Alex woke up to the sound of vicious growls.
He opened his eyes a bit, and almost immediately, his heart jumped out of its cage.
He was surrounded by a pride of lions, who were busy sniffing him out.
Alex was feeling dizzy from blood loss and pain from the multiple gunshot injuries he sustained.
However, the fear of being used as lions' dinner kept him awake, making his mind work quickly as he wondered how the hell he was supposed to defeat three lions in his current condition.
He was no Samson, neither was he Hercules.
Worse, the bullet penetrated his rib cage, getting stuck in his liver.
He noticed a fallen branch beside him and quickly did the math.
Alex reached for the stick, simultaneously kicking away two of the lions while landing the stick on the third one.
He jumped to his feet, gritting his teeth to endure the pain blinding him, as he tried to fight them off.
The lions looked stunned, probably wondering why their supposedly dead dinner came back to life.
However, it only lasted for a moment because they roared furiously and came after him, viciously trying to retaliate for the kicks he gave them.
“Go find another dinner, find your fellow animal. My child cannot grow up without a father, so get lost. Death is not an option for me!” He roared angrily, seemingly drawing strength from an unknown source as he delivered vicious hits to the feral cats, leveraging on the heavy stick in his hands.
A heavy paw landed on his back, tearing his skin to shreds.
Alex roared crazily, delivering a vicious hit to the culprit, which sent the lion up and crashing on a nearby Jagged rock.
Providence seemed to be on Alex's side because the heavy fall made the lion's neck hit the jagged edge of the rock, while another heavy rock rolled down due to the impact, crushing the unfortunate lion.
The two lionesses growled furiously on seeing their husband dead, and rushed to Alex, trying to end him.
“Get lost, you motherfuckers!” He roared furiously, his body drenched with blood, as he hit the two angry lionesses with the heavy stick.
He noticed a pointed branch nearby and hit one of the unfortunate creatures like a tennis ball, leveraging on his years of practice on the lawn.
She flew up from Alex's calculated hit, landing straight on the pointed branch which pierced her unlucky neck.
Alex grinned and turned to the last one who was watching him fearfully.
The morale of the surviving lioness was already low on seeing her two companions dead.
“Isn't it a little too late to have a rethink?” He growled, rushing at her.
The startled lioness quickly drew back, the same time as Alex hit her neck with the heavy stick.
She groaned and fell to the floor, making Alex turn around with surprising speed, taking to his heels.
He was already feeling sick, he was no longer confident of defeating the remaining beast.
Worse, it was already nightfall, soon other ferocious beasts will swarm that area, attracted by the scent of blood.
Alex hid inside a cave, gasping weakly.
The island was totally deserted, there was no other person in that jungle.
Worse, he couldn't find suitable herbs or forceps to treat the bullet wounds.
He gasped and forced himself to eat the apples he picked while escaping.
He heard a hiss, making him tiredly open his eyes.
There was a two-headed hydra monster before him, making Alex rise to his feet, while quickly grabbing his weapons.
Alex swallowed nervously, he had never seen such an animal before.
The hydra immediately charged at him, making Alex quickly raise his stick in defense.
However, before he could even hit the hydra, a white streak of light slashed the hydra into two, making Alex gasp in shock.
His eyes darted to the white haired old man with a staff, standing before him.
“What's a mortal doing on Blood Coast Island? I can't feel a trace of internal energy, showing that you're not a cultivator,” the man asked, staring fixedly at Alex.
However, before he could answer the old man's questions, he collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.
*****
Alex opened his eyes slowly, noticing that he was lying on a bed made of hay.
His wounds had already been bandaged, and there were herbs being burnt in the room.
“You're quite ferocious and brave for a puny human without a bit of military training. From fighting the lions with multiple bullet wounds, to calmly facing the hydra even though it's an exotic monster, to your determination to stay alive against all odds; it's commendable. However, leaving this Blood Coast depends on your ability, if you prove to me that you have the potential to be groomed into something great, I will let you go after doing some work. However, if you prove to be a disappointment, I will abandon you. I have no use for a useless disciple,” the old man said harshly, the moment Alex regained consciousness.
“Who are you?” Alex asked calmly, forcing himself to sit up.
“I'm someone known as the ice flame old man, and most importantly, I'm your savior. Do you accept to acknowledge me as your master?,” he asked calmly, still sitting in his meditation pose.
"Of course, you saved my life, I know how to show my gratitude," Alex replied humbly, staring at the unfathomable existence before him.
"Excellent, I have been looking for whom to hand over my position as the ace master in the secret service, however you just walked in. This is a place I normally come to meditate quietly, since it's a forbidden jungle where many people don't know about its existence. You're also a lucky chap. My visit coincided with the period you were kicked out of the helicopter, making me to easily notice your presence. Whoever your enemies are, they're vicious and powerful. And to defeat them, or even survive, you need to toughen up. If you prove to a disappointment, I will kill you myself," he said coldly, walking towards Alex.
