(Third-Person Perspective - The Hunter's Guild)
The next morning, the guild room buzzed with a new kind of energy. The familiar scent of dust and damp concrete was now mingled with the sharp, metallic tang of victory. They were all there, the core of Adam's burgeoning kingdom, their faces a tapestry of exhaustion and hard-won pride. Jack leaned against a wall, a fading purple bruise under his eye serving as a proud trophy. In the center of the room, Padro was enthusiastically (and loudly) demonstrating a new nunchaku technique to a very impressed Axel and Leo.
At the head of the long table, Isabel stood, a holographic map of the captured warehouse projected before her. The timid girl was gone, replaced by a commander, her voice clear and authoritative as she conducted the post-battle debrief.
Stacy, looking as immaculate as ever in a sharp business dress, swirled a cup of black coffee, a look of profound satisfaction on her face. "Congratulations, everyone," she purred, her voice cutting through the quiet chatter. "We achieved a significant victory yesterday. I'm certain Adam will be impressed. It all comes down to the work you did under Isabel's command." Her gaze settled on Isabel, a flicker of genuine respect in her eyes. "Your execution was flawless."
Tiffany, standing beside the holographic display, gave a single, curt nod of approval. "I am also amazed," she stated, her tone as clinical as a lab report. "You are a highly effective leader. We even acquired several new assets. And Jack, your combat proficiency has improved substantially."
Anna looked up from the laptop where she was decrypting the captured drives, her amber eyes shining. "We recovered several encrypted drives and hard disks from the site. I'm working on extracting the data now. Don't worry, it won't be a difficult task."
Jack pushed himself off the wall, a wide grin splitting his face. "I'm just following orders. The true credit goes to Isabel." With brotherly respect. "She's a lot like Adam when it comes to formation and strategy. He's a genius, no doubt, but Isabel is also very proficient and unique in her own way of handling the team."
"You're not so bad yourself, Jack," Stacy commented, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You've improved. And now you're putting in real effort for the guild."
"Not just Jack," Tiffany added, her gaze sweeping over the others. "Ken and Kenji, you both played your roles perfectly. You are truly an unbeatable vanguard. Padro and Qasim are growing at a significant rate. Even Axel and Leo are performing miracles." She paused, her gaze hardening slightly. "I expect all of you to maintain this pace of improvement. Otherwise… you all know."
A collective shiver went through the combat members. They remembered the brutal, merciless nature of her and Isabel's training. Kenji simply said, "Yes, ma'am," his voice a low, respectful rumble.
"Miladies, don't worry!" a voice boomed from the doorway as Ken Pots strode in, his chest puffed out with pride. "I am not going to give you a chance to complain! It is the duty of a knight! My oath to Lord Adam and to the Hunter's Guild is absolute! We will not stop until we reach the pinnacle!"
The room fell into a stunned silence. Anna chuckled softly. Jack stared at him with wide eyes, while Axel and Leo were still trying to process what the hell he'd just said.
"Okay, those are quite big words. Isn't it?" Padro finally asked. "Or am I the only one thinking that?"
Qasim shook his head, a look of profound understanding on his face. "Brother, Ken and his world are literally out of the reach of normal human beings. If the Leader himself can't understand him, then who are we to try?"
Stacy let out a long, weary sigh. "I just wish his chuunibyou syndrome could somehow be cured. What in the world is this 'pinnacle,' 'miladies,' and 'lord' stuff? Are we in some medieval drama?"
The room filled with easy laughter.
"You're right, Miss Stacy," Anna chuckled. "He's very weird. The other day, he referred to me in his medieval style as the 'Oracle of Information'."
Jack added, his eyes wide with amusement, "He once called me 'Commander-in-Chief'! I still remember when Adam and I were recovering after the Charles fight. He came out of nowhere, literally gave us a kowtow, and begged to join. Anyone passing by was looking at us like we were a group of boys with a strange mental disorder. It was chaotic."
Kenji, who had been silent until now, spoke, his voice a quiet but powerful rumble. "Ken is unique, but his fighting style is brutal and unpredictable."
"His fighting is unpredictable but very tactical," Isabel corrected, a hint of a proud smile on her face.
"You are right, though," Tiffany conceded. "But the most important thing is his unwavering loyalty to Adam."
"Miladies!" Ken declared, placing a hand over his heart, his eyes getting a little teary. "I will become emotional if I receive any more praise! I, Ken Pots, on behalf of the gods, promise to fight your enemies! Even if I must die!"
"Here he goes again with the middle school syndrome," Padro laughed from across the room, and the entire guild dissolved into another wave of warm, appreciative laughter.
(Chloe and Maya's Perspective)
The air in the Tiger's Den was toxic. The usual miasma of stale cigarette smoke and cheap whiskey was now laced with the bitter, suffocating scent of failure. In a quiet corner, hidden from the storm of their leader's fury, Chloe and Maya stood, clinging to their boyfriends' arms with what they hoped looked like terrified concern.
Maya whispered to Chloe, her voice a low, conspiratorial hum. "Looks like the situation is tense." Chloe just chuckled softly. "I just got the report about their recent failure."
Maya said to Chloe, "It was a flawless execution of our king's master plan. The failure of their ambush and the capture of their drug cartel… it was all part of Daddy's ruthless planning."
Chloe replied, "I just want Adam to get back. I'm wondering how he'll reward us for this."
Their gazes drifted back to the center of the room, where Kevin Lucas was a caged predator. The sheer fury radiating from his massive frame was a physical force.
