"Get him!" someone else shouted.
Immediately, three thugs charged at Noah whilst shouting slurs. One of them held a metal pipe, the other a crowbar whilst the last was swinging a heavy chain.
Noah smirked as he saw them charge like idiots, his calm eyes analysing their movements. As the pipe swung aiming at Noah's jaw.
Noah got closer to the man and caught it before it could reach its maximum power, and with a single powerful twist of the wrist, he spun the pipe once, stealing it from the thug's grip with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Thanks," Noah said, before striking with the pipe, down on the thug's knee.
A sickening crunch echoed through the hallway as the man dropped, howling in agony as his knee caved in an unnatural shape.
The guy with the crowbar hesitated, faltering just long enough for Noah to throw an elbow into his face, feeling the crack of his nose, as the man stumbled back, dazed. Noah didn't give him a chance to recover.
With a swift strike, he brought his knee up, slamming it into the thug's stomach.
The man crumpled, coughing and gasping for breath.
"Blurgh!" The man vomited, as he struggled for air.
Noah turned his gaze to the last three standing.
"They are different" he thought as he saw that there was no desperation in their eyes, they weren't just following commands.
The leader, Lionel, held his ground at the front, his face twisting as he met Noah's intense stare.
Beside him stood Leo, the co-leader, his eyes looking at the unconscious bodies scattered around.
The third man seemed to be holding his breath, fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"What… what did we do to you?" Lionel's voice wavered, a desperate edge creeping in.
[Ding! Ultimate Choice System has been activated!]
Option 1: Remove The Ash Wolves from your city.
[Reward: 10kg of Pure Gold]
Option 2: Take them under your wing, and nurture them alongside Jackson's.
[Reward: Intermediate Goldcraft Skill]
Noah immediately picked option 2, without any hesitation.
Option 1
gave him instant but disposable income, whereas
option 2
provided him with a steady income that would never stop.
[Ding! Intermediate Goldcraft Skill is rewarded!]
"Why are you attacking us?"
Noah raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"What did you do to me?" he repeated his tone light.
"Let's just say your little wanna-be villain friend ran around looking for trouble and... he found it."
I"'m here to make sure he, and anyone else affiliated with him, learn a lesson they will never forget."
Lionel swallowed hard, glancing at Leo.
Both of them knew they had no chance against Noah's strength, not after witnessing him handle them like they were kids.
Yet, Lionel as a leader had to keep his composure, defiance flickering in his eyes.
"You think you can just walk in here and threaten us?" he hissed.
His voice edged with desperation he tried to hide. "There are rules, you know, limits like they say. You wouldn't dare pull the trigger. At most, we will be beat for a while. But make sure you keep your eyes on your back."
Noah's smile widened.
"Really?" He added with an almost sadistic smile on his face.
Slowly, he slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket, as though he were reaching for something hidden within.
Whereas, in reality, he was just masking his inventory. His hand retrieved a sleek, polished handgun.
He lifted it, the barrel shining under the bright light, as he held it steady and aimed it right between Lionel's eyes
Lionel's bravado faltered. His eyes darted from the gun to Noah's expressionless face.
"Wh-what do you want?" he stammered, his voice cracking despite his control.
"First things first," Noah replied calmly. "Get on your knees and apologize."
Lionel's face contorted with anger, his fists trembling under the humiliation.
"Don't push your luck," he growled. "You wouldn't fire that thing, not if your life did not depend on it. Otherwise, you would have started firing from the beginning."
"Is that so?" Noah's voice was almost a whisper.
Without breaking eye contact, he strolled over to one of the rooms in the hallway, picked up a pillow folded it, and placed it over one of the unconscious men's heads, pressing the muzzle against it.
"Maybe we should test that theory," Noah suggested, his voice carrying dark amusement. "What do you think?"
"Stop!" Lionel's voice was panicked now, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
His mind raced, a silent horror dawning on him. "This man is a monster, an intelligent one at that."
Lionel knew, with chilling certainty, that Noah wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if he kept up his attitude.
"We'll do as you say!" Lionel's defiance melted away, replaced with a cautious submission. As he tried to take a knee, motioning for Leo to do the same.
But Noah only chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "Relax. I'm not interested in a pointless apology. I was just playing around with you."
He cracked his neck while lowering the gun.
"But I do have two options for you. Take your time, I'm feeling generous." He said as he lifted two fingers up.
Lionel and Leo shared a wary glance before turning back to Noah.
"Here's the first option," Noah continued, walking leisurely between them.
"You leave this city. Disappear. Don't show your face anywhere near me or Jackson ever again."
His gaze darkened, the air thickening with his next phrase.
"Because if I see you, I will... kill you."
He stopped, hands folded casually behind his back. "Or…" he drew out, savouring the moment.
"You join Jackson's group. Work for me. And trust me, it comes with perks. Pure gold," He added, "the untraceable one. I can supply you with more than you've ever dreamed of."
Lionel's face tightened. He understood the significance of untraceable gold.
It was every smuggler's dream, to imagine a fortune that no one could track, an endless income without the need for laundering anything nor hiding their real assets.
"Think about it," Noah's voice woke them up from their daydream.
"I have other businesses, legitimate ones."
"Prove yourself, and you'll find opportunities in places you couldn't imagine. Make the right choice, and you might just find yourself on the winning side for once."
Lionel's gaze flickered with uncertainty. He and Leo turned toward each other whispering.
"Tick-tock," Noah's voice interrupted, his tone edged with mock impatience. "Your time's up. Option one or option two?"