He sat beside Alex and began to channel energy into his body.
Soon he brought out acupuncture needles, and began to administer treatment on Alex.
"Your wounds are almost healed, so you will start your training tomorrow. If you prove your talent to me, you will serve your country and help me take away the burden of my office so that I can concentrate better on my cultivation," he said calmly, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"But sir, I have a pregnant fiancée waiting for me. I need to be beside her when it's time for delivery. Besides, I don't know if the enemy is also targeting her. I need to be there to protect her," Alex whispered, pleading with the old man.
"You can't even protect yourself in your current state, how can you protect someone else? If you're that bothered, I will send my men to look into it. If you don't get powerful enough to take over my office, forget about leaving this Island," the old man threatened, walking away.
Alex opened his mouth to protest and caught sight of the army uniform hanged on the wall.
His mouth immediately snapped shut.
It can't be that his savior is a commander or general in the military, right?
****
Alex quickly climbed out of the gorge while fighting the creatures attacking him.
His hand finally touched solid ground, and he pulled himself up with all the strength he could muster, nearly slipping back into the bottomless pit because of the snow covering the smooth evidence of unfathomable disaster.
He stared at the old man sitting on the snow while meditating, a few meters away from the bottomless valley.
The old man had saved his life five months ago, and began to train him to take over a certain top secret organization.
He sighed and stood before his harsh taskmaster, rubbing his hands, which were purple from the cold and bruises.
His body was torn up and covered with bruises from the harsh time he spent in the valley of death.
"Congratulations on completing your training. You have indeed shown what an exceptional disciple you are. You're the only one who has ever made it back from the valley of death within this century. As I promised, I will grant you three days of freedom to enable you to see the person in your heart yearns for. Hasten up and meet me at the pine mountain so that you can officially take up your mission," he whispered without opening his eyes.
"Thank you master" Alex quickly said, smiling like one who won the lottery.
The old man felt sorry for Alex, but decided not to stop him from going to experience premium heartbreak and tears in the hands of his first love
*****
Alex smiled happily as he carried the bag of goodies which he bought for Mia and the baby out of the car. He caressed the golden bank card in his hands, grinning. The only positive side to being the old man's disciple was that he was not stingy with money, letting him splurge on gifts for his girl. He noticed that the lights in his room was turned on, making his smile widen. "She still slept in my bed despite the fact that I was not around, she must have missed me a lot. Love is a beautiful thing," Alex whispered happily, climbing his room's balcony in his bid to surprise her with his sudden appearance.
However, the sounds seeping out of his room made his heart sink in despair. It can't be, right?
****
Alex froze as he listened to the moans spilling ceaselessly from his room.
He silently opened the door, staring at his bed.
Mia was kneeling down doggy-style, while William, his long time enemy who instigated the director of the drug agency to ask him for the formula, just after the inception of his company, stood behind her, banging her hard while spanking her ass.
Mia's spoilt giggles and moans as she looked back at William, praising his co*k and telling him how much she loved him, were disgusting.
He clenched his fist, watching William squeeze every part of Mia's body while she moaned dirtily.
His eyes reddened and he immediately took a step forward to tear William apart.
However, the bracelet his master gave him spread a cold energy inside his body, calming him down, while simultaneously freezing him at the spot.
He watched helplessly as Williams moaned, spilling his seed into her.
He took deep breaths trying to control his anger.
"My little slut. Does that fool suck your ass as well as I do?" William asked, bending down to lick up her creams from her sacred spot.
"That's the only thing he knows how to do. He's such a gullible idiot. But of course, he can never be as good as my love," Mia answered, pushing William down with a flirty smile as she sucked on his co*k.
Alex immediately felt hurt when he remembered that Mia never gave him head the few times they made out, she only made demands of what she wanted him to do. But here she was, literally begging for William's co*k and teasing him like a slut.
'Remember you don't have the license to kill yet. Don't attack them', his master's voice filtered into his ears through the bracelet.
"My only regret is that you didn't manage to get the formula from him, despite all the sacrifices we had to make. It's alright though, we made billions from the fool. Killing that woman and setting him up was worth it. I'm just unhappy that I had to share your body with him," William whispered, fondling Mia lazily.
Mia giggled.
"You're the only one I love, you know that, right? We used him to get what we wanted. Besides, if I didn't let him have fun a few times, he wouldn't have believed the fake pregnancy test result, and all our plans would not have come to fruition," Mia whispered, consoling Williams.
Alex immediately looked at Mia's naked belly, and sure enough she was not pregnant.
