Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 344: Blood Clan world. {9} 14 & 24

He held out a small chip in the center of his palm. Its sleek black surface shimmered faintly with embedded control runes.

"I respect strength. I value usefulness. But more than that, I respect people who fight for their loved ones. if you join me and follow my command, I'll release her this very instant. No more chains. No more ownership. Just freedom."

He locked eyes with the man.

"But in return, I want this control chip implanted in your cerebral cortex. A little insurance policy, you understand. You may love her… but that doesn't mean I trust you yet."

The warehouse fell silent again.

The only sound was the faint rustle of the chip between Rex's fingers… and the quiet, almost imperceptible sound of hope flickering to life in the eyes of the Blood Clan man.

Even with Rex's seemingly generous offer on the table, the young vampire hesitated. His instincts screamed at him that there was no guarantee Rex would keep his word. For all he knew, this could be a trap, a way to enslave not just the woman he loved but him as well.

And yet... what other choice did he have?

He looked at the girl one more time. Her body stood still, her presence ghost-like, and her eyes remained void of life. She was no longer herself. Whatever future they'd dreamed of together had been shattered.... and this was the only path that might let him piece even a fragment of it back together.

With a heavy breath, the young vampire reached for one of his nails. Without flinching, he pressed it against his own forehead, cutting open a small incision just above the brow. A thin line of blood trickled down the bridge of his nose, staining his lips.

Then, with trembling fingers, he grabbed the control chip from Rex's hand and slowly pushed it into the wound.

The pain was immediate.

The chip's tendrils unfurled like tiny mechanical roots, worming their way into his brain. His body convulsed, and a guttural scream tore from his throat as he collapsed to the ground, clutching at his head.

He writhed in agony for minutes that felt like hours, every second a storm of burning wire and invading steel.

Finally, the fit subsided. He lay on the ground, chest heaving, fingers twitching, sweat and blood soaking his face.

"I... I've done what you asked," he said hoarsely while forcing himself upright with shaking arms. "Now... it's your turn. Keep your word."

Rex, who had been watching with his usual calm, raised an eyebrow. "Of course. I said I would, didn't I?" he replied while brushing some nonexistent dust from his cloak. "But… uh, quick question... how exactly do I remove the slave seal?"

There was an awkward silence. The young vampire blinked, eyes wide with disbelief.

Then, mercifully, a space rift shimmered into existence nearby. Zynaria stepped through, her tall figure draped in her signature living metal armor, eyes glowing like molten gold.

"I know how to remove it, young Emperor," she said without hesitation. "While it's not the exact same seal, I've broken similar bindings from war slaves during our battles against the pirate lords. I can handle this."

Rex nodded. "Go ahead. Just… try not to break her mind in the process, yeah?"

"As you wish."

With a flick of her fingers, Zynaria conjured restraints from her living metal, forming them into delicate but unbreakable chains. The enslaved woman was gently lowered to her knees.

Next, Zynaria manifested a device that was spindly and terrifying, with dozens of needle-thin syringes that clicked into place around the woman's body. One by one, the syringes pierced her skin, drawing out her blood to be analyzed and purified in real-time.

The process was methodical, almost surgical. Clean blood was filtered and re-injected into her veins, while the tainted black blood infused with the curse of the slave seal was collected and isolated.

For minutes that ticked by like hours, the machine worked in silence.

Finally, the needles retracted. The black blood churned in the containment capsule like living ink, the last remnant of the seal.

"It is done," Zynaria said calmly. "The seal has been fully extracted. She will regain her consciousness within the next few hours. However, I recommend we proceed with caution."

She held up a sleek metallic collar. "This will suppress her access to stellar energy. It's best to keep her restrained, at least until she fully stabilizes. We cannot predict how she'll react once her mind returns."

Rex studied the collar, then nodded. "Do it. We don't need her blowing a hole through the warehouse on her way back to reality."

Zynaria complied without question, securing the collar gently but firmly around the woman's neck before locking her chains into place once more. The woman's breathing had stabilized, and for the first time, there was a faint blush of color returning to her cheeks.

Rex then turned his gaze back to the young man, who was still catching his breath, hands covered in blood and sweat.

