Seeing Noemi’s incredible strength, Leroy and the others felt their spirits lift, cheering enthusiastically. Unfortunately, they were too exhausted to continue fighting. Otherwise, they would have joined Noemi in battle.
The members of the Apex stared at Noemi, their expressions a mix of shock and deep apprehension. They had never expected this woman to be so formidable!
Luca, unimpressed, chuckled and said, “Callum, go a few rounds with her.”
Callum, who had been standing guard next to him, nodded, cracked his neck, and leaped into action like an eagle taking flight.
Gisselle and the others, who had been ready to charge forward, wisely stepped back to give the two fighters some space.
As everyone fell silent and watched, Callum shouted, causing the hall to immediately hush.
His roar was like a lion’s, reverberating through every corner of the room.
This not only made Leroy and the others cover their ears, but even Noemi, who was highly focused, was momentarily distracted.
Such an unexpected interruption could easily throw someone off balance.
At that moment, Callum suddenly charged at Noemi, his right fist flying toward her like a cannonball.
Caught off guard by Callum’s sudden attack, Noemi staggered back a couple of steps before launching a powerful kick aimed at his fist.
Thump!
The impact of their fists and feet created a strong shockwave, and Callum used the momentum to leap upward, twisting in the air like a striking snake as he lunged toward Noemi again.
Seeing this, Noemi quickly retreated and delivered another strike with her right hand. Another dull thud echoed as their fists collided.
As she stepped back, he charged forward, and their attacks clashed once more!
Callum and Noemi exchanged blows, the sounds of their strikes ringing out sharply, then they finally both took a step back to regain their stance.
Both were breathing heavily, clearly having put their all into the skirmish.
For the moment, they were evenly matched.
Callum felt his punch wrapped in power, first landing on something soft, then being gripped tightly.
With such immense strength, it was clear that Noemi was no ordinary opponent.
Before the shock could register in his eyes, Noemi gathered her strength and charged straight at Callum.
Just as Callum braced himself for the impact, he felt Noemi’s power suddenly wane.
Her old injury was flaring up.
Initially surprised, Callum didn’t dwell on it. Seizing the opportunity of Noemi’s weakened state, he twisted his body and landed a solid kick on her.
The force was considerable.
He quickly retreated, escaping Noemi’s range of attack.
Callum hit the ground with one hand, flipping over before landing, a mix of confusion and triumph in his eyes.
Noemi was sent flying, flipping twice before crashing heavily into a chair.
Bang! The chair shattered under her weight.
Blood spurted from Noemi’s mouth.
“Ms. Sotheby!”
Leroy and the others shouted in unison, “Are you okay?”
Luca chuckled, “Ms. Sotheby, just give up. Given your courage and my personal respect for you, I’ll give you one last chance.”
“How about you pay us five million a month to ensure Woodsea’s safety?”
This was already Luca’s bottom line. It was easy to bring Noemi down, but the Apex still needed her to dominate Woodsea.
Noemi let out a cold laugh. “You’re dreaming! Five million? I could buy a dog to guard Woodsea for a thousand bucks. Five million would get me five thousand dogs.”
“Besides, I haven’t lost yet.”
She gritted her teeth, wiping the blood from her face as she stood up. “If you want us to surrender, you’ll have to defeat me first.”
“Callum, make her submit,” Luca waved his fan, “Let Ms. Sotheby lose convincingly.”
“Alright!”
Callum exhaled sharply, cracking his neck as he charged at Noemi, aiming to kick her into submission and secure a final victory.
Nick and the others grinned wickedly. After today, Woodsea would belong to the Apex.
Once they took Woodsea, they could intimidate the other gangs, preventing any thoughts of rebellion, while also elevating the Apex’s power.
Woodsea was a lucrative territory that would bring immense benefits to the Apex.
Noemi had no intention of surrendering. She gripped her weapon, ready to fight until the end. Leroy and the others couldn’t bear to see her fall, struggling to rise and resist, only to be subdued by their enemies.
