"That way, he's just plain bad, not some kind of... poor wretch who needs pity."
However, what Law didn't know was that his actions had been witnessed by several homeless people lurking in the shadows.
Law, unaware of the observers, ran a considerable distance before stopping to catch his breath. He clutched the two coins tightly in his hand.
With these two hundred beli, he and Abel would at least have enough to eat for the time being.
Thinking of Abel, Law felt a surge of calmness.
But just as he turned to retrace his steps, he noticed that the entrance to the alley was now blocked by two menacing-looking homeless men.
Law's heart sank. He had been cornered.
He tried to turn and flee in the opposite direction, but the other exit was also blocked.
He was trapped.
Law was no match for these men in terms of numbers, age, or size. Resistance was futile.
However, the word "begging" had deeply offended his pride. He refused to grovel before these men.
Instead of pleading for mercy, Law glared defiantly at them.
"Then come and try it!" he challenged.
This unexpected defiance infuriated the homeless men.
They were accustomed to being ignored, even pitied. Law's defiance was a direct affront to their pride.
"Such an arrogant brat!" the long-haired leader sneered. "We'll teach you a lesson!"
With that, the homeless men lunged at Law.
Law curled up into a ball, shielding his head with his arms, bracing for the inevitable onslaught.
The beating was brutal. Law endured the pain, gritting his teeth to suppress his cries.
He was on the verge of collapse.
--
The homeless men, enjoying the thrill of inflicting pain, were oblivious to the danger approaching from behind.
Suddenly, a sharp object whizzed through the air, striking the long-haired leader in the back with a forceful impact.
The leader let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed to the ground.
The remaining homeless men were stunned by this unexpected turn of events.
Abel, who had arrived on the scene, didn't waste any further time. He picked up a loose stone and, with a swift motion, hurled it at another homeless man.
The stone struck its target squarely in the face, rendering him unconscious.
The remaining two homeless men, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned to face Abel.
Abel, however, had already expended his initial burst of power. He had intended to use a third stone, but his aim was off, and the stone struck the wall, shattering into pieces.
He was now at a disadvantage.
After these two uses, Abel discovered that the power of the foot strengthening shoes was limited.
He could only utilize the third gear once or the first gear three times before the power depleted.
He had intended to use the first gear initially, but his aim was slightly off.
"It seems I'll need more practice to improve my accuracy, especially with my left foot," Abel mused.
While pondering this, he noticed a small stone lying on the ground. He swiftly kicked the stone, practicing his aim.
This unexpected action startled the remaining homeless men.
They had witnessed the fate of their companions and were understandably wary.
Two of them scrambled to the side to avoid Abel's attack.
This was precisely what Abel had intended.
He feigned another kick, then swiftly closed the distance between himself and one of the remaining homeless men.
With a powerful leap, he delivered a well-aimed kick to the man's abdomen, utilizing the third gear of his foot strengthening shoes.
The man doubled over in pain, vomiting profusely.
The remaining homeless man, witnessing this display of strength, was terrified. He turned and fled the scene.
Abel allowed him to escape.
He had achieved his objective.
"Because his power-enhancing shoes were completely depleted, if the opponent hadn't fled, Abel would have been forced to resort to using the [Banana Grenade]."
However, the use of the grenade would have attracted unwanted attention and unpredictable consequences.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario was averted.
Abel, carrying the unconscious Law on his back, quickly fled the scene.
As they were escaping, the burlap covering Law's face slipped off.
They happened to pass the long-haired homeless man who had been knocked down earlier. The man watched them go with a resentful expression.
Abel noticed this and felt a chill. He knew this encounter would not end easily.
He continued to flee, carrying Law.
After a while, the homeless man who had escaped earlier returned with reinforcements.
"Trash! A bunch of cowards! You let two kids take you down?"
A bald-headed man, their apparent leader, berated his men.
The other homeless men hung their heads in shame, feeling humiliated by their defeat.
However, the long-haired homeless man, who had finally regained his strength, spoke up. "Something seems off about those two kids."
"What are you talking about?" the bald-headed man scoffed. "Are you trying to make excuses for your own incompetence?"
The long-haired man ignored his leader's derision. "They seemed... different. And that kick..."
The bald-headed man scoffed again. "You're just making excuses. You were beaten by a kid!"