NOVEL NEXT Chapter 334: Failed Ambush
The storm that had been brewing for weeks was finally beginning to break. The Phenomenals families had completed their mobilization, and the first coordinated moves against Silas were underway.
Across continents, alliances were tested, strategies were enacted, and the world unknowingly teetered on the edge of a battle that would shape its future.
Meanwhile, Silas was ready. He had seen their plans forming, analyzed their movements, and anticipated their first move. Now, it was only a matter of time.
---
In the dense jungles of Southeast Asia, a specialized strike team from the Umbra Collective lay in wait.
They had chosen their ground carefully—a seemingly random trade route Silas’s drones had been monitoring for weeks. To the Collective, it was the perfect place to spring a trap.
Kain Umbra himself had coordinated the ambush, ensuring that the team was armed with the most advanced stealth technology and Phenomenals specialized in countering Silas’s presumed abilities.
"Maintain your positions," Kain’s voice crackled through their comms. "We only have one shot at this. Don’t waste it."
From their concealed positions, the team watched as a sleek, black drone entered their airspace. The drone, with its telltale shimmer of advanced alloys, was unmistakably Silas’s.
"Now," Kain ordered.
Within seconds, EMP blasts erupted across the jungle, creating an electromagnetic cage designed to disable the drone and trap any reinforcements Silas might send. The drone faltered, its glow dimming, before crashing into the dense foliage below.
The strike team moved swiftly, closing in on the downed drone. They worked in silence, their movements precise. But as they reached the crash site, they froze. The drone wasn’t damaged—it was active.
"Something’s wrong," one of them whispered.
Before anyone could react, the drone emitted a low-frequency pulse. The surrounding jungle erupted into chaos as hidden micro-drones activated, slicing through the air like silent predators.
They were immediately surrounded and one by one, the members of the strike team were incapacitated.
High above, Silas hovered, watching the scene unfold through his HUD. He had known about the ambush the moment the Umbra Collective began mobilizing in the region. They thought they were laying a trap for him, but in reality, they were walking into one of his own. Experience tales at NovelBin.Côm
"Sloppy," Silas muttered. "Luna, neutralize the survivors and upload their communications to our servers. Let’s see who else is involved."
{Understood, Master,} Luna replied, her tone calm.
The swarm of micro-drones converged on the remaining operatives, disabling their suits and rendering them unconscious. Within moments, the entire strike team was neutralized, their equipment stripped and their data uploaded for analysis.
---
Back at his underground facility, Silas reviewed the data Luna had extracted from the strike team. Names, locations, and communication logs scrolled across the holographic screen.
"Interesting," Silas mused. "They’re more coordinated than I thought. The Collective isn’t working alone here."
{Master, their data confirms collaboration between the Umbra Collective, the Frost family, and the Arcanis family,} Luna reported.
{It appears the Collective was tasked with testing your defenses while the others prepared for larger-scale operations.}
Silas smirked. "So this was just a test? They’ll need to do better than that."
He turned to another screen, which displayed the identities of the strike team. Each one belonged to a high-ranking operative of the Collective—important enough to make an example of.
"Luna, broadcast the footage of their ambush and failure to the Phenomenals families’ encrypted networks," Silas said.
{Message prepared and broadcast, Master,} Luna confirmed moments later. {Do you wish to issue a statement as well?}
Silas thought for a moment before nodding. "Keep it simple. ’This was your first mistake. Don’t make another.’"
---
The video spread through the networks of the Phenomenals families like wildfire. The footage of the Collective’s failed ambush, paired with Silas’s chilling message, sent shockwaves through their ranks.
At the Citadel, Lady Selyna Frost watched the video on her tab, her face a mask of cold fury. Around her, advisors murmured nervously, their confidence shaken.
"How did he know?" one of them asked. "The plan was flawless."
"Flawless?" Selyna snapped, her icy gaze silencing the room.
"Flawless plans don’t end in failure. This was a mistake—one we cannot afford to repeat."
At the same time, in the Arcanis family’s stronghold, Lord Arcanis watched the video in silence. His son, Erevan, stood beside him, his expression grim.
"This changes nothing," Lord Arcanis said after a long pause. "Silas Kurt may have outmaneuvered the Collective, but he cannot face all of us united."
"And if he can?" Erevan asked quietly.
"Then we will adapt," Lord Arcanis replied. "But for now, we move forward as planned."
---
Back at his facility, Silas continued his preparations. The failed ambush had confirmed what he already suspected—the families were united, but their unity was fragile.
Each one was testing the waters, trying to measure Silas’s strength without committing their full forces.
"They think they’re clever. But they’re just giving me more time to dismantle them piece by piece," Silas said to himself.
{Master, new intel suggests the Frost family is massing their forces near their northern stronghold,} Luna reported.
{It appears they are preparing for a direct confrontation.}
Silas’s eyes narrowed. "Then it’s time we remind them who they’re dealing with. Begin preparing the next phase of operations. We’re going to hit them before they’re ready."
---
As night fell, the world seemed to hold its breath. The Phenomenals families, despite their growing unease, pressed forward with their plans.
And Silas waited for the perfect moment to strike. The first move had been made, but the war was far from over.
He was very curious to know which if the family would make the next move or they would come at him together. Though he was very doubtful about the second.
"Together or individually, what I really want right now is for a exciting fight. The fights in the memories I got from my second evolution metamorphosis, is what I’m after." Silas sighed.
Silas’ thoughts went back to the memories she his experiences during his second evolution metamorphosis. He got some pretty terrifying and equally exciting memories.
He was already aware that he’s similar to a regressor but his isn’t conventional. It was something that he did on his own and with the help of different people.
He smiled as he thought of the people he’s going to meet very soon.
"First, let’s get this damn war over with."