No Mercy

The group of killers stood frozen as a voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Looking for me?"

Ethan appeared, his figure shrouded in faint arcs of lightning. His calm, almost amused expression sent a chill down their spines. He had arrived faster than they could comprehend, covering several kilometers in under a minute. Worse still, he had overheard their entire plan.

"How... How did he sneak up on us?" one of the enforcers stammered, his face pale with fear.

They couldn't believe it. If Ethan had wanted to, he could have ambushed them and taken out half their group before anyone noticed. But instead, he had made his presence known. To them, it was a rookie mistake—a sign of inexperience.

"He's just a naive kid," Terry muttered, regaining his composure. His confidence returned as he remembered the ruthless tactics that had served him well for years. "He had the perfect opportunity to kill us and didn't take it. That's his weakness."

He signaled to the others with a nod.

"Kill him!" Terry barked.

The enforcers sprang into action. The first to move was a man whose arms transformed into long, rubber-like tendrils. They stretched out like coiled ropes, snaking toward Ethan at high speed. The plan was simple—bind him before he could react and let the others finish him off.

"Let's see you get out of this!" the rubber-armed enforcer sneered.

Ethan didn't move, watching the attack with mild curiosity. "Interesting talent... but seriously, is this the best you've got?"

He stepped aside lazily, letting the tendrils whip past him. The enforcer's eyes widened in shock.

"Damn you!" the man shouted, twisting his rubber arms to chase after Ethan. The tendrils curved mid-air, attempting to wrap around his legs.

"Still too slow," Ethan commented with a smirk. In a blur of motion, he vanished and reappeared directly behind the enforcer.

"Behind you!" Terry shouted, launching a punch with blades sprouting from his knuckles. The blades glinted in the moonlight, aimed straight for Ethan's head.

But Ethan sidestepped the strike effortlessly. His movement was so fluid, it seemed almost casual.

"Speed's not on your side," Ethan said softly, his voice carrying an edge of mockery. He countered with a single, devastating punch to the nearest enforcer.

BOOM!

The man flew through the air like a ragdoll, crashing into a tree with bone-shattering force. His eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

One punch. That's all it had taken.

The remaining enforcers stared in horror, their confidence crumbling.

"No... No way!" one of them whispered. "How the hell is he this strong?"

Terry gritted his teeth, fighting down his fear. "Focus! We're not amateurs—attack together! Don't give him any space!"

A man named Perry surged forward, his body momentarily becoming weightless. He specialized in high-speed movement and assassination. With a flick of his wrist, he drew a dagger and aimed for Ethan's throat.

Fast... but not fast enough, Ethan thought.

As soon as Perry's blade cut through the air, Ethan's enhanced senses kicked in. He heard the faint whistle of the dagger before it got close and shifted into Microscopic Movement Technique mode. His body blurred, dodging the strike with supernatural precision.

"Gotcha," Ethan said, his fist snapping forward.

WHAM!

Perry was launched dozens of meters away, tumbling across the ground. Blood sprayed from his mouth, but somehow, he wasn't dead.

"That's new," Ethan muttered. "Usually one punch does the trick."

Perry, gasping for air, glanced around in desperation. He knew he couldn't win. Without hesitation, he scrambled to his feet and ran, disappearing into the darkness.

"Coward," Terry spat, disgusted. "Fine. We'll handle this ourselves!"

The rubber-armed enforcer tried to attack again, twisting his body into a defensive coil. His limbs stretched to form a protective shell around him.

"Oh, you're really going all out with that Michelin Man routine," Ethan teased, shaking his head. "Let's see if this can cut through."

With a flash of movement, Ethan summoned the Super Alloy Sword from his inventory. The blade gleamed ominously, purple lightning crackling along its edge.

"Time to see what this baby can do," Ethan murmured.

He leapt high into the air, sword raised. As he descended, he brought the blade down with terrifying force.

SLASH!

The sword cut through the rubber-armed enforcer like a hot knife through butter. Blood sprayed as the man's protective shell split apart, his lifeless body collapsing in a heap.

"Next?" Ethan asked, his tone cold.

Another enforcer lunged from the side, his hands coated in a deadly, black poison. If even a drop touched skin, it would cause instant paralysis and death.

"Die!" the man screamed, aiming for Ethan's chest.

But Ethan was faster. He stepped inside the man's guard, twisted his body, and drove the Super Alloy Sword straight through his heart.

The enforcer's eyes widened in shock as the blade pierced his back. Blood gushed from the wound as Ethan pulled the sword free.

"Funny," Ethan said quietly, "you were the one who said I'd die without knowing how."

The man crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Now, only Terry remained. His face was a mask of terror. He stumbled backward, shaking his head in disbelief.

"This... This isn't possible," Terry muttered. "You're just a rookie... You can't..."

"Can't what? Be stronger than you?" Ethan advanced slowly, lightning crackling around him. "Here's the thing—people like you always underestimate others. That's why you lose."

Terry turned and bolted, hoping to escape. But Ethan wasn't going to let that happen.

"Sorry," Ethan called after him, "but you came here to kill me. You don't get to walk away."

In a flash, Ethan appeared in front of Terry, blocking his path. With two swift slashes, he ended it.

As Terry's lifeless body hit the ground, Ethan sheathed his sword and exhaled slowly.

"That's done," he muttered, wiping the blood from his hands. He turned his gaze toward the distant forest where Perry had fled.

"Let's finish this," Ethan said, pulling out the Thunderstrike Bow.