The alley felt like a trap closing around him. The rumble of luxury engines had died away, replaced by the soft shuffle of expensive shoes on asphalt and Vorn's ragged breathing.
Young Master Park and his wall of enforcers were closing in - dark suits and smug faces surrounding him and his unconscious sister.
I can't fight them all.
He ran the calculations frantically. His matter manipulation was too subtle, too weak to deal with trained fighters. His phantom-enhanced speed could get him out, but Seren in her wheelchair was an anchor. A weight he couldn't abandon.
I'm trapped.
Park sauntered forward with that same cruel, triumphant smile. "Look at you, Vorn. King of nothing. Running just like I knew you would." His voice dripped with satisfaction. "I own this city. I own that hospital. I own your sister."
He gestured casually to his enforcers. "Take the girl first. I want him to watch."
The enforcers stepped forward, faces hardening into professional brutality.
Then suddenly, the air itself changed.
An oppressive pressure filled the alley - not the raw physical weight of a monster, but something far more dangerous. The cold, absolute authority of a truly powerful Awakener.
The enforcers froze mid-step, their bravado evaporating like smoke.
"You're making quite a mess, Young Master Park."
The voice was calm, detached, cutting through the tension like a blade. A man stepped out of the shadows - impeccably dressed in a dark tailored suit that suggested effortless power rather than flashy wealth. Maybe sixty years old, but with ramrod-straight posture and ancient, calculating eyes that missed nothing.
He looked only at Vorn, as if no one else in the alley mattered.
"Master Li," Park stammered, his triumphant smile cracking. "What... what are you doing here?"
Master Li ignored him completely. He simply raised one hand.
WHOOSH.
A wave of invisible force swept through the alley. All ten enforcers were slammed back against the walls, their knees buckling under overwhelming mana pressure. They hit the ground with soft thuds, faces pale with shock and terror.
[POWER LEVEL DETECTED: RANK A+ MINIMUM]
[WARNING: HOSTILE INTENT UNKNOWN]
Master Li's voice was ice-cold command. "Leave. This matter is concluded."
Park's face twisted with rage and humiliation. "But Master Li, this boy—"
Those ancient eyes turned on him, and Park's words died in his throat.
"I said leave."
This wasn't a hero saving the day. This was a apex predator reminding a lesser one of the hierarchy.
Park's face burned with fury, but he gave a silent signal to his men. They scrambled to their feet and retreated, defeated and shamed.
Master Li's attention focused entirely on Vorn. He walked forward with slow, deliberate movements, and Vorn felt that oppressive mana aura pressing down on him - quiet, humming authority that demanded absolute obedience.
"A boy with no mana signature who survived a D-Rank dungeon alone," Master Li said, voice a low rasp. "I've been watching you for quite some time."
Vorn's heart hammered against his ribs, but his face stayed cold and stoic. No point denying anything now. This man saw through every lie he could tell, he just didn't know how much he knew.
'A huge disadvantage '
[VEILED NOIR: INTEGRITY COMPROMISED]
[DETECTION PROBABILITY: 87%]
"I'll make you an offer," Master Li continued, eyes shifting to unconscious Seren. "I will take you both under my protection. Your sister receives the best medical care money can buy. In return, you train under me and serve the Xiaotian family."
'This is it. Entry into the underworld I wanted - but on his terms, not mine.'
'Like making a deal with the devil. Except I don't have a choice.'
Master Li raised his hand again. The air around him shimmered, and a thin blade of pure mana materialized - invisible except for the deadly light it cast. The blade hovered for a moment, an unspoken threat promising power Vorn couldn't even comprehend.
Then it dissolved back into nothing.
The message was crystal clear: This wasn't a negotiation. It was an order.
Vorn looked down at his sister's pale, unresponsive face. Her portable life support beeped steadily - the only proof she was still alive.
' choice at all.'
"I accept," he said, voice barely above a whisper.
Master Li nodded with subtle approval. "Excellent. Follow me."
He gestured, and two men in expensive suits appeared from nowhere - not enforcers, but something far more dangerous. They moved with the fluid grace of trained killers.
"Take the girl to our medical facility. Ensure she receives enough treatment, let's go on with the apex protocol project."
"Apex Protocol?" Vorn asked sharply.
Master Li's ancient eyes glittered with something that might have been amusement. "Your sister is... unique. Her mana surges aren't random. They're symptoms of an incomplete Awakening. The Apex Protocol will either complete the process or..." He shrugged elegantly. "We'll find out."
'Either save her or kill her. Great.'
But what choice did he have?
"And me?" Vorn asked.
"You come with me. The Xiaotian family has need of someone with your... particular talents." Master Li's smile was sharp as a knife. "Hidden potential is such a valuable commodity."
As they loaded Seren's wheelchair into a medical transport, Master Li placed a hand on Vorn's shoulder. His grip was gentle, but Vorn felt the immense power coiled beneath it.
"Welcome to the family, Vorn. Try not to disappoint me."
[QUEST UPDATED: SURVIVE THE XIAOTIAN FAMILY]
[NEW AFFILIATION: XIAOTIAN FAMILY - PROVISIONAL MEMBER]
[WARNING: POLITICAL INTRIGUE LEVEL - EXTREME]
[SEREN STATUS: APEX PROTOCOL INITIATED]
The transport carrying his sister disappeared into the night. Vorn climbed into Master Li's car, surrounded by killers in expensive suits.
'From delivery boy to underground family member in less than a week.'
'Let's see where this rabbit hole leads.'
[CURRENT LEVEL: 2]
[EXP: 15/200]
[PATH: VEILED NOIR - INTEGRITY: 82%]
[NEW STATUS: UNDER SURVEILLANCE BY XIAOTIAN FAMILY]