In his mind, Rex calculated quickly; he now had two Tier 6 powerhouses at his side. One bound by loyalty, the other by love. And if he played his cards right, he might soon have a third, the woman herself, if he could convince her to join his cause willingly.

Even some high nobles in the megacorps couldn't boast such strength at their back.

"So," Rex said while brushing the dust off his coat as he stood and gave a stretch, his voice casual. "Do you guys have names or something?"

The young vampire bowed his head slightly; his voice was cool and formal. "We don't. Names were abandoned when we joined the Elite Blood Assassins. I'm 14th. She is 24th."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Grim, but I get the vibe. Let's stick with that for now. If either of you wants to choose a name later, just let me know; I'm crap at naming people anyway."

He leaned back against a crate while crossing his arms. "Now listen up. Let me tell you why I'm here and what I want from you."

And so, Rex explained. He spoke of the ambush in orbit. Of the twins. Of the betrayal that left him stranded and bleeding and how his sole purpose now was to tear apart the veil hiding his enemies and reclaim what was his.

14th listened in silence, his crimson eyes slowly shifting from wary to resolute.

When Rex finished, there was a pause. Then, without a word, 14th knelt and extended a dagger. Its handle was black, etched with veins of crimson crystallized blood that shimmered faintly.

Rex blinked. "What's this?"

Even Mini Cleo didn't know, flickering in his interface with a confused emoticon. {Uh… this one's outta my database. Blood Clan rituals are like encrypted spaghetti code... makes no damn sense.}

14th kept his head lowered. "Among the Elite, we swear no loyalty to a single master. Only to the Clan. But... should we ever meet someone worthy, we carry our loyalty daggers, ready to pledge ourselves."

He looked up at Rex, eyes steady now. "And you, Rex… are worthy. You protect your own, no matter the odds. That is a man I can follow."

Rex looked at the dagger, then at 14th. After a moment, he took it. The moment he did, the blade pulsed faintly with life, reacting to the bond just formed.

Before Rex could say anything else, a harsh voice bellowed from outside.

"Listen, scum! You are surrounded! Come out at once! And don't even try a space rift; we've sealed the zone! Try it, and we'll make sure a Tier 7 wipes you from existence!"

Rex turned his head lazily toward the door. "Took them long enough."

"Zynaria," he said calmly as he slid his cloak off his shoulders. His white wings unfurled with a ripple of motion, sleek and pristine, catching the light like blades of moonlight.

"How many?"

Zynaria closed her eyes for a moment, scanning. "Twenty Tier 4 Bionic Warriors, five Tier 5 Planetary Champions, and one Tier 6 Stellar Commander." Her voice remained unshaken. "Shall I summon my dragon and annihilate them?"

Rex shook his head with a sigh. "No. We don't need to blow up the whole district just yet. Let's keep this quiet."

He gave a glance at 14th. "You take the Tier 5s. Zynaria, the Tier 6 is yours."

"And you, my lord?" 14th asked.

Rex rolled his neck, the cracking sound echoing faintly. "I'll stretch my wings with the Tier 4s. Let's be quick and get out before backup arrives."

Zynaria and 14th both nodded.

Rex pushed open the warehouse doors and stepped out into the cold artificial light of the blood clan forces. Dozens of glowing eyes and weapons locked onto him.

The wind stirred dust around his boots.

He looked up at the soldiers, smiling coldly as his wings extended fully, casting a shadow of divine beauty and violence.

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The Blood Clan forces tensed; energy crackled around their weapons like a brewing storm.

At the center of their formation stood the Tier 6 Stellar Commander, a towering figure encased in obsidian armor traced with blood-red veins of light, his face hidden behind a polished crimson visor.

"You've made a grave mistake, outsider," the commander growled, his voice metallic and distorted through his helmet's vox system. "Surrender now, and your death will be swift."

Rex tilted his head ever so slightly. His smile was slow and sharp, like a blade being unsheathed.

"I've heard that before," he replied coolly. "Spoiler alert... it never ends well for the ones who say it."

The commander's gauntlet clenched into a fist, signaling the kill order. "Eliminate him!"