?Chapter 1648:


    This night, the pce’s surveince system suddenly copsedpletely. Panic erupted throughout the royalpound as darkness descended without warning. Even their encryptedmunication frequencies fell silent, blocked by an invisible hand.


    Thework governing the streetlights failed in perfect synchronicity, plunging the grounds into shadow. An inky ckness enveloped the pce grounds, creating a void more profound and terrifying than any midnight in the wild.


    Nothing like this had ever urred before. The sudden plunge into darkness left everyone on edge, uncertain what might follow in the wake of such a security breach.


    The King paced anxiously through the shadowed halls of his pce. “Has no one discovered the cause yet?” he demanded, frustration evident in his voice. “How could this possibly happen?”


    His gaze swept over those assembled with growing contempt. “Am I surrounded by nothing but useless ipetents?” Anxiety gripped him.


    The King’s angry rebukes failed to improve the circumstances. His team could only watch powerlessly as the system persistently faltered, their sole illumination emanating from the shlights they clutched. The electricity required to reboot theputer systems depended on a makeshift generator. In its absence, they were unable to start up even one machine.


    A group of core technicians sat trembling before theputers, their foreheads drenched in sweat. They wiped it away repeatedly, afraid that the King would have them punished severely when he was angry.


    Ovee by the mounting strain, one technician sank to his knees and implored, “Your Majesty, the system is beyond repair. This is no ident; an unseen adversary is at work, and we are defenseless to thwart them.”


    A second technician edged forward and lowered himself to the floor. “Agreed; their capabilities eclipse our own. Each time we try to retrieve information, they block us in real-time, as if they’re anticipating every move.”


    Their adversary operated on an entirely different ne; reimingmand proved as futile as chasing shadows.


    The King’s rage erupted in a tempest. His hands shook as he jabbed a finger toward the cowering group, his voice roaring like a storm. “Useless fools! Have you growncent from the wealth and power I’ve granted you?”


    Scarcely any time had passed since the previous breach when, this very night, a fresh crisis erupted.


    The group sank deeper into their prostration, faces pressed to the floor in wordless dread. None of them risked a whisper, terrified that even a breath might provoke a crueler punishment or invite the de’s finality.


    The King, confident that these inept underlings were beyond redemption, snarled to his soldiers, “Secure the pce at once. Not a single soul enters or exits without mymand!”


    What haunted him most was the dread that the shadow orchestrator of this chaos would exploit the turmoil to target him. And here, in this precarious hour, he stood exposed, his defenses stripped bare.


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