Marcus didn't sleep the night before Operation Cleansing. He spent the hours reviewing plans, optimizing formations, preparing for every contingency he could imagine. His micro-monsters were distributed across the city, monitoring hero movements and reporting real-time intelligence.
At 4:00 AM, he received confirmation from Oracle: all three S-rank heroes were in position for their primary targets. Celestial Judge at Red Fang headquarters, Titan Force at Corsair Brotherhood stronghold, Void Striker tracking Night Market leadership.
At 5:00 AM, Marcus assembled his forces in three separate staging locations. Each strike team knew their objectives, their routes, their fallback positions.
At 5:30 AM, he sent a final message to Sarah: *Checking in. Big day ahead. Will update in 12 hours.*
Her response came immediately: *Be safe. Whatever you're doing today, come back alive.*
At 5:45 AM, Marcus stood in his laboratory surrounded by his six Lord-tier monsters, the most powerful creations he'd ever made. Through their shared consciousness, he felt their hunger, their eagerness for combat, their absolute loyalty to his will.
*Or is it loyalty?* Marcus wondered, remembering Hemlock's warning about independent evolution. *Or are they just programmed to believe they're loyal?*
No time for philosophical questions.
At 6:00 AM exactly, Operation Cleansing began.
---
**RED FANG SYNDICATE HEADQUARTERS - 6:00 AM**
Celestial Judge descended from the sky like a falling star, white wings spread wide, his entire body radiating holy light. Behind him, twenty B and C-rank heroes moved into position, surrounding the Red Fang's fortified compound.
"This is Celestial Judge of the Hero Association!" His voice boomed with supernatural amplification. "Red Fang Syndicate, you are under arrest for numerous crimes against humanity! Surrender immediately or face judgment!"
The response was predictable: gunfire, explosive abilities, desperate defense from over forty Red Fang members. They knew this was the end—no negotiation, no mercy. The Association had come to eliminate them.
Celestial Judge raised his hands and light erupted.
His judgment beams cut through the compound's defenses like tissue paper. Walls crumbled. Protective barriers shattered. Three Red Fang members were vaporized instantly, their bodies unable to withstand direct exposure to his power.
The battle that followed was one-sided. Celestial Judge was S-rank for a reason—his light manipulation could ignore most defenses, and his flight kept him out of melee range. The supporting heroes handled cleanup, but the Judge himself was unstoppable.
Within fifteen minutes, the Red Fang Syndicate's headquarters was in ruins, over thirty members dead or captured.
---
**THE BROKEN CHAIN HEADQUARTERS - 6:15 AM**
While Celestial Judge was occupied, Rebecca led her strike team against the Broken Chain. The mercenary group had no idea they were even a target—they'd assumed Operation Cleansing would focus on larger organizations.
Gamma-One and Gamma-Two breached their facility with overwhelming force. The Broken Chain's fifteen members fought desperately, but they were outmatched. Rebecca coordinated from a safe position, her tactical expertise ensuring minimal friendly casualties.
"Target down," Gamma-One reported after crushing the leader's skull with gravitational manipulation. "Facility secure."
"Consume the bodies," Rebecca commanded. "We extract in three minutes."
The monsters fed efficiently. Fifteen more ability sets absorbed, fifteen more criminals eliminated. By 6:35 AM, Rebecca's team had vanished, leaving no evidence except biological residue.
---
**CORSAIR BROTHERHOOD STRONGHOLD - 6:00 AM**
Titan Force smashed through the Brotherhood's reinforced doors like they were cardboard. The woman stood seven feet tall, her body rippling with impossible muscle, her durability making her virtually indestructible.
"I am Titan Force!" she roared. "Your organization ends today!"
The Corsair Brotherhood was prepared. They'd known this was coming, had positioned their strongest members for defense. But preparation meant nothing against S-rank power.
Titan Force grabbed a villain with A-rank strength enhancement and threw him through three concrete walls. She tanked energy blasts that would have vaporized buildings. When one Brotherhood member tried to poison her, she simply ignored it—her biology filtered toxins faster than they could accumulate.
