"You're back so early, Neo."
"Yes. I brought the 100 units you asked for."
"Really? You're quite efficient, brat. Alright, put them on the front rack so customers can see them clearly."
Neo carefully placed the flasks along the display shelf. Under the warm lights of the workshop, the Aqua Core Flasks glowed with a soft blue sheen.
"Uncle Dorok… the payment?" Neo asked cautiously.
The old craftsman waved his hand with a carefree laugh.
"Haha! Impatient as always. Give me your bank account. I'll transfer the 600,000 dollars right away."
Neo had already prepared for that. He took out his family's virtual payment card and held it forward.
With modern transaction systems, a simple proximity touch was enough to transfer funds instantly.
Dorok tapped his own payment device against the card.
A soft chime followed.
Moments later, the balance appeared in Neo's vision through the card's interface.
[ Balance: $602,000 ]
Neo froze for a second.
600,000 dollars.
It was an amount that he could never have imagined earning in his entire lifetime. But now it settled quietly in their account.
"So much money…" he muttered under his breath, lips curved into a smile.
"I can buy so many things for Mom and Nina."
While these thoughts filled his mind, Neo left the workshop and headed toward home.
The sky had already begun to darken. Evening lights flickered across Chronopolis as flying vehicles crossed the glowing skyline like streaks of light.
Neo felt an urge to return home quickly. After all, he had wonderful news to share.
But as he approached the apartment complex, something felt… wrong.
As he stepped down the taxi, he noticed a crowd had gathered in front of the building.
People stood in groups, whispering among themselves while watching the scene unfolding near the entrance.
Neo's chest tightened as a bad premonition crept into his mind.
Without thinking, he broke into a sprint.
His footsteps echoed across the pavement as he pushed through the gathered crowd.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"Sir, please… don't take our belongings," Mrs. Godson pleaded desperately. "Please give us some time. My son has recovered, and soon he'll return all the money we owe."
"Tch. Stop whining, old hag! Just let us do our job," A rough voice replied with clear annoyance.
"If you have something to say, go beg in front of our boss."
To Neo's shock, several large men were dragging their furnitures and personal belongings out of the building entrance, tossing them carelessly onto the street.
Nina was crying as she watched her books and notebooks being discarded like trash.
Mrs. Godson immediately went down to the thug's knees to beg.
"Don't do this, sir. They are my daughter's dreams. She dreams of becoming a spaceship pilot."
The underlings burst into amused laughter.
"Haha, did you hear that, boss? These lowly insects are dreaming of crossing the stars. How ridiculous!"
"Yeah. Who's going to tell them that reaching that level isn't just about money? You need power, influence, backing. Not just anyone can become a space pilot."
The leader's rough face turned annoyed when the woman refused to let go of his legs.
So he immediately delivered a ruthless slap across Mrs. Godson's face.
Paah.
A clear red palm print appeared on her aged cheek.
She held her face, dazed.
"Stay in your place, you old hag. Don't touch us with your filthy hands," the leader sneered.
Whoosh.
Just then, a heavy fist collided with the leader's face, twisting his jaw with a sickening crack.
Bang!
The man spiraled backward, hitting the dirt hard.
He scrambled to sit up, nursing a rapidly swelling cheek as he stared in disbelief.
Standing before him, Neo trembled with a volatile mix of fury and adrenaline, already charging forward for a second strike.
"Little Bastard!" the leader spat, his towering frame unfolding like a predator's.
This time, the brute didn't flinch. He caught Neo's desperate punch with a palm that felt like solid stone, then drove a counter-blow straight into the boy's solar plexus.
Bam!
"Blurgh...!"
Neo's vision blurred, and the air vanished from his lungs as a wave of agonizing pressure collapsed his chest.
It felt as if his internal organs had been hollowed out by a sledgehammer. He then hit the ground on his knees, coughing up a mixture of bile and blood.
The leader stood over him, looking cold and ruthless.
"Break him," he barked at his men.
The underlings let out cruel sadistic grins, swarming Neo from every side.
They fell upon him like a pack of hyenas, throwing their massive punches, kicks, and slaps from all side.
"No! Don't hurt my son."
Mrs. Godson and Nina screamed, throwing themselves into the fray to shield Neo, but they were met with the same senseless violence.
They were tossed aside, beaten black and blue as they tried to reach him.
Many people witnessed this cruel treatment to the Godson family, but not a single soul moved to intervene.
Why would they? The West Kings gang was name that strike fear in any living soul's heart.
They are ruthless in thr underworld, mostly known as Terrible loan sharks, Weapons dealer and Illegal nightclubs operators.
Neo, drifting on the edge of a dark consciousness, felt a heat on his cheek.
It was an intense, suffocating self loathing..
Why?
Why am I still so pathetic?I promised to protect them, yet here I am watching my family bleed because of my own incompetence.
Is this it? Is this the 'life' I'm supposed to lead, even after the Awakening?
The sounds of his mother's muffled cries pierced straight through his heart.
I was a fool. I thought the 'System' was just a golden ticket to wealth. I thought money was the ultimate shield in this world.
I was wrong. In a world of Beyonders, gold is just shiny metal if you don't have the strength to hold it.
He felt a rib crack under a heavy boot, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the realization rotting in his gut.
I have the ultimate cheat, a power others would kill for. But I've spent my time playing merchant while my family gets trampled in the dirt. If I had the strength of a true Beyonder, these flies wouldn't even dare to breathe the same air as me.
I don't deserve this power... not until I learn how to use it to kill.
"Hey, what's happening here?"
All of a sudden, an authoritative voice echoed from the sky.
The woman was radiant, walking through the air as if she were on solid land. She looked just like a superhuman from the movies.
"Fuck! She is a Beyonder! Run, Boss!"
The thugs immediately scrambled away, running as fast as their legs could carry them.
Neo looked at the woman through his hazy vision.
She was beautiful. Too beautiful for this tainted world.
To be exact, it wasn't her beauty that attracted him. It was her power.
He wanted that kind of power.