The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 64 - 103: Next Steps

Chapter 103

Kai was drenched in sweat, his breathing still ragged as he finished another brutal round of training.

His muscles ached, shirt clinging to his toned frame as he stepped out of the training room.

The next stop was the bath—he needed it—but he paused.

His sharpened senses picked up the quiet presence of two individuals who had just entered the building.

Elijah and Jack.

Kai turned on his heel, wiping his face with a towel as he made his way into the adjacent room—a spacious office that doubled as their planning chamber.

No time to rest yet.

Inside, Elijah was already seated.

He lounged on a sleek black couch, one leg crossed over the other, his custom-tailored suit hugging his lean frame with pristine precision.

His face was calm, unreadable. He didn’t need to speak to command the room.

Across from him stood Benjamin—Kai’s older brother.

Benjamin’s presence was hard to ignore.

Towering at 6 feet, he was sharply dressed in a dark navy suit, brown hair slicked back, a short, well-groomed beard adding to his mature aura.

His piercing blue eyes studied Elijah without flinching.

His frame was the type that confused most—broad and muscular, yet with a certain elegance, like a coiled spring ready to pounce.

Behind him stood another man.

Asher.

He was just shy of six feet, the same height as Elijah, but his posture made it feel like he was trying to look down on everyone.

His blue hair glinted beneath the warm office lighting, and his sharp eyes—like a hawk analyzing prey—locked onto Elijah with no attempt to conceal the disrespect.

Kai immediately noticed it.

The tension was thick, the atmosphere dense with unsaid words.

He walked in, wearing nothing more than a sweat-soaked black T-shirt and gym pants, and offered a simple greeting.

"Boss, as you can see... that’s my big brother."

Elijah didn’t even glance at Benjamin.

His gaze drifted lazily across the room, as if he were staring at empty space.

Benjamin frowned, the slight twitch in his brow betraying his irritation, but he said nothing.

Kai exhaled through his nose. "And you two—pay your respect to our leader."

Benjamin stood up stiffly, and Asher followed.

They bowed—not too low—but enough to show an attempt at formality.

"It’s nice finally meeting you, Leader," they both said in unison.

Elijah didn’t answer.

A smirk tugged at his lips, subtle and sharp like a blade hidden beneath silk.

He said nothing.

The silence pressed on, making the moment all the more uncomfortable. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The two sat back down—Benjamin reclaiming his seat, and Asher remaining behind him like a statue.

Jack, meanwhile, was on the far end of the room, rummaging through the minibar.

His eyes scanned the collection of drinks, clearly looking for something stronger than water.

Kai moved to the desk, picking up a few papers before addressing Elijah again.

"Sorry for calling you in on short notice," he said, voice calm, yet serious. "I know you didn’t get time to rest."

Elijah’s expression finally shifted.

He smiled faintly and replied, "It’s okay, Kai. If you’re calling like this, then I already know it’s something important."

Kai nodded slowly. "Yeah, it is."

He handed Elijah the papers—stapled photographs and documents clipped together.

Elijah flipped through them.

His eyes narrowed as he saw what lay in the images.

Weapons.

High-grade.

From ballistic vests to prototype rifles, even customized armored suits.

A full-on cartel supply drop.

And a symbol that made Elijah frown.

"The White Lotus?" he asked, tone cooling as the gravity sank in. "What’s up?"

Kai exhaled again. "There was a cartel we were planning on hijacking—weed transport. Two trucks. They belonged to a Tier 4 gang, so I figured we’d swipe the goods, flood the local market, build some cash flow for future plans. Even if they found out, they couldn’t touch us."

Elijah nodded slightly.

The Tier 4 gangs were strong in their cities—but even they couldn’t match his crew in raw power.

"There were two trucks," Kai continued. "Both were brought here to the city. Smooth op. But..."

He paused, turning to glance at Benjamin.

Then his eyes locked on Asher.

"...my brother got greedy. Thought all the trucks belonged to that Tier 4 gang."

Elijah’s eyes flickered with growing irritation.

Kai kept going, voice even, though it was clear he was holding back emotion.

"He and Asher intercepted the other trucks. They weren’t carrying weed. They were part of a White Lotus shipment."

Elijah stilled.

