Chapter 26
Tring!
{Quest Alert!}
{Hostility has been detected}
{Defeat the Gray Bulls Gang for rewards}
{Rewards to receive: instant level up; +500XP; 2 new skills; +5 Free stat points}
__
"Get him!" The leader of the small group shouted, and all twenty gang members rushed forward, dangerous weapons gleaming in their hands.
Some of the civilians in the slums couldn't help but peek at what was about to go down, their faces pale with fear.
"Wait! Who is he? I don't think I've seen him before," someone whispered, crouched with four others hiding behind a wooden stall.
"I usually see him come out of that quiet kid's house. I think he's friends with him."
"You mean Max? So he's Max's friend?"
"I think he is."
"Oh shit! He's going to get badly wo..."
BANG!
A loud, deafening bang echoed across the entire slum as Damian unleashed a devastating punch that smashed straight into the jaw of one of the gang members.
The impact was so powerful that it sent the poor man flying into a nearby stall, reducing it instantly to rubble. Splinters and dust filled the air, and terrified civilians gasped.
"I really don't have time to play around. I wanted to ignore you all, but unfortunately for you, the system has intervened." Damian said as he slowly lifted his bowed head, revealing his now glowing yellow eyes.
It was the effect of his Dragon Eyes, causing them to shine like molten gold in the dimly lit slums. The sight alone made several bystanders tremble.
"Ge… Get him!" The leader stuttered again, his voice cracking, but the order was enough to push the men into motion.
"Hhuu!" One of the men grunted as he swung his knife horizontally toward Damian's head.
The young dragon vessel ducked with flawless precision, letting the blade whistle past before sweeping the man off his feet. He crashed onto the dirt road with a heavy thud that rattled his bones.
Before Damian could finish him, another gang member swung a metal bat straight for his face.
Without even looking at the incoming attack, Damian lifted his arm casually. The bat struck with full force...
CRACK!
It shattered instantly, bursting into wooden splinters that rained across the ground, not even leaving a scratch on his arm.
The attacker froze, staring in disbelief at the useless fragment left in his hands. His heart skipped a dozen beats as he stumbled backward in fright, his confidence evaporating.
"You aren't going anywhere," Damian growled, his voice deep and inhuman. He blitzed forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
His fist rocketed forward, aimed squarely at the man's chest, but suddenly his hand stopped mid-strike. In the next instant, his arm was yanked backward by another assailant.
His body tilted unnaturally, and before he could adjust, an iron bat smashed into the side of his face.
{-5HP}
Blood splattered from Damian's mouth as he staggered back, pain flaring across his jaw. Wiping the crimson streak with the back of his hand, his eyes narrowed at the sight before him.
A dozen men stood ready, iron bats raised, while a few others twirled thick chains that whistled menacingly in the air.
"You shouldn't have messed with the Gray Bulls Gang," the leader sneered from the back. "We are the ones who run this part of town, and we decide what happens here."
As if their minds were linked, the gang members roared and surged forward, their weapons raised high.
"You do it," Damian muttered, his glowing eyes flashing brighter.
WOOSH!
BAM!
The men all swung their bats toward Damian.
Magical Energy.
{Skill: Magical Energy activated}
{-10 MP}
{MP: 80/100}
The skill flared to life just in time. One of the bats whistled through the air, but Damian met it head-on with his fist.
CLANG!
A metallic ringing echoed as the bat bent backward from the sheer force of his punch. Its wielder froze in shock until a spray of blood burst from his mouth, his body lifted off the ground, and he was hurled into his comrades.
Before Damian could take another step forward, cold iron chains lashed out, snaring his feet.
Glancing down, he saw four men yanking the chains in unison. His balance broke, and his body slammed into the ground so hard the earth beneath him cracked like shattered glass.
Two others leapt high, iron bats raised to crush his skull. Damian rolled just in time—their weapons smashed the ground where his head had been, the impact thundering through the street.
Without hesitation, he lashed out with a brutal kick. CRACK! Their bodies flew like ragdolls, tumbling across the floor.
But the chain wielders weren't done. They yanked again, dragging Damian's body forward at frightening speed.
He had no time to react before four feet hammered into his face at once. His body flipped, bounced, and rolled across the ground.
{-3 HP}
{HP: 77/100}
"Shit!" Damian spat blood as he forced himself back up only to see a dagger flashing toward his abdomen.
In a burst of speed, he sidestepped and countered, his foot slamming into the attacker's face. The man's body shot through a wall and crumpled beneath the feet of another gang member.
That one didn't move. He just stared.
Because he knew.
This wasn't the first time he had seen this monster fight. Damian was the same guy who had humiliated him and three others in an alleyway just to save a girl. Ever since, their gang leader had been searching for him.
And now, here he was again.
"C-call the leader now," the fallen man wheezed.
The standing gang member fumbled for his pocket, pulling out a smartphone with a half-eaten avocado design at the back. He dialed frantically.
After a few rings, the line clicked.
"Boss! We… we have a problem."
He didn't get to say more.
Damian's hands spread apart, his eyes burning with a savage glint.
{Skill: Draconic Form Palm activated}
BOOOOM!
His palms clapped together, unleashing a devastating shockwave that tore through the street. The ten men charging him were blown away like leaves in a storm, bodies smashing into walls and buildings.
The man on the phone trembled as dust choked the air.
"What was that?" the voice on the other end demanded.
The survivor could only swallow hard.
"Boss… you need to get down here. Otherwise, we're toast."