Chapter 23
Yoren had no idea how things had spiraled so quickly. One moment, everyone was peacefully mining Originium, and the next, they were in a full-scale street brawl.
The way it unfolded was almost theatrical—like those sudden gang fights in Young and Dangerous films. The infected seemed to materialize from the shadows, as if they were actors waiting for their cue. Yoren half-expected a grizzled director to step out with a rolled-up script, shouting, "Cut! Back to one!"
But this wasn't a movie.
The weapons clashing around him were real. The enemies weren't stuntmen—they were infected, fighting with genuine intent to kill.
He'd imagined scenes like this before. A chaotic battle, himself as the protagonist, dodging blades and fists, turning the tide at the last moment.
But now that it was happening, reality crushed those fantasies. He wasn't some legendary hero—he was terrified. His legs felt like lead.
But cowering in a corner wouldn't change a thing.
Yoren grabbed a stone and hurled it at one of the infected—a man in a headscarf.
"I'm gonna kick your ass!"
The stone never reached its mark.
With an effortless motion, the man snatched it mid-air, then crushed it to dust in his palm.