The moment his door closed, Stefan exhaled loudly. What he had done back there wasn't easy.
Heck, he shot a ball from one end of the pitch to the other at such outstanding velocity!
His cells were still active, making it impossible for him to rest. Sitting at his desk, Stefan switched on the computer, and his fingers danced on the keyboard.
The rhythmic sound bounced off the walls of his room as he read through the information on the screen at a speed much faster than a human with a quick reading pace.
Rushing to his bed, Stefan bent down and retrieved a familiar object. To his relief, it matched the image on the screen.
'The MA,' he gasped, the information about the owners of the device squeezing dread into his heart.
The MA, short for the Mercenary Association, was a massive group that had extended its influence to every part of the universe. Their star sector was just one among many.
Just reading about the number of experts working for them made Stefan's eyes tremble. How did he get himself involved with such a superpower?
Bam!
He slammed his clenched fist on the desk, grinding his teeth hard as he stared at his name on their website.
Using the code embedded in the scanning device he got from the Terminator, he gained access to the MA's website.
Besides Terminator, there was a big red mark indicating his failure, and his bounty had been increased to 1.2 million CC.
Instead of being targeted by a single mercenary, it had been broadcasted to every mercenary currently in City X!
Several thoughts raced through his mind as he glared at the screen with boiling anger. 'Should I inform Uncle Jason?' he pondered.
It was a good option, but he didn't even know if Jason could help against such a powerful foe. It was likely that involving the coach might put Jason's life at risk.
'Why would I be on a bounty list? I just woke up! There are billions of people on Earth; can't they go after someone else!' he hissed, got up, and left the room to get some air.
At the rate his anger rose, he feared he might end up destroying his room or worse, considering he now had powers.
"Mentor!" A booming voice echoed as he left his 42nd floor for the 5th.
"Landon, what is it?" Stefan asked calmly, trying to conceal his distress. Not everyone could remain composed knowing they were wanted by a powerful entity, and with every mercenary he defeated, his bounty grew, attracting even more potent adversaries.
Eventually, he might confront aliens, some he might not even know existed!
"Look!" Landon showed him a tablet, displaying the footage of his earlier feat trending in just a few minutes.
"It's only been 45 minutes, and it's already got over 2 million views!" Landon exclaimed, his eyes bulging, while Stefan closed his eyes briefly.
Was the person who captured this on camera trying to make his demise easier? He had just evaded one peril and had no intention of facing death a few days after awakening.
"It's nice," Stefan said, his tone blunt and dry, as he began walking away, leaving Landon stunned.
He had expected Stefan to react differently to this, and the cold response was beyond his understanding.
'What happened to him?'
After wandering for a while, Stefan paused before a vendor's shop, staring at a packet containing only one sweet remaining.
'Will this really take away the bitterness?' he asked himself.
"How much?" Lifting his head, he questioned the shop owner, who readily responded, "20 credits."
Stefan's eyes widened, "Are you crazy? How can this thing be twenty credits!"
The man lowered his head, then raised it again with a hint of remorse. "Take it for 10 credits," he said softly.
As Stefan paid and walked away, the man's expression transformed into one of contentment. 'They fall for it every time!'
Upon checking the transaction, the man realized Stefan had sent 3 credits instead.
Before he could say anything, a voice echoed in his head (Would be best if you keep silent or I'll expose the truth that you're using Autumn Leaf's fame for dirty business).
From a distance, Stefan observed the man shiver, but the level of fear he perceived from the man seemed excessive for such a trivial matter.
Was there something he didn't know about Autumn Leaf? Did she intimidate people, or was this fear due to her background?
Knowing Jason quite well, only his wife remained, the woman who casually sent 2 million to him. Shrugging off the thought, Stefan focused on the sweet. 'Hopefully, it's good,' he thought, opened it, and popped it into his mouth.
Upon arriving at his room, Stefan realized he had chewed it, and Emberly was right—it had an amazing taste.
Settling into his Cerebral machine, Stefan resumed his training. If there was one thing that might ensure his safety, it was being so important that the club would protect him.
With their security, he could potentially live a peaceful life with his mother.
—-
"Where is it?" A man asked softly, his eyes aglow with different colors.
"Gone," a man in a strap shirt, wearing a collar cuff around his neck, responded dazedly.
They sat in a wide white room, monitored by others through cameras.
"Where?"
"Inside the bloodstream of Anderson's kid," the man who injected the serum into Stefan replied, still in a daze.
"Damn it!" The questioning man nearly erupted with rage, lunging forward and attempting to strangle the other.
"Get control of yourself," an authoritative voice emerged from the concealed speakers, and two men in black suits swiftly intervened to separate them.
Her golden eyes behind her spectacles flashed, and she turned away.
With purposeful strides, Eva exited the monitoring room. 'I knew there was a link with that kid!' she thought inwardly, her tone soft. "I want every piece of information on Agent Anderson's family, particularly his son," she stated aloud.
"We've found him," came a reply just two minutes later.