Chapter 70: Next Phase
On the very same day of the duel, the Lovely Potion Merchant Group’s headquarters was violently attacked.
It was also the exact time when the chairman and president, Stan Visor, was lured far away from his office, leaving him completely unable to participate in defending it.
Just as Terrence had coordinated in his plan with the anti-Lee scheme group, the entire building was thoroughly rummaged and dismantled by unknown assailants using similar, highly coordinated tame beasts.
Using specialized bug-type beasts, they launched a relentless assault on the headquarters in an instant. Their movements were executed in perfect sync with one another, looking as though they had pulled off this exact operation multiple times before.
Klein directly led the attack.
As the duel in the arena officially concluded, the total downfall of Stan Visor’s legacy unfolded simultaneously. Because he was drawn far away, his corporate chain was left entirely unprotected.
It wasn’t just the main headquarters that took a hit. The entire network of chemical factories under their name was systematically destroyed from the inside out.
This wasn’t a simple hit-and-run tactic. The level of execution made it blatantly obvious that they had planted moles deep inside the organization.
To be honest, Terrence didn’t care about those details at all. Whether their factories were leveled to the ground in the process didn’t matter, as long as he got the exact outcome he wanted.
...
The complete downfall of the Lovely Potion Merchant Group effectively severed the vital experimentation leg of the Lee Family. Naturally, it created a massive crisis that instantly became the biggest news across all of Suran City.
Without the merchant group acting as their proxy, how could the Lee Family possibly dominate the local potion industry and its surrounding markets?
It delivered a heavy, crippling blow to their overall growth.
Shortly after the duel ended, Terrence met up with Klein at a quiet bar hidden away in a secluded joint within the city.
They sat right next to each other at the wooden counter, facing the silent bartender.
While their drinks were being prepared, Terrence raised his hand toward the bartender, who had originally taken their orders for double liquor shots.
"Please make mine a non-alcoholic beverage instead," Terrence noted calmly to the bartender.
Klein smiled warmly at Terrence, leaning his elbow on top of the smooth mahogany counter while facing him directly with a somewhat sentimental gaze.
"Congratulations on winning the duel, Terrence."
Terrence didn’t turn his head to face Klein, but he replied anyway.
"No need for congratulations. I simply executed my part of the plan."
Klein nodded slowly in approval.
"Good. I guess we ought to move straight into the next phase, right? Now that the experimentation leg of your loving family is officially down, how about we start preparing to take down their weaponry leg next?"
Terrence finally shifted his eyes over to Klein, observing his gentle face bathed in the warm orange light of the bar. There was a thick, lurking darkness standing right behind him—a fact Terrence quietly noted to himself.
He still couldn’t read Klein through that sweet, warm smile, which was so obviously a complete facade.
"Alright. But I have a proposal of my own first."
Klein showed immediate interest, raising his eyebrows slightly.
It was only natural. Terrence had executed his role perfectly, successfully keeping Stan Visor away from his protected corporate legacy. Because of his distraction, they hadn’t been forced to face a formidable opponent during the raid.
"What is it? I’m all ears."
"Create a physical storefront for me," Terrence demanded directly.
Klein couldn’t reply immediately. It was a bizarre request on the surface, but it clearly carried a deeper strategic meaning.
"And... what exactly are we going to do with a storefront? Is this meant to work in the shadows? Like gathering intelligence?" Klein shrugged, leaning back. "I am already handling intelligence gathering, but if you think you can build something useful too, having another network certainly wouldn’t hurt."
"That’s t part of the idea," Terrence explained, his tone firm. "I want them to firmly believe that I am attempting to build a name for myself independently. Their attention will be heavily divided. And not just divided—they will be forced to waste valuable resources trying to recruit me back to shore up their weakening pillars, all while we quietly continue our assault on their remaining assets."
"That’s actually brilliant."
The bartender placed both of their cold, prepared glasses onto the counter before them.
Terrence picked up his glass and took a slow sip of the cold orange drink. The ice lightly touched his lips as a refreshing chill rushed through his nerves.
It was a quiet sip that helped relax his tense nerves after a long day.
"But how about this..." Klein interjected, tapping his glass. "I will also start working on building an enterprise to directly rival some of their core industry legs. What do you think about that?"
Terrence nodded without hesitation.
"That’s also what I had in mind," Terrence said, taking another sip of his drink. "I am done being passive."
Klein chuckled softly under his breath.
"It’s not like you’ve been an active tamer for that long anyway. No offense, of course."
"Noted," Terrence flatly replied, unbothered. "I have been forced to be passive for years. Enduring their oppression ever since my failed awakening ceremony. I was merely waiting for the absolute right opportunity to strike back."
Klein smiled warmly once again. It was the exact same smile that felt far more like a carefully crafted facade, and Terrence remained fully convinced of its fakeness. He knew very well that Klein was not someone to be trusted blindly.
He was simply utilizing Klein for his vast operational resources.
Terrence held his own gacha shop system to invest his money into. While establishing a proper storefront would normally cost a fortune, he knew he could leverage Klein to handle the setup and funding for it.
Once the Lee Family was completely dealt with, Terrence planned to tackle Klein’s mysterious background next. He needed to figure out why Klein was so deeply invested in destroying the Lee Family, because it certainly wasn’t out of shared personal trauma.
Klein was far too deceitful for that—he clearly had a grand personal objective he intended to profit from in the end.
While that was a serious threat to keep in mind, Terrence knew how to prioritize his current goals.
"You’ll need to start introducing yourself to the key figures handling the weaponry leg of your family soon," Klein advised, taking a drink.
Terrence gave a firm nod.
"Noted. I will start working on that immediately."