Ambergris Locakboxes Traveled Salt Routes by Hugh Calder 67

Chapter Sixty–Seven: NULLWRAITH Isn’t Human?

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Somewhere in Teriporto, in Richbouph, VORTEX SYNTH SYSTEMS stood like a fortress of glass and steel.

It was a global e–sports and tech conglomerate, feared as much as it was respected. Ranked third among the world’s best tech companies, Vortex was known for only one thing–domination. They built advanced gaming and competition technology, sponsored world–class e–sports teams, and had a reputation for discovering raw talent and turning it into legends.

For years, they had ruled the competitive gaming world.

At the center of it all was Jeff Sandler. A man in his late thirties. He is very tall, with good looks. He has deep blue eyes and black short curly hair.

He is a man that owns the power of winning.

Inside the main conference room, Jeff sat at the head of a long polished table. His executives sat on both sides, backs straight, shoulders tense. No one dared to speak unless spoken to.

Jeff Sandler was not pleased. He was angry.

“So let me get this straight,” he said coldly. “You’re telling me the best seasonal player in the underground circuit is a ghost?”

There was a long silence in the hall. No one dared speak.

He leaned forward, his fingers tapping the table slowly.

“Or do you expect me to believe the rumors?” he continued. “That NULLWRAITH isn’t human? That it’s an AI? A machine?”

The questions landed like bullets.

One by one, the men around the table flinched.

Jeff Sandler had built his empire by buying the best players in the world. Money had never mattered to him. Talent did. Results did. And right now, Vortex owns the most dominant professional e–sports player on the global stage.

Yet whispers followed them everywhere.

Some said his teams relied on illegal AI assistance. Others believed they were simply better than machines.

But one name had begun to dominate every forum, every leaderboard, every rumor thread.

NULLWRAITH.

A seasonal player. With no face. No history, and no trace.

Jeff Sandler had spent months trying to uncover the identity behind that username–and had failed every single time.

Now, a second unknown player has surfaced.

And according to online analysts, both usernames might belong to the same person.

Jeff straightened.

“Find them,” he ordered. “Whoever they are–man or woman–I want them found.”

Chapter Sixty–Seven NULL WRAITH set Human?

His gaze swept across the room.

“Use every resource we have. Dig through voice data, play patterns, financial trails–everything.”

No one could breathe

“We cannot afford to lose them to our competitors,” he added. “Not now.‘

“Yes, sir,” the executives replied in unison.

“This meeting is over.”

The chairs scraped against the floor as the men stood and filed out quickly.

Once the room was nearly empty, Jeff turned his head slightly.

“Garry.”

“Yes, sir,” Garry answered at once, stepping closer.

“I want you to handle this personally,” Jeff said. “I don’t trust anyone else.”

Garry nodded.

“Listen to their voices. Follow their habits. Use money if you have to–bribe, buy, threaten. I don’t care.”

Jeff’s eyes hardened.

“We cannot lose the upcoming match at the Tech Expo. Friendly or not, a loss is unacceptable.”

“I understand, sir,” Garry replied firmly.

Jeff leaned back in his chair.

The hunt had officially begun.

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Back in Southvale, the conference room of Coralreach felt unusually empty.

Merrick and Corren sat across from each other, the long glass table between them reflecting the overhead lights. The room that once buzzed with ideas and arguments now felt heavy with silence.

“So,” Merrick finally said, breaking the quiet, “we’re not playing this year?”

Corren didn’t answer immediately. His fingers tapped slowly against the glass surface–tap, tap, tap—as if counting losses instead of seconds. His eyes were fixed on nothing, his thoughts clearly far away.

“At least we still have one solid product,” Merrick continued, trying to sound hopeful. “That should be enough to redeem our name at the expo.”

Still, Corren said nothing.

Merrick studied him and sighed. He could tell Corren’s mind had drifted too far back–back to a decision that could not be undone.

Corren still couldn’t believe it. He had lost a gold mine. He had lost Cassienne.

And it was entirely his fault.

Chapter Sixty–Seven NULLWRAITH WAT Humans

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If she were still at Coralreach, they wouldn’t be sitting here, cornered and calculating survival. The company wouldn’t be scrambling for reputation. They wouldn’t have lost the biggest opportunity of their careers.

Yet, despite everything, Corren was grateful for one thing.

The single product they still had–the one Cassienne had helped complete before she left. That was their lifeline. Their only chance to stay relevant this year.

They might not claim the number one spot.

But number two was still respectable, if they played their cards right.

“Corren,” Merrick said gently, pulling him back, “let go of the past.”

Corren exhaled and finally looked up.

“Yes,” he said slowly. “No game this year. But we still have our product. Let’s just hope it’s enough.”

“That’s what I thought,” Merrick agreed. “Protect our name. Protect our position. That’s all that matters now.”

They were partners, after all. Merrick wasn’t just an employee–he was a co–owner. Coralreach’s survival mattered to him just as much.

Silence returned, and it was thicker this time. It was obvious what neither of them wanted to say.

They both missed her.

Cassienne had been more than a co–worker. She had been their anchor–the one who always brought clarity, solutions, and calm when things fell apart.

And now, she was gone.

The loss of the two–billion deal still felt unreal. Working with Wyndham Holdings had been their biggest break. And just like that, because of jealousy and foolish pride, they had lost everything that truly mattered.

Suddenly, a phone rang.

The sharp sound shattered the quiet.

Merrick glanced at his phone–and froze.

His fingers tightened around it as he stared at the name on the screen.

He slowly lifted his eyes to Corren.

“What?” Corren asked, already uneasy.

Merrick turned the phone so Corren could see.

Dreston Tremont. And the room went still.

Why was Dreston calling him? The one man Corren hated the most.

And the last person either of them expected to hear from now.

Chapter Saty Dont Cassiere Will Be Mine Very Soom

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