As the crowd turned, they noticed a man sitting in the SVIP section with his paddle raised high. A ripple of reactions moved through the audience—some looked impressed, thinking he must know something about the dagger's value, while others scoffed, assuming he was simply wasting his money.Then, a mocking voice cut through the whispers. "He's clueless, just a kept man living off wealthy women." The speaker was none other than Nathan, who couldn't bear that Max was drawing attention with such a bold bid. He stood with an arrogant smirk, glaring at Max.Max turned casually, meeting Nathan's glare with a calm expression. "If you're broke and clueless, just stay quiet," he replied dryly. "And even if I were wasting my money, what's it to you? It's not like I'm spending yours."Nathan's smirk faltered, his face momentarily flushing as he felt the sting of humiliation. But he quickly recovered, his voice full of spite. "It's not even your money, Max. We all know it's those rich women bankro
A man was the first to raise his paddle and bid six million, followed by others incrementally raising the bid by a million at a time. The room buzzed with hushed conversations, with many wondering what hidden value this glowing stone might have to drive up the price so quickly.After a few moments, a clear voice called from the back, "Five million!" effectively doubling the current bid in one go. This bold bid caught the attention of everyone, who turned to look at the bidder—a young, wealthy-looking man, dressed sharply, standing tall with a confident expression. He stood up and addressed the crowd in a respectful tone, "This stone is important to me. I need it, and I intend to give it to someone in need."As the young man spoke, Max noticed a tattoo on his neck, a symbol associated with an underground group he recognized. He smirked slightly, brushing back his hair, and without hesitation raised the bid. "Ten million," he announced.The crowd gasped, their murmurs growing louder, an
The first man lunged toward Max with a fierce jab aimed at his face, but Max sidestepped smoothly, his movement calm and calculated. The man's punch hit nothing but air, and before he could recover, Max had already shifted back, watching him with an amused expression.Frustrated, another man joined in, rushing from Max's right with a powerful hook. Max leaned backward just enough to avoid it, letting the punch sail mere inches from his nose. In a flash, the first attacker threw another punch at Max's torso, but Max twisted, slipping to the side and letting both attackers collide briefly.The third man, seeing his companions struggle, attempted a sneak attack from behind, raising his fists for a downward strike aimed at Max's head. Without even looking, Max casually stepped to his left, evading the blow effortlessly. The man stumbled forward, his momentum carrying him past Max, who simply watched with a smirk.Now, all three men regrouped, determined to overwhelm him. They closed in fr
Claud's face twisted in rage as he watched his men get tossed around by Max. "Stop playing around!" he shouted furiously. "He's just a kid with a few martial arts tricks—how hard can it be to take him down?"The four men glanced at each other, a flicker of resentment in their eyes, but the anger in Claud's voice forced them to swallow their frustration. Reluctantly, they geared up to attack again, visibly exhausted and battered but desperate not to disappoint their furious leader.Max sighed with a smirk as they came at him, slower and far less coordinated than before. They were clearly worn out, yet he decided to make this round even more entertaining.As one of the men threw a punch, Max sidestepped and grabbed his wrist, spinning him around like a top. "Round and round we go!" he chuckled, releasing the man after several dizzying spins, leaving him swaying and too disoriented to land a single blow.Another charged in, attempting to tackle Max low, but Max simply stepped aside and p
The man Max had kicked earlier rose to his feet, cracking his neck with a determined sneer. With a nod to his comrades, he and the other three launched forward, their speed and force dialed up as they coordinated their assault. This time, their strikes came closer, slicing through the air with deadly precision—Max evading each one by a hair, a grin plastered on his face as he swayed and ducked. One punch flew so close it nearly grazed his cheek, but he leaned back just in time, only to sidestep as another fist shot past his ribs.Between attacks, the men exchanged quick glances, clearly impressed by Max,s skill. "You,re pretty good, kid," one of them muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice.Max smirked, sliding out of the way of a high kick. "Is this all you,ve got?" he taunted, raising an eyebrow. "I was expecting a bit more from Claud,s ‘backup dancers.,"A second man laughed, though he clearly felt the sting of Max's jab. "Don,t get cocky," he warned. "You,ve only seen 30% of w
As Claud prepared to charge, one of his men stepped forward, holding up a hand. "Boss, you don't need to get your hands dirty. Let us show this kid what real power looks like."Claud hesitated, then nodded, crossing his arms. "Fine. My time's valuable, so don't drag this out," he said with a smirk, confident his men could handle the situation.The four exchanged glances before turning back to Max, an eerie, focused intensity in their eyes. "Kid, don't blame us for being ruthless," one of them sneered. "We're about to show you our true power!" As they spoke, a dark energy began to wrap around them like a storm cloud, thickening until the air itself seemed to pulse with their combined strength. Black veins bulged across their bodies, pulsating with energy as it merged with their forms. Max watched, unfazed but alert, as their bodies expanded, muscles growing more defined, their energy radiating pure menace. He recognized the scene—it was disturbingly similar to what he'd seen in the ar
