The stale odor of the damp, thin foam mattress instantly stung Adrian's nose. The shrill, screeching noise of motorcycle exhaust outside his narrow window sounded overwhelmingly close, piercing his eardrums.Adrian jerked up from his position, gasping greedily for air as if his lungs had just been hauled back from the abyss of death.His chest rose and fell wildly, cold sweat soaking his entire temples and back. He felt his own chest—there was no gaping hole from a magical sword slash, no burning sensation from the mercenary's residual magic energy, and most importantly: his heart was beating fast, alive, and thundering with rage.His eyes scanned wildly around. The walls of the three-by-three-meter boarding room looked dull, with white paint peeling off the corners.A rickety wooden desk where he used to compile escort reports stood beside a cheap plastic wardrobe. On top of that desk, a phone screen glowed brightly, displaying a date that made his blood freeze instantly: November 10

Fresh blood spattered across the white marble floor of the Vance Tower's main lobby still reflected the brilliant glow of the grand crystal chandelier.The fishy metallic scent lingered thinly in the air, creating a silence far denser than the night of death in the abandoned building.Dozens of pairs of employee and security staff eyes froze, staring blankly at a sight entirely unimaginable in the history of the great Vance family corporation.Julian Vance, the sole heir known for being arrogant, cruel, and untouchable, now lay crumpled weakly on the floor. His breathing was irregular and ragged, while his chin was stained with blood he had just vomited out due to the impact of the invisible aura from a low-ranking bodyguard.The burning pain in his chest mingled with an overwhelming sense of humiliation. Before his very subordinates, Julian's pride was trampled upon without mercy.Adrian stood towering before him. There was no trace of submissiveness, no hunched posture he had previo

The desolating night wind carried the dense scent of soot and street dust across the eastern sector of the city. The narrow alleys usually filled with the laughter of neighboring children had now turned into a grim, silent graveyard.The street lamps flickered weakly, as if shivering at the sight of the convoy of black armored vehicles blocking every access point in and out of the densely populated residential area.The cleanup operation that night moved without mercy. Elite mercenary squads from the Vance family's special division spread rapidly to every corner of the residents' homes.The wooden doors of the shanties were forcefully broken down, dragging out innocent people who could only scream in terror within the darkness.In the eyes of the elite tower masters, the mortals in this slum district were nothing more than mere commodities—statistical figures ready to be sacrificed to harvest system points and maintain their dominance of power.Amidst the chaos, a small rented house m

The night breeze swept through the quiet corners of the city, carrying along the scent of damp earth mixed with the lingering smell of gunpowder radiating in the air.Inside an old, abandoned warehouse located behind the ruins of a derelict textile factory, the atmosphere felt much calmer, though tension still hung thickly in every corner of the room.The glow of a makeshift emergency chandelier hung casually, casting long shadows against the mossy concrete walls.Adrian stood near the worn window, monitoring the outside through the gaps of the rusted iron blinds. On an old folding cot in the corner of the room, Marcus lay with a now-steady breath.Beside him, Maya sat kneeling while tightly holding her older brother's hand, her eyes still holding remnants of tears and fear from what they had endured hours ago.Minutes earlier, Adrian had accessed the God Skill Shop via his system interface, which had experienced an error loop. Without spending a single point or contribution coin—than

The low-pitched emergency siren wailed, shattering the silence of the night around the abandoned psychiatric hospital in the northwest district.Searchlights spun rapidly from various angles, casting sharp beams toward the main courtyard, reflecting the long shadow of Adrian's figure as he continued walking forward without hesitation.Behind the third-floor glass walls, hundreds of elite Vance corporation mercenary soldiers stood in neat rows with assault rifles cocked perfectly, locking onto the sole target down below in their lethal sights.To anyone, that sight was the literal definition of a mass grave.Inside the third-floor main room, Madam Valeria stood tall beside Dr. Elena's bound chair. Her deep purple-hooded cloak fluttered softly in the night wind sneaking through the old window.The middle-aged woman flashed a wide smile, revealing her horrifying yellow teeth. Before her, a black crystal orb artifact floated in the air, emitting waves of bluish light shrouding the entire