2024-11-14 07:48:43Welcome to Atlas City" a soft voice boomed through an implanted mega phone as a multitude of passengers ranging from male to female, all slowly alighted from a plane.
Among the multitude was a young man in his mid twenties clad in a white tank top and joggers. The shirt he wore didn't bother concealing his well chiseled abs and biceps.
"I'm finally home.. after so long" James smiled emotionally as he walked down the stairs of the plane.
Three years.. it's been three years since he last saw such a bustling crowd. Now that he was finally able to witness this scene, tears nearly dropped from his eyes.
Picking up his bag, James slowly walked out from the airport premises. He had not gone very far when a taxi pulled over in front of him.
"Where to?" the windscreen slid down, revealing the earnest expression on the taxi man's face.
"I don't have any cash" James chuckled as he shook his empty wallet.
"Hmpfh" the taxi man merely snorted before driving off, in an attempt to look for legit customers.
"I really am so broke" James shook his head as he continued trekking.
"Apart from this bangle, the only thing of value are my clothes. However I doubt if someone would be even willing to purchase them as second hand goods " James shook his head as he glanced at the multi colored bangle wrapped around his left wrist.
On the day Becca divorced him, he had been so heartbroken that a car had almost run over him. The good Samaritan had then rushed him to the hospital. Upon waking up, he encountered a strange old man who had volunteered to take him as his apprentice if he wished to change his fate as a nobody.
The both of them had then journeyed away from Atlas City, travelling around the world by transversing mountains and large rivers for three years. During that time, James had learnt a lot of things from his mysterious master including martial art techniques and medical skills and knowledge.
However a week ago, his mysterious Master had suddenly given him a plane ticket as well as this mysterious bangle, telling him to return back to Atlas City and use the skills he had learnt to shake the world with his name. As for the use of strange bangle, his mysterious master had merely said he was to never let it leave his wrist and that in the future, he would understand.
.
.
"What.. What happened here?!" James voice trembled as he stared at the decrypt house before him. The walls of the house had several thick cracks and the lawn surrounding it was overgrown with long weeds that could reach all the way up to a grown man's waist.
However even with these shortcomings, James could still recognize the house as the place where he had lived for most of his childhood. His last memories of this place was a sharp contrast to what he was currently seeing.
With trembling hands, he knocked on the old wooden door.
"Who is there? please wait a bit I am coming" at that third knock, an old voice filled with weariness rang from behind the door.
Creak..
Seeing the one who had opened the door, James lips trembled as his eyes went misty.
"M-Mom!" at that moment he seemed to have forgotten he was a grown man as tears gushed out from his eyes.
Stella Stefflon. From James fondest memories, this was a strong vibrant hustling madam who owned her own restaurant. Although she wasn't rich, she wasn't poor either. However currently she was all skin and bones with protruding cheek bones and sunken eyes.
"Who.. Who are you?" Stella squinted her eyes, finding it difficult to recognize the emotional young man before her.
Wiping off the tears, James beamed as he held her hands which were as thin as a toothpick.
"Mom, it is me James. I have finally returned. Your unfilal child has finally returned" he sniffed.
"James? oh my God! it is really you!" Stella finally recognized James voice, pulling him into her embrace.
The embrace didn't last long as James tactically broke it. He was afraid of mistakenly crushing his mother's bony frame.
"Mum, what happened to you? I mean the house, your health.." James asked the one question that was tugging at his mind.
"Have a seat" Stella sighed helplessly as she led James to sit on one of the three wooden chairs in the house before she began to explain the current situation.
Apparently in the last three years that he was away from Atlas City, things had not been going well for his mum. The Blue family had suddenly sued her to court. According to them, James had embezzled ten million dollars from the family budget and had escaped. As such, all the responsibility fell on Stella who was James mother and next of kin. Stella was just a nobody in the society and as such, the Blue family won the case.
With the huge debt hanging over her neck, Stella had to sell her restaurant, however that was only enough to pay a small quarter of the ten million dollars debt. Out of options, she could only sell one of her kidneys, however that was only enough to pay off half. Hearing this, James eyes blazed with fury as he clenched his jaws, trying to suppress the fury he was currently feeling.
"The Blue Family accused me of stealing ten million dollars?" He smirked, however the disappointment in his eyes was very apparent.
"Naturally I didn't believe that. However the Blue Family has grown even more powerful in the last three years. They are now one of the city's top families and due to their large influence, I lost the case at court " Stella replied sadly.
"Those bastards! to think they would end up being so pretty!" James snorted.
Although he had never stolen ten million dollars from the Blue family, he recalled borrowing one million dollars from them to help his mum start up her restaurant business. However at that time the Blue Family Patriarch had merely waved it off as a betrothal gift for marrying into the family. However even with that, James has been planning on paying the debt back once he had enough money.
However in just three span of three years, a one million dollar debt escalated all the way to a ten million dollar debt. Not even the cruelest loan sharks had such high interest rates!
As such, James realized that this was the Blue family's way of making things difficult for him. Looking at his mother's malnourished state and the fact that she was now missing a kidney, James became sorrowful..
"I am so sorry mum. It was selfish of me to leave the city and allow you to bear this huge burden by yourself alone. However now that I am back, I swear to the heavens that I would never allow you to be bullied by anyone!" James swore solemnly.
He had been so preoccupied with pleasing Becca that he had forgotten about the one woman who really mattered; his mother.
However now that he had learnt his lessons the hard way, James swore never to make that same mistake for the second time.