Before the four monstrous fighters closed in, Max subtly coated his body with a nearly invisible layer of energy, forming a thin yet resilient barrier around himself. He did it effortlessly, a faint shimmer flickering around him for just a moment before disappearing entirely. With his defenses in place, he stood still, appearing as though he were waiting to be attacked.The four fighters, now fully transformed with dark energy and twisted features, lunged forward without hesitation. One came in first with a powerful punch aimed directly at Max's shoulder. The blow collided with the barrier, sending a faint shockwave through the air, but Max barely shifted. The fighter's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could react, his ally was already coming in from the side, throwing a hard kick aimed at Max's ribs. The impact met the energy barrier again, but Max stood motionless, absorbing the blow without flinching.Two more followed, each delivering rapid strikes—punches, kicks, even claw
The next moment, the men's eyes turned white, and one by one, they collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Their bodies returned to their original forms, Claud stood there, stunned and speechless. Just as he began to process what had happened, Max's voice spoke from behind him."Tell your master to wait for me in his den."Chills ran down Claud's spine at the words, and before he could react, his vision faded, and he collapsed, unconscious, joining his men on the cold ground. Max dusted off his hands, glanced down with a bored expression at the heap of defeated men, and walked out of the alley, yawning.He waved down a taxi, and once inside, the driver asked, "Where to?"Max replied casually, "Prime View Heights." The driver's eyebrows shot up. Confirming, he repeated the address back to Max in surprise. But Max nodded, urging him, "Just drive, no questions."Puzzled by Max's simple attire yet sensing his confidence, the driver figured he might work there or know someone who lives in
Max felt the strange energy disappear almost as quickly as it had appeared. Yet he was sure of one thing—it wasn't just one or two students emitting it. Whoever or whatever it was, they were inside the university. He kept these thoughts to himself as the rest of the class went by uneventfully.When lunch finally arrived, Max began to gather his things when Lily approached him, smiling brightly."Max! Come eat with me and Rose," she said cheerfully.Max paused for a moment, considering her offer. Then his eyes darted toward Sean, who was quietly packing his things. Max spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "Sean, tell Zoren to meet me in the cafeteria."Sean froze for a moment, then nodded respectfully. "Yes," he replied, before hurrying out of the classroom.Lily and Rose stared at Max, their faces a mix of surprise and confusion."Wait a second," Lily began, raising an eyebrow. "You know Zoren? The martial artist?"Max smiled faintly and shrugged."How did you get Sean to listen to you
"Zoren!" Sean yelled as he watched Zoren suddenly collapse and vomit blood. Fear and confusion swept over Zoren's men, their faces pale and their bodies trembling as they took cautious steps back.Max walked forward with a calm expression, his footsteps echoing in the silence. He crouched slightly and delivered two sharp slaps to Zoren's face.Slap! Slap!The force was just enough to jolt Zoren awake. He groaned softly, blinking in disorientation as he held his reddened cheeks. When his vision cleared, he saw Max standing over him, a faint smile playing on his lips.Zoren's eyes widened in realization. His expression shifted rapidly from confusion to fear. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees, bowing his head low."B-Boss! Master!" Zoren stammered, his voice shaking with genuine fear and submission."What?" Sean blurted out, utterly dumbfounded by the sight. He took a step closer, his expression filled with disbelief. "Zoren, what are you doing? Why are you kneeling?"The rest
Zoren's glare could have burned a hole through Max, but it only seemed to amuse him further. Max let out a relaxed sigh, pointing the branch at Zoren like a teacher scolding a stubborn child."So, are we done here, or do you want me to embarrass you even more?"Zoren clenched his fists, but there was hesitation in his eyes now. His men groaned on the ground behind him, holding their bruises and glaring at Max with disbelief and fear.Sean, watching from the sidelines, swallowed hard, his earlier excitement replaced by unease."Y-You're a freak…" Sean muttered under his breath.Max grinned, resting the branch on his shoulder. "No, Sean. I'm just someone you shouldn't have messed with."Sean's face twisted in anger as he laughed maniacally, trying to muster his courage. He took a step forward as if to charge, but his confidence faltered when his eyes darted to Zoren's men writhing in pain on the ground. His movements stilled, his earlier bravado replaced with uncertainty.Zoren let out
