The scorching afternoon sun beat down on the cracked concrete of the old port. The scent of rust, old engine oil, and the salty tang of the sea mingled in the still air. The surroundings were silent and desolate, save for the faint sound of waves hitting the shore and seagulls circling in the distance.
But then, that tranquility was torn asunder!
VROOOOOM!!!
The thunderous roar of an engine echoed like a raging beast. A white SUV with a black roof rocketed into Zone 4 at a terrifying speed, its wheels crushing gravel and stone into dust.
SCREEEEECH!!!
At the very last second before the front bumper smashed into the pile of wooden crates in front of the warehouse... the brakes screamed! Owen yanked the steering wheel violently yet with surgical precision. The car swung sideways, drifting across the ground, kicking up white tire smoke and dust before coming to a dead stop, perfectly blocking the warehouse entrance.
Silence returned to cover the area, but this time, it was heavier than before.
Click...
The driver's door opened... A pair of ordinary sneakers stepped out onto the concrete slowly.
Owen stepped down from the car calmly. There was no haste, no panic, and not even a trace of rage on his face. It was as if he were just running a roadside errand, not here to rescue a hostage held by enemies. His back was straight, his expression smooth and emotionless, as if wearing a mask of ice.
On both hands, he wore crimson gauntlets adorned with exquisite patterns... [Sun God's Gauntlets]. They were radiating a faint heat, causing the air around his hands to shimmer and distort, like a mirage in a desert.
He didn't shout anyone's name... didn't act hysterical like a Shonen protagonist as the enemy might have expected...
The moment his feet touched the ground, Owen simply closed his eyes for a split second... and then opened them.
Vwoom!
An invisible wave of psychic power expanded from him in a wide circle, covering a 100-meter radius in the blink of an eye!
[Insight Field]
It was a skill he created after evolving his brain to A-Rank and understanding the essence of the [Instant-Mind Palm]. It used his five senses and psychic waves as a medium to perceive a massive amount of data within a 100-meter radius around him.
Everything... whether it was the direction of the wind, dust motes floating in the air, a swarm of insects hiding in the soil, the number of blades of grass, or the sound of enemies' heartbeats... Nothing could escape his "perception" as long as it was within his "Insight Field".
Of course, this skill was something only Owen could use. For an ordinary person, this massive amount of data would likely burn out their brain or cause them to pass out from shock. But for Owen... it was just a data set he could manage without issue, though not entirely effortlessly.
(For those who forgot: The psychic wave comes from the ability [Sire: Psionic Network]. It is an ability for communication and controlling parasites within range. It is only a weak psychic power that cannot be used for attacks and cannot compare to Iris's psychic power at all.)
Data flowed through his brain rapidly and precisely. Everything was revealed like a 3D map in his head.
Total enemy count: 29... Their hearts were beating fast with excitement... There were 4 shotgun wielders, 8 with pistols, and another 16 holding melee weapons...
Furthermore, there was one more person at the 2 o'clock direction, hiding on a steel beam 15 meters high. His breathing rate was quite steady... likely a sniper...
"Found them..." Owen's eyes focused on the center of the warehouse interior.
The image that appeared was a "Stage of Barbarism" set up perfectly to welcome him.
Over 28 thugs in gang attire stood scattered in a circle. They were armed to the teeth with barb-wire wrapped baseball bats, machetes, shotguns, and pistols. Their eyes were filled with bloodlust and amusement.
And in the center of that circle...
"Finley"
The small, fragile figure in the cardigan who used to be so cute... was now bound with hands behind her back, hanging from a cargo crane. Her clothes were torn, revealing smooth white skin now marred by dark purple bruises. Her beautifully styled hair was a mess, covering her face. Her sweet face was swollen on one cheek from a hard slap, and tear tracks stained both cheeks.
When Finley saw Owen walk in, her swollen, bruised eyes went wide with shock mixed with relief. But then she hurriedly shook her head violently, trying to make muffled sounds through the gag in her mouth.
'Run... Owen... Run!'
Owen looked at that scene... A tremor erupted within his mind, which had been as calm as a water's surface, like a volcano exploding underwater. But then... he chose to suppress it, not showing it to the enemy. The more sensitivity or rage he showed, the more it played into the enemy's hands. He shifted his gaze to the man walking through the group of subordinates.
