Seeing Richard purchase gasoline at the gas station and then turn his truck back toward Crimson Manor, Ross and Shane exchanged confused looks. They had been told to follow him, nothing more. No explanation, no context.
Luther hadn't mentioned that Richard had been voted out of the organization. As ruthless as the decision had been, even they understood how it would sound. The moment his father was arrested, the leadership had chosen self-preservation over loyalty. It wasn't something you bragged about to the rank and file.
"Should we call Luther?" Ross asked from the driver's seat, eyes fixed on the pickup ahead.
"No need," Shane replied after a moment. "He's heading back to the manor anyway."
Ross nodded and continued tailing him at a safe distance.
When they arrived at the manor's main parking area, Richard stepped out of the Ford and began unloading gasoline containers from the truck bed. The sharp smell of fuel drifted across the air.
Ross and Shane hurried over.
"Need a hand?" Ross asked casually, as if this were just another supply run.
Richard gave him a strange look. His gaze lingered for a second longer than necessary, studying Ross's expression. Calm. Unaware. No guilt.
So they didn't know.
"Sure," Richard said evenly. "Thanks."
"No problem," Shane replied. "That's what we're here for."
They each grabbed two containers and followed him into the main building.
The moment they stepped inside, Richard twisted open one of the barrels and began pouring gasoline along the corridor floor as he walked. The liquid spread in glistening trails across polished stone.
Ross and Shane froze.
For a second, their brains refused to process what they were seeing.
Then Ross stepped forward and blocked his path.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Isn't it obvious?" Richard replied calmly.
They stared at him, stunned. Even if the answer seemed clear, they couldn't understand why.
"We can't let you do this," Ross said firmly.
Richard simply sidestepped him and continued pouring fuel along the hallway.
He finished the first barrel and reached for the second just as hurried footsteps echoed behind them. Marik, Luther, Beverly, Noel, and Micah appeared at the far end of the corridor, their faces grim.
"Richard, don't push this too far!" Marik barked.
Richard set the barrel down slowly and turned toward them.
"Too far?" he said, voice steady. "You just voted to throw me out, and now you're worried about what's excessive?"
Ross and Shane finally understood why they'd been told to follow him.
"We're doing this for the organization!" Marik insisted.
Richard didn't respond. Instead, he raised his left hand.
A long blade materialized out of thin air, nearly two meters in length. The metal shimmered with an otherworldly sheen.
Everyone stared.
Before anyone could react, Richard moved.
His legs pushed off the floor with explosive force, and he shot forward like a launched missile. The world seemed to bend around him. Gravity barely touched him now. He had realized earlier that he could leap ten or twenty meters without effort, as if the ground had lost its claim on him.
In the blink of an eye, he stood before them.
Eightfold Slash.
His arm blurred.
Eight clean arcs of steel carved through the air in a single fluid sequence.
The blade sliced through Marik, Luther, and Beverly as if they were made of paper. Their bodies separated mid-motion, collapsing into fragments before they even understood what had happened.
Blood sprayed across the corridor walls.
Silence fell for half a second.
Noel, Ross, Shane, and Micah stared in disbelief. The man they had known as timid and hesitant now stood in the hallway like a cold executioner.
Marik had controlled electricity. Luther possessed enhanced strength and durability. Beverly could freeze targets solid. They weren't weak.
Yet they had died instantly.
"Ross! Shane! Get out!" Richard's voice cut through the shock.
That was all it took.
They dropped the gasoline containers and ran without looking back. Survival instinct overrode loyalty.
Noel and Micah reacted differently.
Their powers ignited.
The floor trembled as Noel attempted to activate his ability. Micah's muscles tightened, regenerative energy humming beneath his skin.
Richard moved again.
This time he didn't use Eightfold Slash.
Earthshatter.
He crossed the distance in a flash, appearing before Noel. Four brutal slashes followed in rapid succession.
Noel's body came apart where he stood, collapsing into pieces before he could complete a counterattack.
In a game, the final strike would have knocked an opponent back.
This wasn't a game.
It only reduced him to ruin.
Micah was already retreating when Richard turned toward him. The blade glowed purple.
With a swing, crescent arcs of energy tore through the air, streaking forward at high speed.
They struck Micah squarely.
His regenerative ability meant nothing against total dismemberment. The energy shredded him completely, ending him before he could even scream.
The corridor fell quiet again, save for the sound of gasoline dripping across the floor.
Richard stood there, blade still humming faintly.
He hadn't expected difficulty. After reviewing his inherited memories and understanding the System, he had known they stood no chance.
If he couldn't defeat them with Plunder backing him, then he would have been an embarrassment.
He dismissed the blade and picked up the gasoline containers again.
Work first.
He methodically poured fuel through the building, clearing out anyone who remained inside. Panic spread quickly. No one tried to stop him.
Once every container was emptied and the hallways were soaked, he returned to the bodies.
Plunder.
Invisible streams of energy rose from the remains and flowed into his right hand. The sensation was cold and electric, like power being rewritten at the cellular level.
A translucent prompt appeared before his eyes.
[New abilities acquired.]
[X-Gene update complete.]
[X-Gene Abilities: Plunder, Electrical Manipulation, Super Strength, Enhanced Physique, Cryokinesis, Mind Isolation, Accelerated Regeneration, Flash.]
He had killed five people.
He had taken seven powers.
Noel possessed Flash and Mind Isolation. Micah had carried Accelerated Regeneration.
Richard exhaled slowly, satisfaction flickering across his face.
This was only the beginning.
As long as he continued to Plunder, the number of abilities would grow endlessly. Thousands. Tens of thousands.
One day, he would stand at the level of the most powerful mutants in existence. Not just strong.
Absolute.
And when that day came, no one would ever vote to discard him again.
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