Ethan turned his head slightly and gestured for Cade to follow. “Mr. Cade, follow me.”

Without a word, Cade complied, his footsteps echoing faintly behind Ethan's. Ethan stopped at a wooden door on the side of the corridor, his hand resting briefly on the handle before pushing it open. Cade followed him inside, where a narrow hallway stretched ahead. The only sound was the soft padding of their shoes on the polished floor.

As they moved deeper, the hallway opened into a wide, dimly lit hall. The room was sparsely furnished, save for a set of worn leather sofas near the center. A man sat casually on one of them, his posture relaxed but his actions deliberate. A handgun rested on the table in front of him, and in his other hand, he worked a blade across a whetstone, the metallic scrape filling the quiet space.

Cade’s gaze settled on the man. Rugged, with hard stubble and sharp, knowing eyes, he exuded a palpable air of experience. Battle-hardened veteran, Cade thought, though he kept his observations to himself.

The man looked up as the two approached, his eyes locking on Cade. His voice carried a casual disdain, though it was clear he was sizing up the newcomer. “Boss, who’s the kid?”

Ethan’s reply was calm and curt. “A potential new hire.”

The man leaned back slightly, smirking. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Since when do we hire kids to do a man’s job?”

He rose to his feet, standing taller than Cade, his posture loose but confident. His knife was still in his hand, though now it was idle, the edge gleaming faintly. There was a mischievous glint in his eye as he looked Cade over.

Cade remained silent, his expression unreadable. He could see where this was going, but he chose to observe rather than react.

Ethan’s voice cut through the tension. “Cormac, what have I told you about judging people by appearances? You never learn, do you?”

Cormac shrugged, his grin widening, but Ethan’s attention shifted to Cade. After a brief pause, he introduced the two. “Cade, this is Cormac, my guard. He shields me from most threats. Don’t underestimate him. He’s been with me for seven years, and he’s a Nen user.”

Ethan folded his arms and continued. “You wanted to prove yourself, right? Well, here’s your chance. Cormac will assess your abilities. If he thinks you’re up to the task, the job is yours.”

Cormac’s grin turned predatory. “Oh, that’ll be fun.”

Ethan turned to leave but not before giving Cormac a pointed look. It was a silent warning, one that only the two of them seemed to understand. Cade, standing quietly to the side with his hands in his jacket pockets, caught none of it.

As Ethan walked away, Cormac’s focus returned to Cade. “Boss must think you’ve got potential if he’s trusting me to test you without sticking around to supervise. Guess we’ll find out if he’s right.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Cormac placed the knife and gun back on the table, motioning for Cade to follow him further down the hall. They entered a spacious training room, filled with weights, punching bags, and various machines, all arranged meticulously.

Cormac gestured around the room with a touch of pride. “This is my personal training facility. One of the perks of working for the boss.”

They walked to the center of the room, where a large open space awaited them. Cormac turned to face Cade, his stance loose but poised.

“What now?” Cade asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Now we fight,” Cormac replied, rolling his shoulders. “I’ll win, obviously, but I’ll know whether you’re cut out for the job by the end of it. What do you say?”

Cade shrugged off his jacket, tossing it to the side. He spread his arms slightly, his stance relaxed but ready. “Ready when you are.”Both fighters shifted to Ren without a word. Their auras expanded outward, visible and intense.

Cade assessed the situation quickly. "His aura output seems slightly higher than mine, but mine's more stable."

They charged at each other, throwing punches with precise timing and control. Each strike was intentional, and targeted. To an outsider, it would seem they were evenly matched.

After several exchanges, Cormac noticed something unusual in Cade's movements.

'Just before my fist hits his vital points, he dodges or deflects my attack. Is this his Nen ability giving him enhanced agility and reflexes?'

Cormac struggled to land hits on Cade's weak points, while Cade evaded and deflected his attacks continuously. The Falcon Eyes bio serum he'd injected earlier was working effectively—his reaction time was three times faster than normal, letting him see incoming attacks with enough time to respond.

Cormac's frustration peaked. His aura intensified, his speed increased, and his leg struck the back of Cade's hand. The impact pushed Cade back several steps.

'I barely avoided that,' Cade thought. 'Now my arms are stinging.' He stood still, analyzing what had happened. 'Why does my arm feel heavier? This feels unnatural. Is this Cormac's Hatsu?'

"I planned to fight without using my ability," Cormac said, "but I underestimated you. Watch out for MEDUSA'S KISS. This is my Hatsu. Each hit makes your limbs heavier until you can't lift them anymore."

Cade's face tightened. 'Great. Everyone explains their Hatsu like they have to. Maybe he's confident. Or he's trying to intimidate me. He'll see that was a mistake.'

He took a deep breath. 'Time to attack.'

Cade ran straight forward, arms hanging loose at his sides. Cormac smiled. 'Coming right into my range.' His hardened fist waited for contact. Just as he was about to hit Cade's face, Cade disappeared.

'No! Where—' The realization hit Cormac. Years of fighting experience told him: 'He's behind me.' But he realized too late.

As Cormac's fist moved through empty air, Cade ducked and stepped behind him. This move would be impossible against someone of Cormac's skill—but Falcon Eyes let Cade process everything in extended time, tracking each movement.

Cade could have locked Cormac in a chokehold, but that would give his opponent time to counter. Instead, he decided to end it quickly. He pressed a sharp blade against Cormac's neck, drawing blood.

"That's my knife!" Cormac said, startled. His expression darkened. "Why do you have it?" The blade against his throat didn't seem to concern him.

"Sleight of hand," Cade said evenly. ""A useful skill, don't you think? Now, do you yield?""

Cormac lifted his hands. "You've bested me. I yield."

They both stood up and Cade threw the knife back to Cormac who caught it easily.

Cormac’s gaze shifted to Cade, who was briskly brushing off his clothes and pulling on his jacket. Without hesitation, Cormac approached him, his steps deliberate. He studied Cade’s expression, expecting a hint of smugness, but there was none. This caught him off guard. After a brief pause, Cormac extended his hand.

“Introductions are a bit overdue, but better late than never,” he said. “I’m Cormac McCarthy. Just call me Cormac.”

Cade reached out and shook his hand with a firm grip. “Cade. Just Cade. So, do I get the job or what?”

Cormac chuckled, a faint hint of amusement flickering in his tone. “Are you kidding me? Of course, you get the job. Let’s go see the boss.”