Chapter 42: Miller Family’s Dominance(1)

The nationwide broadcast feed flickered slightly as camera drones hovered high above the concrete plaza, capturing every detail of the standoff outside the Evergreen Corporation headquarters. Across the country, millions of viewers remained glued to their screens, watching the confrontation unfold in real time.

For years, the public had viewed corporations like Evergreen as untouchable titans of trade and industry. But the rapid integration of the game world into reality had shattered the old rules of power. Organizations that had once operated exclusively in the shadows were now openly challenging corporations, governments, and established families for dominance.

Eclipse had deployed hundreds of combat players alongside thousands of heavily armed mercenaries, supported by armored transports, mounted machine guns, and heavy artillery. To the average citizen watching the broadcast, the situation seemed hopeless. The Miller family appeared cornered, with Evergreen standing on the verge of total collapse.

Meanwhile, inside the ancestral mansion of the Frost family, Amelia sat comfortably in the grand wooden seat normally reserved for the clan patriarch. Her grandfather, the head of the Frost household, stood several paces behind her with his hands clasped respectfully in front of him. His expression remained calm, but the quiet respect in his eyes was unmistakable.

Amelia paid him no attention. Her gaze remained fixed on the enormous display screen mounted against the wall as a cold smile slowly spread across her lips.

"You dared to propose a breakup? How can that be? See? Even karma does not want you to rebel against your master. A puppet should always be a good puppet," she thought as she watched the siege unfold.

For months, the Frost family had relied heavily on Arthur Miller’s soft nature and enormous wealth to secure their own rise. His willingness to provide resources had allowed them to expand their influence far beyond what they could have achieved on their own. Now that Arthur had finally attempted to sever their relationship, Amelia felt nothing but contempt toward him.

To her, the sight of Eclipse tearing Evergreen apart was not something to fear. It was simply the universe restoring the natural order. A puppet that dared to resist its strings deserved to be crushed.

Back at the plaza, the heavy double doors of the Evergreen compound suddenly groaned as they swung open.

The commotion outside immediately quieted.

Ten figures slowly stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight. Eight young men and two young women emerged together, all dressed in suits of shimmering, radiant armor. Their movements were calm and deliberate, each step perfectly synchronized with the others. Weapons forged from luminous metals rested in their hands, reflecting the sunlight and casting strange, ethereal hues across the gray asphalt.

For a moment, the battlefield seemed to freeze.

Then the public commentary exploded.

The live drone footage was being broadcast across the entire country, and viewers immediately began flooding online forums and social media with questions. Everyone knew that a mega-conglomerate like Evergreen would naturally possess a few high-level players, but the equipment worn by these ten individuals was clearly far beyond anything ordinary players could obtain.

"Are those Genesis Realm gears? What grade are those? They look so cool!"

"That equipment can’t be ordinary!"

"What kind of players are those people?"

Speculation spread across the country within seconds.

Inside a nearby mobile command unit, an Arvian military commander stared at his tactical monitors. The color gradually drained from his face as the equipment analysis came through.

The military had initially attempted to broker a peaceful resolution with the Eclipse gang. However, the syndicate leaders had responded with arrogance, demanding complete submission and refusing every attempt at negotiation.

High command had therefore hesitated to launch a full-scale assault over a single corporate entity. Their assumption had been simple: Evergreen could pay the ransom, survive the incident, and deal with the aftermath later. They had believed the Miller family simply lacked the combat strength necessary to resist Eclipse.

But now, the officer was looking at the energy signatures radiating from those ten suits of armor, and a cold sweat slowly formed across his back.

"Are those legendary grade items?" he whispered.

His eyes widened as more data appeared on the screen.

"So many of them? How did they acquire this much gear? Could Darklord be connected to them?"

His breathing became increasingly hurried.

"There are at least thirty legendary grade items out there. Evergreen is only a five trillion dollar company. If they funded this many elite players, they should have drained their liquid capital long ago. How could they possibly afford this much legendary equipment on top of that?"

Then a terrifying possibility entered his mind.

If the top-ranked player, Darklord, really had a relationship with the Miller family, then everything changed.

And if Darklord discovered that the Arvian government had stood by while Eclipse surrounded and attacked his allies, the consequences could be catastrophic.

"Shit... shit, shit!"

The commander immediately grabbed his encrypted radio and established a direct connection with the regional general.

When the connection went through, he hurriedly explained the situation, describing the overwhelming display of legendary equipment now being broadcast to the entire nation.

The line fell silent for three long seconds.

Then an earth-shattering roar erupted from the speaker.

"What the fuck are you still doing sitting around, wasting time calling me? Go and flatten those Eclipse bastards right now!"

The commander flinched before quickly responding, "Sir, what about the potential collateral damage? And what if this triggers a war with the underworld?"

"What war?" the general roared. "They are nothing but puny ants! Can they fight us, the great Arvian military? We were simply too passive in this situation. Move out immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

The commander immediately cut the transmission and turned toward the surrounding officers.

"All armored divisions, mobilize immediately! Target the Eclipse forces surrounding Evergreen!"

Orders began spreading through the military network as armored vehicles roared to life.

Outside the main gates of Evergreen, the ten Miller cousins had already taken their positions.

Each of them had been assigned a specific class path by Arthur, with every role carefully chosen to complement the others during high-intensity battles.

Noah stood at the front-right position as a Legendary Assassin, his hands resting casually near his legendary daggers. Irin occupied the center as a Fire Mage, standing beside Ryan, an Ice Magus. Damian moved forward as the group’s heavy Knight, while Jake stood beside him as a pure Tank, ready to absorb the enemy’s attacks. Andrew held his spear tightly, taking his position as a Spearmaster.

Henry guarded the left perimeter as a Magic Swordsman, while Laura remained slightly behind the main formation, prepared to act as the group’s dedicated Healer.

At the very center stood Cris and Victor.

Cris was a Formation Master, while Victor was a War Analyst. Both were naturally studious and analytical, preferring books, calculations, and strategy over direct violence. Because of that, the specialized classes Arthur had assigned them had initially seemed strange to the rest of the family.

Arthur, however, remembered his previous life clearly.

In the future, government agencies and elite guilds would fight viciously to recruit top-tier Formation Masters and War Analysts. Their battlefield-control capabilities were extraordinarily valuable. A powerful Formation Master could transform an ordinary group of fighters into an elite force, while a talented War Analyst could coordinate an army with terrifying efficiency.

Cris understood that better than anyone.

He stood with a heavy, leather-bound handbook pressed tightly against his chest. His hands trembled as he stared at the thousands of enemy fighters standing across the plaza, the heavy machine guns, armored vehicles, and artillery all aimed directly toward them.

His class had not fully evolved yet.

He knew that.

But he also knew that this was his chance to prove his worth to Arthur.

Beside him, Victor remained completely composed.

His eyes moved rapidly across the enemy formation, taking in every detail with unnerving speed. The War Analyst class granted him specialized tactical techniques that allowed him to decipher offensive patterns, calculate optimal attack vectors, and transmit direct combat commands to his teammates through the shared party interface.

"Noah, move to the right flank. Henry, take the left perimeter. Jake, set your shield stance at the front line," Victor ordered.

His voice was calm and precise.

The cousins immediately obeyed.

No questions were asked. No hesitation followed. They moved into the positions Victor had designated, their formation becoming tighter and more organized with every passing second.

Across the battlefield, the Eclipse gang members watched the scene unfold before bursting into laughter.

"What are they doing?"

"Are they actually preparing to fight us?"

"They’ve gone completely insane!"

"Can’t they see there are thousands of us with heavy weapons?"