Chapter 28: Interference
The strength of numbers lies in their cohesion; without it, they are no more than a house of cards in the face of individualism.
Unfortunately for me, my attackers were inexperienced and individually weak, but their ability to avoid getting in each other’s way surprised me. Their combined attacks even sparked a flicker of respect within me.
Perhaps that’s why they were still alive.
Although, I found myself astonished at how this muscular old man could still have a breath of life left after everything he’d been through.
He had taken a full 100 kg ball I had thrown with all my strength. Had it hit concrete, I have no doubt it would have shattered like porcelain. Then, he was sent flying 20 meters high, served, used like a baseball, and took two fireballs to the face.
And yet, his body was still... well, let’s say, intact.
Perhaps I had misjudged his resilience and he wasn’t just a pile of muscles, but rather a high-performance human punching bag.
"You monster, maybe you’ve beaten us, but you’ll never shake our determination,"
a weak, trembling yet determined voice caught my attention. Even with a bullet in his abdomen, it wasn’t enough to silence him.
Why do they all have to act like martyrs? It’s becoming cliché.
"What will you do with them? Will you kill them?" Victor asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice, though he tried to sound calm. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he spoke, betraying his nervousness. He wasn’t one to let worry take over, but I knew he was far from comfortable.
I took my time considering the possibilities before responding with a calculated coldness.