The battle lasted forty-three minutes. The Brotherhood fought with everything they had, actually managing to slow Titan Force enough that her supporting heroes did most of the work.
But in the end, the result was the same: destruction, death, elimination.
---
**SALVAGE KINGS WAREHOUSE - 6:30 AM**
Crimson Chain led the assault on the Salvage Kings with Gamma-Three and Gamma-Four providing support. The equipment smugglers were dangerous but disorganized—they'd never faced coordinated monster assault.
Gamma-Three's stealth capabilities proved devastating. It moved through shadows, killing sentries before they could raise alarms. Gamma-Four absorbed incoming fire, its defensive capabilities making it nearly invulnerable to the Salvage Kings' conventional weapons.
"Target building secure," Crimson Chain reported to Marcus. "Thirty hostile contacts, seventeen neutralized, thirteen requesting terms."
"Offer recruitment to anyone C-rank or higher," Marcus responded. "Everyone else is materials."
The negotiation took five minutes. Eight Salvage Kings members accepted recruitment, terrified of the monsters but more terrified of death. Five were converted on the spot, their abilities absorbed.
By 7:15 AM, the Salvage Kings had been completely absorbed into Marcus's organization.
---
**NIGHT MARKET LOCATION - 6:00 AM**
Void Striker hunted the Night Market's leadership with surgical precision. His spatial manipulation allowed him to teleport short distances, cut through matter with spatial rifts, and detect hidden locations through dimensional sensing.
The Night Market specialized in staying hidden, but hiding was useless against someone who could sense spatial distortions. Void Striker appeared in their secret meeting location without warning, his hand already forming a spatial blade.
"Nowhere to run," he said simply, and began systematically executing the leadership.
The Night Market's members scattered, their network collapsing as their organizational structure was destroyed. Some fled the city. Others went to ground. A few tried to fight.
None survived contact with Void Striker.
By 8:00 AM, the Night Market had ceased to exist as a functional organization.
---
**GHOST MARKET SAFEHOUSE - 7:00 AM**
Shade approached the Ghost Market with a team of awakened-tier monsters and specific instructions from Marcus: recruitment first, violence only as last resort. The information brokers were valuable alive.
The Ghost Market's leader, a woman named Echo with memory manipulation abilities, met him at the door before he could breach.
"Shade," she said calmly. "Former Black Talon, now working for the Monster Sovereign. I've been expecting you."
Shade hesitated. "You know about Marcus?"
"We're information brokers. We know about everyone." Echo gestured to the building behind her. "The Hero Association is destroying the major organizations today. You're here because your boss wants to absorb secondary targets while they're distracted. Smart strategy."
"Then you understand you have two choices—"
"Join or die, yes, I understand." Echo smiled. "Here's my counteroffer: we join willingly, maintain our operational independence, and provide your boss with intelligence services in exchange for protection. We're more valuable as autonomous allies than absorbed subordinates."
Shade blinked. "I don't have authority to negotiate—"
"Then call him. Tell him Echo of the Ghost Market wants to talk terms."
Shade contacted Marcus through encrypted channel. The conversation lasted three minutes. When it ended, Shade looked at Echo with new respect.
"He accepts. You maintain operational independence, provide intelligence services, twenty percent of your profits go to him. He gets priority access to information, you get protection from the Association and rival organizations."
"Acceptable." Echo extended her hand. "Tell your boss the Ghost Market is now his ally, not his property. We choose this freely."
Shade shook her hand, feeling something like relief. This was how recruitment should work—mutual benefit, not coerced slavery.
By 8:00 AM, the Ghost Market had joined Marcus's network without a single casualty.
---
**MARCUS'S LABORATORY - 8:30 AM**
Marcus reviewed the operational reports with cold satisfaction. All three strikes had succeeded:
**Broken Chain:** Eliminated. Fifteen members consumed, abilities absorbed.
**Salvage Kings:** Absorbed. Eight recruited, five converted, massive equipment and resource gains.
**Ghost Market:** Allied. Twenty information specialists now providing intelligence autonomously.
Cost: Two Alpha-tier monsters damaged but repairable. Zero human casualties on his side.
