Chapter 10 - The Rules of the Game

Avery's entire body screamed.

His muscles were slowly reaching their limit, and the blood flowing from his wounds had already soaked the floor.

"Haa… haa…"

His breath came ragged.

But—

none of those wounds were fatal.

He had barely dodged every single strike.

And then—

the shift began.

At the start, the Cleaner's attacks had been flawless.

But now, that once-perfect blade work was faltering.

"No… this is impossible…"

For the first time, fear flickered across the Cleaner's face.

He had known from the start—

Avery was a monster.

But—

"I didn't expect this."

The "artists" he knew were nothing more than killers who enjoyed the act.

People whose minds would break the moment they hesitated before a target.

People easy to dismantle.

But the Avery before him—

"He's different."

He wasn't someone who enjoyed fighting.

He wasn't even just a killer.

He was something far worse.

"A man forged in war."

"A weapon designed for battle."

For just a fraction of a second, the Cleaner hesitated.

A brief flicker of doubt—

but it was fatal.

At that very moment, Avery was fighting another battle—

one that raged deep within himself.

"Do I really need to take this risk for Billy?"

At first, it had been mere curiosity.

"Is there even a reason to save him?"

Billy was nothing more than a passing acquaintance.

Just a man he had shared a pack of cigarettes with on the street.

Nothing more, nothing less.

But—

At that moment, Avery realized something.

Billy wasn't just some drifter.

He was a mirror reflecting Avery's past self.

His past.

A life where he had been used like a tool and discarded.

Facing Billy now was like coming face-to-face with who he once was.

Billy's faint smile surfaced in his mind.

Even as he lay in a pool of his own blood, he had not given up.

"That was me."

In the past, he had smiled the same way.

At those who had betrayed him.

Even in the final moments, staring death in the face.

That smile—

it had been his last act of defiance against the ones who had thrown him away.

"If I kill Billy… I become no different from them. I become just another person who uses and discards others."

That—

he could never accept.

In that instant, everything became clear.

There was no more hesitation.

Avery does not betray.

Not Billy.

And—

not the life he had chosen.

"I will not waver."

His gaze sharpened.

Every movement carried unshakable resolve.

There was no more doubt.

"Haa… haa…"

Ragged breaths.

A body pushed to its absolute limit.

His muscles screamed in protest.

More than anyone, he knew he couldn't last much longer.

If this fight dragged on—he would lose.

It had to end.

The Cleaner realized it too.

His grip tightened around his blade once more.

The sharp metal gleamed under the dim light, flashing like the fangs of a viper.

Sssk—

His movements shifted.

Smoother. Sharper.

Like a snake coiling in preparation, his body twisted with lethal precision.

But—

Avery was ready.

In his right hand, a blade.

In his left, the sharpened metal rod.

His grip tightened.

His stance shifted.

Two weapons crossed over each other—

like a pair of shears.

"The Fangs of the Viper—Extracted."

A technique he had honed countless times back when he was the King of the Night.

"This move had to end it in a single strike."

The Cleaner lunged again.

Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!

A rapid barrage of stabbing thrusts.

Fangs seeking flesh—

merciless, relentless.

But Avery—

Avery saw everything.

"Now."

The instant the Cleaner stepped into his range—

Sssk!

Avery's arms swung in a powerful arc, crossing like a pair of shears.

Swish—!

His two weapons carved a perfect X in the air.

"Guh…!"

The Cleaner's eyes widened in shock.

Shrrk—!

Avery's blade cleaved through his opponent's right wrist.

A severed hand tumbled to the ground,

the pen-knife landing with a sickening plop beside it.

"Aaaagh—!"

Before the Cleaner could even scream—

Thunk!

The metal rod pierced straight through his left hand,

nailing it to the ground.

Both hands—completely disabled.

"This is over."

Blood sprayed through the air, splattering onto the floor like scattered red petals.

The Cleaner's pupils trembled.

He could feel it.

The inevitability of defeat.

And then—

Before he could make a desperate last move—

Whirr—

Avery's blade spun.

A blur of motion.

A flash of steel.

The Cleaner's vision wavered.

And then—

Sssk—!

The blade swept upward, cutting deep beneath his jaw.

The edge pierced through bone.

Burrowed deep inside.

Ghh…!

