The boy’s expression hardened as he stood beside Drax’s table, one hand holding the bill while the other rested against his hip. He had clearly lost whatever patience he had left for the strange man who had walked into the restaurant, ordered enough food to feed an entire family, and then proceeded to eat almost everything on the menu without once asking how much it would cost. Around them, several customers had already started watching the situation with poorly concealed amusement, while Drax sat there pretending not to notice any of them. “Mister, don’t mess with me,” the boy warned, tapping the bill against the table. “I don’t have time for this. There are other customers waiting.”Drax swallowed the last piece of food in his mouth and slowly looked up at him. He wasn’t worried yet. There had to be a solution to this. He had survived wars, fought monsters, and spent years working alongside some of the most dangerous people in Karethwyn. Surely he could figure out how to pay for a m

The restaurant owner slowly emerged from behind the counter. She was a woman in her late forties, perhaps around fifty, with tired eyes and a face that carried the exhaustion of someone who had spent years surviving in a place where survival itself was an achievement. Her clothes were simple and worn, and there was flour dusted across one side of her apron. Despite the fear in the room, she looked at the men with obvious irritation.“I already paid yesterday.”The three men looked at one another before the man in the leather vest laughed. “You did?”“Yes.”“Who did you pay?”“Your leader.”The laughter stopped.The first man tilted his head. “Our leader?”“Yes. He came here yesterday. I paid him the weekly protection fee.”The man looked at his companions, but neither of them appeared to know what she was talking about. He turned back toward her with a confused expression. “He didn’t tell us.”The woman frowned. “That isn’t my problem.”A few customers quietly glanced at her, clearly

The gang member looked him up and down, clearly trying to figure out what kind of idiot would willingly interfere in a situation like this. Drax’s cheap clothes, messy hair, and small bag hanging from his shoulder did nothing to suggest that he was dangerous. If anything, he looked like a broke traveler who had somehow wandered into the wrong neighborhood and was now about to regret it.The gang member laughed. “So you’re a wanderer.”“That’s right.”“And you think you can interfere with our business?”Drax looked around the restaurant before his eyes settled on the terrified boy. He then glanced at the woman lying on the floor, her face bruised and tears running down her cheeks, before looking at the fork still clutched in the gang member’s hand. Drax slowly shook his head.“You’re not running a business.”The gang member’s expression darkened. “What?”“You’re just a bunch of losers beating up a woman and threatening a kid because you can’t collect your protection money without actin

Null City had been hell for as long as anyone could remember. Generations had grown up beneath the shadow of gangs and criminal organizations, learning from childhood that the laws written in the capital meant very little within these streets. Officially, Null City was still part of Karethwyn, governed by the same authorities as every other region, but in reality, the government might as well have been a distant rumor. Police rarely ventured into the deeper districts, government officials avoided certain neighborhoods entirely, and whenever authorities attempted to establish control, the criminal organizations simply waited until they left before returning to business as usual. Entire streets belonged to different gangs, marked by graffiti, colors, symbols, and whispered names that ordinary citizens learned to recognize if they wanted to survive. One of the most profitable tricks these organizations had perfected was creating the very chaos they claimed to protect people from. A gang

The three exchanged confused glances.“What?”“The Red-Ledger.”The moment Drax mentioned the name, their expressions changed. It was subtle, but Drax noticed immediately. His eyes narrowed slightly. Interesting.“You know them?”The man with the injured shoulder immediately shook his head. “No.”Drax’s gaze hardened. “Don’t lie to me.”“We don’t know anything about them!”Drax took a step forward, causing the man to instinctively back away. “I swear! We don’t know anything!”Drax studied him for several seconds before sighing. “Fine. Then tell me where I can find them.”“We don’t know!”“You’re a gang operating in this city. You must know something.”“We don’t!”Drax’s patience finally disappeared. He moved forward so quickly that the injured man barely had time to react before Drax grabbed him by the throat and lifted him completely off the ground. The man’s feet kicked helplessly in the air as Drax stared directly into his terrified eyes.“Talk.”“I—I don’t know!”Drax’s grip tight