Glory…..

A divine power that comes with great authority and responsibility.

Only two ways exist—paths one can take to harness it to the fullest.

The first involves years and years of discipline, hardship, and training. All of it resulting in a steady increase in Glory levels.

Then the second option arises.

Find humans. Convince them to worship you with all their heart and honesty. How strongly they believe in you is directly proportional to the increment you receive. It is only through this method that the full power of Glory is demonstrated.

But one thing still stands above it all.

A missing piece of the puzzle that makes everything work perfectly, just as it was meant to.

Faith.

When someone has faith in you, that force cheers you on, pushes you beyond the limits of your own strength—limits you never even thought you could surpass.

And in that moment, when Zabi pulled the trigger, Marie shut her eyes tight and muttered deep inside her soul that no matter what happened, she had faith.

Faith that Ross would return.

Faith that he would take revenge for all their deaths.

Faith that he would reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

It was in that moment the bet was cast.

The push he needed to reach his maximum potential.

[Glory Points> + 31→ 81]

Pow!!!

Zabi fired.

The sound ushered in a new era in the war that was about to unfold within the residence.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN TWO POWERHOUSES.

...

Silence filled the room. Eyes widened—none of them had time to react. In one second, Zabi shot a bullet at a defenseless, crippled girl.

In the next, Ross stood in front of her.

Faceless, with only a skull in its place. Strands of hair fell over his forehead.

Like a superhero saving a citizen.

Using only one hand—two fingers—he caught the bullet midair as it spun with unbearable speed.

Whether it was his appearance or the stunt he pulled off, it shook them to their core.

[I have to say, you nailed that entrance,] Medusaa admired.

No reply came from Ross. His mind was already locked into battle.

Behind him, a tear fell from Marie's blurry eyes. Not for a second had she ever thought her brother could stop a bullet. Questions flooded her mind—but seeing him stand there, protectively, like a knight shielding a damsel in distress, it didn't matter how he did it.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said calmly—confidently even. A stupid tone to have if he didn't plan on surviving the situation they were in.

He never looked back so Marie could see his face. Perhaps he wanted to spare the explanation for another time.

"You are fucking stupid," Marie snapped, wiping her tears, relief filling her voice. "I told you not to bother yourself with them!"

"Shit… he came!"

Zabi leaped back, like a chess player creating space. He had broken into the man's home—he didn't want to be anywhere near Ross with the extraordinary speed he had just witnessed.

Beep! Beep!

Their scanners screamed off the charts. The cosmic energy pouring out of Ross was unlike anything they had ever seen.

Ross's eyes widened, scouting the sitting room like a detective. Soldiers raised their guns, alarmed.

His gaze fell on Linward's corpse.

A hole carved into his forehead. Blood agglutinated like a dying waterfall. No sign of life remained in the cold body.

Then he turned to the female body near his feet.

"Mom…" he wondered sympathetically.

Her eyes were still open. Even in death, he could see the trauma she had gone through before taking a bullet to the head.

Marie saw it too—the concern in his eyes, like he wanted to collapse and cry. But he couldn't. That wasn't an option. There was an enemy to fight.

I shouldn't tell him about Mom. Not yet, she decided. He needs the anger if we're going to get out of here.

Suddenly—

A man among the soldiers screamed, his command laced with fear.

"Shoot him!!!"

Pew! Pew! Pew!

They pulled their triggers violently, aiming to turn their enemy into a pulp of flesh. Zabi joined in, but unlike the others, he wasn't shooting to kill. He wanted to test him—an instant experiment.

But Ross had already expected this.

[Special Skill > Time Freeze]-15, 66% Glory left.

HALT!!

Everything in the vicinity froze.

Bullets. Blood. Breath.

There was no exception—including Zabi, frozen mid-smirk like he was enjoying every second of it.

Thud. Pull.

Ross lifted Marie onto his left shoulder.

Thud. Pull.

He carried his mother with the other, completely emotionless.

[Activate Special Skill: Thunder Dash]

His legs glowed, humming with speed.

Pew!!

He rushed into his room, leaving the first floor suspended in unnatural halt—a silent testament to how strong he had become.

...

Second floor

"Can you help them, Medusaa?" he asked, laying Marie and his mother on the bed. Blood clung to his shirt, his legs still glowing with the embers of Thunder Dash.

[Marie, maybe. But your mother… no.]

"I understand."

He gently closed his mother's terrified eyes. His tone remained calm, but something burned hot deep inside him.

"Then what will it take to heal her?"

[She's lost a lot of blood, and the leg wounds are severe. Half of your Glory could suffice.]

"Do it."

[You'll be left with only thirty three percent. You're about to fight.]

"Doesn't matter. My sister's life is on the line. She's the only family I have left."

[…Fine. Initiating healing protocol. Patient entering unconscious mode.]

Marie slipped into deep sleep.

[Time Freeze Deactivated]

Ross rushed back downstairs.

...

First Floor

Pow! Pow! Pow!!

The barrage of bullets meant to drown them in blood struck nothing.

"He was there!"

"I thought I saw him—!"

"What the fuck is happening?!"

They muttered among themselves, drowning in confusion.

Zabi alone smirked.

He had seen everything.

"You're an interesting man, Ross," he muttered. "But that first technique you used—when you caught the bullet—that was much faster than the one you just used."

He rubbed his chin, thinking instead of panicking.

Suddenly—

Pew!!

Ross appeared where Marie had been, the glow on his legs fading into nothing.

"Who among you is Zabi?" Ross asked.

It sounded less like a question and more like a death sentence.

Silence followed.

He stepped forward, skeletal form looming like something pulled straight out of myth.

"I said… who… is… Zabi!"

"No need to continue, my brother," Zabi replied, raising his hands like a man surrendering. "It's m—"

BOOM!!!

Ross's fist collided with his face.

In milliseconds, Zabi was driven through the wall and launched out the front of the house like he was weightless.

Just like something out of a comic book, Ross was already there when Zabi landed. His eyes burned with fury and bloodlust

"I wanted to be sure it was you," Ross growled, teeth clenched.

"Didn't want to do what I'm about to do… to the wrong person."

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