2026-08-05 12:51:01The wooden door groaned one last time before its top hinge snapped, leaving a gap wide enough for the cold night air to rush in. Three scruffy men with fierce faces stood at the threshold. In the middle, a stocky man with a scorpion tattoo on his neck peered inside with a sneer.
He was Reno, a loan shark who terrorized small shop owners in Crescent Alley.
"Heh, you're still breathing, Arkhan," Reno rasped, his breath reeking of cheap booze and heavy smoke.
"Thought your rotten heart finally gave out. I was ready to call a gravedigger."
Arkhan stayed silent behind his practice desk, leaning his left hand on the edge to hide his trembling legs. His dull eyes locked onto Reno with an unnatural calm—the kind reserved for predators, not prey.
"Hey! You deaf?" yelled a skinny thug with blonde hair, stepping in and kicking a plastic chair across the room.
"Boss Reno's asking for this week's cut. Your debt's piling up!"
Arkhan slowly raised his head.
"Debt?" he whispered.
The previous owner's memories flashed in his head. The principal debt was only ten million rupiahs for last year's hospital bills. These thugs jacked it up to fifty million with absurd compound interest—an impossible amount for a starving young man.
"Three days," Arkhan suddenly spoke up.
Reno frowned. "What? Three days for what?"
"Come back in three days," Arkhan said, his raspy voice steadying.
"I will pay everything, including your fake interest. Now get out. You're dirtying my air."
Silence hung over the shop before the three men burst out laughing. Reno laughed so hard his potbelly shook.
"You hear that?" Reno turned to his men.
"This beggar doctor tells us to get out? Promises to pay in three days? With what? Selling your rotten kidney?"
Reno stopped laughing, his face turning cold and ruthless. He stepped forward and grabbed Arkhan's loose collar.
"Listen up, kid. I don't care about three days. Pay up tonight, or this shop is mine. I'll break your legs too, just so you're a real drain on the world."
Arkhan felt the rough pull on his collar. Physical and emotional stress made his heart ache, but an ancient power stirred beneath the pain. The old sewing needle sat ready between his fingers.
"I gave you a choice," Arkhan whispered right in Reno's face.
"Choice? What choice?!" Reno raised his fist, aiming for Arkhan's pale face.
The punch never landed.
Lightning fast, Arkhan's right hand struck. The needle poked a small point right under Reno's armpit—the spot where Arkhan routed his last drop of soul essence.
Zhap!
Reno froze. His eyes bulged, and his arm dropped like a wet rag.
"Boss? Boss Reno, what's wrong?" the blonde thug stammered, watching his boss freeze with his arm half-raised.
Reno opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Total paralysis surged through the right side of his body like a lightning strike. He couldn't twitch a finger as cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Arkhan effortlessly peeled Reno's limp fingers off his shirt. He stepped back, catching his breath after burning precious energy in this weak frame.
"What did you do to the Boss?!" the other thug, a muscular guy, charged forward in a rage.
Arkhan didn't dodge. As the guy threw a punch, Arkhan slipped to the side and pressed two fingers behind the man's ear.
Pluck.
The heavy thug collapsed, eyes rolling back as he convulsed, foaming at the mouth.
"Damn it! You using black magic?!" the blonde guy screamed in terror.
He pulled a switchblade, his hand shaking uncontrollably. He had never seen anyone drop a two-hundred-pound man with a mere touch.
Arkhan fixed him with a icy stare that left no room for negotiation.
"If your twitching friend doesn't get pressure on his pulse point in ten seconds, his brain nerves will fry. He'll be a vegetable for life."
The blonde thug swallowed hard, his courage completely gone. "P-please... fix him! I... I've got nothing to do with this!"
"Get them out," Arkhan ordered. "And remember my words. Three days. Tell your frozen boss if he steps foot here before then, I'll make sure he never moves again."
Arkhan then snapped his fingers right in front of Reno's eyes.
Snap!
The paralysis lifted instantly, but a wave of agonizing pain shot down Reno's spine. He collapsed onto the cold floor, gasping like a fish out of water, staring at Arkhan in pure terror. It felt like standing before a reaper in a sick man's skin.
"Get out," Arkhan said softly, every word heavy with command.
Reno didn't dare argue. Helped by the blonde thug, they dragged their twitching friend out into the night, their hurried footsteps fading down Crescent Alley.
Once quiet returned, Arkhan's legs gave out. He slid down against the desk leg, his heart pounding so hard his ears rang.
Cough! HACK!
Dark blood splattered across the floor again, heavier this time. Using even a drop of soul energy had torn the fragile vessels in his chest.
"Absolute trash..." Arkhan smiled bitterly, wiping blood from his chin. "Taking down two roaches almost killed me again."
He closed his eyes to calm his circulation. He knew the three-day deadline wasn't a bluff. He needed to find basic herbs to strengthen his meridians fast, or the next fight would be his last.
In the quiet night, Arkhan stared at the broken needle in his hand.
"The era has changed, but human pressure points haven't in thousands of years. As long as I have a needle, no one touches me."