Meanwhile, Operation Cleansing had devastated the major criminal organizations:
**Red Fang Syndicate:** Destroyed. Forty-three members dead or captured. Organization ceased to exist.
**Corsair Brotherhood:** Eliminated. Thirty-seven members dead, eight captured. Leadership dead.
**Night Market:** Shattered. Leadership dead, members scattered. Network collapsed.
And across the city, nine additional strikes had succeeded against smaller villain groups. The Hero Association's operation was brutally effective—they'd eliminated or captured over three hundred criminals in less than three hours.
But Marcus had used the chaos perfectly. While S-ranks were occupied, he'd absorbed three organizations and gained significant resources. The Association didn't even know he existed as a distinct threat yet.
His phone buzzed. Oracle:
*You did it. Three successful strikes, zero S-rank attention. The Association thinks the monster attacks are just opportunistic scavenging during the chaos. They're not prioritizing investigation yet. You have a window—maybe twenty-four hours before they realize the monster threat is coordinated and intelligent.*
Marcus typed back: *What about the major organizations? Any survivors who might talk?*
*Some. But they're more concerned about the Association hunting them than mysterious monsters. You're still in the shadows. For now.*
*Good. What do timelines show for next week?*
A long pause, then: *Unstable. Multiple branches. In some, you grow powerful enough to threaten S-ranks directly. In others, the Association discovers you and mobilizes everything against you. There's also a third category—timelines where something else emerges. Something like The Radiant.*
*More unknown entities?*
*Possibly. Or maybe just The Radiant deciding you're a threat worth eliminating. My sight is unclear. But Marcus—the successful operation today bought you time, not safety. Use it wisely.*
Marcus closed the conversation and pulled up his updated status:
**Current forces:**
- 388 monsters (twenty-six new creations from absorbed abilities)
- 6 Lord-tier
- 7 Beta-tier
- 19 Alpha-tier (two recovered from damage)
- 156 Awakened-tier
- 200 Micro-monsters
**Subordinate organizations:**
- Poison Garden (Hemlock + 3 members)
- Former Black Talon (Rebecca, Crimson Chain, Shade)
- Salvage Kings (8 recruited members)
- Ghost Market (20 members, autonomous alliance)
**Resources:**
- 45% crystallized Essence remaining
- Equipment from Salvage Kings (vehicles, weapons, technology)
- Intelligence network through Archive and Ghost Market
- Hidden facilities across Neo-Seattle
He'd grown significantly. But was it enough?
Marcus reviewed the S-rank threat profiles again. Celestial Judge had obliterated Red Fang in fifteen minutes. Titan Force had tanked A-rank attacks without injury. Void Striker had hunted down hidden targets effortlessly.
His six Lord-tier monsters were each equivalent to low A-rank. Against one S-rank, they might survive long enough to escape. Against multiple S-ranks working together, they'd be destroyed.
*I need more power,* Marcus calculated. *Or I need to avoid S-rank attention entirely until I'm stronger.*
His phone rang. Rebecca, voice tight with urgency: "Marcus, we have a problem. Turn on the news. Now."
Marcus pulled up a news stream on his laptop. The anchor was speaking rapidly:
"—unprecedented coordinated effort by the Hero Association has resulted in the elimination of multiple major criminal organizations across Neo-Seattle. The Association is calling Operation Cleansing a complete success, with over three hundred criminals apprehended or killed. However, disturbing reports are emerging about additional attacks that occurred during the operation—"
The screen cut to helicopter footage of the Broken Chain's headquarters. The building was a ruin, and forensics teams were examining the scene.
"—appears to be related to the ongoing monster attacks that have plagued the city for the past month. Witnesses report seeing 'massive creatures' assaulting the facility during the Association's operation. Hero Association spokesperson declined to comment on whether these monster attacks are related to a specific villain organization or represent a new threat entirely—"
The anchor's face returned. "In related news, S-rank hero Celestial Judge has announced he will personally investigate the monster attack pattern. Quote: 'These creatures have killed over fifty people in the past month. Whatever is creating them needs to be stopped before more innocent lives are lost.' The Association is forming a specialized task force—"
Marcus muted the stream. Celestial Judge. Personally investigating. Task force forming.