The Cleaner's entire body went rigid.

His eyes lost focus, and even his fingertips began to tremble.

But—

Avery twisted the blade with absolute certainty.

Sssk—

A clean, fatal strike.

And then—

He yanked the blade free in one swift motion.

Squelch—!

The Cleaner's body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

No longer a threat.

Just a cooling corpse.

Avery stood still, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

His entire body screamed in pain.

His muscles were on the verge of collapse.

Even the faintest breeze felt like it could knock him over.

"Pathetic."

If he were still the King of the Night, a fight like this would have been nothing.

"This body is too weak."

His fist clenched tightly.

"I need to train again."

In this state, he wouldn't survive the battles to come.

He wasn't strong enough—

not to go up against the organization.

Blood pooled around his feet.

The Cleaner's once-pristine suit no longer held any sign of his former dignity.

Only dark crimson stains remained—

the mark of death.

Then, a thought surfaced in Avery's mind.

"How many more do I have to kill...

before I can finally have a normal life?"

But—

There was no one to answer him.

Avery let out a long sigh and slowly leaned his body against Billy's side.

Regulating his breathing, he tried to process the reality before him.

Blood spread across the floor, and the air was thick with the stench of iron.

Even though the fight was over, his mind was still standing

in the middle of a battlefield.

And then, he thought—

"I barely managed to take down a mere 7th-rank Cleaner."

"If I have to face a 5th-rank...?"

Just imagining it made his breath catch in his throat.

With this body, he wouldn't even stand a chance.

If he wanted to fight them, he needed time.

He needed to be ready.

Gritting his teeth, Avery carefully lifted Billy's battered body.

Billy was still alive.

His chest rose and fell, faint and unstable, but undeniable proof of life.

"I need to get him to a hospital."

If he got medical attention now, he might survive.

But time was running out.

As the tension in the warehouse slowly began to settle—

Tap... Tap...

The lackeys who had been thrown out earlier cautiously crept back inside.

Of course, they expected to find their boss victorious.

However—

The scene before them was something else entirely.

"...!"

Their fear reached its peak.

The Cleaner was dead.

Drenched in blood, his lifeless body lay limp on the floor.

Their faith was shattered.

The boss they had always believed to be invincible—

Now, he had been utterly defeated by a single unknown man.

"..."

The lackeys exchanged panicked glances.

What were they supposed to do now?

They had always survived under the Cleaner's protection, earning their money through him,

relying on him.

But now—

Their only shield was gone.

And then,

All their eyes fixated on one man.

Avery.

Standing tall despite the blood soaking his body, his wounds deep, his breath unsteady—

Yet, his gaze—

never wavered.

"Hey."

He spoke.

Pointing at the most bearded of the lackeys, he gave his order.

"You. And two more."

"Take Billy to a hospital."

For a moment, their bodies tensed.

And then,

The next words that followed—

sealed their fate.

"If Billy dies—"

"You're next."

The air froze.

Their faces turned pale in an instant.

They had seen it clearly.

What had just happened—

The man who had taken down their boss in an instant.

And now,

That very man was giving them orders.

"..."

The lackeys couldn't say a word.

Then,

The bearded one, the one Avery had singled out, nodded roughly.

"...Understood."

Without hesitation, he gestured to two others.

Together, the three of them carefully lifted Billy.

Billy let out a faint groan, but he still hadn't regained consciousness.

Even as they hurried to move him, they kept stealing glances at Avery.

A gaze filled with both fear and wariness.

Once they left, the remaining lackeys stood frozen in place.

Like prey caught in a predator's sights.

Avery swept his eyes over them once.

Then, in a quiet but unyielding voice, he declared—

"Listen carefully. From now on, I'm your boss. As long as you do what I say— You won't have anything to worry about. Got it?"

"..."

Not a single one dared to speak.

But—

Their bodies trembled ever so slightly.

And then, slowly—

One by one, they nodded.

Their eyes wavered violently.

And then, Avery saw an unexpected emotion.

"Relief."

At first, he thought it was fear.

But,

It wasn't just fear.

These men—

They had been suffering.

Living under the ruthless rule of the Cleaner, they had survived in constant terror.

There was no loyalty.

Only fear had bound them to their place.

But now,

The source of that fear was gone.