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Bang! Bang! Two loud knocks echoed, followed by a rough pitched voice.. "Old lady! it is time to pay up your dues!!" When Stella heard this, her body trembled. James noticed this reaction, causing him to ask with a suspicious frown. "Mum? what is it?" "Ah. It's nothing. Just some old visitors. James why don't you go to your room and let me handle this?" Stella chuckled awkwardly. Giving her a suspicious look, James went deeper into the house. Although he had some suspicions, he decided to obey his mother's wishes. After leaving her for so long to bear his cross with nobody to complain to, James figured it was the least he could do. Only after confirming that James had left did Stella suck in a nervous breath as she opened the door, revealing seven hefty looking men in rugged clothing. "You old hag what took you so long huh?" the one who spoke was the thug at the lead. He had a green serpent tattoo on the right side of his neck and a fat blunt was trapped in between his blac
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New Sensations villa was one of the top industrialized urban estates within Atlas City. As business hub, the city was the home base of many top companies and with the high rate of real estate development, the city lacked that much rural areas, with plans made to develop the few rural areas remaining. However there was a clear distinction between these industrialized areas in the city and New Sensations villa ranked at the the top of the ladder. Although this estate had only been publicly completed about two years ago, it only took three months for almost half of their units to be sold. The PR was crazy and at a certain point in time, it was the hottest topic to discuss. At that time, owning a unit within New Sensations villa was a sign of superior status.. hell, even the City's Mayor owned one. However for those who owned a property, they were all convinced that the PR around the estate wasn't exaggerated. That was because everything within the estate screamed of high class luxury
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James exhaled sharply as he watched Manager Talia's limo disappear into the horizon. He noticed some of the neighbors peeking through their windows. The area where his mother lived was one of the oldest rural settlements in the town. It was rare for such a fancy looking entourage to visit the place. They even visited Old Lady Stella's house. Were they part of the government who wanted to use this part of town for real estate development? Just as James made to return into the house, his brows creased. "What is it now?" looking over his shoulder, he noticed three vehicles driving through the muddy ground. Their trajectory seemed to be his mother's apartment. "Mr. Krios?" the crease n James expression disappeared when he saw the first person to alight from one of the three fancy vehicles. "Young master Stefflon" Mr. Krios bowed. His tone even more respectful than the last time they met. "What.. How did you find me here?" James never expected the sudden unexpected visit. "We as
Chapter 30
James fell silent as he seemed to be digesting what Manager Talia just told him. As for Manager Talia, she silently stood behind him, nervously pursing her lips. Her reason for the sudden august visit was quite simple really. After the Alchemy Competition came to an end, words of James performance travelled all the way back to Green Leaf Gate.. A young Alchemist who could refine a whole furnace of Nirvanic pills? such a talent was rare to come across. Even within those top Sects, geniuses like that were regarded as their ultimate ace in the hole and were always kept in secluded cultivation. However what was even rarer was a genius of such magnitude who appeared to be unaffiliated. As such, the top leaders of the Green Leaf Gate quickly made their move and charged Manager Talia with recruiting him. "So, what do you think?" Manager Talia finally caved in after James continued remaining silent for five minutes and counting. "The offer isn't even generous... It is like mana fallin
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"Mum, you really don't have to do all this hard work again. Now that I have returned, I promise to easen up your stress" James sighed helplessly when he saw his mother walk through the door. Judging from her sweat drenched appearance, she had just finished a day of labour at her vegetable farm. "Don't worry. Over the past two years during your absence, I was able to survive. There's no way I'm going to break down now.." although she felt exhausted, Stella still forced out a smile. Seeing her in this state caused James to develop a twist in his heart. No matter what, he was going to repay all the sacrifices she's done for him a hundred fold. His next action was just going to be the first. "Eh?" Stella's brows shot up in anger when she noticed the uncovered bowl of soup on the table. "You haven't touched your lunch yet?" "R-Really? My breakfast has barely digested.." James awkwardly stroked his stomach as he lied straight through his teeth. "It's three pm" Stella gave him a su
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In his moment of despair, Dr. Hamilton seemed to have realized something as he turned towards James, his eyes gleaming brilliantly like a lady in distress who just saw her knight in shining armor. "Y-- you were able to tell what was going on r-right..?" "Yup. What's your point exactly?" James lips curved. How couldn't he tell where the other party was driving at? however he refused to make things easy for him. "If you know something tell me.. although I am a proud man.. I hate watching my patients die.."James gave the other party a look before exhaling. "It's fine. Even if you hadn't asked so nicely, I wouldn't have stayed at the sidelines and done nothing.." "Just leave everything to me.." James took a step forward, placing his palm of Mr. Krios forehead as he inspected his body's metabolism with his Spirit Sense. "You really made a mess this time. Quick, give me twelve of your acupuncture needles.." James snapped his fingers with urgency. "T-Twelve?" Dr. Hamilton hesitated
Chapter 27
James had revised the kind of excuse he was going to give for his lateness while he was being led to the VIP lounge at the top floor of Silver Gate Restaurant. However upon his arrival, what he never expected to encounter was the scene of Mr. Krios standing on his feet, appearing youthful and healthy. "You!!" Charlotte was the first to notice James presence, causing a scowl to appear on her face. "What do you think you are doing showing your face here?!" she angrily marched towards him, about to land a crisp slap on his face. According to the good Dr. Hamilton, this bastard almost killed her father! to think he'd be shameless enough to show his face!! As a Martial Cultivator, James easily saw through Charlotte's intentions, casually sidestepping which caused the slap to miss his face by a few inches. Charlotte immediately retracted her palms in embarrassment. The bastard dodged her slap! "Ah. Young Friend.. you are here.." Seeing the friendly smile on the other party's face,