*Twenty-four hours,* Oracle had said. *Maybe twenty-four hours.*
It had been three.
"Rebecca," Marcus said into his phone. "Emergency meeting. Everyone. One hour. We need to accelerate plans immediately."
"What happened?"
"Celestial Judge is hunting us. We need to either get strong enough to fight him or hide so well he can't find us." Marcus was already pulling up contingency plans. "One hour. Laboratory. Don't be late."
He ended the call and sat in silence, mind racing through scenarios. Celestial Judge was S-rank. Light manipulation, flight, judgment beams that ignored defenses. His powers were specifically good at finding and destroying things hiding in shadows.
*Fighting him directly is suicide,* Marcus calculated. *Even with all six Lord-tier monsters, we'd lose. His light manipulation counters most of our abilities.*
But running was also problematic. Where could he hide that Celestial Judge's light couldn't reach? The underground tunnels weren't enough—light could penetrate anywhere eventually.
*Unless I go deeper,* Marcus thought. *Much deeper.*
He pulled up geological surveys of Neo-Seattle. The city was built on complex underground structures—not just old subway tunnels and sewers, but natural cave systems, abandoned mines, old military bunkers from before the awakening.
And at the deepest level, over a mile beneath the city, was something interesting: an old government facility from the pre-awakening era. Built during the cold war, designed to survive nuclear attacks, sealed and forgotten for over eighty years.
According to the surveys, it was structurally sound but completely inaccessible—the entrance had been buried under construction projects decades ago.
*Perfect,* Marcus decided. *Celestial Judge can't find what doesn't have an entrance.*
But reaching it would require significant excavation. And doing that excavation without drawing attention would be difficult.
Marcus spent the next hour designing a plan. His monsters could tunnel—some of his creations had burrowing capabilities. If he selected the right team, they could create a passage from his current laboratory to the deep facility within forty-eight hours. He'd move his entire operation underground, literally beneath the Hero Association's ability to detect.
At 9:30 AM, his command team assembled. Rebecca, Crimson Chain, Shade, Hemlock, Echo from the Ghost Market, and the six Lord-tier monsters.
"Celestial Judge is hunting us," Marcus announced without preamble. "We have very limited time before he tracks our operations back to this laboratory. We're going deeper—one mile beneath the city, into an old government bunker that's been sealed for eighty years."
Echo raised her hand. "That's the Cold War facility. I've heard rumors about it. Supposedly it's still powered, still has functional systems. But the entrance—"
"We'll make our own entrance. Tunnel from here to there. Forty-eight hour operation using specialized monsters." Marcus displayed the route. "We relocate everything—monsters, equipment, resources. By the time Celestial Judge finds this laboratory, it'll be empty."
"And if he finds us during the excavation?" Hemlock asked.
"Then Gamma-Four holds him off while everyone else escapes deeper. But if we're careful, he won't find us. His investigation will focus on the surface attacks—the Broken Chain headquarters, witness reports, forensic evidence. We'll be underground, silent, invisible."
Rebecca studied the plan. "It's sound. But forty-eight hours is aggressive. What if something goes wrong?"
"Then we adapt. But staying here is certain death. Moving is risk with potential survival." Marcus met each person's eyes. "Understand: Celestial Judge has killed twelve A-rank villains personally. He won't hesitate to eliminate us. Our only advantages are surprise and concealment. We use both."
"I'm in," Crimson Chain said immediately. "Better to take action than wait to be hunted."
The others agreed, some reluctantly. They understood the stakes.
"Good. We begin excavation immediately. Combat teams maintain surface surveillance—if Celestial Judge gets close, we get warnings." Marcus pulled up a detailed schedule. "Echo, I need your information network to monitor Hero Association communications. Alert us to any investigation progress."
"Already on it," Echo said. "I've got three people embedded in Association support staff. They'll report anything related to monster investigations."
