"Listen up, brat. I'll help you remember, so thank me well." Eliseo spoke with icy detachment, his hand closing around Jax's neck as he attempted to haul him closer. Only to realize, in the end, that this guy wasn't budging and didn't even flinch. As if he was pulling a huge immovable boulder.
Eliseo's grip tightened, his muscles straining and veins cording on his skin. Yet even that ferocity wasn't enough to move Jax's unyielding form.
But Eliseo's intensity was fueled more by arrogance than intent. His focus was split between intimidating Jax and impressing the gorgeous lady nearby. He immediately considered Jax's silence and indifference as a craven reluctance to retaliate, too terrified to muster even the slightest defiance.
Which was exactly how it had always been. Or at least, in his perspective.
A smirk twisted Eliseo's lips as he sneered, "I am your boss, and you're just a dog who'll obey my every command. You remember now?"
"If you hated it, you shouldn't have shown your face in front of me again. You should've just kept on hiding. Now that I've finally found you, I'll put a leash on your neck so you can't run away anymore."
''Gahahahahaha!''
Eliseo's laughter erupted, echoing through the crowd. Some people behind him joined in, while others sighed, their expressions a mix of discomfort and pity for Jax's predicament.
He just had to get on Eliseo's bad side.
They knew Jax. He was a kind person, a silent, hardworking young man who always filled his quota at work. While others rested from the burning glare of the blazing sun, he was there, gritting his teeth, pounding persistently as he plowed the ground.
Even when faced with unrelenting torment from Eliseo's group, Jax chose not to retaliate and only endured their constant abuse.
He didn't deserve this kind of treatment.
''Are you done talking?''
But to their astonishment, words that contradicted his usual demeanor slipped out of Jax's mouth.
His voice, icy and contemptuous, sliced through the cacophony of mocking laughter, instantly quelling the amusement of those who revelled in his humiliation.
On the other hand, Eliseo's dismay was written all over his darkened face, his smile twisted into a scowl.
But Jax proved to be a really good person. He didn't leave them hanging in confusion for too long, making a move right after.
With a fluid motion, Jax grabbed Eliseo's arm, pulling it away from his neck with effortless finesse. Eliseo's eyes dilated in astonishment, his incredulity palpable as he hadn't anticipated Jax would possess a strength that far surpassed his own.
But soon enough, his shock gave way to pain, then twisted into horror.
For the instant Jax's hands clamped onto him, he wrenched Eliseo's arm with a merciless intent. Eliseo's body contorted in a scream of agony as Jax continued to apply pressure, forcing him to kneel onto the unforgiving ground. A sickening crack rent the air, and Eliseo's arm yielded to the merciless force, pain radiating like a shockwave.
Jax's gaze bore down on him, his eyes cold and devoid of mercy. Eliseo's screams orchestrated a ghastly melody, a symphony of suffering that harmonized perfectly with Jax's icy demeanor.
Without letting go of Eliseo's arm, Jax lifted his free hand aloft. A calculated pause preceded the impending impact, as if the very air itself held its breath in anticipation of the stinging slap.
That was something he longed to do.
A desire was finally on the cusp of being fulfilled.
''Clench your teeth, this will sting a bit,'' Jax said, a faint smile playing on his lips. He swung his hand, a slap ready for the taking.
Swoosh!
SAPAK!
The sound of the crashing impact was ten times louder, its ferocity undimmed by the preceding tension. Jax's lips contorted into a frigid smile, a dark euphoria pulsating within as its intensity verging on the surreal.
''That's one loud, brutal slap,'' Nerissa remarked in surprise, her slender hands snapping to cover her mouth.
Jax smiled at her, then a chilling promise hung in the air, ''Believe me, this is just the beginning.''
Without giving all the shocked people out there a chance to react properly, Jax made his next move. His hand flew up in a swift arc, unleashing a flurry of merciless, heavy thrashing a second later.
SAPAK! SAPAK! SAPAK! SAPAK!
Just as what this guy had done to him in the past, Jax returned the favor ten times over. He didn't feel like stopping. The more he hit him, the better he felt.
Eliseo's already hideous face contorted into an even more terrifying appearance, his swollen cheek rendering him mute. Any attempt to speak was promptly silenced by the threat of another brutal slap, cutting off his words in a merciless crunch.
His eyes screamed for reprieve, but his lips refused to voice the plea. Desperation betrayed.
It was too late now, but who'd have thought Jax had become way stronger than him? Eliseo couldn't wrap his head around it. Just what in the freaking world happened to Jax in the two months he was gone?