Yet behind his confidence, one reality remained clear: buying herbs required money. And in this modern world, money ruled right below power.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 011
“Lord Arkhan, please—” Luna’s voice was cut off by a sharp mechanical sound. BANG! A .45-caliber bullet tore through the quiet dawn, aimed directly at Luna’s head. She didn’t even have time to blink. For a brief moment, the world seemed to slow down, and death felt like a cold breeze brushing past her ear. But before the burning projectile could touch a single strand of her hair, a hand moved faster than the human eye could follow. CLING! Metal struck metal. Luna felt a powerful pull on her shoulder. Her petite body collided with Arkhan’s broad, rock-hard chest as he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her behind him. His other hand remained raised in front of them. Luna gasped, her heart pounding violently. She looked up and froze. Between Arkhan’s index and middle fingers was the smoking bullet. “L-Lord Arkhan… you caught it?” she whispered in disbelief. Arkhan said nothing. His cold eyes remained fixed on the limousine. He released the bullet, letting it fall
Chapter 010
The night in Crescent Alley felt colder than usual, as though the universe held its breath to witness the monumental transition about to unfold.Arkhan stepped into his shophouse with a steady pace, though his breathing remained slightly heavy. The metallic stench of blood from the docks lingered on his black suit, yet his eyes held a singular focus: the old wooden table at the center of the room, now serving as the altar for his new destiny.He laid down the silk package with utmost care. Inside, the Blood Dew Flower glowed with a crimson hue, pulsing almost like a human heartbeat.Beside it, the jet-black Dragon's Breath Root and the pure white Snow Ginseng waited to be fused. Three core ingredients deemed useless trash or mere myth in the modern world, yet in Arkhan's hands, they were the key to immortality."Fifteen hundred years I have awaited this chance," Arkhan whispered, his voice echoing in the quiet room."This fragile vessel will no longer be a prison for my soul."Arkhan
Chapter 009
Pier 7 shook. Under the flickering dim mercury lights, Arkhan stood face-to-face with the black-robed man bearing the fang tattoo on his neck. The man—Zarkos, an elite executioner for the Black Fang syndicate—glared at Arkhan with deep hatred. In his hand, the wooden box holding the Blood Dew Flower began to spark with flames."You think your marble-flicking can stop me?" Zarkos spat to the side. He released dark energy from his body, a forbidden breathing technique that swelled the muscles in his arms to twice their size."This flower will turn to ash, just like your life!"Zarkos lunged. His green dagger sliced through the air with near-invisible speed.Arkhan did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward into Zarkos's strike zone. With fluid efficiency, Arkhan twisted his wrist, catching Zarkos's arm and snapping it in the opposite direction.CRACK!The sound of shattering bone echoed above the crashing waves. Zarkos roared, but before he could scream louder, Arkhan's palm slammed i
Chapter 008
The sea wind blew fiercely, carrying the salty stench of brine and a thick, pungent smell of diesel fuel. Metropolis Port at night was a giant iron labyrinth built from stacked, colorful shipping containers towering like spires.Under flickering mercury lights, Pier 7 resembled a silent warzone. Yellow police tape stretched across Warehouse 14, but to Arkhan, the plastic ribbon was nothing more than decoration.Arkhan moved through the shadows. His expensive black suit—purchased just hours ago—blended seamlessly into the dark of night. His footsteps made no sound, as if his body weight was manipulated by the energy surging through his meridians."Ten minutes to ten," Arkhan whispered, glancing at his watch."I must secure that Blood Dew Flower before the flames of destruction touch it."He stood atop a stack of wooden pallets, scanning the scene. Yet the night's stillness shattered violently.RATATATATATA!A burst of automatic gunfire tore through the quiet. Muzzle flashes sparked aga
Chapter 007
Arkhan's footsteps, now clad in premium leather shoes, no longer made the scraping sounds they had before. Behind the heavy sandalwood door, the atmosphere of Griya Atsiri felt entirely different from the noise of the mall outside. Here, the air was filled with fragrant particles of rare medicinal plants—ranging from the soothing scent of agarwood to the sharp aroma of mountain spices.The space was vast, lit by warm yellow lighting that highlighted bulletproof glass display cases. At the center of the room, a small crowd of formally dressed people gathered around the main display. Inside, a fresh fifty-year-old snow ginseng with long fibrous roots rested upon a red silk pillow."A fifty-year-old Snow Ginseng! Look at the sheen on its skin. This is a miracle of nature that could extend someone's life by ten years!" exclaimed a slick-haired blonde young man, Brandon. He was the son of a prominent pharmaceutical tycoon, and beside him stood an old man wearing thick glasses and a pristin
Chapter 006
That morning, Crescent Alley remained cloaked in thin mist and the distinct stench of the wet market, yet inside shophouse number 44, the atmosphere had transformed entirely. Arkhan stood before a cracked mirror above the sink, staring at his reflection. His hair was black with a faint reddish sheen—a residual trace of ancient energy beginning to fuse with his body's cells. His shirt was threadbare, faded into a yellowish-brown, and his trousers bore several patches at the knees."The world today is a shallow stage," Arkhan muttered in a low baritone. "They will not listen to a sage if he dresses like a beggar."Arkhan reached into his pocket and pulled out an object that starkly contrasted with his surroundings: the Wijaya Family Black Card. Cold, heavy, and trimmed with gold, it symbolized boundless power.To him, it was merely a piece of plastic, but to the outside world, it was the key to the gates of heaven.He stepped outside, locked the creaking wooden door, and walked toward t
You may also like
Welcome back Transmigrator
MaryahLu21.0K viewsThe Matriarch
Remnis Luz15.3K viewsSon Of The Universe
Evanscapenovel164.1K viewsThe Royal Highness
Flower Spirit46.7K viewsRebirth of The Strongest Swordsman
King Cume339 viewsDao Of Nihility: Possessor Of The Nameless Scripture
Dream_Weaver501 viewsDead Man's Winter: Jacob Reed
Lucien7 viewsReborn With the God-Tier Spirit Beast System
omolaayo194 views