I was heading home while on a call with Darius.
"So, if I got this right, you want me to find you a celestial gem on the black market?" he asked, perplexed.
"That's exactly it. Don't worry about the price, just buy it, and I'll reimburse you immediately. It shouldn't be that expensive anyway."
In reality, celestial gems do have a certain price — not exorbitant, but not insignificant either. With my savings, I can afford it, though they'll be almost drained after this purchase.
The reason their value isn't particularly high is simply that no one has yet discovered any concrete use for these stones. They are mostly bought by collectors or scientists eager to study their still-unknown properties.
Obviously, if their true value were known, I wouldn't be able to afford one. At least, not right away.
"Shouldn't be too hard. I'll send it your way soon."
"Perfect."
After hanging up, I took a detour to buy a pack of cigarettes, then continued my way back to my building.
As for Kaera, I had declined her invitation. I knew exactly what it was about: a meeting between students from different classes to devise a strategy for tomorrow's exam.
It was an event that also took place in the original story, except Kaera wasn't part of it. Their group didn't last long anyway, because even though they were preparing seriously, they still had no clue about the true nature of the exam.
In any case, my presence wouldn't bring anything beneficial. On the contrary, it would only make the situation more awkward for them and for me.
Besides, I have no intention of getting closer to Kaera, despite her friendly attitude toward me.
'She's friendly with everyone anyway.'
'And I plan to kill her mother, after all.'
A group of students exited the building I was heading toward, catching my attention.
'Was the meeting held in her room?'
As they walked in my direction, they spotted me and gave me disdainful looks before snickering among themselves.
"Pff, it's that loser who refused to come."
"Good for us. Imagine how lame the meeting would've been otherwise, haha."
"To think his room is right next to Miss Kaera's… I feel bad for her."
"He has no shame even after what his family did."
They kept talking among themselves, but loud enough to make sure I could hear them.
And honestly, it pissed me off.
I'm not someone perfectly rational — at least not yet. I don't always control my emotions in every situation.
If you don't like me, just say it to my face instead of beating around the bush.
I turned around slowly, watching them walk away while laughing.
"Hey, you."
They stopped and stared at me before exchanging glances.
"Is he talking to us?"
"Who else do you see, dumbass?" I replied.
It took him a moment to register the insult before he suddenly got pissed.
"Watch your mouth! Who do you think you are to look down on us?!"
"Just keep walking instead of wasting our time, you damn loser."
"Shut your mouths."
They froze.
"You talk a lot, but you don't do much. If you despise me so much, instead of pretending to chat loudly so I can hear, why don't you just say it to my face, huh? Did you lose your balls?"
One of them stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves.
"You're right. I'll take care of you real quick. Should've just kept walking, hehe."
'There are four of them in total…'
"Good," I murmured.
"What? I didn't catch tha—"
Before he could finish his sentence, his head was already in my palm.
With a swift motion, I grabbed it and slammed it violently against the ground.
A dull thud echoed. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth as he struggled to get up, mumbling insults.
"You… damn… coward…"
Before he could stand again, I stomped on his head with force, sending him back to the ground. He lost consciousness instantly.
"What were you saying?"
I lifted my eyes toward the remaining three, still frozen, stunned by the brutality of my actions.
'Even though using elemental mana is forbidden outside, handling three opponents might be tricky.'
"Bastard!"
"Face the consequences now!"
"You're way too arrogant!"
The three of them rushed at me all at once, aggressively.
"Should've started with this from the beginning."
The first threw a punch, while the one on my left tried to grab me to immobilize me, and the third, on my right, prepared a kick.
Instead of retreating, I stepped forward, catching them off guard. A second of hesitation — but that was all I needed.
I dodged the first punch, but the one on my left managed to grab me, preventing me from moving.
Thinking quickly, I violently swung my head back, slamming it straight into his face.
A sharp crack.
He let go, screaming, his nose broken.
The boy with the broken nose staggered back, but I had no time to enjoy my success.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
The third one aimed a spinning kick at my ribs. No time to fully dodge. I took the impact while twisting my torso slightly to absorb some of the shock. Even so, a dull pain spread through my side.
'They're more coordinated than expected.'
The first attacker, the one who had gone for me head-on, took advantage of my imbalance to throw a straight punch at my face.
