Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 323: Barraged by Saviors

Just as the Valkyries’ voices filled the bunker with their determined words, Kaiden’s head suddenly began to ring.

A cascade of dings echoed in his mind.

[Incoming Message]

[Incoming Message]

[Incoming Message]

He frowned. Ordinary people couldn’t use the Awakened Platform to send messages, which meant every single one of these came from other awakened people.

A quick skim confirmed what he already expected.

The first was stamped with the golden seal of China’s Awakened Ambassador, a person responsible for the country’s awakened relations. They promised him ”protection, resources, and a seat at their table” should he choose to stand with them. What those words meant exactly wasn’t detailed well at all.

The next bore the iron crest of Russia. They praised his defiance against ChronosX, applauded his desire for independence, and dangled the offer of ”territorial asylum and official recognition” in exchange for his loyalty.

Then came India, Brazil, and even scattered voices from the Middle East. All singing the same song in different tongues:

Stand with us. Betray your homeland. We’ll shield you from the world’s wrath.

Kaiden exhaled through his nose, shaking his head in amusement. Opportunists, all of them. They were wolves catching the scent of blood, circling for the chance to claim him, thinking he was currently having a nervous breakdown and would jump at the first olive branch that was extended toward him, no matter the personal price.

But that was not the case.

Instead of panicking, he was already picturing it; once he was in their clutches, those governments would run tests on him whether he liked it or not, peel back his secrets layer by layer, and then discard what was left when they were done. To the governments, Kaiden was not a promising awakened to recruit for his future might, but a bundle of secrets that might be invaluable to their country’s future in this rapidly changing political landscape.

For now, Kaiden had no plans of leaving the USA. For all its flaws, he wasn’t safer anywhere than here. Not because they were the government of the people or anything, but because his mother, Vespera, held at least some sway in the government’s shadows. It was better than nothing.

Still, outright rejection would turn the ”friendliness” of these countries into hostility. As such, they got the only response he was willing to give:

”Let me think about it.”

Almost as soon as the system confirmed delivery, his phone buzzed.

The caller ID lit up with a name that made him sigh for a second time.

Grace.

He picked up. ”If you’re calling to offer me support in exchange for being... more transparent about certain secrets of mine, then I’ll have to ask for time. First, we’ll try handling this ourselves. If it doesn’t work... then I’ll reach out.”

A soft giggle chimed from the other end. ”Mm. As sharp as ever, Mr. Grey. I’ll respect that decision of yours. But remember... The clock is ticking for all of us. Some decisions can’t wait until the end of time. Good luck.”

The line clicked off.

Kaiden lowered the phone, and his gaze drifted to the three women waiting on him, their eyes fixed firmly on his.

”The coming days won’t be easy...” he admitted, voice heavy with the weight of it all. ”At best, we’re going to drown in negative comments. At worst, the whole world might turn on us.”

He braced himself for their anxiety about the future. For cracks in their assured smiles.

But none came.

Nyx smirked, sharp and unshaken, daring the world to come and try taking a bite.

Luna’s stormy eyes shone with fire, and her lips sported a confident, murderous grin.

And Aria nodded with the gentlest smile of them all, her faith in him radiating like sunlight.

Kaiden’s breath caught. In that moment, he understood the depth of their determination.

They weren’t just ready to follow him into dangerous situations.

They were ready to weather the very storm itself with him.

Together.

He reached out, and the four of them shared a big, supportive family hug.

...

”There’s a smelly tit in my face...” Luna growled when she found herself staring at Nyx’s breast from far closer than she ever would’ve liked.

...

Sarah, also known by her user name Princeless Princess, was trembling. Her mind was full of pure, unfiltered outrage.

Her fingers curled into fists as Maximilian’s smug words replayed in her mind, and the longer she thought about it, the harder she slammed her desk.

*Thud. Thud! THUD!*

”That ugly, wrinkled son of a bitch dares to talk about my Kaiden like that?!”

Well... not just Kaiden. Over time, she had fallen in love with the chaos of the whole squad. Luna’s unfiltered, chaotic words and actions, Nyx’s incredibly entertaining attitude and interactions with the others, and Aria’s crazy possessive outbursts that always contrasted with her usual serene and tender persona... Their chaotic chemistry with Kaiden was a drug, one she could never get enough of.

Kaiden alone was amazing, sure. But Kaiden with them? That was Valhalla’s Sinners. That was soul food. That was home.

*SLAM!* Her desk rattled again under her fists.

From downstairs, a voice rang out like a warhorn. ”Sarah! Stop breaking my furniture! If you’ve got so much energy, go get a job! I want grandkids, not a NEET daughter!”

Sarah rolled her eyes so hard she nearly gave herself whiplash. ”Jobs and grandkids can wait, Mother! Something really bad happened just now!” she hissed in response after brushing her hair out of her face.

This woman had her priorities straight.

She grabbed her phone and opened the newly created group chat. Within a second, the screen lit up:

Group Call: Valhalla’s Ride-or-Dies

Participants:

Emilia (Kaiden’s Wife)

Leia (Lady Leia)

Sarah (Princeless Princess)

She hit the call button. Not even two rings later, both of them picked up.

What followed made Sarah flinch and tear the phone away from her ear.

”THAT BASTARD MAXIMILIAN!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” shrieked Emilia. Her voice was so shrill it could’ve shattered glass. ”HOW DARE HE?! HOW DARE HE?!!”

Sarah held the phone at arm’s length. Her face was twisted in agony. ”By the gods, Emilia, I was expecting a war cry, not a banshee mating call...”

Emilia’s ragged breathing rattled through the mic for several seconds before it broke into uneven sobs. ”I-I can’t help it...” she choked, voice cracking. ”I’ve never... I’ve never been this frustrated and worried in my life! I feel two opposing emotions all at once, and I can’t deal with it...”

Sarah winced, though her own chest felt just as heavy. ”I get it,” she muttered, flexing her sore hand and massaging the red marks across her skin. ”My fist is throbbing from smashing my table too much...” She shuffled back onto her bed, plopping down in her soft pajamas. With a sigh, she reached for the open Nutella jar on her nightstand, scooping out a thick spoonful. It was her medicine for the soul.

On the other end, Emilia’s sniffles didn’t stop. She was crying in earnest now, half grief, half pure fury. ”It’s not fair! It’s not fair what he’s doing to them. To Kaiden. To all of them... Just when things were starting to look really promising!” Her voice trembled, and Sarah’s gut twisted at how utterly powerless it sounded.