Detective Keaton looked at me, his eyes weary and filled with resignation. He sighed dejectedly, “Or else... I will beg to take a loan from you…”I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound echoing in the stale air, “Hahahah…” He was really like the Keaton I knew in the past. “Has the price of $100,000 for each superhuman you send to the laboratory not been enough for you?”His expression shifted to one of shock, “How do you know that too?” He paused, confusion etching his features. “And it's $25,000, not $100,000.”“It is $100,000; you should check your broker’s son's bank account. He lied to you,” I countered, my voice steady as I took out my smartphone. I navigated through my banking app and, after confirming the transaction, slid it back into my pocket. “I have transferred $5 million to your account.”“Where did you send it?” Keaton asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. His smartphone buzzed with a notification; he hastily took it out, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of $5 m
Keaton was waiting outside the storage room, his breath visible in the cold air, surrounded by his police colleagues. One of them, a nervous-looking man, quickly asked, “Keaton, are you sure we can trust this information? Don't you think it's safer to send them to the lab?”Keaton, his face stoic yet confident, replied, “Don’t worry, they've already sent us $5 million. They won’t lie to us.” His words were cut short as his smartphone suddenly rang with a sharp, piercing tone. “Yes?” he answered, his voice firm.The man on the other end of the line responded tersely, “Now you can enter the storage building with your team.” Keaton motioned to his colleagues, urgency in his stride, as they approached the storage area. They opened the door with the password, the metal creaking loudly, to find the five prisoners still in handcuffed, their eyes wide with fear, yet still alive.“Check their hand symbols,” the voice on the phone commanded. Keaton, examining their hands closely, found them cle
Sakura was perched uncomfortably on the edge of a truck seat, rumbling from the survivors' camp toward Virginia City. She shared the space with other ability users destined for an academy and some women eager to explore job opportunities at a place called Eden Guild. Clutching a well-thumbed brochure, Sakura's eyes scanned its promises repeatedly, her mind swirling with fear. What if this new life forced her into slavery?The harsh reality of a post-apocalyptic world left her with little choice. Sakura's parents were gone, swallowed by the chaos, leaving her adrift in survivor camps where desperation and lawlessness reigned. Once celebrated as a school beauty and magazine model, she now felt vulnerable, a shadow of her former self, with nothing but her resolve to shield her.Determined to reclaim some strength and independence, Sakura knew she had to venture out and carve a path for herself.As the truck groaned to a halt at the Academy, Sakura gazed out at the imposing structure. Its
My name is John Doe, a man fueled by dreams yet tethered to lethargy. Immersed in a world of games, manga, manhua, and meganovels, I harbored a disdain for training, schooling, and work. Cloistered in my room, I squandered my parents' provisions, yearning for a miraculous transmigration to another realm like in story.Yet, the world didn't operate like that; it often moved in the opposite direction of what we wanted.One fateful day, while glued to the news, I witnessed the emergence of portals in various cities and the beast ran amok. The broadcasts were censored, but the uncensored horrors flooded the internet. Monstrous beasts preyed on humans, their ferocity chilling to the bone.I was born and raised in the tranquil Virginia City, where anger seldom brewed, and thankfully, no gates materialized. I thanked God for the peace, little knowing my peculiar wish was about to materialize in an unwelcome manner.That night, a mysterious symbol etched itself onto my right hand as I was mas
“I don’t think you can be my assistant,” I said to Sakura, fully aware of her reputation. She was the top result from the Eden Guild, known for her beauty, perfect physique, and impeccable attitude. Her intelligence was undeniable, shining through her ambition to secure me as her master.“Why?” Sakura stood in front of me, her eyes wide with a pleading intensity.“You have everything needed to be my private aide, but I doubt your heart is strong enough to follow my commands without question. I don’t want to justify my actions to you. I need a perfect ‘yes’ woman. Can you be that?” I studied her, my gaze sharp. “Can you say 'yes' without questioning, even if I do immoral things?”I could see the conflict brewing in her eyes, her resolve wavering. “I don’t force you,” I sighed, turning to walk away.“I will do everything you say without questioning it,” she declared.I sighed at her naivety. “Come, let's sit in the garden chairs,” I suggested as I sat down, patting the chair beside me.
After finishing playing with the three girls who were still sleeping on the bed, I asked Sakura to help me put back on my clothes. She did it without any protest. "Grab my hand," I said. Sakura hesitantly took my hand, and we teleported to a plaza with a gate leading to another planet. "This is a gate," I explained to Sakura who looked at it for the first time in awe. "Sometimes, beasts come through this gate to our planet."I walked to the edge of a large pit, peering down at some beasts on the lowlands. With a snap of my fingers, I stored them in the Space storage. “Can you imagine how many gates have opened in this world?” I asked.Sakura shook her head."There are about 1000 now in the whole world, but by the end of the year, it will slowly increase. This Earth will be destroyed, as more and more planets connect to us," I declared, the weight of our grim future heavy in the air. "This is the real Armageddon, the end of time, and people will die if they don't fight."I gazed deeply
The burly man laughed, his voice booming like thunder. "Keep barking, weak dog," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice. "As this wolf will take care of you." He moved swiftly, his fist connecting with my stomach, sending sharp pain radiating through my body. I crumpled to the ground, gasping for air."Is this how the famous Heavenly Guild invites people?" I asked, struggling to stand, my voice laced with sarcasm and defiance."I invited you politely, but you made it hard for yourself," he replied arrogantly, his towering figure casting a shadow over me."Can weak people speak their minds?" I challenged, my voice weak yet defiant. "I don’t want to go where you're asking me to."The Vice President walked closer, his presence menacing. "In this new world, the weak have no right to speak," he sneered, his face contorted in disdain.In a moment of rebellion, I spat in his face. "I am weak, and yet I say to you, fuck off!" My words were a spark in the tense air.The vice leader's face t
As the Iron Man, I soared into the heart of the Heavenly Guild's people gathering. Many of them had already hurled their fiery magic at me, yet my anti-magic shield cocooned me in safety, deflecting their spells effortlessly. When arrows or bullets whizzed my way, a transparent, material shield materialized, warding off each attempt. It created a colourful light around me. In those early years, I felt nearly invincible, fortified by forty years of knowledge and experience.To them, I must have seemed a titan—a military veteran with four decades of war-torn wisdom, facing down a motley crew of kindergarteners with wands. The disparity was glaring.“Now, I, representing the Eden Guild, will pronounce your guilt,” I boomed, using a sound amplifier to ensure my voice cascaded over the entire academy and beyond. “First, you were granted the power to combat beasts, yet you chose to oppress and bully human. That is your gravest error! Are you on human’s side or beast’s side!”“Second, you we