I tilted my head just in time, feeling his fist graze my cheek. But before I could counterattack, the guy on my left — the one whose nose I had broken — grabbed my shoulder, trying to pin me down.
Big mistake.
I used his momentum to pivot and wrap my arm around his. My foot slipped behind his ankle, and with a sharp motion, I sent him crashing to the ground.
He hit the floor hard, a pained cry escaping his lips.
But I barely had time to straighten up before a kick slammed into my thigh, followed by another aimed at my stomach. I tightened my abs just in time, but the impact still forced me to step back.
The third attacker didn't wait.
He threw a right hook, but this time, I was ready. I sank slightly into my stance, tilted my torso sideways, and dodged his strike with fluidity. He tried to follow up — a jab, an uppercut — but my movements became more instinctive.
[Silent Flow]
My body moved naturally, evading with an almost surreal ease. Each missed punch left an opening.
His torso was exposed.
With a swift motion, I slipped inside his guard and delivered a sharp elbow strike to his sternum.
He gasped, his breath knocked out of him.
I immediately followed with a palm strike under his chin, sending him staggering backward.
'Two down.'
But the first one charged again.
A flash in my peripheral vision. He launched a front kick at my chest. I stepped back, but he instantly followed up with a knee strike.
I couldn't completely dodge in time. The impact struck my side, forcing me to retreat further.
I took a deep breath, refocusing.
He stepped forward, thinking he had the upper hand, and reached out to grab me.
I caught his arm, let myself fall slightly backward, and used his weight to flip him over me.
He crashed onto his back with a loud thud.
Before he could move, I stomped on his sternum and pressed down slightly.
His breathing turned ragged.
A slow smile stretched across my lips.
I watched him writhe under my foot, his eyes wide with pain and disbelief.
Silence stretched.
Then, I let out a laugh. A short, almost amused laugh.
"Why do you look so shocked?"
I pressed down a little harder on his sternum. He groaned, his face contorting.
"You wanted me to face the consequences, right?"
The other two watched me with newfound caution, a flicker of doubt settling in their eyes.
I eased the pressure and took a step back. My gaze swept over the scene before I slid a hand into my pocket.
A small click echoed.
I pulled out a cigarette, placed it between my lips, and lit it with a slow, almost casual motion. The first drag burned slightly down my throat, but the sensation was familiar. Soothing.
I exhaled slowly, letting the smoke rise into the air.
"Well? Are you done?"
I took a step toward them. They instinctively stepped back.
My smile widened.
"What's wrong? Don't feel like playing anymore?"
My eyes landed on the one whose nose I had broken. His face was covered in blood, and he was breathing heavily, as if holding himself back from running away.
I moved — just a quick, subtle shift of my shoulder.
He flinched.
I laughed again, taking another drag before blowing the smoke to the side.
"It's crazy," I murmured, "how loud you talk and how silent you become when things turn bad."
My tone was light, almost detached.
They didn't respond.
The boy at my feet shifted slightly, coughing.
I looked down at him.
Then, slowly, I crouched.
Our faces were close now. I could see the fear in his eyes, the war between wounded pride and raw survival instinct.
I tilted my head slightly, the flickering glow of my cigarette casting shadows over my gaze.
"You want to try again?"
Silence.
A sigh escaped me.
I took one last drag, savoring the bitter taste of tobacco, then slowly pulled the cigarette from my lips.
With a calculated motion, I grabbed the back of his head, holding him in place.
His breath quickened.
He realized too late.
In one swift motion, I pressed the burning tip of the cigarette directly into his left eye.
A piercing scream shattered the night.
He thrashed violently, but my grip was firm. His body convulsed with agony, trembling hands desperately trying to push away the source of his suffering.
The stench of burnt flesh filled the air instantly.
I remained still, my gaze locked onto his, watching his iris drown in unspeakable horror.
I let the cigarette drop.
He collapsed to the ground, wailing, his hands clutching his charred eye, spasms racking his body.
I straightened slowly, glancing at the other two.
They were frozen. Pale.
"I think we're done here."
A heavy silence settled.
They didn't move. They didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
I shrugged and turned away, leaving at an unhurried pace.
Behind me, a pitiful whimper still lingered in the air.
But none of them dared to speak again.