Maya whispered, "Look at Kevin's grim face. He looks like he's about to burst." Chloe said, "And Hughes, he can't even figure out what's going on. Lina and Friedrich look like they're about to faint. And that Charles… he looks like his whole world has been destroyed."
Maya couldn't help but feel a flicker of vicious pity. "I feel for him, you know? He's a limp dick, he got NTR'd in front of the whole school, and then he gets beaten by Jack. His very existence is an irony."
"Hughes!" Kevin's roar silenced the nervous murmurs of his men. "Explain to me what is going on! Your whole plan is completely destroyed! First, your ambush failed. They didn't just defeat the first ambush; they even handled your second ambush. And they captured our members! We couldn't even touch one of them! They destroyed the gambling site, and now the drug cartel. Do you know how I'm going to answer the Vulture Gang?!"
Hughes, his face a mask of frustrated composure, replied, "I don't understand it either. When Adam isn't on the ground, they are still winning. It means Adam isn't the only one who is intelligent. There are more intelligent people."
Lina, her voice a trembling whisper, said, "I think his sister, Isabel, is a really good fighter. Tiffany and Stacy are the strategists. That little girl is a total ghost; she's not a fighter."
Friedrich was tense. Kevin went to him, grabbed his arm, twisted it, and asked, "Can someone explain how a pathetic and cowardly boy is literally outsmarting us when he's not here?" Friedrich cried in pain, "Boss, I'm really sorry for my incompetence, but I am also clueless!"
Lina's supporter, her father, was behind bars, thus they had totally lost their police power. And now her mother was being more strict. "Thus, we can't protect the drug and gambling sites," she shivered. "I am totally helpless, boss. I am really sorry."
Hughes intercepted. "Boss, the point isn't why they're winning. The point is how they know our every move. How do they know when and where we are ambushing, what the exact location of our gambling and drug sites is? This is impossible. And how could they have such power? Moreover, the people who fought for Adam—Jack, Ken, Kenji, Padro, Qasim, Leo, and Axel—they are all growing exponentially. It's really hard to accept, but they are really good fighters."
Then Charles said, "There is a spy among us. Can't you all see? Nari is getting close to Adam, and I even heard from my source that she is on some kind of drill with Adam, outside of Metropolis. The spy is definitely none other than Hailey. She came to know how the boss used her, and now she's helping them. And the president… very few people know how manipulative that bitch Nari is. She is a Venus flytrap. All of you forget how once we told her we wouldn't give the protection fee, and she literally made our lives hell."
His words were heavy. Kevin looked at him like he was seeing garbage. "Charles, I advise you to keep your pathetic mouth shut and why don't you just make yourself invisible, because a pathetic person like you is literally a disgrace to the name of masculinity. I think Adam is more masculine than you and Friedrich also. How he accepted his death warrant and challenged us when he knew he couldn't beat us. Still, he chose to fight, and he is literally giving us a hard time. And here we are, just sitting, doing nothing. Do you know the fear of the Ruthless Animals is diminishing? Nobody is scared of us. Everyone literally thinks of Adam as their god. Is this a joke? A boy from a dumpster is giving us this much trouble."
He then looked at Friedrich and Lina. "Friedrich and Lina, this is the mess both of you created. For fun, you humiliated Adam, threatened his family, and beat him to death. Now he is coming back to us for revenge. He wasn't a threat for us earlier, but he is a threat now, a very dangerous one." Kevin said in a deep voice, "There's a saying: a cornered rat will fight against the cat. And the rat is Adam, who was beaten, humiliated, and destroyed. Now he is fighting. Now he is not just fighting. He is evolving, getting stronger, and defeating us. Is the Ruthless Animals a joke to you?"
The whole room was dead silent, and they were embarrassed that the group of kids they thought were now beating them.
Then Hughes said, "Boss, I know what you are saying, but what Charles said has some weight to it. Everything started happening after Hailey met Adam. This is really strange, and I am definitely sure there is a spy among us. And I think the reason why they are outsmarting us is because they are not using conventional ways. They are tricking us, and always improving. Every member is hardworking in their group. Adam is a very serious threat. We should make another ambush and kill them."
Then Kevin said, "First of all, I didn't allow you, Hughes, for the ambush, because I was the one who gave them one month to prepare. How did you violate my order? I am not punishing you, but right now, it isn't the Hunter's Guild that's important; what's important is the Vulture Gang. And also, no more ambushes. We are just decreasing our own fear. Do you know what everyone is saying?" Then a few people whispered, "I heard a rumor that the boss is scared of that boy, Adam." There were so many other rumors, and Kevin said, "Yes, they say I am scared of him. Hughes, tell me, are we scared?" Hughes said, "Boss, this is a small defeat. We will recover."
While they were discussing, suddenly a man entered, wearing sunglasses, a denim jacket, a white t-shirt, and a denim, a cigarette in his mouth, with a flexible and punk personality. And he said, "How are my little brother and little sister doing? How are Hughes and Kevin? Everything is fine?" And the whole room, with Hughes and Kevin, was shivering.
The man who had just strolled in wasn't just an intruder; he was an apex predator, and everyone in the room instinctively knew they were now the prey.
He walked forward, his steps a slow, deliberate rhythm that seemed to count down to some unspoken, terrible judgment. He stopped in front of Kevin, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across his face.
"You look a little stressed, little brother," he said, his voice a low, purring sound. "Having some trouble with the local talent?"
"Bro… Brother…" Kevin stammered, his voice a choked, pathetic whisper. "What… what are you doing here?"