Swoosh!
Jax was still enjoying it when suddenly, his brutal momentum was halted by an individual who clamped down on his wrist. Another person, with a limb of beastly form, appeared in an attempt to wrestle Jax's other hand free from Eliseo's battered form.
One last person, emerging from her invisibility form, appeared behind Jax. A sharp dagger glinted in her hand, poised to plunge the weapon into his exposed nape.
In that instant, Jax was surrounded from all three sides, not giving him a room to escape.
''That's enough, Jax.''
The man restraining Jax's hand from further reprisal against Eliseo, uttered the words with glacial calm. He clamped down harder, his intent to shatter Jax's wrist clear.
Jax turned, his gaze locking onto the speaker. A sober intensity in his stare lingered for a moment, before a subtle, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.
''Ha ha, alright, alright, calm down. I will let go.'' Jax chuckled, his laughter laced with nonchalance. With a casual flick of his wrist, he disengaged his hand from the man's grip. Equally effortless, Jax freed his other hand from the grasp of the man with a beast-like hand.
The abrupt movement left them staring at him with their eyes stretched wide in incredulous disbelief.
Disregarding their stunned silence, Jax rubbed his left wrist gently, then repeated the motion on his right. His expression implied forgiveness, like he was really going to let the matters slide.
But a heartbeat later, his face twisted into a maniacal grin, evil intent evident.
Swoosh!
Sapak!
With a fluid motion and at a speed escaping the human eye, Jax struck Eliseo with a devastating knee strike right straight to his already swollen face.
Eliseo was pushed back by the crushing impact, tumbling thrice on the brutal ground. He then fell onto his back, legs propped up in an embarrassing posture.
Yet again, the three men surrounding Jax were momentarily stunned, their eyes widening in the sudden assault. Five whole seconds had taken them to realize that they had just been played.
''You...'' The three of them gnashed their teeth, eyes glaring furiously at Jax.
But the person behind Jax didn't just bark. Her dagger slanted through the air, stabbing towards Jax's unguarded back with lethal precision.
To her shock, her aim only struck empty air. Jax had moved forward, evading the attack by hairsbreadth. Before she could process the miss, Jax had already counterattacked, his torso twisting as he drove an elbow into her stomach with crippling force.
The force sent her spouting a mouthful of liquid, sending her backward to the ground. She landed with a dull thud on her back, expelling a gurgling cough of a mouthful of blood.
The two men who were left were momentarily stunned again. And Jax grabbed the chance to bestow similar brutality upon them.
With fluid motions, Jax threw a punch to the man on the left, then he twisted, unleashing a devastating back kick at the remaining foe. Both attacks landed squarely on their faces, blood and teeth scattering as the blows sent them crashing straight into their sleep.
The brutal onslaught lasted less than a minute, unfolding with such ferocity that the onlookers struggled to keep pace. Eyes wide, jaws slack, for another ten seconds, they remained frozen in stunned silence.
As soon as Jax concluded his assault, he stood aloof, as if nothing had happened. He stretched his arms and cracked his neck, a clear signal that the warm-up was over.
''Alright, who's next?'' Jax suddenly asked. His carefree tone made his words sound more terrifying.
Jax was met with their silence that only grew longer. Those who'd laughed at him earlier, as well as those who looked at him in pity, were all lost for words.
They stared at Jax as if they were looking at a monster.
How could Jax be this powerful? What was his Conquered Ability? Was it related to physical strength, or something else?
Unbeknownst to them, Jax hadn't even tapped into his Conquered Ability yet. It was just his raw physical prowess on display. He had become a lot stronger than them because of his experience in the Forbidden Land. The Body Enhancement Pill he had consumed had also played a major role.
Furthermore, watching King fight barehanded also taught Jax a great lesson. It significantly boosted his fighting prowess. Although King didn't teach him personally, he picked up the fundamentals just by observing.
In any case, that was how Jax had gotten so much stronger. And if he'd used his Conquered Ability, these guys would be corpses by now.
Not to mention, he also had powerful weapons. No matter how Jax looked at it, he felt like he was just toying with kids.
''Hmph, humans really are so boring. How can your race be so weak?''
Instead of the expected reaction from the crowd, Nerissa broke the silence. Her eyes rolled in disdain as she crossed her arms, a mix of boredom and annoyance washing over her pretty face.
She expected a fight, since Jax mentioned earlier that there were humans here more scary than he was. But what was this? Wasn't this a one-sided brutal beating? Wasn't there anyone who could take on Jax?
This wasn't entertaining at all.