They were surrounded.
Lucian didn't let it show, but a creeping sense of unease settled in his chest. No matter how many fights he had been in, this was different. This time, the enemy had come prepared.
Rose, unfazed, scoffed at the fat boss standing before them. Her voice dripped with mockery. "You needed all these men just to handle a bunch of kids?" She folded her arms and smirked. "I can see how weak you really are."
The Pig Boss's face twitched, his beady eyes narrowing. But then he smiled—a sickening, oily grin that made the filth on his skin seem even more revolting. He placed a plump hand on his cheek as if he were flattered. "Oh my… if you were just ordinary brats, I wouldn't have bothered." His grin widened, revealing yellowed teeth. "But you're not, are you?"
His voice slithered into their ears, slick with amusement and greed. He licked his lips. "Now, be good little rats and hand over everything you have. You wouldn't want a nasty fight, would you?"
A deep silence settled over the group.
Lucian's fists clenched at his sides. Surrender? After everything they had done to survive? After every scrap they had fought for? No. Never.
Luke's jaw tightened, his gaze flickering to Lucian, waiting for his command.
Then—darkness erupted.
Thick black smoke unfurled like a beast, devouring the alleyway in an instant. A suffocating fog of shadows swirled, curling around the enemy like hungry tendrils.
"Take Seraphina and the others. Get whatever you can carry and run." Lucian's voice was low but firm, leaving no room for argument.
Rose, Luke, and the twins hesitated.
"But what about you?" Luke demanded, his voice sharp with panic. "We can fight! We—"
Lucian cut him off with a bitter smile, a rare moment of helplessness flashing in his icy blue eyes. "You know we don't stand a chance. Just go."
Alaric and Adrian, the most disciplined, didn't argue. They grabbed Luke and Rose and dragged them toward the hut.
"Do something, you idiots!" the Pig Boss snarled. His thick, sausage-like fingers clenched in rage. "Don't just stand there—catch those rats!"
His men surged forward, lunging into the swirling darkness.
But the moment they stepped inside, they choked.
Their bodies convulsed, clawing at their throats. They wheezed, their lungs unable to draw in a single breath. One by one, they collapsed, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds.
"The smoke—! It's—!" one of the men tried to shout, but his voice strangled into silence as he crumpled.
Lucian panted, his vision blurring. The move drained more mana than he expected.
Not enough.
His gaze sharpened as he spotted movement beyond the cloud. The weaker thugs had fallen, but the real threats were emerging. The Pig Boss had sent his ability users next.
Lucian cursed under his breath.
A glimmer of silver—then a deadly shard of ice shot toward him.
Lucian barely raised his hand in time, summoning a dark shield. The ice shattered against it, but the impact rattled his bones. His breath came in short bursts. Ten of them. He counted each attacker, assessing their strengths.
"Kill him!" the Pig Boss roared, spit flying from his thick lips. "I want his head at my feet!"
They swarmed him.
Flames, metal, ice, and wind—all rained down on Lucian in a chaotic storm. He dodged, countered, and struck, taking down three with calculated precision. But the enemy worked together, closing in, leaving him no time to breathe.
Too many. Too fast.
Then—his fingers brushed against something in his pocket.
The magic stone.
Without thinking, Lucian crushed it in his palm and swallowed the fragments.
A surge of raw power exploded through his veins.
His vision burned with darkness as mana pulsed through every fiber of his being. His exhaustion vanished, replaced by an overwhelming rush of strength.
Lucian moved.
His attacks turned savage—merciless. He struck down a fire-wielding thug, shattered the defenses of a shield user, and tore through the formation like a beast unleashed.
Then—chains shot out.
Metallic coils snaked around him, tightening like a vice. Lucian struggled, but the chains held firm, draining his strength.
The Pig Boss's disgusting chuckle filled the air. "Gotcha."
He waddled forward, his wicked eyes gleaming. With one meaty hand, he slapped Lucian across the face.
The impact was brutal. Lucian's head snapped to the side, pain splitting through his skull. Blood trickled from his lips.
The Pig Boss leaned in, breath thick with rot.
His voice was a whisper, dripping with cruelty.
"I wonder… how much you'll scream before you break?"
Lucian's blue eyes burned with a silent promise.
'If I survive this… I'll make sure you don't.'