Owen gulped audibly. His throat tightened with fear. His voice wavered as he stammered, “Is he… is he human? Or some kind of devil?”
His eyes darted frantically across the factory and the six hundred men lying on the ground. Cold sweat trickled down his face, soaking his clothes as if he had been caught in a torrential downpour.
Bruno wasn’t much calmer. Owen’s words echoed in his mind, fueling the panic already surging through his veins. His head buzzed with noise as he swiped at his drenched forehead. “Shut your damn mouth! Isn’t this whole nightmare your fault? You’re the one who dragged this hell onto me!” he snapped at Owen.
“I-I didn’t know this would happen! Bruno, you said you’d handle it! You said that everything was under control…”
“Handle it?! You useless moron!” Bruno snarled, his rage breaking free like a thunderclap. “Are you blaming me now, huh?!”
Fury overtook Bruno, and with no hesitation, he lashed out. His heavy boot landed square on Owen’s chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Owen tumbled awkwardly before collapsing. Pathetic and humiliated, he lay there like a clown.
Then, Kayden moved. With deliberate, almost lazy steps, he began walking toward them.
The room fell deathly silent. Both Bruno and Owen widened their eyes as they watched Kayden close the distance between them.
With each thud of Kayden’s step, it sent a cold dread surging through their chests. Their hearts pounded like war drums, threatening to burst.
Pure terror surged through them.
Terror gnawed at their courage, tearing it apart piece by piece.
A few seconds later, Kayden arrived directly beneath Owen and Bruno. He slightly raised his head to look at them. The moment they saw his bloodshot eyes, their legs immediately turned to jelly in fear.
What was this man? No. Not a man. He had to be something else entirely. He’s a grim reaper descended from hell!
His gaze, that kind of gaze, was a vision of terror that went beyond anything they had ever seen!
Then, Kayden’s lips curved in a faint smile. Not the warm kind. “Is this all you’ve got? Six hundred weaklings? Not even enough to get me warmed up.”
It wasn’t arrogance. It was contempt.
The sheer disdain in his tone was so overwhelming it rendered Bruno and Owen speechless.
Their gazes flitted between the unscathed Kayden and the six hundred men writhing in pain on the ground. Not a single scratch marred Kayden’s skin. Not a single bead of sweat touched his brow.
Kayden wasn’t bluffing. Six hundred men really hadn’t been enough to tire him.
The smug, triumphant smile on Bruno’s face just moments ago disappeared in a heartbeat. Now all the color drained from his cheeks. Snapping out of his dazed shock, he fixed his eyes on Kayden, stammering like a fool, “Y-you… w-what did you just say?”
Kayden’s reply came cold and cutting like frost lacing a blade. “I don’t like the way you talk to me.”
Bruno froze again. He struggled to guess the subtext behind those words. Then, suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped himself hard, twice! Tears of fear welled up in his eyes. Without a shred of dignity left, he turned and bolted down the stairs, his legs nearly tangling as he stumbled in his rush.
Kayden’s words carried a deeper meaning. When he said he didn’t like the way Bruno talked to him, it wasn’t just about tone or words. It was about position.
No one, no matter their status or power, had the right to look down at Kayden!
Within Seclela, Kayden’s identity and standing made him untouchable. There wasn’t a single person who could look down at him!
To stand before him, no one could raise themselves higher. They knelt. They trembled!
Bruno wasn’t the smartest, but he understood the unspoken rules of this world.
He hurried to Kayden and dropped to his knees with a dull thud. Prostrating himself, he looked up with a mixture of regret and fear etched on his face. “Sir, no, no, Master! I was wrong! Please forgive me! I swear, I never meant to offend you! It’s all that idiot Owen’s fault!”
That Bruno groveling before Kayden was so unexpected that Felicity instinctively covered her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.
She hadn’t seen how Kayden had brought down those six hundred men, but what other explanation was there? Clearly, it was Kayden. He brought all of them down, which was terrifying enough to break Bruno’s spirit in an instant.
Moments ago, Bruno had strutted around like a king. He could command six hundred men with a flick of his wrist.