He had been too shocked and heartbroken at the scene before him that he totally didn't remember her pregnancy sham.
His eyes reddened as hatred surged in his veins.
He had suffered shame and humiliation for nothing, losing everything he labored for, just to protect a non-existent baby.
He gasped in pain, feeling dizzy. He immediately tried to leave, but his foot slipped off the balcony because he was distracted.
He fell to the ground with a dull thud and groaned. The loud laughs of the adulterous couple drifted into his ears, worsening his heartache.
He had learnt the shadow steps to facilitate his assasination and spying missions, making them unable to hear the sounds of his footsteps or breathing while he watched them.
However, despite the fact that he made a loud noise when he fell, they still didn't notice him, showing how engrossed they are in each other, giggling and sharing dirty jokes.
"Mia! You just signed your death warrant. Once I'm back, I will show no mercy," Alex whispered coldly, forcing himself up.
He slipped out of the building silently, just the way he came.
His hands shook as he tried to turn on the ignition, like someone with the parkinson disease.
He took deep breaths and rested his forehead on the steering wheel, trying to calm himself down.
He had never felt such deep pain in his life, not even when his own family betrayed him, nor when he was surrounded by vicious creatures at blood coast, during the course of his torturous training in the hands of his master.
Yes! Even the knowledge that he might die at blood coast didn't make him feel as desperate and broken as he currently felt. Mia had hit him where it hurts the most, viciously, without remorse.
And he will make her pay for it.
Mia, William, his family, evil government officials that connived to entrap him for benefits, the technician that provided the fake reports, Mia and William's family; everyone who ever hurt him must pay heavily for it.
Today, Mia had successfully murdered the peaceful and easy-going Alex.
Now, he will unleash the bitterness his months of torturous training and various near-death experiences had culminated in him.
He always refused to take the extreme path for the sake of his unborn child, but since there was no child, he might as well live however he pleases.
Alex immediately revved up the engine and drove furiously towards sky tower hotel.
He flashed his golden card and walked past the security guarding the six-star hotels he just entered.
They allowed him not just because of his bank and identity card, but also because of his special bracelet, which had an unfathomable significance.
*****
Alex sat down calmly in a corner of the luxurious night club he diverted to, after witnessing Mia's betrayal.
He noticed a drunk young lady walking towards him.
She was a beautiful sight to behold, a tall, shapely blonde, with an hourglass figure, baby blue eyes, and cherry lips. There was only one word to describe her; stunning. She was easily the most beautiful woman Alex has ever seen.
"Hello, handsome," she whispered, collasping on Alex.
He gasped in shock and quickly helped her to sit beside him on the sofa.
The girl's cheeks was reddish, her eyes were also puffy and red, making Alex wonder if she had been crying.
"Do you want to spend the night with me?" She whispered, placing her lips on Alex's.
Alex's brows furrowed, wondering where this bold chick crawled out from, as her unique fragrance messed with his already shattered senses.
"Don't you like me? Aren't I pretty enough?" She whispered, pouting as she stared sadly at Alex, with her mesmerizing eyes.
"Young lady, you're drunk. You will regret this by morning," Alex replied calmly.
The girl quickly shook her head.
"I won't regret it. It's better I do it with a random stranger, instead of that disgusting playboy," she whispered with determination, as her inexperienced hands tried to seduce him.
"My self control has limits, you better stop now," he whispered in frustration, but she captured his lips, nibbling on it.
Alex groaned and carried her up.
"You better not regret this in the morning," he whispered with a voice laced with desire as he made his way to the VIP suite he booked.
******
Alex turned and stared at the young girl curled up beside him. He found her intriguing, and most importantly, he felt apologetic towards her.
He had discovered too late that she was a virgin. He didn't know that chaste women still exist in the modern society filled with decadence, especially among the working class ladies.
Once the pleasure wears out of her body, she will probably cry. Her actions of forcing him to bed was probably induced by alcohol, none of them were in their right senses the previous night.
He sighed as he took his bank and identity cards, leaving his backpack and a huge stack of cash beside the bed, with an apology note, promising to find her once he's back.
He had benefited a lot from her.
Sleeping with a virgin had increased the potency of one of the techniques he practiced; hell's scythe technique, and made him level up in quick successions. So of course, he had to compensate her for her help.
He never expected the perks he got from using the technique with a stranger.
He had known his fiancee was no virgin. She was not a virgin when they first met, so he never paid attention when his master told him the advantages of marrying a virgin for people practicing the hell's scythe technique.
'REPORT TO THE ARCTIC COAST IMMEDIATELY' appeared on his bracelet, making him rush out of the room.
It appears that the threat this time is really serious, making his master delegate it to him.
It's obvious that others have failed.
They only send him to places where others went and failed.
Because he's Lord Dracula, the king of hell.