This was Rey's first time visiting a major amusement park. He and Agnes had a blast, trying out almost every ride and attraction.
In his previous life, Rey had never been to an amusement park.
When he was a child, large amusement parks didn't really exist. By the time he grew up, he no longer had the time.
For the wealthy, time is an asset. They can dominate their own schedules, doing whatever they want, whenever they want, unbound by the constraints of reality.
For the poor, time isn't an asset; it's just "days." You simply get through them one by one. Even if you want to do something, your hands are tied.
That is the gap: one is the master of time, the other is mastered by it.
Playing all day is exhausting work.
Around five in the afternoon, Agnes left the park first. She needed to coordinate with the wizard healer. If everything went smoothly, the healer would arrive at Willy Bruce's home the next day.
Once Agnes was gone, Rey let out a long breath. He walked over to an ice cream stand. There were plenty of kids like him around, scattered all over the park.
Suddenly, he spotted Sokes in sunglasses appearing near the stand.
If he checks the park's surveillance cameras, there will be nowhere left to hide, Rey thought.
Since he was already being targeted, he might as well uproot the forces behind them completely.
Trouble. It was definitely trouble.
Robbing the mob wasn't going as smoothly as he had initially thought.
"Maybe I took too much this time," Rey muttered to himself.
He walked to an alleyway across from a specific storefront. Hiding at the corner, he watched, knowing the target would have to pass by. There was always a certain thrill in setting a trap like this.
---
The fish arrived, but it was just two small fry. Sokes, the man Rey was actually watching for, wasn't among them.
This surprised Rey. It was like a fisherman expecting a big catch only to reel in minnows.
The big fish, it seemed, wasn't stupid.
Just as Rey hesitated on whether to take out the two small fry, the faint sound of footsteps appeared in the alley behind him.
Rey's senses were sharp. He immediately spun around to look deep into the alley. Although the lighting was dim, he could see clearly: the person walking toward him was the big fish.
standing more than thirty feet away, holding a submachine gun pointed right at the alley entrance—and at Rey.
He didn't fire. Instead, he silently beckoned with his hand, signaling Rey to walk toward him.
Rey hadn't expected the man to get so close, let alone get the drop on him with a gun.
Sokes, holding the gun, was even more surprised. He hadn't expected this kid to spot him from over thirty feet away.
As a hitman, he controlled his pace perfectly. Every step he took was timed to be masked by the ambient noise of the street.
In his career of killing, he could count on one hand the number of targets who had detected him before he was within fifteen feet. Yet, this boy standing at the alley entrance, watching the shop across the street, had noticed him from double that distance.
Especially that moment when the boy sensed someone behind him and whipped around—Sokes felt an involuntary tightening in his chest. For a split second, it felt like being stared down by a cold, emotionless beast.
So, he stopped advancing. He leveled his gun at the boy and gestured for him to come over.
At a distance of thirty feet, dodging a bullet locked onto him was a tall order. Rey's mind raced, and he quickly formed a plan.
His appearance was deceptive—he was just a young boy, after all.
Rey's face immediately showed shock and a hint of fear. The shock was real; the fear was a carefully calculated performance. This reaction fit the profile of a normal person.
No matter how powerful he was, he was still a kid physically. Surprise, fear, nervousness—he needed to show them all.
Seeing Rey's current expression, Sokes felt that the terrifying stare from a moment ago must have been a hallucination. However, despite the inexplicable relief he felt, his guard instantly went back up.
Years of experience as a hitman taught him to trust his instincts. He would rather be safe than sorry.
He raised the gun, aimed, and prepped to fire in a split second.
Rey was forced to stop about fifteen feet away. The vigilant Sokes had motioned with the gun for him to halt.
This distance was awkward. It wasn't close, but it wasn't far. With Rey's speed, he couldn't subdue the opponent instantly. The gun in Sokes' hand, however, would one hundred percent hit Rey the moment he moved.
Rey had originally planned to get closer and use his speed to take the man out, but the opponent clearly wasn't buying it.
This was the gap in experience. Even if the guy didn't know magic, he was a killer who had lived on the edge of life and death for years.
---
With Rey pinned down, two men walked into the alley entrance.
Sokes gave a slight nod. One man stayed to guard the entrance, while the other walked up to Rey, gun in hand.
He gave Rey a cold glance, then swung the butt of his gun, smashing it into Rey's head.
The motion was fluid and practiced.
Thwack.
The gun butt hit his temple. Rey's world spun, and he collapsed to the ground without a moment's delay.
At that moment, a black BMW pulled up to the alley entrance. The unconscious Rey was hogtied and stuffed into the trunk.
Once Rey was secured in the trunk, the middle-aged man named Sokes finally took out his phone and dialed a number.
"We caught him, Mr. Ephest," he said respectfully.
A cold, grim voice came from the other end of the line. "Bring him back. I want to give him a proper welcome."