World of the Apocalypse: Kane’s Evolution System

Chapter 9 Duke

Late night inside Compound No. 88.

Cruz clung to the windowsill the whole time, staring fixedly at Raven’s room, eagerly waiting for the woman he fancied to come back. Inside the flat, Kane tidied up the dusty rental house. He called out several times before dragging the slacking Cruz over to help.

Cruz slacked off and half-heartedly lent a hand, grumbling nonstop. He thought of himself as the deputy team leader and refused to do menial chores. In the end, he was bribed with a late-night snack and reluctantly pitched in with odd jobs. They worked until nightfall, yet Raven never showed up. Too worn out to cook properly, Kane simply made instant noodles with ham sausages for dinner, drawing a stream of complaints from Cruz.

After eating, Cruz refused to leave and insisted on staying the night. The cramped single room only held a 1.5-metre bed with one set of bedding, making it extremely awkward for the two to squeeze together.

They turned off the lights and lay down. Cruz had no sense of propriety, spouting nonsensical jokes left and right, sprawling wildly in his sleep and constantly bumping into Kane.

Kane grew utterly uncomfortable and repeatedly snapped at him to behave and keep his clothes on, the atmosphere painfully awkward. Just as they tussled with each other, a knock suddenly came at the door.

“Kane, it’s me, Raven. I just got off overtime. The compound’s water supply is cut off—could I borrow some hot water?”

Kane hurriedly threw on some clothes and rushed to open the door. The night air was frigid; Raven’s cheeks were flushed red from the cold as she stood politely waiting outside. Inside the room, Cruz scrambled upright, fumbling frantically to pull his trousers on, creating total chaos.

Raven caught sight of the messy scene through the window. Staring at the two dishevelled men, her eyes widened in shock, her voice hesitant. “You… you have your partner here?”

Kane froze on the spot holding the kettle, unable to explain himself no matter what he said.

Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows outside the compound, a silent motorcycle pulled up quietly. Two men stared at the courtyard gate and spoke in hushed tones. Having confirmed Kane lived here, they agreed to lie in wait on-site, planning to strike once he stepped out alone. They then rode off and vanished into the dark night.

The next morning.

Cruz was summoned back to the precinct early for an urgent mission. Kane had only just gotten up to wash when Raven arrived with a hot meal, a special thank-you for the hot water he’d lent her the night before.

They exchanged brief pleasantries and said goodbye before Raven hurried off to handle field work. On her way, she joked with her colleagues, fully convinced Kane was gay. The chaotic scene inside his place the night before had left her completely misunderstood, and she kept sighing that he had such a handsome look.

Kane knew nothing of this misunderstanding. After finishing his breakfast, he walked to the precinct. Sector Novara suffered from poor infrastructure with no public transport available. Electric vehicles cost a fortune, so ordinary beat cops had no choice but to commute on foot. Frugal by nature, Kane saved every penny and never splashed money on unnecessary things.

As he was about to turn into a small shop to buy supplies, two burly men suddenly cut him off from both sides, blocking his path completely. Instantly on high alert, Kane instinctively reached for his waist—he hadn’t brought his service weapon that day. Pretending to grip a gun for defense, he slowly stepped backward.

“Easy now, we just wanna talk.” The lead brute lifted the hem of his jacket to reveal a handgun tucked at his waist, issuing an open threat.

Kane quickly ran through recent conflicts in his head and ruled out internal squad friction. He figured these men had come for the two drug dealers arrested on Dirt Slum Street. After weighing his options, he agreed to follow them into a quiet alley.

Deep inside the alley, four tough men surrounded him on all sides. An elderly man sat in an electric off-road vehicle without stepping out.

Clad in a thick leather coat and fuzzy wool cap, the old man was covered in road dust, looking plain and rough yet radiating an intimidating aura. He reminded Kane of the violent outlaw Matsuda for no clear reason, putting him sharply on guard.

Old Man Duke spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. “You arrested Pierce and Blade?”

Kane nodded calmly, keeping his posture submissive on purpose to show weakness. “I was only following orders. I’m new to Novara and hold a low rank. I only cracked the case by sheer luck, which got me a temporary promotion.”

Old Man Duke lit a cigarette, his words cutting through the swirling smoke to state his demand outright. “Do me a favor and let those men go. You won’t walk away empty-handed.”

Right after he finished speaking, one of the henchmen pulled out a stack of twenty thousand US dollars and held it out, his tone icy with menace. “Take the money and cooperate. Either take the cash, or take a bullet.”

