...A few moments later...
"Uuuggghhh...."
Zach rubbed his wrist, standing above the group of bandits writhing in pain on the floor.
He tucked his head to the side.
"Still more of you?, sigh. Just form a line or something..". Zach exhaled.
'These aren't regular street thugs' Zach looked around.
Normally, once people like these guys attack him, they quickly realize his power and leave him alone.
The active groups of bandits trembled in the distance and the brute stood behind them with an unreadable expression on his face, watching intently as his Minons cowered in front of him, fear plastered all over their smug faces.
But these guys are still attacking despite the skill difference.
Which means.
'They were sent by someone '.
"Y'know you could all just lie down now and pretend you've been deafeated, saves us all the effort" He shrugged.
The bandits panicked for a bit, looking at each other with a questioning gaze.
They were really considering Zach's proposal.
"Tch..."
A loud click echoed from the tall brute.
The baldy hardened his fist, his body shuddering lightly for a bit.
"Useless maggots", he muttered through his gritted teeth as he stepped forward.
"Oh finally," Zach exclaimed with mocking ethusiasm.
"The coward that planned to break my jaw has arrived" Zach rubbed his palm.
A shadow was casted on the brute face and his lips broke into a smirk, making Zach raise a brow.
'What is he up to?, well.. not that I care anyways..'
The brute placed his hand behind his back smirking at Zach.
"Why don't you come here and witness it for yourself" He taunted.
"Don't you have the balls?."
"Nah!, I think I'll have to refrain from that offer.."
The brute still matained a grin on his face.
The bandits behind him were already backing away, making Zach intuition scream at him that this was dangerous.
Zach had to just stand there, like what was the worst that could happen?.
The brute finally revealed what was at his back the whole time.
'BIG MISTAKE'.
Zach's eyes widened in shock.
"T-That can't be.." Zach exclaimed.
What floated above the brute hand was a glowing jade slip that radiated with an ominous yellow light rotating in place.
'No way...?!'
It pulsated, making the surrounding area ripple due to its chilling aura.
Zach gazed at this object in awe , there was no doubt about it, this was an awoken skill card.
The brute pointed the jade card at Zach.
The jade slip rotated even faster, whirling, cracking with electricity.
'Oh shit I f**ked up'.
Zach waisted no time, his legs shot faster than his brain could process, bolting for the exit with full speed.
"This... this is bigger than I thought!"
If this was really what he thought it was, then he had already lost.
'The brutes presence didn't seem that overwhelming, meaning that he had not even stepped into the curious stage yet. '
'But somehow, he had a skill card, which means that it was gotten through some f**ked up illegal process, probably through the black market.'
But the question that rose in Zachs head.. How was the skill card active?.
Normally a skill card needs a Tether-link in order to activate, but this guy can do it without the link?.
This probably means that the skill was fueled by some sort of artificial energy, which can be very dangerous and unpredictable.
The skill had finally charged up and a blinding beam of white light shot out of the jade slip levetaing just inches from the brutes hand with the accuracy akin to that of a clown.
The white beam zipped past the corridor like lightning, but instead of hitting Zach in the back, the force the skill used to shoot the beam made the brute to be pushed back causing him to miss the shot by a wide margin.
*BOOOM*
The beam collided with the upper floors above Zach creating a sonic boom that rattled the very core of the earth.
The brute and his goons a lost their footing as Zach steadied himself.
The blast collided with the upper floors of the building to his side causing rubbles to come tumbling down.
He looked above.
Giant steel pipes, metal grates, bricks, and all sorts of rubble came tumbling down on him.
"Arrgghh"
Zach groaned in frustration, he had to escape it somehow, the government had issued a ban on this kind of power yet it was still commonly used in the streets.
'Damm, why's this always happen to me?'. Zach gritted.
The metal grates and steal were about to crash in top him, he had no escape route, the alleyway was straight, there was no where to go.
'Is this how my life ends?.'
Zach braced for impact.
Just then, a silhouette moved gracefully from the corner of his eye.
The next moment he heard the grates and rubble crashing in front of him him with a deafening streak, making his teeth clatter.
He blinked a few times.
'What..?'
He was held in a princess position by someone.
He looked above.
Brown hair, dark ember like eyes, a stream like figure, and a cold aura that sent chills down his spine.
Her flowing brown hair, stuck to Zach's face as his wide eyes took in her beauty.
Zach could tell by her suit she was a law enforcer.
"Are you okay ..?"
"Marry me..."
"What..?"
"Nothing.."
Zach regained his footing.
The female officer in the suit dropped him hard, and his back fell on the ground.
"Ouch" he groaned of the floor.
The officer looked at him for bit and turned away.
"GET UP!" She spoke.
This lady casually carried him like a princess in a Disney movie, and dropped him hard like trash seconds later.
"Thanks for the emotional whiplash. Real Cinderella moment there..". He let out a tired smile.
The group of thugs in the far distance looked at the officer.
Some gritted their teeth in frustration and some drew back with fear.
The brute proudly held out the skill card in his hand grinning ear to ear.
"It worked!" He exclaimed with a bright smile, flashing his yellow teeth.
"Nice smile buddy, you ever heard of dental floss?"
The female officer clicked her toungue in disgust.
"Tch.. why me.." she muttered under her breath.
"Law enforcers are so annoying.." The brute, with a cocky smile walked forward the skill card now being held in his hand.
The officer looked at the thugs with a calm expression.
"Then don't commit crimes you idiot.." She shrugged.
" Bitch !.." the brute shouted, clearly annoyed.
He raised his palm and the skill card floated just inches away from it, becoming brighter just and brighter just like before.
Zach had heard the law enforcers were strong, but a blast of that magnitude was simply a terrifying thing to take head on.
The office sighed.
"My inspector isn't here yet, so refrain from using any illegal objects in the mean time." She spoke, her presence radiating calm as she moved forward.
"But if you use anything that makes me feel threatened" she paused.
A mirage of red pettals formed materializing in front of her into a beautiful jade slip with a dragons emblem, floating as it pulsed a red aura around.
"Wait, is that the Western dragon enterprise" one of the thugs stepped back.
"She's no law enforcer, she's a seeker"
"Man we screwed up"
'The Western dragon enterprise.. wait, I've heard that name somewhere' Zach muttered internally.
The enterprise was a security issuing company, that deals mostly in escorting wealthy people.
They're the sixth largest cooperation in the empire wielding the flame Tether.
She stuck her hand in it, pulling out an unsheathed katana.
Zach watched all this, panic evident in his face as the female officer waved her sword, the blade of this katane pulsating red, like molten iron.
The aura around her shifted, and Zach could instantly tell.
'She has reach the stage of curiosity!'.
'Oh god '.
Zach of all people knew, This was about to take a rough turn.