John glanced at the clock. It was already past 5 PM. Claire should be returning soon.
Stretching lazily, he stood up, ready to head out and pick up some groceries.
Outside, dusk was setting in, and the streetlights of the neighborhood had already lit up.
The market wasn't far from where John lived, just a short walk away.
Soon, he reached the bustling market, crowded with people getting off work.
But being a regular, the vendors had his veggies ready, sparing him the squeeze.
After grabbing the veggies, John decided to cook a steak dinner as a treat for Claire. So he bought two steaks and some seasonings.
Money exchanged hands, and he was on his way home.
Passing through an alley, John suddenly paused, his brow furrowing unconsciously.
He caught a whiff of something... blood.
Years of battling in the myriad races' battlefield had honed his ability to easily distinguish the scent of human blood.
Glancing subtly towards the dim alley, he could make out a few shadows.
Being a creator had enhanced his body and senses. He could see the scene in the alley clearly.
In the gloomy alley, a girl in a school uniform, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen and with an air of innocence, was cornered by a group of thugs with multi-colored hair.
John lowered his gaze and kept walking, deciding to ignore what he saw.
Years of mixing in the starry sea had taught him a lesson. To live long, mind your own business.
One of the thugs, brandishing a fruit knife, grinned menacingly, "Don't be scared, little sister. Just pay us back the money your father owes, and we won't touch you."
The girl, pale and trembling, replied, "He's not my father, and his debts have nothing to do with me... I don't have money to pay you."
The bleach-blond thug leading the pack sneered, "Your father used you as collateral for a high-interest loan at our casino. Debt repayment is only natural. Since you have no money, you'll repay us with your body."
Lewd smiles spread across the faces of the thugs as they ogled the girl's developing figure.
The girl, terror in her eyes, kept backing away until she was cornered with nowhere to escape, completely at their mercy.
"Such a tender little thing! Come, let big brother check if you've come of age," the lead thug leered, reaching for the girl's chest.
In despair, the girl almost instinctively shut her eyes.
But after a long wait, she felt nothing of the expected vile touch.
When she bewilderingly opened her eyes, she was shocked.
The thugs were all lying on the ground, eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth, dead or unconscious.
"Who saved me?" the girl wondered, dazed.
She was too nervous to notice what had happened.
Thinking quickly, she dashed out of the alley, looking around.
But all she saw was a figure with vegetables disappearing into the crowd.
...
By the time John returned to his neighborhood, night had fully fallen.
As he approached his building, he noticed a sleek black sports car parked at the entrance, gathering curious glances from the neighbors.
Although unfamiliar with the brand, it was clearly an expensive model.
John's brow furrowed slightly.
If anyone in this building could afford such a car, he would have remembered them.
Looking up at his apartment, he noticed the lights were on.
Only he and Claire had keys.
According to his past life's memories, Claire should have already been home.
He had a hunch about the identity of the car's owner.
Frank, a notorious playboy from Moonlight City and one of Claire's suitors, had been brutally rejected by her several times.
In his past life, it was this guy who had cut off all of Claire's opportunities, forcing her to become an interstellar bounty hunter, leading to her eventual death.
John had yet to deal with him, but it seemed he had come to him instead.
In an instant, John's gaze turned deadly.
In his previous life, he had returned late from the awakening ceremony, and Claire never mentioned this incident.
This time, he wouldn't let him off so easily.
Without hesitation, John hurried upstairs.
He hadn't reached his floor when he heard a voice that made his skin crawl,
"Claire, if you agree to be my woman, not only will your brother John receive our family's support, but you also won't have to live in this crappy neighborhood anymore," Frank declared passionately.
It clicked for John.
Frank must have learned about his situation and was aware of Claire's current predicament, attempting to blackmail her.
A fierce light flashed in John's eyes.
You dare to lay your eyes on Claire?
Let's see how many lives you have!
As John turned the corner to his floor, he saw Frank decked out in designer clothes, holding a bouquet of roses, confessing his "love" to the closed door, "Claire, my feelings for you are sincere. Just agree to be my girlfriend, and I'll give you anything."
Claire's cool voice came from inside, "Really? What if I want you to disappear from my life forever?"
Frank's smile froze, his face clouding over with a sinister look as he glared at the door, "Claire, my patience has its limits. This is your last chance. Don't be ungrateful!"
Pausing, his gaze turned venomous, "I hope you understand that if I really wanted to deal with you siblings, it would be as easy as flipping my hand!"
This wasn't pursuit. It was a blatant threat!
Before Claire could respond, a cold voice suddenly rang out behind Frank.
"Is that so? How exactly do you plan to 'deal with us'?" John asked icily.
Frank froze, caught off guard.
Before he could react, a size 42 shoe stamped on his chest like lightning.
"Bang!"
Frank felt a tremendous force on his chest, his body flying backward, crashing into the wall with a dull thud that echoed down the hallway.
Just an ordinary person, weakened from a life of excess, Frank was no match for John, who had been strengthened by the Creation World. This kick was beyond his ability to withstand.
Clutching his stomach in agony, his face turning shades of green and purple. Frank was close to passing out.
Glaring at John, his eyes wide with rage.He spat, "You little bastard! How dare you hit me? I'll make sure you have no place to bury your corpse!"
Hearing Frank's threat, a sinister red gleam flashed in John's eyes.
"Boom!"
In that moment, John's overwhelming killing intent, forged through countless battles among the myriad races, engulfed Frank like a flood.
Looking into John's eyes, Frank saw a sea of blood before him. Countless bloodied figures struggling and wailing in this blood sea, reminiscent of the hell of Asura!
Frank felt enveloped by a shadow of death, his body shaking uncontrollably in fear.
Unable to believe the terrifying figure before him was the "useless" John, fear filled his eyes.
As John approached emotionlessly, Frank sensed John's murderous intent and panicked,
"What... what do you want to do?! Do you know who I am? This is Moonlight City. If anything happens to me, both you and Claire will have to pay!"
John's expression remained indifferent, his steps unfaltering, as if he hadn't heard.
Having fought in the battlefield of myriad races for a decade and facing death daily,
life had lost its significance to him.
Power, influence, all meaningless in the vastness of the starry sea.
The starry sea was rife with fugitives. Escaping into it, even the most powerful forces would struggle to find one, let alone Frank's relatively insignificant family. They could only throw their weight around in Moonlight City.
John was currently weak and didn't want to attract trouble.
But if anyone crossed his line, even the most prestigious heir among the myriad races would not be spared by him!