I Die to Rise: Resurrection System-Chapter 49: The Lieutenants!

The door to the conference room opened, and a young messenger stumbled in, his face already pale before he’d fully crossed the threshold.

The air inside was suffocating. Six figures sat around a long table, their presence alone enough to make the temperature feel like it had dropped. The empty seventh chair at the table seemed to radiate its own kind of menace, a silent accusation that hung in the room.

The messenger’s hands trembled as he clutched a folded piece of paper. "S-sir," he stammered, his voice cracking. "It’s been confirmed. All loot houses... hit."

Braun Ironside rose from his seat at the head of the table, his massive frame casting a shadow that swallowed the messenger whole. He moved slowly, his footsteps echoing as he closed the distance between them.

The messenger tried to step back, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate.

Braun’s hand shot out, fingers wrapping entirely around the man’s neck and face. His palm was so large it covered everything from jaw to forehead. And when he twisted, the messenger’s muffled scream died instantly.

The snap was sharp and he let the body drop to the floor, lifeless, wiping his hand on a handkerchief afterwards as if he’d just touched something distasteful.

He ran his fingers through his sleek black hair, inhaling slowly through his nose, and turned back to the table.

One of the lieutenants, Riley, winced slightly but said nothing.

"Riley," Braun said, his voice calm now, almost pleasant. "Rayner. Leon. Have you found it?"

The three lieutenants he’d addressed straightened in their seats.

Riley Richards[High tier C rank] was small, barely five feet tall, with soft brown hair and rounded mouse ears that twitched nervously atop her head. Her tail flicked behind her, betraying her anxiety despite her calm expression.

She wore a fitted hoodie with the arms cut off and pants that looked almost too sharp for her delicate frame. Her eyes lingered on the empty seventh chair for just a moment too long.

"We have," Riley said quietly, her voice steady despite the tension. "It wasn’t easy, but we tracked them down."

Beside her, Rayner Nott nodded enthusiastically[Mid tier C rank], already pulling a small bottle of hand sanitizer from his pocket. He was tall and rail-thin, with short brown wavy hair and a face that looked perpetually uncomfortable.

He rubbed sanitizer into his palms with obsessive compulsion, his eyes darting around the room like he was calculating the cleanliness of every surface.

"As a matter of fact, we have, we have," Rayner said, his voice clipped and repetitive. "Raven’s Crow guild. D-rank district. Converted warehouse. Not the cleanest location, I assure you, I assure you."

Leon Campbell[Mid tier C rank] leaned back in his chair, holding a small hand mirror up to examine his reflection. His blonde hair was perfectly styled, falling in soft waves that caught the light, and his sharp blue eyes studied himself with the kind of focus most people reserved for life-or-death situations.

"Honestly," Leon said, his voice smooth and almost musical, "I’m surprised they chose such an ugly location. No aesthetic sense whatsoever. You’d think they’d level up with the stolen loot."

He tilted the mirror slightly, checking his teeth. "Still, I suppose we can work with it."

Braun’s gaze swept over them, then moved to the other three lieutenants seated at the table.

Joshua Freeman[Mid tier B rank] sat slouched in his chair. His expression was one of permanent boredom, eyes half-lidded like he’d rather be anywhere else. He hadn’t moved since the messenger’s death, hadn’t even blinked.

"So I guess it’s about time?" Joshua asked flatly.

"Not a moment sooner," Braun said.

Beside him, Eli Masquerade sat with impeccable posture, his red hair slicked back, his butler’s vest perfectly pressed.

He looked calm, professional, almost servile, but there was something in his eyes, something dark and amused, that indicated he was enjoying the chaos far more than he let on.

"Shall I prepare the transport, sir?" Eli asked in that smooth tone of his.

"Do that," Braun said.

At the far end of the table, Zaza Gates[Low tier B rank] stared blankly at the wall, her fingers drumming lightly on the table’s surface.