"Excellent. Hemlock, I need accelerated production of compounds—specifically anti-light formulations. If Celestial Judge finds us, I want every monster equipped to resist his judgment beams."
"That's—Marcus, that's impossible. Light manipulation at S-rank level—"
"I don't need immunity. I need ten seconds of survival. Can you give me that?"
Hemlock considered. "Maybe. If I synthesize concentrated UV absorbers, combine them with reflective compounds... yes. Ten seconds. But they'll need to be applied immediately before combat—the compounds degrade rapidly."
"Good enough. Start production." Marcus turned to his Lord-tier monsters. "Gamma-One through Gamma-Three, you're on excavation duty. Maximum speed, minimum noise. Gamma-Four through Gamma-Six, you're perimeter defense. Anyone approaches who isn't ours, you stop them. Understand?"
The monsters acknowledged with grinding voices. Their eagerness for purpose was almost palpable.
As the meeting broke up and people moved to their assignments, Rebecca pulled Marcus aside.
"Are we going to survive this?" she asked quietly.
Marcus considered lying, considered false reassurance. But Rebecca deserved honesty.
"I don't know. We're racing against an S-rank hero with resources and authority we can't match. If he gets lucky, if someone talks, if we make one mistake..." Marcus shrugged. "We die."
"That's what I thought." Rebecca smiled grimly. "At least you're honest about it. Most leaders would give false hope."
"False hope is worse than no hope. It makes people sloppy." Marcus checked his phone—another message from Sarah asking if he was okay. "We survivethrough preparation and paranoia. Nothing else matters."
"Agreed." Rebecca started toward the excavation site, then paused. "Marcus, if we do survive this—if we get to the deep facility and establish a secure base—what's next? We can't hide forever."
"We grow. Underground, away from observation, we expand our forces until we're strong enough to challenge S-ranks directly. Might take months. Might take a year. But eventually, we emerge powerful enough that the Hero Association can't eliminate us casually."
"And then?"
"Then we start the real work. Transforming the city. Evolving humanity. Building something better than what exists now." Marcus met her eyes. "That's the goal, Rebecca. Everything else is just tactics."
She nodded and left.
Marcus descended to the excavation site, where Gamma-One through Gamma-Three were already beginning their work. The monsters used gravitational manipulation, energy projection, and their massive physical strength to bore through rock and earth. Debris was consumed or compressed, creating a tunnel that slopedgradually downward.
It was slow but steady progress. At this rate, they'd reach the deep facility in forty-six hours—two hours ahead of schedule.
Marcus's phone buzzed. Oracle:
Celestial Judge just finished his initial investigation at Red Fang headquarters. He's moving to the Broken Chain site. Estimated arrival: 45 minutes. Your forensic cleanup was good, but S-ranks notice things normal heroes miss. Be prepared.
Understood. Alert me if he starts tracking toward our location.
Will do. Marcus, be careful. Celestial Judge is known for his thoroughness. If there's any trail leading to you, he'll find it.
Marcus reviewed his operational security. The Broken Chain attack had been clean—monsters had consumed all bodies, Beta-tier creatures had absorbed most blood and biological matter. But perfect cleanliness was impossible. Trace evidence existed somewhere.
Did I leave enough trail for an S-rank to follow? Marcus wondered.
His micro-monsters reported from the Broken Chain site. They watched through cracks in walls as Celestial Judge examined the facility, his glowing eyes scanning every surface, his judgment sense detecting residual energies.
"Interesting," the S-rank hero murmured, touching a wall where one of Marcus's monsters had leaned. "Biological residue. But the structure is wrong. Not human. Not any mutation I recognize."
He moved to another location, examining claw marks scored into concrete. "Strength equivalent to A-rank, but the attack pattern is wrong. Too coordinated. Too purposeful."
Celestial Judge stood in the center of the ruined headquarters and closed his eyes. His body began glowing brighter, light emanating in pulses.
Marcus's micro-monsters felt something like heat or pressure. The S-rank was using some kind of detection ability, scanning for lingering traces.
