“Alright, enough of that. Take the car and go.”
“…Y-You’re letting me go?” Ethan’s breath hitched as he stared at the key, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Alex shrugged, turning to glance at the dark road winding down the mountainside. “What? You don’t want it? I can always take it back—”
“No, no!” Ethan scrambled forward, snatching up the key with trembling fingers. His eyes shone with a flicker of hope as he clutched the metal tightly against his chest. “Thank you… Thank you, Alex! I swear, you won’t regret this!”
Fueled by adrenaline and desperation, Ethan stumbled toward the black Car parked nearby. His vision blurred from blood loss, but the promise of escape gave him the strength to push forward. He collapsed into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands.
‘I made it… I’m going to live!’
The engine roared to life, headlights slicing through the darkness as Ethan pressed down on the gas pedal. The tires kicked up gravel as the car sped down the winding mountain road, disappearing into the night.
Alex stepped closer to the edge of the overlook, watching the red taillights vanish around a curve. He lit another cigarette, the faint glow illuminating his smirk.
“Even with all the luck in the world… I doubt you can drive down a mountain with no brakes.”
As if on Waiting for it—
SCREEEEECH!
The distant sound of tires skidding on asphalt echoed through the night, followed by the harsh crunch of metal scraping against rock. Then—
CRASH!
The car broke through the guardrail, tumbling down the steep mountainside in a cascade of twisted metal and shattered glass.
Sparks and debris scattered through the air as the car rolled over and over before finally coming to a crumpled stop at the bottom of the road.
Alex exhaled a slow breath of smoke, peering down at the wreckage far below.
“…No way he’s getting up from that.”
The car was barely recognizable, its frame crushed inward from the repeated impacts. Flames licked at the twisted wreckage, illuminating the shattered windshield and warped metal.
Alex was about to turn away when—
SCRAPE…
A faint sound echoed from the wreckage. Then—
THUD!
The crumpled driver’s side door was shoved open with a metallic groan.
“What the—?!”
Alex’s Lighter slipped from his fingers as his eyes widened.
Through the smoke and flames, a battered figure slowly dragged itself from the wreckage. Blood soaked Ethan’s torn clothing, his face smeared with soot and grime.
His left arm hung limp at his side, broken from the impact, while his right hand clawed against the ground, pulling him forward inch by inch.
His breath rasped through cracked ribs, and fresh wounds bled freely from where shards of glass had pierced his flesh.
Yet somehow… He was still alive.
“…You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Alex whispered under his breath, unable to tear his eyes away from the impossible sight.
“Gunshot wounds… shrapnel… stab wounds… a car crash off a cliff…” Alex listed each injury aloud, shaking his head in disbelief. “How the hell is he still breathing?!”
Even a man with the strongest luck shouldn’t have survived this much punishment. Yet Ethan, crawling on hands and knees through the dirt and glass, refused to die like a damn cockroach.
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
‘…But it doesn’t matter. I came prepared for this.’
Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a sleek black phone and unlocked the screen. A single app was already open, displaying a countdown timer linked to the car’s hidden payload, a remote-detonated explosive he’d installed as a last resort.
3:00… 2:59… 2:58…
He hadn’t expected to use it, but after everything that had happened tonight, he wasn’t about to leave anything to chance.
“…Sorry, Ethan.” Alex’s thumb hovered over the detonate button. “But even your luck has to run out sometime.”
At the bottom of the road, Ethan Carter dragged himself from the mangled wreckage of the car, every breath rattling in his shattered chest.
Blood soaked through his torn clothes, but against all odds, he was still alive. His gaze lifted toward the mountaintop, where a faint silhouette stood against the night sky. Despite his agony, a smile crept across Ethan’s battered face.
“Heh… heh… Alex you bastard…” His voice was hoarse, but the defiance in his eyes burned bright. “Did you really think… this would be enough to kill me? I’m still standing… I survived!”
His ragged laughter echoed through the ravine, strained but triumphant.
“Try all you want—you’ll never—”
RING! RING!
A sharp, metallic ringtone pierced the air, cutting Ethan’s laughter short. His eyes darted toward the wreckage behind him—where a faint blue light flickered from within the car.
“…No… No, no, no!”
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shattered the night as flames erupted from the car, engulfing Ethan in a fiery inferno. The shockwave rolled through the Road, shaking the ground beneath Alex’s feet.
From the mountaintop, Alex shielded his eyes against the burst of light. Smoke and fire billowed into the air, casting flickering shadows across the jagged rocks below. The distant echoes of Ethan’s final, desperate scream faded into silence.
And then—
[DING!]
A crisp, resonant chime echoed within Alex’s mind, clear as a bell in the still air.
[Congratulations!]
[Objective Complete!]
[Target: ‘Child of Destiny’ — Successfully Eliminated]
[Reward Unlocked:
-Future Information: A new ‘Child of Destiny’ will emerge shortly. Their actions will soon begin to unfold. Stay alert and maintain vigilance.]
[System Update: A new system option will be unlocked soon in the future.]
[Access will be granted once initialization is complete.]
[System Process: Analyzing current worldlines…]
[System Process: Monitoring potential ‘Child of Destiny’…]
[Advisory Notice: Continuous Observation Protocol Activated]
[Stay prepared. Future events may impact your mission trajectory.]
Alex exhaled slowly, releasing the tension of the current protagonist being eliminated from his shoulders as he took fresh air into his lungs and then breathed it out.
“Damn… Killing a Child of Destiny isn’t easy, even after draining so much of his luck.” He chuckled under his breath. “Good thing I had a backup plan.”
“And there will be another protagonist soon. Huh!!!”
Sirens wailed in the distance as emergency vehicles approached the scene. The city authorities would arrive soon. Alex adjusted his coat, already preparing the airtight alibi he’d carefully arranged.
….
Sure enough, after a brief questioning session at the city’s Police Deoartment, Alex was released without issue.
His status, combined with solid evidence proving he’d been nowhere near the crash site, ensured the matter was quickly closed.
Stepping out of the Bureau’s glass doors, Alex adjusted his cufflinks and took a breath of the crisp night air…
‘Now let’s wait for Another pig that will be slaughtered.’
…
Bonus Chapters on: 500, 1000, 1500 Power Stones.
…
(A/N: Soon! Some Golden tickets guys!!!)
Don’t forget to add this novel to your library and sent some power stones for support if you like the novel.