She wore a modest dress that covered most of her voluptous body, a cross necklace hanging around her neck, and thick-rimmed glasses that made her look more like a librarian than a B-rank fighter. Her expression was distant, like she’d forgotten where she was.

"Zaza," Braun said sharply.

She blinked, looking up at him. "Hm?"

"Are you listening?"

Zaza tilted her head, her expression blank. "Yes. No. Maybe?" She paused, then frowned. "What were we talking about?"

Leon sighed dramatically, still holding his mirror. "We’re planning an assault on Raven’s Crow, darling. Try to keep up."

"Oh," Zaza said, nodding slowly. "Right. That."

Braun’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t snap at her. He turned back to the table, his hands resting on the back of his chair.

"They’ve declared war," Braun said, his voice low and dangerous. "They destroyed my loot houses. They humiliated me. And now, they’re probably celebrating."

He leaned forward, his eyes burning. "So we’re going to return the favor."

Riley’s ears flattened slightly. "Sir, if I may. Cassandra’s with them now. She knows our tactics. She knows how we operate."

Braun’s expression darkened. "Then we’ll remind her what happens to traitors. And her intel won’t matter because the attack will be swift and brutal. When they least expect it."

Riley didn’t respond, but her tail curled tighter around her leg.

Eli stood, smoothing his vest. "I’ll begin preparations immediately, sir. When would you like us to move?"

"Tonight," Braun said. "While they’re still drunk and stupid, distracted by their success."

Joshua finally sat up, rolling his shoulders. "Finally. Let’s get this over with."

Braun’s eyes narrowed. "You sound uninterested."

"Because I am," Joshua said flatly. "We’re B-ranks hitting a D-rank guild. It’s not exactly thrilling."

"Cassandra’s there," Eli pointed out.

Joshua’s expression didn’t change. "Still a drag."

Leon placed his mirror on the table and stood, flipping his hair back. "At least it’ll be entertaining." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Zaza blinked again, standing slowly. "Are we leaving now?"

Rayner was already halfway to the door, muttering under his breath and rubbing more sanitizer into his hands. "Filthy warehouse. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting, it is, it is."

Braun watched them file out, his face completely neutral, and then he looked down at the messenger’s body still crumpled on the floor.

"Clean this up," he said to no one in particular, then he turned and walked out.

***

At Raven’s Crow, the celebration was in full swing.

Music blared from a makeshift sound system, alcohol flowed freely, and the guild members danced, laughed, and shouted over each other in drunken camaraderie.

Sam sat at the center of it all, her face flushed with happiness as Lizzie draped an arm around her shoulders and handed her another drink.

"To Sam!" Lizzie yelled, raising her glass. "Our newest member! And the cutest!"

The guild roared in approval, glasses clinking together. One of the guild members lifting Sam over his shoulder as they chanted.

Kurt leaned against the wall near the back, cigarette between his lips, watching the chaos with an amused grin. Emma was beside him, nursing a drink, her expression softer than usual.

"She’s fitting in," Emma said.

"Yeah," Kurt said. "She is."

Then his vision flickered as a notification appeared, glowing red.

[EMERGENCY QUEST ACTIVATED]

[- Objective: Protect the Guild]

[- Reward: +15 points]

[SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION]

[- Upgrade one ability to C-Rank for optimal survival]

Kurt’s grin faded. "Bollocks."

From the corner of her eyes, Emma noticed his expression shift. "What?"

"Something’s wrong," Kurt said, straightening up.

And then the entrance exploded.

BOOM!

The blast tore through the front of the warehouse, fire and smoke erupting inward. The music cut off instantly, replaced by screams and the sound of crumbling concrete. People stumbled backward, coughing, shielding their faces as debris rained down.

Kurt’s hand shot out, grabbing Emma’s arm. "Get everyone back!"

Through the smoke, shadows moved.

Figures stepped through the shattered entrance, their forms backlit by flames.

Six of them.

The Silver Tail Lieutenants had arrived.