At that moment, Callum, his shirt torn and muscles bulging, charged at Noemi like a raging bull.
Noemi’s breath hitched slightly.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a figure dashed in, hurling an object toward Callum. “Watch out. It’s a bottle!”
Upon hearing the warning, Callum instinctively ducked, smashing the incoming bottle aside. It flew several meters away, crashing against the wall with a loud thud.
However, Callum let out a pained scream, clutching his head as he stumbled backward, anger flashing across his face.
Blood dripped through his fingers.
Countless eyes turned to the injured Callum, then back to the entrance.
Darnell and Lillian had arrived.
Leroy looked on in surprise. “Darnell?” He hadn’t expected Darnell to show up here, especially since he was just a tenant.
Seeing the chaos, Lillian rushed to Noemi’s side, her expression anxious. “Godmother, are you alright?”
Noemi’s lips twitched slightly as she touched the spot where her injury had flared up. “I’m fine… What are you doing here?”
Lillian whispered, “I knew the Apex was coming and was worried something might happen to you, so I rushed over.”
“You shouldn’t have come here! You could get hurt! If they capture you, they’ll use you as a hostage.”
Noemi shot Lillian a stern look. “Get out of here. Take that idiot with you. We can handle Woodsea ourselves. Go!”
Women, children, and weaker villagers had already been safely hidden away by Noemi so that they could fight against the Apex without worry. Who would have thought Lillian would show up?
Stubbornly, Lillian shook her head, standing beside Noemi. “No, I can’t just stand by and watch you get hurt.”
She then glanced at Darnell, who stood a short distance away. “I believe Darnell will surprise us.”
Noemi scoffed. “What can he do? Just being a nuisance is impressive enough. Don’t think that just because Joseph praised him a little that he’s some kind of savior. You’re overestimating him.”
“Besides, his strength lies in medicine. Right now, it’s about fists and fighting.”
“Thanks, bald guy.”
At that moment, Darnell bent down to pick up the object he had just thrown, a five-kilogram durian.
“I was just wondering how to open this durian. Thanks for using your head to smash it open for me.”
“Last time, your head bent my wrench. This time, you’ve helped me break open my durian. Truly the hardest head in Westergold.”
“Hey! You’re bleeding! But it should be fine, right? Your head is so tough. A little injury doesn’t matter.”
Callum clutched his head, looking utterly frustrated. “Damn it! It’s you again, you bastard!”
Darnell held up the durian, half-smashed. “Callum, could you help me smash it open again? Ideally into four pieces.”
He approached Callum eagerly. “You’re so kind. Please!”
Callum, still in pain, instinctively tried to escape.
“Come on, help me out!” Darnell called out.
Grinding his teeth, Callum wanted to stomp Darnell but knew he needed to tend to his wound, so he melted into the crowd.
“You son of a bitch!”
Before Callum could speak, Nick, who had suffered multiple defeats, couldn’t contain himself any longer. He pointed at Darnell and shouted, “Dad, it’s this bastard who attacked me, set me up, and even framed Desmond with his Rolex!”
Gisselle stepped forward, filled with resentment. “Boss, he’s the one who caused trouble that night. My men got hurt, and it’s all because of him.”
Luca glanced at Darnell, casually nodding. “Looks like this world really is small. Who would have thought we’d run into him here?”
He waved his finger at Darnell. “I’ll give you five thousand. You leave now and don’t meddle in our affairs. We’ll call it even for the past.”
He knew well that conflicts needed to be resolved one at a time.
Darnell beamed. “I’ll also give you five thousand. How about you just leave?”
“Bastard! How dare you disrespect my dad? Everyone! Beat this jerk to a pulp!”
Nick shouted furiously, commanding the Apex to attack. “Get him!”
“Kill him!”
A dozen men immediately brandished their clubs and iron rods, charging at Darnell, intent on taking him down.
Darnell suddenly yelled, “Wait a minute.”
The Apex members instinctively halted. Darnell’s expression was serious as he declared, “With so many of you bullying me, I’m calling the police.”