Chapter 146: Ye Shall Know Pain!
Chapter 145
"Shocked, are you? Surprised about how I know what you truly are?" The leader asked with an evil smirk on his face as he dipped his hands into his pocket.
"Well, it’s actually simple. He told me."
"He? Who’s he?" Max asked, his brows furrowing deeply.
"Once upon a time, I was the vice leader of this gang," the man began, his tone filled with arrogance. "When you decided to battle the leader, even with his hybrid serum, he still lost to you. I was shocked back then, but not anymore when I contacted the same corporation. They gave me the same serum."
The man let out a low chuckle, his eyes darkening. "That was when I understood. The former leader was skeptical, but I wasn’t. I took the serum instantly and from there, I decided to master my powers. That fool tried to fight against the power inside him, but me? I decided to co-exist with mine."
He tilted his head slightly, that evil grin never fading. "Which is why I ask you, dragon vessel, how long can you last against me?"
"What did you just call me?" Max asked, his voice sharp and low.
"A dragon?" The leader replied with a raised brow and a mocking grin.
"And you still ask such a stupid question, huh? Come on, dude, let’s get this over with so I can become the true leader. Time is of the e..."
Max never got to finish his sentence. The man had already moved—faster than any human could. In the blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of Max, his fist shooting forward at immense speed. The air itself warped around the strike.
"Shit," Max muttered under his breath as he slammed his foot into the ground and leaped high into the air, barely avoiding the blow. The punch smashed into the space where he’d stood a moment ago, producing a loud, thunderous bang that echoed across the room.
Snap!
While airborne, Max immediately snapped his fingers, conjuring a fireball that hurled down toward the man at blistering speed. The leader simply tilted his head, eyes gleaming as he stared at the blazing sphere flying toward him. A twisted grin split his face.
Then, in an instant, he vanished. The fireball crashed into the ground where he’d been, scorching the floor and exploding violently, sending pellets of flame scattering across the room.
’He’s fast. Too fast for a human,’ Max thought as he landed, scanning the smoke-filled space. ’Could he be the same as the former leader? No, his control feels sharper, more refined.’
He turned sharply—only to see the leader standing on the table where the Anti-Hybrid weapon rested.
"You threatened whoever took this, right?" The leader grinned. "Well, here it goes. Do your worst."
Without hesitation, he picked up the weapon and fired an arrow at the dragon with blistering speed.
[Firewall]
Immediately, a massive wall of flames erupted in front of Max, the impact shaking the entire room as the arrow struck. Both elemental forces clashed, the crackling of energy echoing as the bolt began to rip through the fiery barrier.
But the flames gave Max just enough time to pivot sideways, narrowly avoiding the remaining arrow that tore into the floor, leaving a gaping hole and a wave of thick smoke.
"You really aren’t a bright dragon, are you?" The leader’s voice drifted into Max’s ears from the side. Max spun around instantly—only for a punch to land squarely on his face. The impact sent him stumbling backward, the sound of bone cracking echoing through the room.
"I hear that dragons are supposed to be wise, sensible creatures," the man sneered, his grin widening. "But you? You’re so dumb that even a five-year-old would seem smarter."
"How dare you?!" Max thundered, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at the shirtless man, heat radiating from his body.
"No, how dare you!" The leader roared back, his veins bulging at the side of his neck. "How dare you walk into my hood, beat up my men, threaten them, and think you can take over this whole operation?! What effrontery and audacity do you have to believe you can pull that off?! Do you even know who the fuck I am?!"
The room fell silent for a moment—until the air began to tremble again.
"I gave you the benefit of doubt. I let you do as you liked for several minutes. You barged in, I said nothing. You beat my men, I said nothing. Then you come in here and think you can take over? Because of what? Huh? Who the fuck are you to think you can do all that?"
"Who the fuck I am?" Max asked, raising a brow as a dark chuckle escaped his lips. "I’m the leader of the Crimson Scales Gang. I’m a Dragon Scion. The only true HIM! You are to bow down to me, you puny human!"
A chilling silence fell over the entire room. The only sound was the faint, sharp whistle of the wind slipping through the shattered windows. Every man standing froze in disbelief, their minds refusing to accept what they had just heard. A dragon? That word alone sent shivers down their spines.
They could only stand back and watch the confrontation unfold, their leader facing off against a being who claimed to be mythical. No one dared move, no one dared breathe too loudly.
"A human, huh?" The leader chuckled lowly, his voice carrying a dark amusement. "A puny little human, you say?" His grin widened as he dipped his hands into his pockets again. Then, with deliberate calmness, he raised his leg and took a single step forward.
Just one step—and he vanished. In the next heartbeat, he appeared directly in front of Max. The air around him distorted from the sheer intensity of his aura, a heavy, suffocating pressure weighing down the entire base. Some of his men instinctively took a step back, unable to handle the oppressive presence radiating off their boss.
"This human," the leader whispered coldly, his voice laced with killing intent, "in this human form, will be the first to kill a dragon."
His hands suddenly shot forward at a speed that blurred through the air like a flash of lightning.
"Too bad that this dragon is unkillable." Max said with a calm grin as his eyes glowed faintly beneath his mask. Then, with a snap of his fingers...
[Draconic Force Palm Activated]
A violent shockwave exploded outward between them, the air itself screaming from the sudden release of power. The impact hit the leader squarely, forcing him to skid backward several feet, his boots grinding against the floor. Yet his smile remained, unfazed and menacing.
"You should know your place!" Max roared, slamming his foot into the ground. The floor cracked beneath him as if protesting his strength, dust bursting outward. Then, like a rocket, he launched himself forward—his figure vanishing into a blur of speed and fury.
The leader didn’t move. He simply laughed—loud, manic, and dark. The kind of laugh that echoed through the room and clawed at the mind.
"And verily, I say unto you," he declared, his voice booming like a preacher delivering a curse, "ye shall know pain!"
Max appeared before him, fist streaking through the air with a roar, his entire arm glowing faintly gold. But before the blow could land, the man’s muscles swelled grotesquely. His arms expanded beyond human limits, veins bulging and skin tightening until his fist looked monstrous.
BAM!
BANG!
The man’s fist smashed directly into Max’s abdomen. The sound reverberated like thunder. Max’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils dilating as pain tore through his core. Blood burst from his mouth as his body was sent flying backwards with unstoppable force.
A deafening crash echoed as his body tore straight through the wall of the base, leaving behind shattered concrete and dust. He was launched outside, vanishing into the air like a broken comet.