And now? Now he was groveling at Kayden’s feet, trembling like a dog caught in a storm.
Felicity knew little about violence and the dark side of this world, but she wasn’t stupid. She could guess the truth behind the scene.
“Master?” Kayden let out a slow, deliberate sneer. Then, as if driving a dagger straight into Bruno’s chest, he asked, “Didn’t you just offer to make me your business partner?”
The words sent shock waves through Bruno’s trembling body. His heart clenched painfully as if he’d been struck by a heavy blow.
Bruno wasn’t blind to his own insignificance. He knew full well that he wasn’t even remotely qualified to be Kayden’s follower, let alone a partner.
Sure, everyone knew Bruno loved roping people into his organization. But he also understood that there were some people in this world he could never afford to offend.
Smack! Bruno raised his hand and slapped himself viciously across the face. The force of the blow was so fierce that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His face twisted with regret, and he stammered out, “I-I-how could I have been so blind? I didn’t recognize your greatness! Someone like me isn’t qualified to be your partner. At best, I should be serving you as your subordinate!”
Kayden’s patience was wearing thin. He got straight to the point, “Cut the crap. I’m not here to waste time. I’m here to collect a debt. You owe money, and you have to pay it back. It’s as simple as that.”
“Money!” Bruno’s face lit up with sudden understanding. He clapped his hands together and nodded frantically. “Yes! Yes! Of course! Owe money, repay money. That’s how it should be!”
Without missing a beat, he whipped around and barked furiously, “Owen Thomas!”
Owen, who had been inching his way toward the back in an attempt to sneak off unnoticed, froze as the voice thundered through the room. The sound carried such raw malice that it sent a shiver down his spine. His knees wobbled, and the next moment, he lost his balance completely, tumbling down the stairs.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Each bounce brought him closer to the ground floor, where he finally landed. Pain twisted his face, and he hissed through gritted teeth.
But he didn’t dare hesitate. Ignoring the ache in his limbs, he scrambled to his knees, rushed to Bruno’s side, and knelt down with a resounding thud.
As soon as he knelt down, Owen began to bawl.
Have you ever seen a grown man cry like a child?
It wasn’t just pitiful; it was downright humiliating.
Snot dripped freely, mingling with beads of sweat and streams of tears that cascaded down his face. Then they flowed into his mouth as he gasped for air between his sobs.
Kayden still wore an indifferent look. Only the faintest wrinkle formed between his brows. “A debt must be paid,” he said. “You owe her family one hundred thousand in total. It’s time you settle your debt!”
Owen’s head snapped up, nodding with desperate eagerness. “Y-y-yes! I’ll pay! I’ll pay it right now!”
If he refused to pay now, he would probably end up like those poor guys on the ground-or worse.
He might even lose his life. After all, he had just seen Kayden kill someone with chilling ease.
Trembling, he frantically rummaged through the pockets of his clothes. His shaking hands searched, until finally, in the very last pocket, his fingers grasped a small rectangular object. He pulled out a bank card. Holding it with both hands, he presented it to Kayden as though it were a sacred offering. His voice quivered as he stammered, “There’s… there’s three hundred and eighty thousand dollars on this card. Every cent I’ve saved over the years! The password is 197722. A hundred thousand is the debt I owe her, and the other two hundred and eighty thousand… consider it the interest!”
Two hundred and eighty thousand in interest?
That wasn’t just steep; it was daylight robbery.
But Owen was out of options. This was his last-ditch effort and the only move he had left to play.
If this money could buy him his life, he’d fall to his knees in gratitude to the heavens for their mercy.
Kayden’s gaze dropped to the card, and a faint furrow appeared on his brow.
The instant Bruno caught sight of that frown, his face darkened. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and gave a hard slap on Owen’s head.
Crack! The sound rang out sharp and clear, like a walnut smashed against a stone floor.
Bruno snarled, “How the hell are we supposed to know this card even has money? What if you’re playing games with us?!”
Tears sprang to Owen’s eyes, streaming down his face as he frantically shook his head and explained, “Bruno, please! I swear I wouldn’t dare play any trick in front of him! Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn’t have the guts to mess with him!”