A tense silence hung over the park as Adam walked toward the group of wide-eyed children, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief.
The fight they'd just witnessed was unlike anything they'd seen, and even now, they couldn't tear their eyes away.
"You did your job well," Adam said, his voice low but commanding. "But now, there's something else I need you to do."
Without another word, Adam turned toward Bran and, without warning, slammed his fist into Bran's stomach.
The force sent Bran sprawling backward, gasping in pain. He lay there, momentarily stunned, as Adam approached again and landed a hard punch to his face.
Bran stumbled, trying to stay on his feet, but Adam was relentless, closing the distance and delivering another brutal kick that sent him rolling across the ground.
Through the haze of pain, Bran's mind reeled with betrayal. 'Is this the thanks I get for trusting him?'
Bran lifted a hand, his voice filled with frustration. "Can you at least tell me what I did wrong?"
Adam stopped, an amused glint in his eyes. "You've misunderstood, Bran. I'm not punishing you for a mistake. This… is part of my plan."
Bran, beaten and confused, pushed himself up, looking at Adam with narrowed eyes. "Plan? What plan?"
Adam folded his arms, his tone calm. "I need them to believe you. When you go back to the headquarters, they'll see your injuries and understand the risk you took. It's all part of the story I want you to tell."
Bran glared at him, still processing. "And you're only telling me this now?"
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect a full briefing?"
Bran huffed but dragged himself up, his injuries evident as he limped toward the park's exit. Behind him, Adam called out, "You remember what to do, right?"
Bran waved his hand without looking back. "Yes."
As Bran left, Adam glanced at the children who continued to stare at him with open curiosity. One of them finally spoke up, "Are you… a hero?"
Adam chuckled, giving them a thumbs-up. Then, in a flash, he disappeared, leaving the kids frozen in surprise.
Moments later, Adam reappeared in a quiet corner near the park, his form shifting. Within seconds, he had transformed into Eli.
Disguised as Eli, Adam walked through the bustling market and spotted Lily finishing up some shopping.
He joined her, and they headed home together, blending into the crowd as if nothing unusual had happened.
Meanwhile, Bran had arrived back at the Dockmaster headquarters, his body battered and bruised.
Samoo was there, waiting, and immediately rushed over, a look of exaggerated concern on his face.
"Boss! What happened to you? You're hurt badly!" Samoo's voice rang through the room, drawing the attention of the other gang members.
They gathered around, all of them firing questions at once. "Bran, where are the senior members? What happened out there?"
With Samoo's help, Bran limped over to a chair, grimacing as he lowered himself into it. "We went after that mysterious figure—the one who killed my companions in the park."
The crowd leaned in, listening intently as Bran continued, his voice strained. "When we got there, he was waiting for us. The senior members and I tried to capture him, but he was too powerful… he started killing them, one by one."
A collective gasp rose from the crowd, their eyes widening in horror. "One of the senior members managed to send me back to call for reinforcements," Bran explained. "Go to the park—send as many people as you can. They're still fighting."
Fear and tension gripped the room, and the men looked at each other, uncertain. "Is this guy really that strong?" one of them whispered, his voice filled with dread.
Samoo took charge, rallying the gang members. "We need to get everyone to the park. Let's go!"
More than thirty men nodded, steeling themselves as they set off toward the park, a sense of dread settling over them.
When they finally arrived, what they saw froze them in their tracks. Bodies of the twelve senior members lay scattered across the ground, each one left in a brutal state.
The men stared, some gasping, others swallowing hard. Whatever image they had of the mysterious figure was now cemented in terror.
No one dared approach the bodies. Instead, they remained rooted in place, exchanging uneasy glances.
One of the men finally broke the silence, saying, "We need to inform the boss."
Another hesitated, his brow furrowed. "But… the senior members were the only ones who had contact with the boss. We don't even know who he is, or what he looks like."
A third man chuckled, his eyes lighting up. "Well, it looks like there are twelve open spots now." Without another word, he turned and sprinted back to headquarters, eager to capitalize on the opportunity.
Back at headquarters, Bran and Samoo went upstairs to the meeting room where the senior members usually convened. Inside, a large table with twelve chairs circled a communication device resting in the center.
Bran nodded at Samoo and activated the device, his finger pressing down firmly.
As the device hummed to life, a figure appeared as a projection in one of the chairs. His face was obscured, shadowed and unreadable.
The figure's voice was cold and direct. "Who are you, and what business do you have here?"
Bran swallowed, steadying himself. "Sir, my name is Bran. I was a subordinate of the twelve senior members of the Dockmaster Organization."
The projection tilted its head slightly. "So why are you here?"
Bran took a breath. "I need to submit a report."
"A report?" The tone was skeptical.
Bran met the shadowy gaze head-on. "Yes. Today, twelve senior members of the Dockmaster Organization were killed by a man in a black outfit in District 3's park."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Are you in your right mind? How is it possible that one man can kill our 12 experts that too in the headquarter? What were you guys doing there?" Mysterious projection man