Chapter 48: THE EXECUTION OF PRESIDENT JAMES
"No! Please! Stop! I’m the President of this nation!" James shrieked, his voice cracking into a pathetic, high-pitched scream as the dark miasma seeped directly into his eyes, nostrils, and ears. "You can’t do this to me! The International Hunter Council... the World Hunter Federation... they’ll label you a Class-Global Calamity! They will hunt you to the absolute ends of the earth!"
"Let them come," Renan said, his voice entirely devoid of warmth or hesitation. "Their executioners will only serve to expand my legion."
[Skill Activated: ’Absolute Corpse Extraction’]
Target Locked: President James (Civilian Authority / High-Tier Corrupt Administrator)
Processing Soul, Memory Core, & Cryptographic Access Data...
WHOOSH!
A blinding surge of midnight-black lightning erupted from Renan’s extended palm, striking James directly through the top of his skull. The President’s entire body rigidified instantly, his eyes rolling back into his head and his jaw hanging wide open in a silent, agonizing scream as his soul was forcibly torn from his physical vessel.
Viscous, pitch-black shadows wrapped around his convulsing frame, consuming his flesh, his expensive silk suit, and his solid-gold wristband. Within less than five seconds, the physical body of the most powerful politician in the nation dissolved into a fine pile of gray ash, which blew away in the cold draft sweeps through the broken boardroom.
Where the ruler of the country once sat, a tall, ghostly shadow figure materialized from the carpet. It wore dark, corrupted regal plate armor beneath a tattered black mantle, immediately dropping onto one knee and bowing its head in absolute, fanatical submission to Renan.
[Extraction Successful!]
[New Entity Acquired: Shadow Commander ’James’ (Rank-A / Support Unit)]
Special Ability: ’Bureaucratic Command’ (Manipulates Security Systems, Cryptographic Seals, & Global Financial Vaults).
+800 Strength
+600 Agility
+1,200 Vitality
+2,500 Intelligence / Mana
[Physical Stat Total: 12,050 Points (Monarch Threshold)]
Renan looked down at the spectral form of the former President. Through the absolute soul connection of the Extraction System, James’s vast memory network—every hidden offshore bank account in Zurich, every illicit deal with foreign Hunter consortiums, every secret human-trafficking auction in Sector 2, and the master override codes to the Association’s subterranean Class-S Relic Vault—flowed directly into Renan’s mind.
"Master," Shadow Commander James spoke, his voice echoing with layered ghostly resonance that rattled the remaining glass windows. "The Class-S Ancient Relic Vault buried fifty meters beneath this floor contains three legendary artifacts that the Association kept hidden from the public, along with the encrypted server hosting our global corruption ledgers. Shall I open the path?"
"Open it," Renan commanded smoothly. "Let us claim the interest on their stolen debts."
With a single gesture from shadow-James’s spectral hand, the heavy obsidian wall behind the presidential desk slid open with a deep hydraulic groan, revealing a concealed elevator shaft forged from spell-reinforced tungsten, leading straight down into the subterranean bedrock beneath the Capital City.
Ten minutes later, Renan stood inside the massive, cold-steel vault beneath the foundation of the Association building. Rows of glowing, anti-gravitational pedestals lined the vault floor, displaying three legendary artifacts that the Association had hoarded for over two decades:
[Item 1: ’Ring of the Sovereign Domain’ (SS-Rank Relic)]
Effect: Doubles the Area-of-Effect range of all Area/Aura Skills.
[Item 2: ’Crown of the False Deity’ (SS-Rank Relic)]
Effect: Enhances Sovereign Mana Efficiency by 50% & Reduces Skill Cooldowns.
[Item 3: ’Aegis of the Fallen Monarch’ (SS-Rank Heavy Shield)]
Effect: Absorbs 80% of incoming physical damage & converts it into kinetic shockwaves.
Renan walked toward the pedestals without delay. He picked up the Ring of the Sovereign Domain, slipping the ornate, dark obsidian band onto his gloved index finger. Next, he picked up the Crown of the False Deity, which dissolved into a streak of pure golden mana that absorbed directly into his System inventory. Finally, he lifted the heavy Aegis of the Fallen Monarch and tossed it effortlessly to Shadow Commander Jonathan, who caught the massive shield, integrating the SS-Rank artifact into his phantom plate armor.
[Relic Integration Complete!]
Sovereign Domain Radius Expanded: 50 Kilometers $\rightarrow$ 100 Kilometers (Entire Capital Region Covered).
Reserve Mana Consumption Reduced by 50%.
[Total Passive Mana Regeneration: +1,200 Points / Sec]
"Now," Renan said, walking calmly toward the central mainframe terminal resting in the middle of the vault. "It is time to expose their system to the world."
Shadow Commander James stepped forward, plugging his shadowy fingers directly into the main cryptographic interface. Within milliseconds, the Association’s multi-layered firewalls crumbled like brittle paper. The blacked-out media networks across the nation—television channels, emergency radio frequencies, public digital billboards in every major city, and internet streaming platforms—were forcefully hijacked by a single, un-blockable signal coming directly from the vault.
Across the country, millions of citizens huddled in terror inside emergency shelters, homes, and subway stations. Suddenly, every screen flickered from static to a crystal-clear, high-definition live stream originating from the ruined 50th-floor presidential office.
Standing in the absolute center of the broadcast was Renan. His tattered dark coat fluttered in the wind blowing through the shattered windows, his glowing golden eyes piercing directly through the camera lens. Flanking him were the towering specters of the Three Pillars and the ghost of President James bowing submissively at his side.
"Citizens of this country," Renan’s layered voice boomed simultaneously through every speaker, television, and smartphone screen across the nation. "The National Hunter Association has officially fallen. The Three Pillars are dead. President James has been executed for high treason against humanity."
Panicked gasps and terror-stricken cries echoed through cities nationwide, but Renan’s expression remained as cold and unyielding as stone.
"For ten years, this government sold your lives to Guild Apex and foreign consortiums. They allowed scavengers and low-tier Hunters to bleed and die in unranked dungeons while hoarding billions in mana crystals and ancient relics inside their vaults. Today, that predatory order comes to an absolute end."
Renan raised his hand, pointing his dark finger directly at the camera.
"From this exact moment, the Capital City and all surrounding regions are officially declared Ominous Sovereign Territory. Anyone who attempts to restore the corrupt old system will be harvested without mercy. Anyone who accepts the new reign will live under my absolute protection."
Renan closed his fist, instantly cutting the national broadcast and leaving millions of viewers staring at blank screens in stunned, silent shock.
[System Announcement: Major Milestone Achieved!]
[Objective Completed: Fall of the National Hunter Association]
[Sovereign Territory Established: Capital Region (100km Radius)]
[System Initiating Mass Evolution to Tier-4: Absolute Sovereign Monarch!]