Cold sweat beaded across Kane’s forehead. He knew these men killed without hesitation and were far from harmless. He forced an ingratiating smile onto his face and spoke earnestly to turn them down.

“Sir, I truly wish to grant you this favor. But the suspects have already been booked and detained, with a complete chain of evidence. This case is personally overseen by the district chief.

If I, a rookie, release them without authority, I’ll ruin my own career, defy my superiors, and cut off any chance I have to make a living in this sector. I’ve scraped by at the bottom for over a decade—I dare not take such a gamble.”

This tactful yet firm refusal enraged the men completely.

“You’re biting the hand that feeds you!”

The brute on his right lunged forward in an instant, drawing a Nepalese kukri. The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle as he swung it hard toward the back of Kane’s head.

The second the knife cut through the wind, Kane twisted sideways and raised his arm to block the blow.

A dull thud echoed. The knife-wielding henchman was shoved stumbling two steps back, his palm stinging from the recoil. Shock flooded his face; he had never expected this seemingly docile rookie cop to possess such formidable fighting skill.

Drenched in sweat, Kane kept his posture utterly deferential and hastened to back down verbally.

Covered in cold sweat, Kane kept his posture utterly subservient and quickly backed down verbally. “Brother, there’s no need to fight to the bitter end. Sector Seven is rife with powerful players pulling strings behind the scenes. I’m just a low-ranking beat cop with no authority to call the shots.”

He turned his gaze to Old Man Duke in the vehicle, his tone earnest.

“Sir, headquarters set a strict deadline for this investigation. Superintendent Cole leads the task, and Captain Wade issued the direct orders. I only carry out errands on command—I have absolutely no authority to release the detainees.”

This straightforward evasion left all the henchmen stunned. None had anticipated Kane would refuse to claim any responsibility, readily naming every high-ranking superior to completely distance himself from the matter.

Kane pressed his advantage and added, “If you can pull strings with upper management to delay the investigation, I can alter the evidence records and close the case by releasing the men at any time.”

Old Man Duke fixed his eyes on him, a flicker of amusement crossing his gaze.

“You’re a sharp one.”

“I only seek to survive and earn a humble living,” Kane said, pressing his palms together in a gesture of deep deference.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Old Man Duke raised a hand to signal his men to stand down.

The brute was still seething with resentment and stood blocking the path with his knife raised, only to be silenced once more by the old man’s deep, stern voice. The men finally stepped aside to clear a way through.

Kane seized the chance to offer a conciliatory olive branch. “Rest assured, sir. Your men are in my custody, and I’ll see they’re treated fairly without any unfair mistreatment.”

Old Man Duke replied with a faint nod, and Kane turned to hurry out of the alley.

Once Kane was far enough away, the henchman beside the old man could not hold back his words. “That kid’s spineless. Looks like he really doesn’t have any say in the matter.”

Old Man Duke lit a cigarette and slowly shook his head. “He’s not weak—he’s far too cunning.”

“An ordinary man would’ve been terrified out of his wits facing this scene. He deliberately cut all ties, making it clear this anti-drug operation originates with Wade and Cole, not him. He has no intention of taking the fall for his superiors.”

The brute instantly caught on. “So Wade promoted him mostly just to have a disposable pawn to do the grunt work?”

“Exactly.” Old Man Duke’s eyes darkened with depth. “New batches of narcotics have flooded the market out of nowhere lately, with outside gangs muscling in on territory. This sudden official drug crackdown isn’t targeting us specifically; it’s a crackdown sparked by gang rivalries. Getting to Kane won’t solve anything. We first need to figure out what the higher-ups are really after before we can get our men released.”

Meanwhile, Kane sprinted all the way back to the precinct.

He saw everything crystal clear: he would never take the fall for anyone. Wade had ordered the operation, so all risks and backlash should rest on upper management. All he wanted was to settle down safely, and he would never bear the brunt of the underworld’s grudges for his superiors.

He found Wade and recounted every detail of the confrontation in the alley and the pressure Old Man Duke had put on him.

Wade’s expression turned grave after hearing the story, his tone unusually loyal. “These people have deep roots and are dangerous to cross. Keep your guard up and prioritize your safety. I’ll shoulder all the fallout from here on out. I’ll spread word immediately that I am fully in charge of this anti-drug raid, and all grievances should be directed at me alone—none of this concerns you frontline officers.”

His words temporarily eased Kane’s doubts and fully put his wariness at rest.