"Hey, did you hear what went down?"

"Yeah, some guy went berserk on three freshmen in the cafeteria."

"I caught wind of it too. Saw the videos circulating."

"What, there's footage?"

"Yeah, though some influential seniors are doing their darnedest to scrub it clean. Managed to snag it through some underground channels."

Like In any university setting, word spread like wildfire about the recent brawl in the cafeteria. However, deliberate obfuscation by certain senior figures made it challenging to discern the true parties involved. Despite their efforts, in this digital age, information was notoriously difficult to suppress. However, an unexpected boon emerged for those seeking to quell the incident's aftermath: the video footage was saturated with graphic violence, prompting nearly all social media platforms to swiftly remove it from circulation.

The campus buzzed with speculation and whispers as students attempted to piece together the fragments of truth amidst the haze of rumors and misinformation. Yet, amidst the chaos, a veil of uncertainty shrouded the identities of the instigators and victims alike.

On the other hand, the man who was responsible for all of this was in his bed. Alexander was confused; on one hand, he felt immense joy, unrestrained as if for the first time in his life he was free. On the other hand, he felt guilt. Was all of this truly necessary? In the end, he did not even let go of Mathew. Deep down, he knew Mathew harbored no malicious intent towards him. Yet, in that moment, he craved the opportunity to demonstrate the consequences of crossing him, to reveal what happens when one provokes the brewing storm.

After dealing with Nathen and Taker, he returned to the pinned Matthew and unleashed three forceful punches to his chest. Matthew struggled to resist, only to find himself pushed deeper into the cracking wall. Alexander halted at the third punch, hearing the unmistakable sound of a rib cracking and seeing a trickle of blood escape from the corner of Matthew’s lips. In mathew's eyes, there was anger which soon turned into helplessness.

Alexander still cringed at the memory of how he strode out of the cafeteria with his chest out and back straight. But that wasn't the matter at hand. He was, however, puzzled as to why the police did not come for him. But it was not something he wanted to dwell on.

But leaving the cafeteria, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Glancing up to the second floor, he spotted the seniors from his department observing him intently. They made no move to stop him, but he sensed they might use this opportunity to target him later, perhaps under the guise of initiation rites. But the main problem was Taker; he knew Taker wasn't one to tolerate such behavior quietly. Rumor had it he had considerable influence within the university, particularly among students who have considerable political influence in the university – in other words, political thugs who carry the identity of students, courtesy of his family background. The situation felt precarious, like a powder keg ready to ignite. He needed to strategize his next steps carefully.

Alexander shook his head; there was no point in dwelling on it. There existed a simple solution to all his troubles: to become powerful. Regardless of the sinister machinations of political thugs or the menacing thugs lurking outside, with enough strength, he could overcome them all. For a brief moment, he even indulged in the fantasy of confronting any police force that dared to come for him.

“Be what may come all he needed was strength.”

There was also a moment when he though, it would have been better if he just killed taker, the insufferable mother fucker. But he pushed it down as soon as the though came to him. After all, could he truly stoop to become a murderer?

After coming from the uni Alexander cooked up a plan. He opened his palm where, lay his card. And with a big number. This was another thing he was not proud of doing but he was not that bothered about it.

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While beating them up, he did not forgot to collect some compensation from them and by composition he meant all their money. It was quite some amount, there was a huge amount in taker’s position, which was not surprising, and Mathew also had a good enough amount. But the most surprising one was Nathen. It seems the rumors of him working online was not false.

In any case, Alexander found himself holding a considerable amount of money at this point. His plan was to purchase more chickens, lambs, or even cows this time to slaughter for leveling up. However, the voice or rather his ancestor suggested something different. He realized that, at this point, he needed to level up quickly and significantly, and his usual tactics wouldn't suffice. Not to mention, compared to the suggestion of the voice, his approach would be a waste of money.

Though it was risky, at this point, did Alexander really care? With a light chuckle, he got up. There was no time to waste.

