At night, Noah stepped out of Kingpin's sleek convertible and gazed at the imposing gate of the Mains Fitness Club. Tomorrow's plans were already swirling in his mind, filling him with anticipation.
Beside him, Camilla walked in silence, her presence as captivating as ever. They entered the club together, the door closing with a faint click behind them.
Without warning, Camilla stepped closer to Noah, her crimson eyes glinting mischievously. "So... what's next?" she asked, her voice low and suggestive.
Noah raised a brow, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "Next? We rest. Tomorrow's going to be busy."
Camilla pouted, leaning slightly closer. "Busy? You're always busy. Maybe you should take a break." Her hand brushed his arm lightly, lingering for just a second longer than necessary.
Sensing her tone, Noah chuckled softly but kept his distance. "A break, huh? I'm not sure that's on the agenda."
"But it could be," Camilla whispered, her voice dripping with implication. She stepped in front of him, blocking his path, and placed a hand on his chest. "I mean, you've been working so hard. Don't you think you deserve... a little indulgence?"
Noah smirked, but his gaze remained steady. "Quite a tempting offer."
Camilla sighed in irritation. Before she could respond, Noah scooped her up into his arms effortlessly, heading toward her room.
"Wait!" she said abruptly, her face turning crimson. "I have a question first."
"Hm?" Noah paused mid-stride, his brow arching. "Can't it wait?"
She hesitated, then murmured, "Can I… suck your blood midway through?"
Noah froze, his face a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "What kind of twisted kink is this?"
"Please?" she asked, her sultry tone contrasting with the vulnerable look in her eyes.
The absurdity almost made him laugh, but he shook his head. "Hard no. I'm not taking the chance of becoming a vampire. Not now, not ever."
With that, Noah extinguished the lights with a flick of his energy-infused fingers, casting the room into a deep darkness. For them, the night was far from over.
(A/N: Don't ever let me cook again. I can already smell something burning!)
Meanwhile, across the city, Kingpin stepped out of his car and strode into his luxurious villa. The moonlight illuminated his towering frame as he immediately pulled out his phone and began issuing commands to his subordinates, his voice cold and efficient.
"Everything Noah requested needs to be done by 8 AM. No exceptions."
Inside his mansion, a group of his most trusted lieutenants—Tombstone, Bullseye, Scorpion, and several paid mutant mercenaries—waited in silence. Each one radiated a dangerous energy, their mere presence a testament to their ruthless skills.
"Boss, why the late-night summons?" Tombstone asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Kingpin held up a thin booklet with an ominous smirk. "This is a Qigong manual. Study it, practice it, and if any of you can cultivate even the smallest trace of internal energy, I'll reward you with half a million dollars."
(A/N: Qigong is a Chinese system of physical exercises and breathing control related to Tai Chi.)
The men exchanged skeptical glances.
"Qigong? Isn't that some ancient martial arts mumbo-jumbo?" Scorpion muttered, barely hiding his disdain.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Kingpin's voice cut through the room like a blade, silencing any further protest.
Reluctantly, they each took a copy of the manual. Despite their doubts, none dared defy Kingpin's orders.
Two hours later, the room was filled with muffled grumbles as the men tried to make sense of the cryptic instructions. Terms like "meridians" and "dantians" sounded absurdly out of place in their modern criminal world.
"This is nonsense," Bullseye said, tossing the book onto the table. "If this was real, science would've figured it out already."
But then, one of the mutants—a bald, muscular man—suddenly froze. His eyes widened as he felt a strange sensation swirling in his chest. "Wait… I think I did it."
The room went silent as everyone turned to him.
"What?" Tombstone asked incredulously.
"I'm serious!" the mutant insisted, his voice shaking with excitement. "There's… something in my Dantian!"
Kingpin's expression turned sharp. "Show me."
The mutant closed his eyes, concentrating as he demonstrated a faint but unmistakable surge of internal energy.
A slow grin spread across Kingpin's face. "Impressive. It seems Noah wasn't lying after all."
The revelation sent a ripple of urgency through the room. No one wanted to be left behind. Suddenly, the once-dismissive men were pouring over their manuals with newfound determination.
By the end of the night, all the mutants had managed to cultivate at least a trace of internal energy. Tombstone, however, looked slightly annoyed. "Boss, I barely have two strands of this stuff, and now you're telling me to hand it over to Yis?"
"Think of it as an investment," Kingpin said smoothly. "Yis is more talented. We need to pool our resources for maximum efficiency."
Though reluctant, Tombstone complied, transferring his meager internal energy to Yis under Kingpin's watchful eye.
But as Yis experimented with the new technique, he frowned. "Something's off. The energy transfer isn't efficient. A portion is being lost during the process."
Kingpin's eyes narrowed. "Lost how?"
"It seems there's a minimum threshold for internal energy. Anything below that dissipates."
Kingpin leaned back, deep in thought. "Interesting. So the process isn't perfect yet. But this… this is just the beginning."
The room buzzed with quiet excitement as the implications sank in. With enough time and resources, their newfound power could reshape the entire underworld hierarchy.
Noah stood by the window, watching the first light of dawn break over the city. Camilla stirred behind him, her pale face glowing faintly in the morning sun.
"What's on your mind?" she asked, her voice soft but curious.
Noah smirked. "Just thinking about how quickly things are going to change. Kingpin has no idea what he's playing with."
Camilla tilted her head. "You're not worried he'll catch on to your plans?"
"Worried?" Noah chuckled. "Let him think he's gaining the upper hand. By the time he realizes the truth, it'll be too late."
Camilla watched him carefully, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You really are something else, Noah."
He turned to her, his grin widening. "Don't forget it."
(A/N: Guys, I think I burned down my kitchen with the last part. I'm not good at writing this sh*t)