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