"Hahaha! You really came alone. I thought you'd be smarter than this!"
A mocking laugh cut through the air. A middle-aged man with a medium build, blonde hair, sun-tanned skin, and a snake tattoo winding up to his neck walked through the crowd with an arrogant swagger. He grinned widely, revealing yellowed teeth.
"Welcome to the party, little brother... I'm 'Jagger', one of Mr. Victor's close aides." He introduced himself with a provoking tone, twirling a pocket knife in his hand. "Turns out you're just a fool addicted to women, walking easily into a trap like a moth flying into a fire."
Owen remained standing still, not responding...
Seeing the prey show no reaction, Jagger began to ramp up the sarcasm. "Worried about your mistress? Or worried about that coffee shop girl?..." He feigned a sad face. "By now, your 'Jessica' is probably already finished by my men, hmm? Just think... with skin that beautiful, how loudly will she scream when she gets ravaged by those horny guys... Ah, just thinking about it gets me hard."
Owen still didn't move... but the [Sun God's Gauntlets] began to glow a deeper red, little by little.
"And look at this..." Jagger walked over to Finley and used his dirty hand to yank her hair back roughly. "Ouch!" Finley cried out in pain.
"Your little princess..." Jagger sneered with disgust. "At first, I planned to 'taste' her a bit to kill time while waiting for you... But when I pulled down the pants, damn it! I almost puked!"
He shoved Finley's head roughly, almost tipping the chair over.
"It has a 'dick' attached! This bastard is a man!" Jagger turned to shout in Owen's face. "Your taste is pathetic! If you like same-sex stuff, you should have said so... We would have prepared a 2x4 to ram up your ass instead!"
"Hahahaha!"
The sound of dozens of minions exploding into laughter rang out simultaneously. Laughter filled with disdain echoed through the abandoned warehouse. They whistled, shouted insults, and looked at Owen as if looking at a disgusting clown.
But... amidst that roaring laughter, Owen remained standing still as always. So still it was abnormal...
He didn't shout back. He showed no anger. His face was smooth, devoid of emotion. Those dark golden eyes were calm and deep, like a bottomless abyss. He simply stared at them... at Jagger... at the minions, one by one...
His gaze didn't even view them as "enemies" or "humans"...
But looked at them like "maggots" or "corpses" making noise.
The atmosphere around Owen began to change... Heat radiated from the gauntlets, but the aura radiating from his soul was "freezing" enough to chill the spine.
The laughter of the minions began to falter... one by one... two by two...
From a roar, it faded... until it became silence.
The subordinates started looking at each other nervously. The smiles on their faces slowly vanished, replaced by beads of sweat forming on their temples. Their survival instincts were screaming a warning: 'Something is wrong. This guy is dangerous!'
Jagger, seeing the mood spoil because of Owen's silence, started to feel irritated. "Hey! Did you turn mute or something!" He shouted to drown out the deep fear in his heart. "Or are you so scared you pissed your pants! Say something!"
Owen slowly tilted his neck slightly... A soft Crack of bone sounded amidst the silence. He shifted his empty gaze back to focus on Jagger...
His lips moved for the first time... uttering words in a flat, soft voice, yet it echoed through the vast space like the whisper of the Reaper right by their ears.
"Have you laughed enough?..." Owen took a step toward the scum in front of him, stopping just 5 meters away.
"Laugh quickly... because that will be the last sound you ever make... in this life!"
…..
Flashback to 20 minutes ago, before Owen arrived...
At Abandoned Warehouse No. 9, about 500 meters from Jagger's warehouse. Amidst the decay of the old port zone filled with rust and debris, a misplaced luxury moved in silently.
A sleek, pitch-black supercar, priced at no less than half a million dollars, glided over the rough road as smoothly as if floating above the ground. The high-performance hybrid engine hummed so softly it was barely audible, a stark contrast to the roar of the SUV Owen drove.
Dark tinted windows reflected the surrounding warehouses, concealing the high-class passenger within.
The car maneuvered into the shadows of the warehouse with precision. Every turn of the steering wheel and press of the brake by the driver was flawless, as if they feared the slightest vibration would disturb the "Queen" in the back seat.
Click...
