Loose bottles and burning crates flew everywhere, and the only sound was dry, harsh laughter melding with thunderous shouts of the Fire Clan soldiers that echoed the entire street length.

  "There he is! Get him!" one of them shouted as he launched a swirling fireball toward Kai.

  Kai's sarcasm echoed: "You guys really need to work on your aim!"

  He sprang off a crate, twisting in midair to propel himself off the wall of a building, gracefully sidestepping the attack. The fireball smashed into the stone-paved street, flinging embers into the air.

  The chase, indeed, was on. But Kai had perhaps considered the whole affair an amusing game. With ease, he now arrived at both great, enormous walls, bouncing off walls, somersaulting over laundry lines strung over streets, and sliding down slanted roofs as though defying gravity itself.

  "Hold still, you damn pest!" another soldier cursed menacingly, throwing a lance of flame at him.

  Kai just laughed, flipping in midair to land lightly on a wooden beam, "But where's the fun in that?" He gave them a cheeky salute and sped away again.

  The recruits couldn't keep pace with him. Kai turned a corner and disappeared into a secluded alley, making their frustration grow—if that was even possible.

  Panting, the lead soldier held up a hand for the others to slow, "Where did he go?"

  "Did we lose him?" a soldier asked, looking around the vacant corridor.

  Just then, a voice hissed right behind them, "Looking for me?"

  Before they could blink, Kai became a flash of black. A well-placed shot to the temple, a swift kick to the ribs—within seconds, the entire squad lay unconscious on the ground.

  Dusting his hands off absently, he thought, "Too easy."

  Kai had no spare time. The tournament of the Mercenary Guild was about to start, and he had his own business. This was a chance for him to see how far he could go using nothing but amplified kinetic energy and an energy barrier without fully unleashing his ability's true power.

  Upon arriving in the grand arena of the Mercenary Guild's tournament, Kai found the crowd's roar to greet him like a thunderous wave. The battles were on, and the air was charged with tension and excitement.

  He looked up at the tournament bracket displayed on a jumbo screen. Twenty-six contestants. All at least level 5 or above. Some names were already crossed out and eliminated.

  He was next.

  The crowd—mercenaries mixed with gamblers—was shouting into one another, making bets on the outcome. Snatches of conversation reached Kai's ears as he walked toward the fighters' waiting area.

  "I'm betting 500 credits on the Pyrokinetic!"

  "Nah, the Gravity user is going to win!"

  "Wait, who's that low-level guy? Kai, right? Tch, he won't last a round."

  Kai smirked to himself. "They always underestimate me."

  A sudden eruption of cheers pulled his attention back to the arena. The previous match had ended, and the announcer's voice reverberated through the speakers.

  "And that's a match! The winner is... GARETH, THE IRON FIST! Now, for our next fight... an underdog of mysterious origin—Kai Ciphera!"

  Kai slowly exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he stepped onto the battlefield. His opponent stood at the other end: a tall, muscular man with piercing blue eyes, while water wafted around his hands like living serpents.

  "So... You're that level 2.8 guy?" the Hydrokinetic sneered. "This should be easy."

  Smirking, Kai flexed his fingers. "You talk too much."

  The bell rang.

  Immediately, his opponent unleashed a high-pressure jet of water—sharp enough to slice through solid steel.

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  Kai did not move even the slightest.

  A dim veil shimmered for an instance in front of him, Energy Barrier. Upon impact, the water jet ceased in that fraction of a second and plopped harmlessly at his feet.

  The Hydrokinetic was taken aback. "What?!"

  Before he could recover, Kai blurred.

  With an audible crack of sonic disturbance, he reappeared before his opponent, hand pulled back to strike.

  BAM!

  The Hydrokinetic flew backward like a ragdoll, crushed into the stadium wall hard enough to crater it, slumping unconscious to the ground.

  There was silence.

  Then uproarious cheers filled the arena.

  The announcer hesitated but yelled, "And Kai wins in one hit!"

  Kai exhaled and retreated into the waiting area, ignoring the surrounding stammered astonishment.

  "Four more rounds to go," he muttered to himself.

  He couldn't care less about their incredulity; he couldn't care less about the money changing hands.

  The only thing that mattered was growing stronger. Strong enough that no one would ever be able to bully him again.

  Kai had wreaked havoc amongst his opponents with a storm-like fury, claiming victory in the next three rounds without breaking a sweat. In speed, aim, and manipulation of kinetic energy, he had left even high-profile mercenaries in his wake. Now, with only two fights left standing between him and the finals-to face the reigning champion of Z City's Mercenary Tournament, Desmond Benjamin.

  A Level 7 Electrokinetic. Ranked 20th in the Mercenary World Tournament.

  It did not scare Kai. On the contrary, he was looking forward to it.

  But for the time being, he needed a break.

  Holding up one of his hands casually in his pockets as he strolled through the guild halls, he had found himself stopping beside a small vendor shop. After buying a skewer of grilled meat and a cold drink, he ate leisurely.

  "Not bad," he muttered through bites.

  At that moment, a shadow befell him.

  "Impressive fights, kid."

  Kai turned his head slightly. In front of him stood a tall, broad-shouldered man in a crisp white suit. His fingers glinted with gold rings; two bouncer-bodyguards flanked him on either side, dark shades and all, professional hired muscle indeed.

  Kai wiped his mouth with one hand and leaned casually against the counter. "And you are?"

  The man chuckled smoothly. "Giorgio Guido. Maybe you've heard of me?"

  Kai's eyes crinkled. He definitely had.

  Giorgio Guido was the boss of a notorious crime syndicate. From drugs to extortion to illegal arms trade, he ran it. A character like him, walking into the Mercenary Guild like it was a walk in the park; that right there told you just how unsecure the place was.

  Guido smirked and sat down beside Kai. "Hope you don't mind me crashing your little snack time. After all, I just had to meet you in person after seeing your fights."

  Kai remained quiet and sipped his drink.

  "Quite a rare talent," continued Guido. "And that talent can be... very lucrative."

  He then took out a black-and-silver-looking card and slid it toward Kai. "Join me, and I'll see to it that you're paid properly. Power, connections—whatever you want with the snap of a finger."

  Kai glanced at the card but made no effort to touch it. He already had lots of information about Guido's business.

  He blew air out of his nose and tilted his head. "Not interested."

  For a moment, Guido's smile faltered, and then he chuckled. "Are you sure? Because you could go far with us. Way beyond this tournament."

  Kai held his gaze: "I work alone."

  For a while, the two glared at each other—Kai with hard precision while Guido was inscrutable.

  Then Guido sighed, reaching out and picking up the card that had gone untouched. "What a shame. You could have been a king." He idly flicked the card between his fingers before pocketing it.

  His smirk came back, but the eyes turned cold and calculated. "Anyway, good luck with your match. I'll be watching."

  He turned on his heel and walked away, his entourage trailing him.

  Kai watched them all leave, his jaw clenching slightly.

  Guido's crew is infamous for dealing in Amplification Pills that could raise the level of an ingester temporarily by three levels but at the price of a chunk of your lifespan.

  Kai had seen desperate mercs use it before; that never ends well.

  He tossed the skewer away, exhaling. "This place is so fucking rotten."