As Kai opened the front door, the cramped, dimly lit home was filled with the smell of sizzling meat. His father was at their battered wooden table, looking tired, and stirring pot roast over the ancient stove.

  "Dad, I won!" Kai blurted before he could hardly contain himself.

  His father, without looking, replied, "Won what?"

  He stepped forward, dropping his bag on the table. . . "The Z City Mercenary Tournament. I'm the new champion. I took down Desmond Benjamin in front of thousands of people."

  His father stood frozen. Slowly, he turned around. The expression on his face was unreadable.

  Exhaling heavily, he let out, "You damn fool."

  Kai's grin faltered. "What?"

  With a loud gyration, his father smacked the ladle on the top counter, filling his sleepy eyes with anger. "You know what you have done?!"

  That frown turned into a scowl for Kai. "I won the tournament. I got 2 million credits!"

  His father just kept shaking his head while rubbing his temples. "You don't get it. You have just carved a big target on your back. Clans, mercenaries, gangs - all of them will come for you now."

  Kay scoffed, "Then just let them."

  His voice tightened as he advanced toward his son. "This isn't the kind of street fight, Kai. These people won't come on with you equally. Instead, you should have just remained incognito under the guise of subjugating monsters like you always did!"

  Kai clenched his fists. "Low profile? Stranded at the bottom forever? I did this for us! This is our one ticket out of poverty! And you should be happy!"

  But the face of his father remained cold. "I'd rather be poor than bury my son."

  The words hit Kai like a punch to the gut.

  He stared at his father, anger boiling in his chest.

  His voice was low but threatening, "Are you really serious? Would you rather remain at the base of society and feel worthless than let me fight for something better?"

  His father stood staring into his eyes. "If fighting means risking a life for scraps of glory, then yes."

  That was it. That was all that was necessary to break Kai's mind.

  Kai let out a bitter laugh, shook his head, and said, "Unbelievable. I work my ass off to get us out of this hell hole, and you won't even support me."

  The silence grew thicker than words between them.

  "Fine. If you don't want my help, then I won't waste my time."

  Without a word, he stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

  His father just stood there, staring at the closed door for a long moment.

  Then, he sighed and returned to the stove.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  The stew had begun to burn.

  Kai flew over the rooftops, flowing and effortless, while the wind rushed past his body when he leaped from one building to another. His mind was still clouded with the last remnants of frustration from the argument with his father. Then, all of a sudden, something caught his attention—shouting. He stopped in mid-air on the edge of a rooftop and turned his head the other way, eastward.

  "What's going on over there?" he muttered.

  Curious, he followed the din. Upon arrival, he spotted a girl on a street, cornered by men dressed in Ice Clan uniforms. Kai crouched down with his arms on his knees as he watched the scene from above.

  "Well, this is going to be a good show," he said to himself.

  The Ice Clan members moved in; their hands glowed blue-white, and they began launching spears of ice at the girl. But she wasn't helpless. Her incredible agility allowed her to dodge their attacks, twist, and roll across the narrow alleyway, retaliating with little bursts of ice from her Kryokinesis. Her every movement was precise, but one must admit numbers do overpower.

  One of the men stepped forward, icy breath leaving his mouth in the cold air. "You're coming back with us. Stop resisting."

  The girl held her ground, her torn sleeve stained with blood from a minor wound, but still glared at them defiantly. "Like hell, I will."

  But just as they were about to hit her again, a massive column of fire shot from the sky.

  The flames engulfed the attackers, setting their uniforms ablaze, screams filling the air as they crumpled to the ground unconscious. From atop the building, Kai stood up and leaped down into the alley.

  The girl coughed, watching him in shock after the smoke cleared.

  Kai turned his back on her with his hands in his pockets.

  "You're welcome," he said nonchalantly, already walking away.

  "Wait!" called the girl after him.

  Kai came to a stop, but he didn't want to turn back.

  "I have nowhere to go," she said, her voice trembling. "Please… take me with you."

  Kai had only the slightest hesitation. "No," and he jumped off.

  He had to deal with more significant problems.

  As he hopped from rooftop to rooftop, Kai took deep breaths to clear his mind.

  "I better go back home and apologize to Dad," he thought.

  Then, a noise followed him.

  A faint, rhythmic whooshing sound.

  Kai's eye twitched. "No way..." he muttered.

  He turned his head mid-leap and saw her.

  The same girl from before gliding above streets beneath him, using her Kryokinesis to skate on ice that she created beneath her feet.

  Kai groaned. "You're actually following me?!"

  She smirked up at him. "Yeah"

  Kai gritted his teeth. He moved faster.

  So did she.

  "Stop following me!" Kai shouted.

  Please take me with you!" she hollered back.

  She begged again.

  And again.

  And again.

  Finally, Kai relented with a loud sigh.

  "Fine!" he snapped, rubbing his temples. "Just—just stop talking!"

  The girl grinned as if she had just won the war, and Kai grumbled for the entirety of his journey back home.