Wrath of the King, Killing with a Breath

Crack!

Dracul's jaw nearly dropped.

One kick.

Tiger had been kicked away with just a single blow, and his arms had been shattered.

Others might not realize how formidable Tiger was, but Dracul knew well. Tiger had been conditioning his arms with wooden piles since he was ten years old. His arms were three times harder than the average person's.

It was because of these "iron hands" that Tiger had risen above the others, becoming Dracul's most valued thug and, in his eyes, his successor.

But today...

In front of this young man named John Lopez, Tiger couldn't even endure a single kick. His once-legendary arms broke like brittle twigs.

Dracul was stunned. His eyes locked onto John as he asked, "Who the hell are you?"

A man with such tremendous fighting skills at such a young age couldn't possibly be a regular guy.

"Who am I?"

John chuckled lightly at the question. "I'm just someone who can sacrifice everything to protect my sister."

Dracul's eyes widened in surprise.

He paused for a moment, considering the situation. Then, with a serious tone, he offered, "Since you're so skilled, why don't you work for me? I won't disturb your sister anymore, and I can offer you a better life. What do you say?"

He extended an olive branch, waiting for John's response.

But John's expression turned strange as he stared at Dracul. Then, with a cold tone, he said, "You don't deserve."

"You don't deserve!"

The three words hit like a thunderclap.

The thugs around them froze in shock. Many of them had dreamed of being noticed by Dracul, but their skills were far from John's level.

But John? He outright rejected the offer. Dracul had extended an invitation to him, but John had the audacity to say, "You don't deserve."

Dracul's face darkened. "I thought you were a sensible person. But now it seems you're just foolish."

His patience was wearing thin. He had been humiliated in front of his subordinates, and that was not something he could tolerate.

"What's the matter, John?" Dracul sneered, "Playing with fire?"

John's eyes glinted. "Playing with fire? It seems like you're the one playing with fire now."

A twisted grin appeared on Dracul's face. He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a self-made pistol. He leveled the dark muzzle directly at John.

"You're good at fighting, huh? But can you move faster than a bullet?"

Dracul's voice was dripping with menace. He had used this very gun to eliminate several gang leaders, and he wasn't afraid to add John to the list if necessary.

John stared back at him with unblinking cold eyes. "Are you going to kill me?"

Dracul's finger tightened around the trigger, and the safety bolt clicked off with a sharp sound.

John paused for a moment, his gaze turning even colder, his killing intent rising like a storm.

"Very good," John murmured, "Now you'll register with the god of death."

With that, John began walking toward Dracul, disregarding the pistol aimed at him as if it were nothing more than a toy.

Dracul froze in disbelief. No one had ever dared approach him like this. Every time he drew a weapon, his enemies would cower. But John was moving forward—unafraid, undaunted.

Dracul's heart started to race. He couldn't understand it. His hand trembled, especially as he saw the cold, fearless gleam in John's eyes. Was this man mad?

"If you take one more step, I'll shoot."

But still, John didn't stop. He continued walking, each step bringing him closer.

Dracul's hand shook more violently now. He couldn't keep up with the tension. His finger squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

The sound of the shot echoed in the room as the bullet sped toward John's face. The air seemed to grow still.

But then, something impossible happened.

"Break!"

John spoke a single word, and the bullet—traveling at breakneck speed—seemed to freeze mid-air. The next moment, it twisted and reversed course, flying back to Dracul's forehead with unerring accuracy.

Dracul had no time to react. The bullet embedded itself in the center of his brow with a sickening thud.

The scene was surreal.

Dracul's body slumped, lifeless.

John glanced at Dracul's corpse indifferently, then turned his attention away.

This was the first time John had taken a life using his extraordinary skills. But it wouldn't be the last.

Anyone who dared threaten his family would meet the same end.

Around him, the remaining thugs were paralyzed in disbelief. If they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such a thing was possible.

Tiger, his body trembling, stammered, "Sir, who... who are you?"

John turned to him coldly, his voice icy as he replied, "You can call me Oracle King. Or, the King of Horizon."