Kaze indifferently said, “Niko Powell, you went after the Vikrom family and Winnie just to get back at me. I’m here now. Let them go and we’ll settle this man to man. Is that okay?” Niko’s expression darkened as he recalled what happened back at the coffee shop. “Just to get back at you? Who do you think you are?” He bolted up and gestured at his men, “Let them go. When I’m done with this bastard, I’ll have all the time in the world to play with them.” His men stepped down. “Ms. Souffle, this way.” Conan carried Brenda and led Winnie and Vicky out of the mansion. “Kaze, be careful.” Winnie knew Kaze wanted to settle this man-to-man, so her staying would do him no good. After leaving him with a word of concern, she went out with Conan. “Thanks,” Vicky said to him with a complicated look before she went out as well. When Winnie and the others left, Kaze’s expression turned dark. He looked at Niko, Sonny, and Cosmo as he said coldly, “You three must have a death wish
Antovan and Gustav knew they were brought to Arcadia by Gunter because of the man before them. They grinned viciously and their eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty glow. When they exuded their murderous aura, the air in the living hall froze. Niko’s other men felt so pressured that they dared not make a noise, let alone move. Sonny pointed at Antovan and said, “Antovan the White Python. A genius in martial arts, a master of jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and karate. His combat capabilities are unrivaled in Zion Mercenaries. “Try not to get caught by him or he will constrict you like a python, strangling you to death. He then pointed at Gustav and continued, “This one is Gustav the Kodiak, born with super strength. You’d better be careful, Kaze Lee. One slap from him can smash your head and it might explode like a watermelon. It’s going to be gory.” He introduced the two legati in meticulous detail, explaining their traits and revealing some of their weaknesses. It was foolish to re
“The Fatty didn’t die after taking a slap from Gustav, he’s quite sturdy.” “Kodiak, don’t hold back! Slap him to death!” Niko and the others burst into laughter, with some even tearing up. They had never seen such a foolish person who got stunned before the fight even started and did not fight back. In the midst of the laughing, Gustav raised his hand. Bang! The slap turned Wolf’s face to the side, his face swelled even more. To everyone’s surprise, Wolf did not die. Not only did he survive the second slap, but he was also standing straight and firm as if his feet were rooted to the floor. With Gustav’s strength, he could easily send a man of 120 kg flying with one slap, yet Wolf did not budge. At that moment, even Niko and the others sensed something was wrong. They stopped with the sneers and humiliation and stared at Wolf with uncertainty. Spat! Wolf spat a mouthful of blood to the floor and then stretched his neck. He grinned and said, “Furball, that’s all
Kaze actually sent Sven and Wolf to the labs in Lilyrose Strategic Department for testing and studies. Both of them had unusual physical traits, which made them stronger than ordinary humans. Not even the lab could provide a precise explanation. Compared to the gigantic Gustav, Wolf, who looked just like any bloated man, was the one with super strength. If he had been born in ancient times, he would probably rule as a king. “Hmph!” At that moment, Antovan grunted and went to Wolf, looking emotionless. “Arcadian monkey, simply being strong is not enough. I always looked down on Gustav, he’s all muscles and no brain. I bet you are the same as him. Now, I will take your life,” he said as he shot a murderous glare at Wolf. “I will be your opponent.” The quiet and frivolous Sven finally responded. He strolled up to the man and looked into his eyes. He flatly said, “You have three shots at me as well. After that, I will kill you.” Antovan was not in a hurry to kill Sven
The reason Antovan used the jiu-jitsu technique last was that it required less endurance and strength than the first two, relying more on agility and technique. To his surprise, Sven did not seem to be familiar with the danger of jiu-jitsu, which allowed him to draw closer. It would be the best chance for Antovan to kill Sven. He strongly believed once he got a grip on Sven, no one could break him free. He would eventually strangle Sven to death like a giant python. Unfortunately, he was soon disappointed when he realized Sven’s body was as hard as steel. No matter how hard he pulled or twisted, he was not able to move Sven at all. “What the hell?” Antovan was losing his calm. He exhausted most of his strength and it would be dangerous for him if the fight continued. Without further ado, he wanted to draw distance from Sven to regroup and rethink the situation. Sven did not give him the chance to retreat this time. “My turn.” The defensive Sven looked into Antov
