Adrian chuckled as he pulled the vehicle out into the street. "I think you just might, kid."Vanessa sat in the plush leather seat, the silence of the luxury cabin making her feel like she was in a dream. Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer. "Michael... who the hell are you? I’ve worked with you for months. You’re a janitor. You clean floors. Why did a world-renowned legend prostrate himself before you? Why did he call you 'Master'?"Adrian kept his eyes on the road, his hands steady on the wheel. "There’s a lot you don't know about me, Vanessa. It will all make sense one day, I promise. For now, let’s just say Aldric and I go way back. He’s an old friend who owes me a few favors.""An old friend who rips out his own fingernails because he was two minutes late?" Vanessa muttered, though she didn't push further. She was exhausted, and for the first time in weeks, her son was breathing easily beside her.They eventually pulled up to Vanessa’s home, a small, modest bungalow on th

The giant metal bucket of the tractor rose into the air like the jaw of a monster. It began to descend, a shadow falling over Vanessa and her son. She braced for the impact, but it never came.She opened her eyes to see a figure standing over her. It was Michael. He wasn't running. He wasn't hiding. He was standing with his feet planted in the dirt, his arms raised high, his bare hands stopping the massive steel bucket of the tractor mid-air."Michael..." she breathed, her heart stopping."Hey, you!" Frederick screamed, his eyes bulging. "Who the hell are you? You have a death wish? Get out of there, or I'll crush you along with them!"Adrian didn't say a word. His eyes were cold, glowing with a dangerous, quiet fire."Crush him!" Frederick screamed at the operator. "Crush them all! I’ll triple your money!"The worker’s eyes shone with greed. He slammed the gear into the highest setting. The tractor’s metal tires began to roll aggressively, digging deep into the soil. Black smoke erup

The next two thugs approached from the sides, each carrying heavy chains. Adrian caught the chains mid-air, wrapping them around his fists. He jerked his arms inward, bringing the two men colliding into each other with a bone-crunching crack. As they fell, Adrian delivered two lightning-fast kicks. The sound of their shins shattering echoed through the yard like gunshots.It wasn't a fight. It was a merciless slaughter.Adrian moved like a ghost amidst the storm. A lead pipe swung toward his head; he caught it, bent it into a U-shape around the attacker’s neck, and shoved the man into the dirt.Another thug tried to stab him with a jagged piece of metal; Adrian deflected the strike, grabbed the man’s arm, and snapped it at the elbow as easily as if it were a toothpick.Blood began to spray across the white walls of the bungalow. The so-called "cleaner" was a whirlwind of violence. Every strike resulted in a broken limb or a collapsed organ. One man was punched so hard in the gut that

Frederick stood tall now, his broken ribs seemingly forgotten as the dark energy from the ring surged through his veins. "Do you see it now?" Frederick let out a hollow laugh. "You think you can just come here, challenge me on my turf, and walk away? You have no idea the power you’ve messed with, you miserable janitor!"Adrian’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. The air around him began to hum, a low vibration that made the pebbles on the ground vibrate. "You were the one," Adrian whispered, his voice dangerously calm. "You were the one who put that boy in the hospital. I felt this same filth in his lungs. You poisoned a child."Vanessa’s breath hitched. She looked from Adrian’s cold, hard face to the monstrous figure of her landlord. "Frederick?" she gasped, her voice trembling. "What is he talking about? My son... You did that to Victor?"Frederick no longer tried to hide it. He threw his head back and let out a jagged, manic laugh. "Yes! And I was the one who ki

Adrian reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, the screen glowing brightly in the darkening yard. He didn't look at Frederick; he looked at Vanessa. "As of an hour ago," Adrian stated firmly, "the deed was transferred. The Rhein Group, the largest conglomerate in the hemisphere has purchased this entire block and the surrounding territory. And they didn't just buy it for themselves." Adrian turned the phone screen toward Frederick. It showed a digital legal document, stamped with the golden seal of the High Court and the signature of the city’s Chief Registrar. "The Rhein Group has officially placed this land in the name of Vanessa Gale," Adrian said, his voice ringing with a cold authority. "You aren't standing on your turf, Frederick. You are trespassing on her property." Frederick’s face went from grey to a sickly, pale white. His hand began to shake. "That’s impossible... No one has that kind of power! No one can move that fast!" Frederick’s world was crumbling faste