The gullwing door lifted smoothly. Smooth white legs stepped down from the car... Black high heels touched the dusty concrete lightly.
Iris, in Rosy's body, stepped out with an elegant and relaxed demeanor. She was still wearing the tight black leather outfit that stood out against her pale skin and black-purple hair. The atmosphere around her was filled with nobility and intimidation, completely different from Rosy's cheerful personality.
And even though she spent longer "preparing," she managed to arrive 20 minutes before him... It was proof of the superior efficiency of her vehicle compared to Owen's domestic SUV.
"We have arrived... my Queen."
The driver, a man in a black suit who was actually a mafia minion possessed by a parasite, hurried out to bow humbly to her. Within his eyes, there was only extreme loyalty to the Queen.
Iris didn't even nod in acknowledgment. She simply glanced at the warehouse ahead and started walking in. The warehouse was empty, dim, and thick with dust... Faint sunlight beamed through cracks in the roof.
Iris stopped in the middle of the hall... She didn't look for a chair or a clean seat. She knew she didn't need to find one.
The moment she stopped, the driver hurriedly stepped behind her and knelt on the floor, prostrating himself until his back was parallel to the ground, transforming his body into a "human chair" without waiting for an order.
Iris sat down on the minion's back naturally, as if he were a piece of furniture made specifically for her. She crossed her legs in a queenly pose, her deep purple eyes sweeping around the darkness.
"The preparations..." she said flatly.
The second minion, a large man carrying luggage, hurriedly knelt before her and presented a "matte black metal box" about half a meter in size with slightly trembling hands.
Iris took the box onto her lap. Her slender fingers stroked its cold surface gently before unlocking and opening the lid.
Hiss...
Faint cold vapor floated out, revealing what was hidden inside...
It wasn't high-tech gear or advanced weapons... but 25 creatures resembling dragonflies mixed with worms, about the size of an index finger, sleeping peacefully in hibernation.
Among the 20 normal parasites... there were 5 that stood out. They were slightly larger, their bodies had red vein-like patterns, and they had ferocious heads with sharp mandibles.
[Special Breed Parasites]: 5
[Normal Breed Parasites]: 20
Iris looked at her "miniature army" with satisfaction. She calculated the probability rapidly.
'The enemy likely numbers no more than 30... Their maximum strength is unknown, but most are likely not Awakened, just ordinary people with basic weapons... Therefore, using this amount of resources is the best break-even point. Any more would be a waste, as the result wouldn't be much better.'
"Wake up... my children."
She sent a concentrated psychic wave into the box.
Skitter... Skitter...
Suddenly... all 25 parasite larvae jolted awake from hibernation! Multiple pairs of tiny eyes glowed red in the dark. Thin transparent wings hidden by their bodies unfolded and began to flutter rapidly, creating a soft buzzing sound.
[Psionic Network: Connection Complete]
The swarm of parasites shot up from the box like bees from a broken hive. They circled Iris enthusiastically and orderly, awaiting the first command from the almighty Queen of the species.
Iris raised her right hand, pointing her slender finger toward the enemy warehouse 500 meters away.
"Go..." She commanded with a voice that was soft but absolute. "Infiltrate... Scout the target location, and await my order."
BUZZZZZZ!
The swarm of tiny parasites accepted the order immediately. They shot out through broken windows and vents quickly and silently, moving through the shadows like the wind of death, heading toward the target to prepare for the feast about to begin.
When the swarm of children had left... silence returned to cover the abandoned warehouse.
Iris remained sitting crossed-legged on her human throne amidst the dim light. Faint sunlight hit half her face, revealing a smile at the corner of her mouth that was as beautiful as a goddess... but hid a cruelty that would make even demons tremble.
She spoke into the emptiness with a voice filled with satisfaction.
"Those lowly insects who dare disturb my precious time..."
She clenched her hand loosely, as if crushing something in her imagination.
"You guys... are truly suitable to be test subjects for my children. Heh heh heh."
—-------
From the author: We now have 15 chapters available for early access! This will soon increase to 20. Join my Patreon to get ahead of the story, along with exclusive, uncensored illustrations.
Your support is crucial in helping this story continue. Thank you very much!
[Patreon Spirit_Alphabet: https://patreon.com/SpiritAlphabet]
—-------