With **Zane** subdued and the leadership of **Golden Fang** effectively decapitated, Alex knew that the real battle was just beginning. The fall of a powerful guild would send **shockwaves** through the city, and while their immediate threat had been neutralized, the remnants of Golden Fang—its fighters, loyalists, and allies—would scramble to fill the power vacuum. This was where CODE had to act decisively.
As the night deepened, Alex and **Luke** stood over Zane's unconscious form. The mansion was eerily silent, save for the occasional creak of the old stone walls. Alex motioned to Luke, and the paladin stepped forward, his quiet strength radiating through the room.
"We need to move quickly," Alex said, his voice low but urgent. "We can't stay here. Zane's guards will notice his absence soon, and when they do, they'll come looking."
Luke gave a single nod. "**Verum.**"
Alex allowed the **shades** to dissolve, their shadowy forms retreating into the dark corners of the room. With a fluid motion, he hefted Zane's unconscious body over his shoulder. They couldn't kill him—not yet. Zane's fall needed to be **public**. It had to send a message to Golden Fang's remaining forces, and more importantly, to the rest of Starter City.
With Zane in tow, they moved swiftly through the mansion's corridors, avoiding the remaining guards with the help of the shades. The exit was just ahead when they heard a faint sound—a **whisper** in the air, followed by the soft clink of metal.
"We're not alone," Alex whispered to Luke.
The shadows shifted, and suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness—a tall woman with short, silver hair and piercing eyes. Her stance was relaxed, but there was no mistaking the power in her gaze. She was **Lira**, one of Golden Fang's most dangerous lieutenants, known for her deadly precision and unwavering loyalty to Zane.
"I figured you'd be here," Lira said, her voice calm but dangerous. "Zane told us you were coming."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "Then why hasn't he done anything to stop us?"
Lira smiled faintly. "Because he didn't think you'd make it this far. But it doesn't matter now. You're not leaving here with him."
Luke stepped forward, his shield raised, ready to defend, but Alex held up a hand. "We don't have time for this, Lira. Zane's already finished. You know it, and I know it. Walk away now, and maybe you can salvage what's left of Golden Fang."
Lira's eyes flickered with hesitation for a brief moment, but her resolve returned just as quickly. "You think you've won, but you don't understand what you've unleashed. Zane was the only thing holding this city together. Now that he's gone, there will be chaos."
"That's not our problem," Alex replied coldly. "The only thing that matters now is that Golden Fang is over."
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Lira's jaw clenched, but before she could respond, a distant **alarm** rang out through the mansion. The guards had discovered Zane's absence.
"Time's up," Alex said quietly.
With a final glance at Lira, he and Luke moved toward the exit. Lira didn't follow. Whether it was loyalty to Zane or self-preservation, she stayed rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the body of her fallen leader.
As Alex and Luke slipped into the shadows outside the mansion, the reality of what they had done began to sink in. Zane's fall would mark the end of **Golden Fang**, but it also meant that Starter City was on the brink of a major **power shift**. Guilds that had once lived in fear of Golden Fang would now see an opportunity to seize power for themselves. And that could be just as dangerous as leaving Zane in control.
---
Back at the **Obsidian Gambit**, Alex dropped Zane's unconscious form onto a chair in the guild's main hall. The dim lights of the casino flickered around them, casting an eerie glow over the scene. **Betsy** and **Drax** were waiting, their expressions a mixture of relief and anticipation.
"It's done?" Betsy asked, though she already knew the answer.
Alex nodded. "Zane's finished. But we've got a bigger problem now."
"Bigger than taking out Golden Fang's Guild Master?" Drax asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Without Zane, the guild is going to splinter," Alex explained. "There are still plenty of loyalists in Golden Fang who will try to seize control. The rest of Starter City is going to be watching closely, waiting for the moment to strike."
Betsy frowned. "You're worried about a **power vacuum**."
"Exactly," Alex said, his tone grim. "We've destabilized Golden Fang, but if we're not careful, we'll have half the guilds in the city fighting over the pieces. And if that happens, we'll be dragged into a war we're not ready for."
Drax cracked his knuckles. "So what's the plan? Do we take them all out?"
Alex shook his head. "No. We can't fight every guild in Starter City. We need to consolidate our power quickly, show the other guilds that CODE is the new dominant force here. But we need to do it **smart**."
Betsy leaned back, her sharp eyes studying Zane's unconscious form. "If we make Zane's fall public, the smaller guilds will start jockeying for position. They'll want to fill the power vacuum before we can. But if we take control of Golden Fang's remaining assets—**their territory, their resources**—we can stabilize things before anyone else has the chance."
Alex nodded. "That's the idea. We need to move fast. Betsy, I want you to use your contacts to spread the word quietly—Zane is done, and CODE is ready to step in and offer **stability**. The guilds that want to avoid the chaos will come to us."
Betsy smiled. "I'll make sure the right people hear the message."
"Drax," Alex continued, turning to the barbarian, "you'll take a team and start **securing Golden Fang's key assets**. Their trade routes, their territories—everything. We don't need to fight their remaining loyalists. Just show up, and they'll know it's over."
Drax grinned. "Sounds like a plan. I'll get our people moving."
"And what about Zane?" Betsy asked, nodding toward the Guild Master slumped in the chair.
Alex's gaze hardened. "We'll keep him alive—for now. He's still useful. But the moment he stops being useful…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone in the room knew what it meant.
---
The next morning, the **rumors** began to spread through Starter City. Word of Zane's defeat at the hands of CODE reached the ears of guild leaders, merchants, and NPC nobles alike. The streets buzzed with hushed conversations, and the once-dominant presence of Golden Fang seemed to **dissolve** overnight.
Betsy's contacts worked quickly, sending discreet messages to the leaders of the smaller guilds, offering them a choice: chaos or stability. And as Alex had predicted, many of them chose stability.
Within days, several guilds began to approach CODE, offering their **allegiance** in exchange for protection and a seat at the new power structure. They had no interest in challenging CODE's dominance—they just wanted to avoid being caught in the crossfire of a power struggle.
Meanwhile, Drax and his team moved swiftly through Starter City, securing Golden Fang's remaining assets with little resistance. The merchants and trade routes that had once paid Golden Fang for protection now fell under CODE's control. Drax made sure to send a clear message: **CODE was the new authority in town**.
As the dust settled, Alex stood on the balcony of the Obsidian Gambit, overlooking the bustling city below. The plan had worked. Golden Fang had fallen, and CODE was now the dominant force on the first floor. But Alex knew that this was only the beginning. The true challenges were still ahead.
"We've done it," Betsy said, stepping up beside him. "Golden Fang is finished, and the smaller guilds are already falling in line. But there's still a lot of work to do."
Alex nodded, his gaze steady. "We've taken the city, but we can't stop here. The **other floors** are waiting, and so are bigger threats. This was just the first step."
Drax, leaning against the railing, grinned. "I'm ready for whatever comes next. We've got the power, and now it's time to use it."