The Devil's Reward

Noel entered the hotel room, exhausted after a long day of grinding for coins and experience.

He flopped onto the bed with a sigh. "Finally... some rest," he murmured, closing his eyes.

But before he could fully unwind, the window shattered with a deafening crack.

"Wha—?"

Before he could react, a masked figure leapt into the room with surprising speed. The mysterious person was quick—too quick for someone of average skill.

Crash! The figure grabbed Noel by the collar and, without warning, dashed toward the open window.

"Wait, wait, wait! What do you think you're doing?!" Noel yelped, trying to push himself free.

With a swift twist, Noel managed to slip out of the figure's grasp—barely. He was fast, but not that fast. He had just enough time to activate his senses and tap into his awakening powers.

Swish!

Noel twisted his body mid-air, narrowly avoiding a hit from the masked man's outstretched arm. He landed with a roll, his feet skidding across the hotel floor.

"You think you can just kidnap me?" Noel smirked, flexing his fingers. "Not gonna happen."

The masked man growled beneath his breath, clearly irritated. "Stay still!"

"Ha! If I stay still, you'll definitely catch me!" Noel grinned, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The chase was on.

Noel zipped through the hotel, dodging furniture and leaping over obstacles with agility that surprised even himself. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins—this was his chance to practice his reflexes in a real fight.

Behind him, the masked man pursued, his movements fast, though not quite as fast as Noel's. Each step the man took was heavy with intent. Noel could hear his gritted teeth, but he wasn't concerned. This wasn't the first time someone had tried to take him down.

Crash! A chair shattered as the masked figure collided with it, but Noel was already halfway across the hallway.

"Oh, come on! You can do better than that!" Noel teased, mocking his pursuer as he ducked into a room.

The masked man followed, but not without trouble. He was getting slower, more frustrated. This was a game to Noel now. He wasn't running from the masked man—he was just testing his limits.

Noel spun on his heels, throwing a quick wave of energy toward the man, forcing him to dodge to the side.

"Heh, you're lucky you're not my real target." Noel laughed, dodging the next swing the masked man threw.

But the masked man wasn't one to back down. With a grunt, he gathered his strength and leapt toward Noel again, using a burst of energy to close the gap.

Bam!

Noel dodged just in time, rolling behind a nearby pillar to catch his breath. "Man, you really are persistent. But if you don't catch me soon, you might just get a one-way ticket to the bottom of this hotel."

The masked man clenched his fists. "Enough games!"

With a single burst of power, he unleashed a barrage of rapid attacks, hoping to overwhelm Noel. But Noel was faster—his reflexes honed from years of experience in this life and his past one. He dodged each punch with a smirk.

"You're a bit slow for someone who's supposed to be my captor." Noel's grin never left his face.

Finally, the masked man lunged again. This time, Noel didn't dodge. Instead, he spun his body, tapping into his awakened powers, and used the man's momentum to send him flying across the room. The masked figure crashed into a table, and the force of the impact stunned him.

Noel stood tall, breathing heavily. "Told you," he muttered under his breath, dusting his hands off. "You should've picked someone your own size."

The masked man groaned, clearly dazed. Noel walked over, his steps slow and deliberate.

"Look, I don't know who you are or why you're after me, but you're gonna have to try a little harder than that," Noel said, smiling like he hadn't just been in a life-or-death chase moments ago.

The masked man's head lolled to one side as he struggled to stay conscious. His body trembled from the force of the hit.

"Not bad... but it's going to take a lot more than that to catch me."

Noel gave the man a smug look and turned toward the door, walking away. "I'm done with this little chase. Next time, you'll have to try harder."

Got it! Here's your text with minimal changes for clarity and readability:

---

The masked man said, "Hey, you brat! Where are you going?!" He tried to grab Noel from behind, but Noel grabbed his hand and smashed him into the ground.

CRACK!

The masked man's hand broke on impact. He screamed in pain.

Noel laughed like a devil in his mind, then stepped toward the masked man with a sinister grin.

"At first, I thought I was going to forgive you... but now? I think I need to take something from you."

The masked man's face twisted in fear. "Wha... what are you trying to do to me?"

Before he could finish, Noel grabbed him by the collar and started punching him in the face.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Blood dripped from the masked man's nose. His vision blurred from the relentless blows.

Noel leaned in, his voice cold. "So? Will you submit to me?"

The masked man spat out blood. "Wha... what are you saying?"

Noel tightened his grip. "I'm saying... do you want to become my slave?"

The masked man gritted his teeth. "No way! There's no chance I'd ever become a slave of a low-class beggar like you!"

Noel sighed. "Alright then... die."

Before Noel could strike again—

"I SUB... I SUBMIT!" the masked man screamed.

DING!

[A cultivator has submitted to you!]

[CALCULATING REWARDS...]

[Status calculated, power calculated, wealth calculated.]

Rewards:

[500 silver coins]

[164 experience points]

[CONGRATULATIONS YOU LEVELED UP ]

[You are now In the Middle stage of Awakened realm ]

Ding!

[You need More 700 EXP to level up]

Noel was shocked. "What?! This is way higher than the rewards I usually get from deceiving beggars..."

Then, a devilish smile crept onto his face. "Heh... If a mere subordinate gives me this much, then how much does the Alliance Head have?"

His eyes gleamed with greed. "I think... it's time to pay him a visit."

With that, he cracked his knuckles and smirked.

Than

Noel smirked, looking at his new subordinate. "Smart choice."

The masked man trembled, realizing he had just become a slave to a begger