Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!-Chapter 180: House Of Heros

The living room was dimly lit, a few lamps casting long shadows across the polished floor. The tension hung thick, curling around the room like cigarette smoke. Chione sat stiff-backed on the couch, arms crossed so tightly her knuckles were pale. Ice crackled faintly at the edges of her sleeves, her cold aura bleeding into the room. Captain Sun stood nearby, his usually relaxed stance stiff, his jaw working like he was grinding down a particularly annoying thought.

The Second Fucking Time!!!!

For the second time tonight, Parker Black had slipped through their fingers.

And it wasn’t just a getaway—it was a straight-up humiliation. Chione had thrown everything at him, and he still walked out like it was a casual Tuesday.

Twice now. First, on that day of the race. They had him. They fucking had him. And then—gone. Like he was some shadow that reality itself refused to hold onto. And tonight? This time, there were no excuses. No distractions, no conveniently timed interruptions. It had been one on one. Chione had put him on his ass. Captain Sun had been right there. And yet—

Gone.

Slipped through the cracks of existence itself.

Captain Sun finally exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. "I fucking hate that guy."

Chione didn’t answer.

Didn’t even look at him.

Her arms were tight against her chest, her jaw locked, eyes fixed on nothing—because if she looked at anything specific, it was probably getting frozen solid. Find more to read at novelbuddy

Finally, she spoke, voice calm. Too calm. "He played us."

Captain Sun scoffed, leaning back. "No shit."

"No." Her eyes snapped to him, cold and sharp. "He played us."

Captain Sun frowned.

Chione turned fully, finally facing him. "Every second of that fight—every second—he was thinking ahead. He knew how much damage he could take. He knew exactly when I’d let up. He knew the moment you would step in." She exhaled sharply, the air misting in front of her lips. "He made us focus on the fight so we wouldn’t notice what else was happening."

Captain Sun gritted his teeth. He hated that she was right. "So what, you think it was the cat?"

Chione’s lips pressed together, like the idea physically annoyed her. "Yes."

Captain Sun let his head fall back against the couch. "Fucking hell, man."

Silence.

Not the calm kind. The pissed kind. The if I say one more word, I’m throwing something kind.

Finally, Captain Sun sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, so what do we do? Because I swear to God, if we let this guy—"

Chione’s hands curled into fists. "We don’t let him do anything." Her voice was low. Dangerous. "He’s smart. Too smart. I should have expected something like this." She exhaled, cold air swirling around her. "But next time? He doesn’t get away."

He watched her, eyes narrowing.

She wasn’t just pissed.

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She was humiliated.

The Ice Goddess—one of the strongest forces on Earth among Olympians—had been tricked. By some kid.

Yeah. Parker wasn’t just on her radar anymore.

He was on her shit list.

Sun sighed, leaning forward again. "Alright. Fine. Next time, we don’t fuck around." He met her gaze. "And next time? We don’t fight fair."

A slow, cold smile curled on Chione’s lips.

"Good."

Footsteps approached, breaking the silence.

Cleopatra, Isis, Cassandra, Atalanta, and Icarus stepped into the room. The air shifted immediately. Cleopatra moved with her usual effortless grace, gold jewelry glinting under the dim light, but her sharp gaze didn’t miss the tension. Isis, all poise and quiet authority, flicked her eyes between Chione and Captain Sun, already assessing. Cassandra, on the other hand, looked faintly amused—because, of course, she did. Atalanta had her hands in her hoodie pockets, but her eyes carried that restless, predatory energy she always had before a fight.

Icarus, standing at the back, didn’t even bother asking. He knew. He always knew.

At first, no one spoke. The silence dragged just long enough to be uncomfortable. Then—

"Alright, enough with the dramatic brooding," Atalanta snapped, pushing off the wall. "What the fuck happened?"

Chione didn’t even blink. She looked frozen in more ways than one, frost curling along the armrest of the couch beneath her fingers.

Captain Sun exhaled through his nose, rubbing a hand down his face. "We’ve got a problem." His voice was heavier than usual, edged with something rare—actual concern. "There’s a couple who got killed. It wasn’t random. Someone stole some gem from them. We don’t know what it is yet, but Icarus was right—it doesn’t feel simple."

The shift was immediate.

The casual, loose postures tightened. Cleopatra’s fingers drummed against her forearm, her expression unreadable. Isis’ brow furrowed just slightly—not enough for most people to notice, but enough to be telling. Cassandra tilted her head, the light catching in her golden eyes.

"Go on," Cleopatra said, her voice deceptively soft.

Captain Sun’s gaze flickered toward Chione, who still hadn’t spoken, then back to the others. "Parker Black—that kid from school—killed someone tonight under our noses."

The words landed like a dropped glass.

Atalanta actually blinked. Cassandra’s smirk vanished, her lips parting slightly. Isis, who almost never showed visible reactions, let out the smallest breath through her nose. Cleopatra’s fingers stilled against her arm.

But it was Cassandra who spoke first. "Parker?" Her voice held a note of genuine disbelief, like the image didn’t fit. "Are you sure?"

Cleopatra’s expression remained unreadable, but something flickered in her gaze. She didn’t say anything, but her silence carried weight.

Isis finally crossed her arms. "He doesn’t seem like the mindless killing type," she admitted.

Atalanta, after a beat, scoffed. "I mean, sure, the guy might have a villain complex or whatever, but he doesn’t strike me as a psychopath."

Captain Sun sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That’s the thing. He didn’t explain himself. Just straight-up refused."

Cassandra’s brows lifted slightly. "Refused?" Oh, she was loving him more and more

"He said," Captain Sun’s jaw tensed, like repeating the words pissed him off, "’I don’t need to justify my actions to Olympians. I don’t need your permission. Not from you. Not from any god—not even them could stop him.’"

Silence.

Then—

Cleopatra let out a low, almost breathless laugh, shaking her head. "He really said that?"

"At this point, I don’t know why you’re surprised," Isis muttered, rubbing her temple like she was developing a headache.

Atalanta let out an exaggerated groan, tilting her head back. "Of course he’d be that arrogant."

Cassandra, though? Cassandra smirked. "He’s not wrong, though."

All eyes snapped to her.

"Excuse me?" Chione’s voice was razor-sharp, her head finally snapping toward Cassandra.

Cassandra met her stare head-on, unbothered. "You’re mad because he embarrassed you. Again. But let’s be real—he’s not the only murderer tonight, and you’re acting like he’s suddenly the biggest threat in the world."

Chione’s icy aura spiked. "Mindless murderer or nor—I will get him."

Cassandra didn’t flinch. "Sure you will."

Captain Sun sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The real issue here isn’t just that he killed someone—it’s that this is the second time he’s outplayed us. Chione had him. She had him. And he still got away."

That made them pause.

Atalanta’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait. Are you saying—"

"He’s the racer from the bridge," Captain Sun confirmed.

Cleopatra blinked, her expression finally shifting. "Shit. That was him?"

Isis exhaled, arms tightening across her chest. "Damn. Okay. I’ll admit—maybe I underestimated him."

Cassandra let out a short, amused breath. "Of course you did."

But then, her expression sobered just slightly. "But guys." She shifted, leaning forward. "Shouldn’t you be more worried about tracking down the gem? You know, the one that could throw the entire world into chaos?"

For a moment, no one said anything.

Then—

They laughed.

Not a full, deep laugh, but a chuckle, a light scoff, an almost instinctual reaction. The tension in the room lifted like some invisible force had wiped the weight of her words away.

Cassandra sighed, rubbing a hand down her face.

"Of course. The curse."