"Their escort team included five Advanced Knight stages. Still, Benjamin’s team—plus Kevin, Lucas, and Asher—managed to win the fight. They brought all of it into the city—guns, suits, tech. We’re hiding it in one of the underground sites Ben controls."

Kai’s jaw tightened.

"But... they didn’t clean the tracks well enough. We’ve just confirmed the White Lotus has already started moving. Spotted in a nearby city. Won’t take them long to trace it here."

The room fell into tense silence.

Elijah didn’t speak.

Not yet.

Everyone understood what that meant.

The White Lotus wasn’t just a cartel or rogue faction—they were a privatized military, used by the elite, capable of going head-to-head with Tier 1 gangs.

Elijah’s gang—an Omega-ranked crew—was strong, but not Tiered.

Not yet.

Becoming enemies now would be suicide.

Finally, Elijah broke the silence.

"Before I say anything..." he began, voice low and calm, "let’s fix something first."

A sudden shift.

A ripple in the air.

[King’s Aura: Activated.]

The pressure slammed into the room like a sledgehammer.

It was different from before—colder, heavier, more personal.

Benjamin and Asher froze mid-breath.

Blood spilled from their lips as their knees gave out beneath them.

Asher’s proud gaze shattered into fear as he collapsed, twitching.

Benjamin groaned, struggling to breathe.

"You acted outside of orders," Elijah’s voice cut through the air like divine law.

"That in itself isn’t a sin. But once you realized the trucks were protected, you should’ve backed off. You didn’t."

Every word echoed in their ears, louder than the world.

"You endangered our men. You endangered our position. And you dared—" Elijah took a step forward, crouching next to Benjamin’s face "—you dared to look down on me. You sat as if you were my equal."

The threat in his tone was thick, murderous.

"Being Kai’s brother won’t protect you from me."

He turned toward Asher, his presence swallowing the room.

"And you... those eyes of yours—I don’t want to see them again unless you’ve earned the right to stand."

Elijah straightened, then looked at both of them, his voice final.

"This is your first and last warning. Next time, I won’t stop Kai and Jack from killing you."

The aura vanished—snapped away like chains being released.

But the chill remained.

Jack leaned back on his barstool, still smiling.

Kai’s eyes remained sharp, a storm hidden beneath still water.

Elijah moved calmly to the bar, poured himself a glass of water, and took a long drink.

He poured a second glass—this time with alcohol—and placed both cups on the table.

The two men still hadn’t moved.

The weight of the room was still suffocating.

Benjamin finally spoke, voice cracked, humbled.

"We are... very sorry, Leader. I was mistaken. Please, forgive us."

Elijah finished his water, placed the cup down, and said simply, "Stand up."

He walked back to the couch, placing the cups and the alcohol bottle on the table.

"Why be enemies," he said with a faint smile, "when we can be friends?"

He sipped again, this time slower.

"Kai. We only need two or three months to take the city. Will that be enough before the White Lotus arrives?"

Kai nodded. "That should be enough time. The location we hit had other shipments going to nearby cities."

"Good," Elijah said.

"Then let’s stop holding back. Sell the weed everywhere—not just in our territory. Also, according to Aurora... seems we got some cocaine too, from the Raven Gang."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

Elijah continued, "Sell that as well. But we also need a stable supplier. And from now on, let’s move into the higher underground fighting rings. Start betting against other gangs."

He leaned back, confident. "Don’t worry about the Alpha-ranked gangs. We’ll deal with them when the time comes."

Kai’s mind was already moving, connecting plans. "If we go on the attack like that, it might work..."

But then his eyes narrowed.

"The Raven Gang is still a problem... and we have that meeting with the Electric Company’s leader too."

Elijah sighed, his gaze sliding toward Asher. "What do you think, Asher?"

Asher had wiped the blood from his mouth, but the fear lingered in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, then answered.

"We already have the power to take them down. Let’s just do it."

Elijah chuckled softly.

"That would be fun... but we’ll do it my way. Just the leaders. You know what I mean, right, Kai?"

Kai grinned faintly. "Yeah. Let me think it over."

"And about the Electric Company... tell them we need two months before any meetings."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Elijah leaned back again, his voice calm, certain.

"Until we take over this city, no one will listen to us. Not companies that big."

Jack, who had been quiet until now, let a slow smile spread across his face.

"So... who am I gonna fight?"