"There," Celestial Judge said, his eyes snapping open. He pointed directly at one of Marcus's surveillance monsters hidden in a ceiling crack. "I can sense you. Come out."
The micro-monster tried to flee, but light erupted from Celestial Judge's hand, vaporizing it instantly.
"Clever," the S-rank said to himself. "Living surveillance. Biological constructs designed for reconnaissance." He turned slowly, scanning the entire facility. "How many are watching me right now?"
Marcus immediately recalled all surveillance monsters from the area. Over fifty micro-monsters fled through cracks and sewers, racing away from the Broken Chain site.
But Celestial Judge's light followed them. His judgment beams lanced out, precise and devastating, destroying twelve micro-monsters before they could escape range.
"Running won't help," Celestial Judge called out. "I've marked your energy signature. I can track you now."
Marcus felt ice in his stomach. Marked. Tracked. The S-rank had somehow tagged his monsters' biological signature.
Through his surviving micro-monsters, Marcus watched as Celestial Judge pulled out a communication device.
"This is Celestial Judge. I've confirmed the monster attacks are coordinated and intelligent. Unknown creator, advanced biological manipulation, capable of creating A-rank equivalent creatures. Classification: Major Threat. Requesting authorization to pursue with full S-rank authority."
A crackling response Marcus couldn't hear clearly.
"Understood. Beginning tracking now. Expect updates within twelve hours."
Celestial Judge's body erupted with light. His wings spread, and he lifted into the air, moving in the direction Marcus's monsters had fled.
Toward the laboratory.
"Everyone out," Marcus commanded through his communication network. "Emergency evacuation. Celestial Judge is tracking us. We have minutes, not hours."
Chaos erupted as his organization scrambled to evacuate. Monsters collapsed into compressed forms. Equipment was abandoned. People grabbed essentials and fled into prepared escape routes.
Marcus stayed until the last moment, ensuring everyone got out. His six Lord-tier monsters surrounded him protectively.
"Gamma-Four," Marcus said quietly. "If he reaches us before we're clear, you hold him off. Understand? Whatever it takes, buy us time."
"Understood, Creator. I will stop him or die trying."
Marcus felt the weight of that. Gamma-Four was one of his most powerful creations, built specifically to survive overwhelming force. But against an S-rank who could vaporize A-rank threats...
The excavation tunnel was their escape route. Marcus and his monsters descended into darkness, leaving the laboratory behind. Above, they could feel vibrations—Celestial Judge was getting closer, his light piercing through earth and stone like it was nothing.
"Faster," Marcus urged. They descended deeper, following the partially completed tunnel.
Two hundred meters down, Marcus felt Celestial Judge reach the laboratory above. Through his remaining micro-monsters on the surface, he watched the S-rank hero examine the abandoned facility.
"Recent evacuation," Celestial Judge observed. "Very recent. Equipment still warm. Subjects fled within the last hour."
He looked around the laboratory, taking in the bio-chambers, the surgical equipment, the crystallized Essence storage. His expression hardened.
"Monstrous," he said quietly. "Whoever created this place has no regard for life or ethics. This is a factory for biological weapons."
Celestial Judge raised his hands, and light filled the laboratory. His judgment beams systematically destroyed everything—equipment, storage, the walls themselves. The entire facility burned with holy radiance.
"I will find you," Celestial Judge said to the empty air. "Whoever you are, wherever you're hiding, I will track you down and end this."
He turned to the excavation tunnel entrance Marcus had left behind. His glowing eyes studied it.
"Going deep, are you? That won't save you. Light reaches everywhere eventually."
Marcus, now over four hundred meters below the surface, felt genuine terror for the first time since confronting The Radiant. Celestial Judge wasn't just powerful—he was intelligent, thorough, and absolutely determined.
"Keep moving," Marcus commanded his forces. "We need to reach the deep facility before he follows us down."
They descended faster, his monsters carrying him when the tunnel got too rough. Behind them, Marcus could sense Celestial Judge beginning his pursuit, light emanating from him like a beacon in the darkness.
The race was on.
And Marcus wasn't sure he was going to win.