Instead of surrendering, he whipped out his pistol and aimed its barrel at me.
Unfortunately for him, I was already moving.
My Origin Card would take a few seconds to materialize, so that was all the time I needed to buy.
I grabbed the edge of the circular table and yanked it upward, flipping it toward Jones as he was the only one among the trio to possess an Artifact — a sword.
Artifacts were enchanted items that required Spirit Essence to function.
While an Awakened could channel their own Essence directly into these items, ordinary people relied on Essence Stones to power them.
It leveled the playing field somewhat between the Awakened and the general population.
But only somewhat.
The table soared through the air, forcing Jones to stumble back with a startled curse. His hand was already going for the sword strapped to his side.
Lyle fired his gun, but the shot missed me by a wide margin, and the sound of the bullet fired split the air like a whip crack.
Meanwhile, Mark was fumbling for his own pistol.
But before he could raise it, I drove my foot into his chest with the force of a speeding truck. The impact sent him flying backward, crashing into a stack of empty chairs with a bone-jarring thud.
Jones was closing in on me by then from my left with his sword flashing toward my neck.
He wasn’t holding back.
He was really trying to kill.
But his movements were rough and jarring, and his unpolished technique made it clear he hadn’t properly practiced his sword art in months.
I ducked under his swing, letting the blade slice harmlessly through the air above me, and lashed forward from my crouched position.
He didn’t even have time to react before I slammed my elbow into his chest with a satisfying crack.
As he staggered back, coughing and swearing, I snatched the sword from his loosened grip, easily twisting it out of his hand like it was nothing.
Before he could recover, I drove my boot into his face with brutal force, sending him sprawling to the ground as blood started streaming from his broken nose.
Lyle took aim at me again. His gun was so close that the muzzle was inches away from my face.
He was hoping to shoot me point-blank to give me no chance to dodge.
So, I did the only thing I could.
I grabbed the barrel of his pistol and shoved it aside. Another shot rang out, but it missed, the bullet whizzing past my ear with a loud hiss.
Mark, who was still on the ground, scrambled forward.
His gun had slipped from his grip earlier when he was kicked. So, he picked it up with shaking hands and aimed it at me with wild desperation.
But he didn’t even get the chance to fire.
My blade flashed forward and a thin silver line cut across the body of his gun.
Before he could even register what had happened, his pistol was in two pieces. Its dismantled half clattered to the floor, leaving him holding nothing but the grip.
It all happened in a few heartbeats. By then, my Origin Card finished materializing.
I squeezed my hand around Lyle’s gun and crushed it as if it was made of paper.
“No— Hey, listen— Khaaa!” Lyle tried saying something.
But didn’t get the chance to finish his pathetic plea.
I grabbed him by the collar, yanked his face close to mine, and slammed my head into his jaw.
The loud crack of bone echoed through the room as I practically headbutted him into oblivion.
Lyle’s head snapped back and his body went limp, a jagged line of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
His jaw was slightly dislocated, and he had broken at least a few teeth.
He crumbled like a house of cards the moment I let go of his collar, dropping to the ground at my feet.
Groaning and crying, he started begging. He didn’t have that arrogant smirk on his face when he thought he was scamming me.
He wasn’t laughing viciously like he did when he was bullying that woman on the street.
Now he was scared.
Terrified.
His conceited bravado was nowhere to be seen.
I hated people like him — people who look down on others because they are in a position of power that isn’t even their own.
I hated them because they reminded me of myself.
Lyle’s body jerked as he struggled to push himself up, his broken jaw trembling with each failed attempt. “Please… please don’t… Take… T-Take all the money… Please!”
“Oh, no, Lyle. It’s not just about the money anymore,” I shook my head, grinning amusedly. “You all tried to take my life. It’s only fair if I take yours now, isn’t it?”
Lyle’s eyes widened with terror, and his hands trembled as he clawed at the floor, trying to push himself upright.
“Please… don’t—” he gasped. “I—I didn’t mean it… it was just a game, alright? Just a game!”
From the side, Mark also began pleading in a quivering voice. “Sir, please! It was a mistake! We didn’t know you were an Awakened, or we never would’ve done it!”
I let them ramble for a while, savoring the sight of their growing despair.
Only when I was finally satisfied, I exhaled slowly and nodded. “Fine. Since I’m so generous and forgiving, I’ll give you a chance to keep your miserable lives.”
A string of emotions flickered across their faces — relief, gratitude, suspicion. It was almost comical how quickly hope turned to doubt.
They weren’t fools. They knew I wouldn’t let them off that easily.
And that could only mean one thing.
I wanted something in return.
For most people, it would be money. But since I showed I already had that, they were uncertain about what I wanted.
And uncertainty was always dangerous.
“But since you now owe me not only a substantial amount of money that — no offense — you’ll never be able to repay, but also your lives…” I paused, letting the weight of my words sink in, then tilted my head. “How exactly do you plan to make it up to me?”
I gently rubbed my chin, pretending to think about it.
Then, I snapped my fingers and offered them the warm smile that you’d show to your close friends.
“Oh, right! Let’s make a deal. Do something for me, and I’ll pretend this little… misunderstanding never happened. In fact, I’m feeling so magnanimous that I’ll even pay the three of you more than you could ever dream of earning on your own.”
Lyle and Mark exchanged panicked glances.
Their eyes darted between each other, searching futilely for an escape from the mess they had found themselves in.
But there was no escape.
And they had no clue what I was about to ask, which only sweetened the deal for me.
I leaned forward slightly, my grin turning a little sharp. “All you have to do is work for me. Simple, right?”
I let the words hang in the air before my tone darkened. “But if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll kill you all myself. If you fail to deliver on what I ask…”
I took a step closer, staring dead into Lyle’s wide, horrified eyes.
“…I’ll kill you all myself. If you try to play me…”
I leaned down and dropped my voice to a whisper laced with menace.
“…I’ll personally kill you all myself.”