking to bind and crush.

Gustavʼs response was swift, his body glowing with radiant crimson energy as he discharged a wave of force that tore through the shadows, dispersing them into harmless wisps.

Fwwhiisshh~

He surged forward with incredible speed.

”Heʼs fast...” Marnix barely managed to mutter as a large palm covered his face.

With unparalleled force, Gustav grabbed Marnixʼs face and rammed him into the ground causing a blast of air to sweep across the surroundings.

ʼWe underestimated him!ʼ Similar thoughts raged in the minds of everyone else gathered here after witnessing how quickly Marnix was taken down.

They all charged forward, activating their supernatural abilities in a bid to take advantage of their higher numbers.

Bang! Bang!

Clashes akin to the rumbles of thunderbolts rang out.

As the fight intensified, Gustav showcased the breadth of his abilities.

[ Atomic Manipulation Has Been Activated ]

Atomic Manipulation allowed him to alter the density and composition of his surroundings, creating barriers and weapons from thin air.

A swing of his hand turned a gust into a blade, slicing through approaching foes with precision.

One of the henchmen who possessed a rare cloning ability had Gustav surrounded by over a hundred foes who leaped onto his frame, overwhelming him with numbers.

[ Energy Discharge Has Been Activated ]

Crimson Energy Discharge burst from him in waves, each pulse a devastating explosion of raw power that knocked back waves of attackers, searing through their defenses as though they were mere paper.

The crime lords adapted as their tactics evolved with the battle.

Nerissa of the Deep, a water manipulator, conjured a tidal wave in an attempt to overwhelm Gustav.

But with a stomp, Gustavʼs Genetic Manipulation Bloodline activated Partial Transformation, turning his legs into pillars of unbreakable alloy that anchored him against the tide while he used his enhanced strength to send a shockwave that vaporized the water before it could touch him.

The battle raged as the Nereus Sector shook under the collective might of the conflict. Buildings crumbled, streets cracked, and the air was filled with the sound of battle cries and the clash of power.

Gustav, however, was relentless. His raw power combined with strategic acumen, allowed him to isolate and dispatch his foes one by one.

Zorath, realizing the tide was turning, attempted a final gambit, channeling all his energy into a massive beam aimed directly at Gustav.

Calmly, Gustav raised his hand as crimson energy peaked from his form. With a silent push, he unleashed his counterblast. The two forces collided with a thunderous roar, a spectacle of light and power that illuminated the sector.

Boom!

Energy swept across the surroundings wreaking havoc on the weaker ones around.

When the light and mist faded, Gustav stood victorious while Zorath and the others lay defeated. Their alliance broken. The ground-scorched surroundings, proof of the ferocity of the battle.

Gustav surveyed the destruction around him.

Marnix was barely conscious at this moment. He coughed while trying to speak.

”What are you?”

Gustavʼs reply was simple and resolute.

”A stronger darkness.”

With a stomp, Gustavʼs foot created a dent in Marnixʼs skull, causing brain matter to splatter across the ground.

....

Gustav stood on the viewing deck of a colossal spacecraft as he watched as the last of the freed alien and former slaves boarded.

The craft, a massive structure designed for heavy cargo and extensive passenger transport, buzzed with the activity of those eager to leave their nightmares behind.

It wasnʼt the only spacecraft in the surroundings. There were two others, each of which was about to be piloted by Endric and Aildris.

As Gustav turned to join the others inside a spacecraft, Falco approached him.

”Gustav, are we really going to pull this off? There are tens of thousands of them.”