The sun had long since risen over C City, painting the metropolis in a harsh, unfeeling light. But for Lu Yuan, the day was merely a continuation of the night's work. He sat in his top-floor office at Titan Group, an architectural marvel of steel and glass that offered a panoramic view of the financial district, including the sleek, obsidian tower belonging to Crimson Aegis.
Lu Yuan was not looking at the view; he was reviewing the intelligence packet delivered moments ago. The screens across his minimalist desk displayed a chilling confirmation of his initial suspicion. Lilith was not merely a powerful Vampire; the signature traces confirmed she belonged to one of the three Original Bloodlines—a lineage intrinsically linked to the creation of the Nocturne Key itself. Her recent acquisitions, disguised as venture capital investments in archaeological data firms and private artifact security, formed an unnervingly cohesive map pointing towards the Key's dispersed fragments.
"She is moving with the calculation of centuries, but the hunger of a newborn," Lu Yuan commented to his chief of security, a lean, scarred Werewolf named Kai, who stood silently by the door.
"Alpha, the reports indicate her movements are highly focused, aggressive even. She is exploiting the recent political instability in the Eastern sectors to secure ancient data caches. This is more than mere collection; it's consolidation," Kai reported, his voice low and respectful.
Lu Yuan leaned back, the leather of his executive chair groaning slightly under his bulk. The "Eternal Covenant," upheld by the Werewolves for millennia, was the only thing preventing open warfare between their two species. The Covenant strictly prohibited any direct search or assembly of the Key fragments, recognizing the artifact's destabilizing power. Lilith's ancient blood and audacious ambition represented the single greatest threat to global covert harmony.
"She is testing the boundaries of the Covenant. She believes her age and power exempt her from its rules," Lu Yuan concluded, running a hand through his dark hair. The scent of Lilith—that cold, intoxicating mix of blood and profound age—still lingered faintly in his memory, fueling a mix of primal territoriality and protective fury. He was the Alpha responsible for the Covenant's sanctity, and she was desecrating it.
"Prepare the Titan Financial Sub-Committee," Lu Yuan commanded, his voice now switching to the cold, authoritative tone of the corporate overlord. "Target their largest active subsidiary, 'Aegis Global Ventures.' They are heavily invested in the C City infrastructure bond market. We will execute a surgical, highly leveraged short sell on their key position. It must be precise, brutal, and public enough to cause severe discomfort, but not so devastating as to invite a formal, messy corporate war."
Kai raised an eyebrow, a rare sign of surprise. "A commercial strike? Alpha, wouldn't a direct warning—a shift in the shadows—be more effective?"
"No," Lu Yuan dismissed, his golden-flecked eyes hardening. "A direct threat risks escalating the situation prematurely and could expose her to human authorities, which we cannot risk. A business attack speaks our language—the language of power and consequences—but does so in the mortal realm. It will wound her prestige, force her to redirect resources, and most importantly, it will deliver a clear message of superior force without violating the physical terms of the Covenant."
The execution of the plan was a masterpiece of corporate espionage and financial manipulation. Over the next twelve hours, Titan Group's resources, backed by Lu Yuan's precognitive instincts honed over centuries of survival, moved with impossible speed. They exploited a small, pre-existing vulnerability in Aegis Global Ventures' bond leverage, pouring overwhelming short-selling pressure onto the market. The volume was immense, the timing catastrophic for Crimson Aegis.
By late afternoon, the news dominated every financial headline: "Titan Group's Market Blitzkrieg: Crimson Aegis Subsidiary Facing Liquidity Crisis."
In her own pristine office, far across the city, Lilith received the preliminary damage report. Her normally unflappable Chief Financial Officer, a pale, nervous man named Marcus, was visibly shaking.
"Madam Lilith, the loss is contained, but the attack was unprecedented in its precision. They didn't merely hit a weak spot; they struck the exact leverage point that controls our expansion funding for the next quarter. It's a targeted assassination, financially speaking," Marcus stammered, his eyes glued to the screen showing the plummeting stock indices.
Lilith leaned her elbow on the desk, her chin resting on her perfectly manicured hand. The chaos in the human world did not stir her, but the audacity of the attack did. She could read the signature of the strike as clearly as a declaration of war etched onto stone.
Lu Yuan.
It was a warning, perfectly executed and timed. He was demonstrating that his dominance in the human world was absolute, and that he was willing to utilize it as a weapon against her ancient power, all while remaining perfectly within the bounds of human law. He was telling her that if she played the game of the Key, he would collapse the foundation she stood on.
Lilith stood, walking slowly to the window that mirrored Lu Yuan's view, gazing directly at the Titan Tower. A slow, chilling smile stretched across her lips, a look of appreciation mixed with profound challenge.
"Contain the damage, Marcus. Liquidate the non-essential tech assets immediately, and buy back the bonds at the trough. We will turn this short-sell into a personal profit," Lilith commanded, her tone calm and final. She didn't need to see the documents; the movement of the market was a predictable stream to her ancient mind.
But the financial maneuvering was a distraction. The real response was internal.
She retreated to her private sanctuary, a hidden room within the tower sealed against both human and supernatural intrusion. She settled into a chair made of ebony and ancient leather, closing her eyes. She focused her immense psychic power, tracing the energy signature Lu Yuan had left during their handshake. It was a raw, electrifying current, fundamentally alive in a way her own essence was not.
He thinks to control me with human tactics?
Lilith let her mind drift, pulling on the subtle, fragmented memories related to the Key and its fragments. The artifact she was tracking—the one Lu Yuan was trying to protect—was far more complex than a simple weapon. It was a catalyst, and she needed it not for dominance, but for survival against a threat Lu Yuan hadn't even registered yet.
She opened her eyes, the ruby color intensified by her thoughts. The encounter had evolved from a silent recognition into an active, dangerous game of chess. Lu Yuan's warning was received, but her response would not be retreat. It would be acceleration.
She immediately began rerouting her resources, not away from the Key, but deeper into the shadows. The next fragment lead was located in a clandestine black market exchange, a place where Lu Yuan's corporate rules had no power. She would meet him again, not in the spotlight of the gala, but in the grime of the city's underbelly, on her terms.
Lu Yuan's warning had done nothing but confirm his position as the main obstacle—and the most fascinating opponent—she had faced in centuries. The Alpha had fired his warning shot, but the Queen of Crimson Aegis had only just begun to arm herself.