And standing before them—

Was someone new.

Someone who might offer them a different path.

Someone they could follow, not out of fear, but out of a newfound opportunity.

"Good. I'll use this."

Avery made his decision.

"Yes, Boss!"

The lackeys responded in unison.

Their attitudes had shifted completely.

The rigid tension on their faces had melted away.

They rubbed their hands together, expressions brightening—

as if they had just struck gold.

"We're your loyal dogs now, Boss!"

"Just give us the orders!"

Avery watched them for a moment.

Then, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"This is more than just survival."

This wasn't just about staying alive.

This was a chance—

to establish order.

"Order, on my terms."

Slowly, he nodded.

And then—

He pointed at the Cleaner's corpse sprawled on the floor.

"First order. What happened here must never get out. And— we're going to use this bastard's body to make a video. But make sure no one can trace it back to us."

One of the lackeys stepped forward.

A lanky man, his eyes darting quickly.

"I have a way, Boss."

He spoke fast.

"We can make sure no one recognizes anything. Just leave it to us."

Avery gave a short nod.

Meanwhile,

Sheriff Emily Davis was on edge.

Billy Johnson had vanished completely.

Just like the other four before him.

"Goddamn it!"

She cursed, her teeth digging into her thumbnail.

"I should've seen this coming."

Damn it.

Finding a vagrant like Billy—

Was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Especially in a place like Third Street.

There, the only thing that mattered was survival.

Information?

It got buried fast.

"Twig!"

She called out sharply.

Within seconds, Deputy Jenkins rushed into the office, flustered as always.

"Yes, Sheriff?"

Twig responded immediately.

Davis got straight to the point.

"Any news on Billy Johnson?"

Her voice carried frustration.

If she lost this lead—

She'd lose her chance to get out of this place too.

Twig lowered his head, looking defeated.

"No, Sheriff. Nothing."

Her face hardened.

"What about the people around him? Anyone who might know where Billy was?"

Twig hesitated for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

"Everyone knew of him. But only as someone who needed help. Billy shared what little he had when he could, but aside from that… no real connections."

"Ha."

Davis scoffed.

"People are always the same. He's a 'good guy' when he has something to give, but the moment he's got nothing, he's just another nobody? Did you check the whole district? Including the neighboring counties?"

"Yes, Sheriff."

Twig's voice shrank.

Her gaze sharpened.

"Hospitals? Morgues?"

Twig's expression stiffened.

"That… we haven't checked yet."

"What?"

Davis shot up from her seat.

Her patience had hit its limit.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?"

Her cold stare narrowed in on him.

"Y-Yes, Sheriff— No! No, Sheriff!"

Twig quickly corrected himself and saluted.

Davis swallowed a sigh.

She wanted to smack him upside the head, but that wouldn't solve anything.

"Get out."

Her tone was firm.

"Bring me answers before sundown. Dismissed."

"Yes, Sheriff!"

Twig scurried out the door.

…

Avery examined his wounds.

Bandages, sterile needles, Ethibond.

His hands moved with meticulous precision.

There was no way he could miss work today.

Losing his job meant losing the ordinary life he had struggled to build.

Quietly, he stitched the wound shut.

"Tsshh..."

Pain flared, spreading through his body, but his expression didn't change.

Finally, he secured the gauze and applied the dressing.

Luckily, once he put on his convenience store uniform, most of the injuries would be hidden.

He got dressed, checked the apartment's lights, then stepped out the door.

As he descended the stairs—

"Oh my, Avery! You're looking even more radiant today!"

Mrs. Kim greeted him with a wide smile.

Her grin had grown noticeably warmer ever since he prepaid two months' rent.

Avery gave a slight nod and walked past.

Her good mood was nothing but beneficial to him.

…

He pulled out his phone and checked the view count on his latest video.

The numbers were about the same as before.

However—

This time, it was perfect.

Precise incisions.

Flawlessly preserved tissue.

A far more refined result than the last.

This time, there was no rabbit mask.

Instead, he had used a plastic shopping bag he found in the warehouse.

Cut holes for the eyes.

A makeshift mask.

Watching the screen, Avery let out a satisfied smile.

"Now, it's finally perfect."

Deadline met.

Money earned.

And—

His normal life remained intact.

But…

How long could this last?