Chapter 73: Uninvited Guests
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
In the upscale neighborhood of ikeja Lagos—where the rich and the powerful slept behind enchanted walls and silent security wards—something ancient stirred.
Inside his dimly lit compound, Philip sat cross-legged, eyes closed, suspended in a soft glow of swirling mana. He had been in deep meditation, allowing his soul to refine itself after releasing his aura earlier in the day. The threads of the world whispered to him now—mana currents, bloodlust, hostile intent.
He didn't need to open his eyes to know they had arrived.
Five figures stepped out of a black SUV just down the street. Dressed in tailored suits, each one bore a presence that would have shattered lesser men. They were Sage-level awakened, and they shared a singular goal: eliminate Philip and secure his company.
Inside the house, Philip's breathing deepened.
He didn't move.
He didn't need to.
His soul-sense unfurled like a tidal wave, sweeping through the compound—then out across the entire block. It was subtle at first, like the brush of silk on skin, then it tightened like coils of a serpent, locking down on the five intruders.
Their feet froze, Their hearts pounded.
Their lungs refused to obey.
They had faced danger before. One of them had even seen Adebode Seye, head of a adebode Family act once. But this? This was terror wrapped in silence. This was what it felt like to be insignificant in front of a being that touched the very edge of the divine.
They collapsed where they stood—foam dribbling from their lips, eyes wide with horror, mana screaming in disarray.
Philip opened his eyes.
He exhaled, slow and steady.
Without fanfare, he rose from the bed, stepped out onto the balcony, and flew—as he slowly hovered across the compound with calm purpose.
The neighbors didn't see.
The cameras recorded nothing.
Time bent slightly in his presence, like it was unwilling to betray him.
He landed softly, gathered the five twitching bodies, and brought them into his private chamber.
By the time he tied them to chairs—his mind eerily calm—two had regained minimal consciousness, their auras flickering like dying lanterns.
He stared at them for a long moment.
He had never killed before.
But something inside him was shifting—an awareness that the world no longer played fair. That the awakened world would not let him live in peace, especially not with power and assets they coveted.
Still, he wanted answers.
He would start there.
The five Sage-level men sat slumped, restrained by ethereal bindings that pulsed faintly with golden light. Philip had not used ropes—he didn't need to. His mana had solidified into chains of intent, something only those with true Sage control could manage.
Two of them had stirred. Their eyes, still wide from the trauma of Philip's soul-sense, avoided his gaze. One coughed harshly, blood and saliva mixing at the corner of his lips. The others trembled, their souls suffered damage under the pressure of Philip's earlier grip.
Philip stood across from them, arms folded, aura withdrawn yet ever-present—like a god pretending to be human.
"I won't ask twice," his voice was calm, but it echoed with power, rippling through their souls. "Who sent you?"
The man on the far left—David —was the first to speak, breath ragged. "We… we were sent by… the Triad. Lagos power brokers. We didn't know—" he paused to spit blood. "Didn't know you were… this."
Philip's eyes narrowed. "What do they want?"
Tolu shook. "Control. Your company. The biotech firm you invested in… your 30% stake. The Triad couldn't touch the founder—he's under the NAM. So they thought you were an easier target."
Another one, Chinedu , muttered, That the organization gave permission to Chidozie to start carving up the company."
Philip's face hardened. "Organization?"
They looked at each other—hesitated.
Philip raised a hand. The mana in the room stirred, heavy and sharp.
"The triad. Chidozie's been working with them. They fund local awakened under the radar. They said once you were gone, the company would fall under their control. It was all sanctioned. You were a loose end."
Philip stared at them in silence. He could feel it now—the bigger game. This wasn't just about business. It was about power, control, and positioning.
The world was shifting.
And he was a pillar someone was trying to remove.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Sleep."
His mana brushed their minds.
The five men collapsed, unconscious, their bodies gently cradled by golden threads of energy.
Philip stepped away, walking to his window.
Below, Lagos glittered.
He now knew: there were organizations, influencers, and underground players who didn't want him back. And they were willing to send Sage-level assassins to erase him quietly.
But they had made a mistake.
They had come after him thinking he was weak.
Now, he had names.
And he wouldn't stay quiet.