Max stood still, a faint smirk on his face as the first thug rushed at him, throwing a wild punch aimed directly at his jaw. With a slight tilt of his head, Max avoided the blow entirely, his feet never leaving their spot.The thug blinked, confused at how effortlessly his attack was dodged. Another man immediately charged in, this time aiming a kick at Max's side. Max merely shifted his torso, letting the kick slice through empty air."Is this all you've got?" Max asked, his tone light and mocking.Frustrated grunts came from the group as another thug swung a metal rod, aiming to hit Max's shoulder. Without breaking a sweat, Max leaned backward, the rod missing him by mere inches. The attacker stumbled forward, thrown off balance, and Max didn't even glance at him."Hey, careful with that thing," Max teased, his voice laced with sarcasm. "You might hurt someone. Maybe even yourself."The thugs exchanged nervous glances but steeled themselves. Two came at him simultaneously—one aiming
After resolving the commotion, several students approached Max, expressing their admiration and gratitude."Thank you for standing up for us," one said earnestly."That was amazing! You were so cool back there!" added another, their voice filled with awe.Max simply nodded, offering them a small smile before turning to check on Rose and Lily, who had just come down to meet him.Rose and Lily hurried over, concern and curiosity etched on their faces."How did you get there so fast?" Rose asked, still puzzled by Max's sudden appearance earlier.Max shrugged nonchalantly. "I came down earlier and waited for the right moment. You just didn't notice because everyone's attention was on Oscar," he explained casually.Lily nodded, impressed. "Oh, so that's how it was. You're amazing, though," she said, her admiration clear as a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.In truth, Max couldn't reveal that his movements were faster than an ordinary human's, making it seem like he had teleported. He si
The thugs regrouped, their expressions a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Oscar barked at them angrily, "What are you waiting for? Get him!"One of the thugs muttered under his breath, "Easier said than done…" but they all hesitated before reluctantly charging at Max again.This time, Max tilted his head slightly, as if deciding on something. Then, with a swift movement, he sidestepped the first thug, delivered a light tap to the back of his head, and followed up with a playful smack on the thug's behind using the thug's own bat.The thug froze mid-motion, his eyes wide in shock. "What the—did he just…?"Before he could finish, Max spun around to face the second thug, dodged his clumsy attack, and gave him the same treatment—a loud smack to the rear.The sound echoed across the courtyard, followed by stunned silence and then an eruption of laughter from the students watching from the buildings above."H-he's spanking them!" one student burst out, clutching their stomach.Even Ros
Before Rose's tears could fall and before Lily's anger could fully erupt, they both froze at the sight in front of them. Their expressions shifted to one of shock and disbelief.Oscar noticed the change on their faces and assumed they were overcome with fear. With a smug grin, he turned to look at the teacher, expecting a lifeless body. But as he turned, he froze in place.Standing in front of the teacher was a man, holding the baseball bat with his hand. It hadn't landed on the teacher. Instead, it had been stopped effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing.Oscar's eyes widened in shock. "Who the hell are you?!" he barked, his voice laced with confusion and anger.The thug who had swung the bat staggered back, fear plastered on his face. He knew how sturdy that bat was—yet the man holding it didn't seem fazed at all. Before anyone could react further, the man clenched his fist and crushed the bat into splinters."W-what?! How is that possible?!" one student whispered in disbelief."Wait
From the front doors of the campus, a large figure emerged, stepping purposefully into the chaos. It was one of the PE teachers, a man with a stout build and a noticeable belly, but his stern expression and commanding presence made it clear he wasn't someone to be trifled with. "What's going on here?!" he bellowed, his voice echoing across the courtyard. Oscar glanced at the teacher with mild disinterest, a smug grin plastered on his face. "And who's this?" he mocked. "The campus babysitter?" Ignoring the jab, the teacher stopped a few feet away from Oscar's group, crossing his arms. "You're on private property, causing a disturbance, and endangering students. Leave now, or I'll call security and the police." Oscar chuckled, leaning lazily against his bike. "You think I'm scared of you or your little threats? Nah. We're here for Rose, and we're not leaving until she comes down." The teacher's eyes hardened, his patience wearing thin. "Violence has no place here. You're tresp
Max, Rose, and Lily returned to their classroom for their next lecture. The students filed in, taking their seats, while Max casually walked to his desk, drawing subtle glances from almost everyone.As the professor prepared to start the lesson, a few of their classmates approached Max, their curiosity evident."Hey, Max," one girl began, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where did you transfer from?"Max looked up, his expression calm yet inviting. "A small town in the province," he replied with an easy smile.Another girl chimed in, her cheeks slightly pink. "Is it true you're on a scholarship? That must mean you're really smart!"Max chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I just try my best, that's all."The casual humility in his voice only seemed to endear him further to the girls, who exchanged excited whispers as they walked back to their seats, their faces flushed and hearts racing.Meanwhile, Lily slumped in her seat, her chin resting on her hand. She glanced at Ma