“Did you bring a wild pumpkin?” Max asked.Via nodded with an innocent expression that somehow looked scary because she was holding a big black plastic bag. “Yes, Sir Max. A new model of wild pumpkin.”Then with a bright and proud voice, she continued, “Inside is Yanom’s head. A member of the Demonic Cult. One of the most influential people in Yorknew and a big businessman in the illegal sector.”Via lifted the plastic bag a little, as if showing a birthday gift. “Hehe, I will open it now.”“NO!!!” Frans jumped in shock, his face turning pale.“Do not open it here! I… I… I will faint!” Frans clutched his chest dramatically. “I still want to live!”Via giggled. Zoza laughed while covering his mouth.“Okay, okay,” Via said while shaking the plastic bag a little to tease Frans, “I will not open it here. See? I did not open it.”Frans let out a weak cry, “Do not shake it either!!”Max rubbed his temples like he was dealing with kindergarten kids who could not stay still. But the corner of

When Max arrived at his mother's house, the atmosphere changed into something suffocating, as if all the air had stopped moving. The house was completely destroyed. The front door was crushed as if something massive had smashed it. Mud and trails of blood were scattered across the yard. The smell of metal, dust, and something darker filled the air.Zoza stopped at the gate. His body froze.All his men, former mafia members he had assigned to guard Max's mother's house, were lying lifeless. Their bodies were torn apart as if eaten by a wild beast, but the wounds were too clean to be from an animal. They looked too ritualistic to be a normal murder.Zoza covered his mouth with her trembling hand, his jaw tightening until his face turned pale."Boss..." his voice shook. "Everyone... everyone I stationed here... they..."Frans looked at each corpse on the ground. "They did not even have time to fight back," he said in a hoarse whisper.Zoza suddenly fell to his knees, lowering his head

Max stared at Mr. Mah, who was now kneeling on the ground, his knees shaking hard as if the earth beneath him had turned into mud.The man was holding the edge of his own pants, his face pale, sweat dripping down as if every bit of pride he once had was suddenly drained out of his body.“Ma… Max… please forgive me… I… I did not know…” his voice cracked, barely coming out.But Max only stood calmly. Not angry. Not offended. What made it terrifying was actually his lack of reaction.The air around them pulsed softly, the remaining black aura still hanging like a thick fog that refused to leave.Zoza and Frans stood a little behind Max. They said nothing. They knew that anyone who tried to interfere would only make things worse.Mr. Mah stayed bowed, almost pressing his forehead to the ground.“In the past… we only heard rumors… This house was always guarded by many of Zoza’s men… we thought your mother worked with shamans or used dark magic… please, forgive us…”Max looked at the man as

Max looked at the grandmasters without fear, as if the angry shouts, the pressure of their aura, and the disbelief in the air had no effect on him at all.“I am not lying,” he said at last, his voice calm, steady, and almost too cold for someone his age. “I came here to warn you. Your greatest enemy, the greatest enemy of the entire martial world… the demonic cults have already spread across the cities.”Those words fell into the crowd like a blade of steel.A long silence returned to the mountain peak.The grandmasters looked at one another, and the mocking expressions on their faces slowly faded. Some frowned, some looked at Max as if seeing a bad omen from the sky, and some seemed choked by the fear they tried to hide.These level seven grandmasters were not ordinary fighters. They were the last remnants of the old generation who had watched the martial world almost fall many times. They knew what it meant when the demonic cults moved.They knew very well who their greatest enemy

Takeshi stepped forward with calm but commanding movements. The tip of his robe fluttered as he rotated his wrist, releasing a burst of aura that made the air around them tremble. He lowered his body a little, feet spread wide, both hands forming a fighting stance that he had trained for more than fifty years. The pressure from his body spread like waves, making the dust around the rocky platform spin slowly.In the distance, the other grandmasters cheered with confidence. “Senior Takeshi will win!” “That young man will regret it!”But Max only stood straight. Calm. Not taking any stance at all. One of his hands was even resting in his pocket, as if a life and death duel in front of martial arts legends was only a small practice that he did not need to think about.Max’s eyes were focused and calculating. He controlled his breathing. He held his inner power. He restrained the force flowing through his meridians so it would not rise too fast.“Do not go too hard,” Max whispered