Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1131  Corrupt System

During the bustling working hours at noon, life in the Rakos Empire continued its steady, familiar rhythm. Citizens moved about their daily routines... workers hustling to their jobs, merchants busy with their stalls, and officials attending to their bureaucratic duties... unaware that the course of their lives was about to be irrevocably changed.

By this time, Whisper had become a household name.

Every person across the empire had heard the whispered legend of the revolutionary device at least once. Its sudden appearance had thrown both the government and telecommunication corporations into a frenzy.

The authorities desperately searched for the origin of this life-changing technology, while established telecom giants scrambled to reverse-engineer it and claim their own legitimacy. Despite all their efforts, however, neither side could uncover its true source or replicate its magic.

As the common folk continued their day, absorbed in their work and conversation, a sudden, jarring sound cut through the hum of daily life:

BEEP!

BEEP!

Every Whisper device emitted a loud beep at once. In a matter of moments, a clear, authoritative voice resonated across the empire through the devices. The emergency announcement was impossible to ignore:

”Emergency Announcement. All Citizens of the Rakos Empire must hear this.

Please gather around and listen to this emergency broadcast.”

Within seconds, people in workplaces, marketplaces, and on the streets scrambled to pull out their Whisper devices.

DING!

A notification sound echoed as a sudden holographic projection burst forth from the main screen. What had once been confined to two-dimensional displays now leaped into vivid, three-dimensional life, captivating the attention of every onlooker.

The crowds, stirred by the call for an emergency gathering, abandoned their tasks.

From factories to open markets, thousands of citizens began converging in public spaces, their faces a mixture of confusion and apprehension.

Every ear strained to catch the words of the broadcast, the urgency of the message reverberating through the very air.

The holographic projection continued, its image steady as a lifeless, disembodied voice narrated the message:

The holographic projection continued, its image steady as a lifeless, disembodied voice narrated the message:

”The following announcement concerns the lives of all citizens, so please hear it carefully.

We are now going to expose criminals and traitors of the empire... those who have been committing scams, frauds, felonies, corruption, and even atrocities such as coercion and murder.”

The voice, eerily devoid of any warmth, was unmistakably modeled after Kahnʼs own System...

Cold, precise, and unyielding.

A relentless stream of revelations poured through the Whisper devices, each message more damning than the last. The first transmission cut through the air like a clarion call...

”Subject 1! This person works in the municipal office of District 1 of Capital Rathna. His crimes include taking bribes to allow illegal construction and siphoning taxpayer money to fund his indulgences in nightclubs and prostitution establishments.”

Immediately, the device began listing details... name, age, physical description, the precise position he held within the municipal office... and offered undeniable proof.

Documents flashed across screens, followed by photos and video recordings that meticulously chronicled his misdeeds.

Every piece of evidence was irrefutable, leaving no room for doubt.

Within minutes, similar broadcasts began cascading in from every district.

Citizens in District 2, District 3, and beyond received transmissions implicating local officials... starting with low-level clerks and mid-tier administrators.

As the hours passed, the scope of the broadcast expanded dramatically. The list of targets swelled from minor municipal workers to the heads of associations and entire government departments.

The narrative soon shifted to the realm of business. Whisper exposed CEOs of pharmaceutical companies, contractors, and other corporate executives who had conspired to manipulate tender processes and secure lucrative contracts through bribery.

The evidence was staggering: each holographic report was replete with detailed financial records, screenshots of covert meetings, and even audio clips of whispered transactions.

Then came the most explosive part of the broadcast.

Major political leaders... the elected mayors, magistrates, and heads of critical public institutions such as the Department of Justice, the police force, the fire department, and even healthcare facilities... found themselves under the unforgiving spotlight.

Whisper transmitted their names and positions, along with video footage of clandestine meetings and documents that tied them to networks of corruption.

The narrative left no stone unturned: it wasnʼt just a few bad apples; corruption had infiltrated every echelon of power.

Across the Rakos Empire, the effect was immediate and visceral. People gathered in public squares, workplaces, and even on the streets, their eyes glued to the glowing screens of their Whisper devices.