Getting a taxi, he headed toward his destination. It was quite far, so the price was steep. However, he truly did not care. Was it because he earned this money in an unethical way that he was feeling like this? It could be, Alexander shrugged.

After almost a 3-hour journey, he could see it: the towering black walls marking the edge of the city. It was his first time witnessing such a sight, and he had to admit the scene was awe-inspiring

This was quite far from home, so to reach here in a considerable time, he had to chase the mode of transportation many times. It was the metro train that awed him the most, not only for its speed but also for how many people can actually fit in a compartment,—too damn many.

……..

Alexander wasn't standing far from the towering 25-meter door that led to the outside of the protective wall of their haven, the city. The area buzzed with activity as people came and went from the outside. Of course, the entire massive gate wasn't open; only a 7-meter layer of it was accessible. There were many layers to the door, which opened only when a significant hunting party, guild, or military personnel, or team captured or killed something large and needed to transport it inside the city.

Alexander recently saw in the news that the Red Raven guild had successfully slain a massive 14-meter bear, which was later bought by the Citadel for research purposes. The video of the massive bear, circled with still ropes, amidst the cheers of the crowed was still fresh in his mind. The research was about why a brown-furred bear grew that large. Moreover, it was brought into the city from the west gate, whereas he was standing before the south gate, the closest gate from his location.

The first 15 meters of the gate were barricaded by the military, allowing only individuals who went out and came in to enter and exit. Beyond that point, there was a bustling market of colorful tents. Most of the low-ranked or even middle-ranked hunters sold their small gains here, while many small teams organized their necessary provisions before heading outside the safe walls of the metropolitan.

All in all this was a place of business.

Alexander was wearing the same clothes as before, with his face covered by a mask and everything. he approached a man in a suit who looked quite clean compared to the others. He was conversing with a team about how he had already arranged everything, and the map was of high quality and all that.

Alexander approached the man and said, “I want in….”

“Hey, hey man, I am talking here,” but before Alexander could finish, the man cut in. Alexander frowned; it seemed he was knocking on the wrong person's door.

He was about to move away. “Hey man, wait a bit. I am almost done.” But before he could do so, the voice of the suited man came from behind,

“Okay, guys, you know the drill. Now rest and get what you need from the market. You guys will be up in one and a half hours.” He then finished talking with the team and came to Alexander.

And Alexander could swear he saw the most dashing smile on the man's face that completely transformed his countenance into that of an angel. ‘A broker indeed,’ Alexander thought inwardly.

"So, young gentleman, how may I assist you?" he said, his smile still plastered across his face.

Hm, hm, hm, hm...

There was marching military man behind, who were getting on the truck that was about to go outside. Unlike the vehicles in the city the truck was on 16 wheels and was heavily, heavily armored.

Observing them, the man frowned. "Scratch that, come with me. We'll talk somewhere else," he said, pointing towards the market.

After trailing behind the man for approximately 15 minutes, they arrived at a tea stall where the man ordered two teas. Alexander had to admit, the man seemed born to be a broker. This was the most unhygienic and shabby-looking tea shop in the market, with undoubtedly the lowest tea prices.

Soon, both of them were holding a cup of tea each. "So, what was it you were talking about?" After taking two sips, the man inquired.

"I want in," Alexander stated firmly.

"What do you mean? I do not understand," the man replied, his face reflecting genuine confusion.

Alexander sighed. "Look, I do not have time to waste. I know who you are, Mr. Harper Stone, and besides, you did bring me this far to talk, didn't you?" His tone was stern.

"Who told you such things?"

Alexander sighed again as he turned around to leave. "I have my sources. You can either take the money or arrange this thing I want, or I will have to find someone else."

The broker looked surprised for a moment, but it didn't last long. In the next moment, he smiled and said, "Let's talk money then."

A smile bloomed on Alexander's face, though it remained hidden.