Sonny did not break eye contact with Kaze, his face grimacing. A student of Gunter, Sonny knew best what these two legati were made of. Though they were a lot weaker than Mosiah, not many in Glowmoss could defeat them.Yet, they were crushed. Niko found it the hardest to accept reality. He was convinced that the Three Great Legati would make Kaze grovel at his feet and submit to him. Reality told a different story. The weight of the situation came crashing down on Niko. “That’s impossible. No way.“Uncle Gunter took the legati under his wing. They couldn’t possibly be killed easily. I bet he played dirty,” Niko yelled menacingly. He seemed to be at breaking point. “Played dirty? Ha.” Kaze scoffed and drew close to slap Niko in the face. Wham!Niko crashed to the ground, his jaw dropped as blood gushed out. Kaze did not hold back his strength, nearly whipping the life out of Niko. Unable to take it anymore, Sonny stepped forward and said grimly, “Niko belongs to
Sonny’s death struck fear in Niko and Cosmo. They did not expect Kaze to get blood on his hands. Sonny was Gunter’s most cherished student. Yet, Kaze killed him without hesitation. Even though Niko and Cosmo were no saints, they would never hurt Sonny. Fear finally sunk in for Niko and Cosmo. Thump! They fell to their knees. “Don’t kill me, Kaze. Please don’t kill me.“Just name your price.” They crouched low, laying their heads down before Kaze in a plea for forgiveness. “I can spare your lives, but you can’t escape a punishment.” Kaze, aloof as a god delivering final judgment, said, “You prey on the weak, and for that, I’ll strip off your manhood.” “Thank you.” Niko and Cosmo were overjoyed by Kaze’s show of mercy, but the punishment threw them for a loop. “No! Please, Kaze. Don’t do this.” They begged desperately. Niko and Cosmo would rather die than live without being men. “The punishment fits the crime.” Kaze shook his head and left those words
After driving the Hornbergs out, Gunter occupied the Hornberg Manor in Sunrise City. Gunter was having his usual tea. Mosiah, the top Great Legatus, stood quietly by the wall, his presence still. It would be hard to notice a person standing there. Gunter took a sip and tilted his head at Mosiah before sighing. “It’s a shame. Looks like you might not be put to use on this Arcadian trip.” Niko and Sonny took the two of the Great Legati to Lilyrose. Gunter kept track of Niko and Sonny’s every move in Lilyrose. He had utmost trust in Sonny’s competence too. Niko stood out among his peers in the Powell family. Gunter believed Sonny and Niko would have no problems with their journey to Lilyrose. “Not much is worth my time in Arcadia.” Mosiah was a man of few words. After a brief silence, he gave such a response and ended the conversation there. He only responded because it was Gunter. Mosiah would ignore anyone else, and that included Antovan and Gustav. Knowing t
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
The incident did not sit well with Kaze, so he left them out to dry. After much searching, Kaze came across a café. Kaze bought a cup of coffee. Cupping the drink between his hands, Kaze sipped slowly. Many passengers swarmed the arrival hall in the airport, dragging along their luggage or pulling out their phones to get a pick-up. They all had a destination, a place they had to be in a rush. Intrigued, Kaze followed the crowd out. Kaze turned on his phone, and a text message from his airport pick-up came in. He glanced at the message, curious about who the person was. Nevertheless, Kaze trusted that the Westeros Branch members would not set him up out in the open. At most, they would pull little stunts to mess with him. Kaze was not the type to sweat the small stuff. However, he would not tolerate any extreme behavior. He had been keeping a low profile back in Butterworth, keeping the limelight off him. The purpose was to handle Jet without unnecessary complicati
“Alright. I will work hard to be the manager of the Northborn Group. You need to show me the ropes and teach me about management.” Leah looked at Katie with a smile. She believed Katie had not lost her mind. Katie simply had her memory mixed up. “You need to keep your people in line and reward those who deserve it. It all boils down to profits. “You need to work toward managing your people and working with rivals. You’ve got to keep the balance, and nobody loses out. “You need to build your own system when it comes to working together. Don’t be led around by the nose.” Hearing that Leah would start work soon, Katie imparted her knowledge. “Don’t worry too much about things. Joey is nice. You can go to her for help,” Katie said earnestly. Katie seemed to be herself at the moment. Leah wondered if Katie faked her insanity to escape the punishment. “What have become of you? Did they do something to you? “Did you really betray Kaze?” Leah whispered while leaning close
Leah kept working on her knowledge until late into the night. Just as she was about to hit the sack, she got a message from Snow. Learning was a hard enough process. The text message came out of the blue. Leah did not expect Snow to contact her at night. The message was strange as well. Leah could not understand why Snow would give her the address of a nursing home. Leah was determined to turn things around. She strived to become stronger instead of being a burden. She was grateful for Kaze’s help. At least, she had a job now. However, her gratitude was not extended to Snow. She believed Snow had gone too far. Snow left her feeling powerless. Leah did not think much about the message. She assumed that the text was not meant for her. Since Leah did not respond to the text, Snow put the matter aside and went to bed. Leah called Snow the next day. “Why did you send me an address?” Leah went straight to the question. She had been equipping herself with knowledge before