They stood rooted in shock as each new piece of evidence was revealed. Ordinary citizens... farmers, clerks, shopkeepers... who had once trudged through their daily routines were now forced to confront the stark reality of systemic corruption.

The evidence was so overwhelming that even a ten-year-old child could grasp its meaning, let alone the seasoned citizens who had struggled for years under the oppressive weight of the corrupt regime.

As the broadcasts continued, an undeniable truth emerged: not only were government officials complicit in these crimes, but those sworn to uphold the law were also in league with the criminal networks.

The very institutions that were meant to stop such corruption had instead become extensions of the corrupt power structure.

The revelation was a public awakening... a collective moment when the people saw, in stark detail, how the empire had been run not for their benefit, but for the enrichment of a select few.

There was enough evidence to convince even a 10-year-old kid, let alone all the mature people who had seen the outside world and had been struggling to make ends meet. The entire broadcast lasted for 3 hours, exposing everyone in those selected regions.

No one knew how such detailed analysis could be reported via a small device that no one had even heard of just a week ago.

The broadcast lasted for three continuous hours... a relentless cascade of revelations that shook the very foundation of the Rakos Empire.

For an entire afternoon, every Whisper device, a mere novelty just a week ago, became the conduit for exposing an empireʼs darkest secrets.

Across bustling marketplaces, busy public squares, and quiet offices, citizens watched in astonishment as holographic projections lit up their devices.

Live footage, crisp photos, and damning videos revealed a litany of scams and corruption that spanned every level of society.

One screen showed how taxpayer money was squandered on bizarre experiments... animals were being forced to ingest a certain fruit, with the results meticulously documented to determine if it made the said animal ʼhornyʼ.

In another, research projects were laid bare, exposing how officials studied the psychological impact of calling people by the wrong pronoun or gender... studies that were as invasive as they were absurd.

There were even recordings of eccentric inventors trying to force the impossible... the rectangular-shaped wheel, they claimed, would make vehicles faster.

Each report was more outlandish than the last, yet all were backed by incontrovertible evidence.

The holographic broadcasts did not discriminate; whether it was a rundown restaurant, a once-respected public institution, or a major manufacturing company, every establishment had its share of corruption and fraud revealed in excruciating detail.

High-ranking government officials, influential business leaders, and even industrial tycoons... those whose faces were once symbols of authority... were unmasked before the eyes of the public.

Every culpritʼs name, age, appearance, and position was shown alongside documented proof of their misdeeds: bribes, embezzlements, fraudulent contracts, and other underhanded dealings that violated every conceivable law of the land.

The public reaction was instantaneous and visceral.

People across the empire, many of whom had cast their votes for these very individuals, felt betrayed. Crowds in city centers stopped dead in their tracks, eyes glued to the flashing images and live videos streaming on their Whisper devices.

Shock mingled with outrage, and soon, whispers of rebellion began to ripple through every neighborhood.

Amid the chaos, questions arose: How could a small device, barely known until recently, report such detailed, damning information?

The answer lay in the long-forgotten shadows of Kahnʼs past. Years ago, before Kahn had set his grand plans in motion, he had entrusted Tobias with a legion of over 20,000 subordinates... semi-saints drawn from the ranks of Assassins and Rogues who possessed the rare Shadow Merge ability.

Their mission had been clear: to silently document every crime, every scandal, every underhanded deal, leaving behind a digital trail of evidence.

Those subordinates infiltrated even the shadows of the government officials and business tycoons and made copies of all the evidence against them so that Tobias could blackmail them if needed.

This wasnʼt the result of a mood swing, but rather thorough planning that was set into motion and had been under works for the past 5 years.

And now that Kahn had set his eyes on being the sole ruler of the empire, it played a crucial role in the first steps of his plans.

******************

With a voice that resonated like a prophetic oracle, Whisper delivered its final, shattering broadcast to the citizens of the Rakos Empire.

The holographic images and live footage had already rocked the very foundations of society, exposing endless layers of corruption and deceit.

However... this wouldnʼt be Kahnʼs usual style of ending things. Not unless they ended with...

A blood-boiling speech.