Shortly before Abel set out, Law—his face concealed by coarse cloth to hide the white patches—was caught stealing bread by the shopkeeper and subjected to a brutal beating.
Fortunately, Law had shielded his face, preventing his identity from being discovered.
Otherwise, it would have sparked a massive uproar, likely costing him his life.
Weakened by hunger after the beating, Law slumped down in a street corner, staring blankly ahead. It wasn't that he didn't want to go home; he simply lacked the strength.
"What a poor child," a beautiful woman passing by noticed Law sitting by the roadside. Taking pity on him, she pressed two coins into his hand. "Here, take this and buy yourself some food."
The coins were worth two hundred Beri—not much, but enough to buy some black bread to fill his stomach. After all, a newspaper only cost a hundred Beri.
Law paused for a moment, then abruptly snatched the coins from the woman's hand and fled with his head bowed, leaving her standing there in stunned silence.
He didn't need anyone's pity or sympathy. He'd rather "steal" the money this way!
That way, he was just plain bad, not some pitiful creature deserving of pity.
Unbeknownst to Law, his every move had been observed by several homeless men lurking nearby.
They exchanged glances before quietly following him.
*Huff... huff...*
Whether driven by pride or desperation, Law sprinted far ahead, only stopping when the woman was completely out of sight. He stood panting heavily, clutching the two coins tightly in his hand.
With these two hundred Beli, at least he and Abel would have their next meal covered.
The thought gradually calmed Law's nerves.
But as he turned to spend the money, he found the alley entrance blocked by two grinning homeless men.
*Damn!* Law cursed inwardly.
Without hesitation, he spun around to flee deeper into the alley.
But somehow, the other exit had also been blocked.
Trapped with no way out, Law was like a turtle in a jar, utterly helpless.
The leader, a long-haired homeless man with repulsive yellow teeth, grinned maliciously and said:
"Hey kid, you've got some nerve! Begging on my turf without even asking? Don't you know the rules?"
Law had no intention of fighting these guys. Outnumbered, younger, and smaller, he stood no chance in a brawl.
But the word "begging" stung his pride, igniting his rebellious spirit.
Without hesitation, he shouted, "Bullshit! I snatched this from that dumb woman!"
"Heh, snatched it? Then it's only fair if we snatch it from you, right? Hahaha!"
The vagrants burst into mocking laughter, their malicious intent barely concealed.
Law knew he couldn't keep the money. Begging for mercy would be the wisest move.
But the pent-up anger in his heart wouldn't let him yield. Instead, he glared fiercely at the group.
"Then come and try!"
Such a gaze naturally infuriated the vagrants!
They were accustomed to enduring countless scornful looks and disdainful glances daily. Having finally found a vulnerable kid to bully, they'd hoped to have some fun, only to discover he was a tough nut who refused to play along with their "script."
This undoubtedly enraged them completely!
"What a cocky little brat! I hope you'll still be so tough after I break all your limbs!" the long-haired vagrant sneered coldly. He immediately lunged forward, kicking Law to the ground. The other three piled on, surrounding the curled-up boy against the wall and unleashing a brutal barrage of kicks.
At that moment, Law showed none of the swagger of a Supernova. He could only shield his head with his arms as best he could, clenching his teeth to stifle his cries.
After enduring another vicious beating, Law was left barely conscious.
These vagrants, living at the bottom of society, knew nothing of mercy. They kicked and stomped with unrestrained savagery, as if venting all their daily humiliations onto Law.
As for the spark that ignited this entire incident—the two coins—they lay forgotten nearby, completely ignored.
It was clear that what was happening now had nothing to do with the initial two hundred Beri.
Even in his battered state, Law's tormentors showed no mercy.
The long-haired tramp sneered cruelly, "Hey, hold him down! This big shot keeps his word. I said I'd break his limbs, and I'm gonna break his limbs!"
The others immediately perked up, showing no concern that Law was just a child. They swiftly pinned him down in a spread-eagle position, pressing down hard.
The long-haired tramp grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, and raised his right foot high... preparing to stomp Law's limbs into splinters.
Yet even in this dire situation, Law glared fiercely at his tormentor.
For some reason, that glare sent a sudden chill down the tramp's spine, quickly followed by a surge of rage.
"After I break your limbs, I'll gouge out your eyes! Let's see how long you can keep glaring then!"
Just as the tramp's foot was about to come crashing down, a powerful whooshing sound tore through the air behind him.
*Bang!*
A fist-sized rock slammed into his back, causing him to scream in agony and collapse to the ground.
The sudden turn of events stunned the other three homeless men.
But Abel, who had arrived just in time, seized the opportunity.
He placed another similarly sized rock at his feet and kicked it with all his might!
Though Abel had never been a soccer player, he had played frequently during his college days in his previous life. Given the short distance of only a dozen meters, his aim was reasonably accurate—not too far off the mark.
The result was another homeless man unlucky enough to be struck in the face by the rock, instantly losing consciousness.
The remaining two finally noticed Abel's presence.
Unfortunately, Abel's third kick went wide, the rock smashing against the wall beside one of the men and shattering into fragments.
"Tch!"
Abel frowned but didn't attempt another kick.
It wasn't that he had run out of rocks; rather, the Leg Strength Enhancement Shoes had exhausted their power. Since he lacked the ability to kick with his left foot, he decided to give up.