"This was your first and final warning," Jas said, and although his voice was calm, there was no warmth left in it. He slowly opened his fingers and allowed the flattened bullet to fall from his palm. It struck the concrete floor and rolled a short distance before settling, the tallic sound echoing through the warehouse far louder than anyone felt comfortable with. "You will leave now."
Kane’s eyes had widened at the sight of the crushed projectile, but he was not inexperienced. He had spent years navigating dangerous negotiations and shifting alliances, and he understood when a line had been drawn too clearly to ignore. The color had drained from his face, yet he forced himself to nod with restrained composure.
"I will inform the family of what has transpired here today," Kane replied, and although his voice remained steady, the strain beneath it was obvious. He turned without waiting for further dismissal and walked toward the exit with controlled steps. Lucas, who had been trembling since the bullet had been caught midair, hurried after him in near panic. Neither man dared to glance back.
They left with a single conclusion fixed in their minds. Jas was soone from an international gang and was a super soldier.
When the heavy door finally shut behind them, Ethan stepped forward at an unhurried pace. He brought his hands together in a soft clap,
"You handled that situation with comndable restraint," Ethan said, his tone was calm but approving.
Drek allowed himself a small exhale of relief, but Ethan’s attention had already shifted toward Jas.
"Jas," Ethan continued, eting his gaze directly, "I would like to offer you a formal position within this organization. I am prepared to make you the second in command."
Ethan continued speaking with the sa confidence. "If you choose to remain here and align yourself fully with , it will not take long before even the Maguire family will find it necessary to approach this organization with genuine respect. That includes those who once dismissed you."
He did not linger for an answer. He simply turned and walked away, leaving the words suspended in the air with deliberate intent.
Jas remained standing in place, staring at the closed door long after Ethan had disappeared behind it.
Once inside his private chamber, Ethan closed the reinforced steel door behind him.
He walked toward the wide tal table positioned at the center of the room and placed Jas’s bag upon it. When he emptied the contents, a scattered collection of herbs, mineral fragnts, and dried animal components spread across the surface.
He picked up one of the roots and examined its texture and density with a critical eye.
"These materials contain no inherent cosmic resonance," he said quietly to himself. "If I attempt to produce sothing extraordinary using them alone, the result will remain fundantally limited."
Under normal circumstances, he would have infused the mixture directly with his own energy reserves. However, that path was not available to him. Although his existence contained power beyond comprehension, he was currently bound by restrictions that prevented direct cultivation or raw energy manipulation.
What he could do now was to use authority over law.
Not long ago, he had achieved complete comprehension of the Law of Energy.
"If I cannot supply energy," he reasoned aloud, "then I will construct a system that acquires it independently."
He required a vessel capable of acting as a conduit, one that would absorb ambient cosmic energy from the universe itself. The energy would not be harvested aggressively. It would accumulate gradually, drawn from the omnipresent field that perated existence.
"Drek,", Ethan called him after opening the door.
"You will establish a fully functional smithy within this compound in no more than twelve hours. Also bring the materials too.", he gave him a list.
Drek did not question the instruction.
Exactly twelve hours later, the chamber adjacent to Ethan’s room had been converted into a functional blacksmithing space. The furnace had been installed, tools had been arranged with precision, and a selection of refined tals had been placed at his disposal.
Ethan began his work imdiately.
He heated the alloy until it glowed a deep orange, then placed it upon the anvil. His hamr strikes were controlled and exact, shaping the tal into a broad, thick walled cauldron. However, the shaping process was only the beginning. While the tal remained heated, he carved intricate runic inscriptions along its surface. Each line was embedded with intention.
He wove the Law of Durability into the structure so that the vessel would withstand extre pressure and temperature without structural compromise. Then he integrated the Law of Energy into the engraved patterns, transforming the cauldron into a passive conduit. The inscriptions would continuously draw minute quantities of cosmic energy from the universe and store them within the vessel.
When the cauldron had cooled, it appeared unremarkable to an untrained observer. However, the faint glow within the engraved lines betrayed its true function.
Ethan allowed himself a slight nod of approval.
"It will accumulate slowly," he said, "but the density will be sufficient for this stage."
He positioned the cauldron over a controlled heat source and began refining the ingredients. The process required patience and careful sequencing. Each herb had to be reduced to a precise consistency before being introduced to the mixture. The minerals had to be dissolved at specific temperatures. Throughout the process, the runes etched into the cauldron pulsed faintly as they absorbed and infused cosmic energy into the evolving compound.
Five days later, the air in the chamber carried a complex scent of processed herbs and subtle ozone. Ethan stood before the workbench, observing three reinforced glass bottles arranged in a straight line.
The first bottle contained thirteen red pills, each identical in size and shape. The second contained twelve green pills that radiated a faint vitality. The third bottle held eleven yellow pills with a dense, concentrated hue.
"This is more than I expected," Ethan said quietly.
He lifted the red bottle first. "These are the Marrow Cleansing Pills. They will be reserved for later."
He placed it into a concealed compartnt beneath the workbench. Then he examined the green bottle.
"These are the Energy Recovery Pills. They will also be reserved."
He secured them as well before lifting the bottle containing the yellow pills.
"These will serve as the initial demonstration."
He called Jas.
"Jas, co to my room."
He returened to his room with the pills.
Within minutes, there was a knock on the door
"You may enter," Ethan replied.
Jas stepped inside, and his eyes imdiately focused on the bottle in Ethan’s hand.
"The five day deadline has passed, Ethan" Jas said directly. "You told you would produce results."
Ethan placed the bottle on the table without reacting to the tone. "Before we proceed," he said, "I need clarification. Have you ever absorbed a legitimate pills?"
Jas hesitated briefly before answering. "Yes. I was given one when I was a child, at a ti when my family believed I might have potential."
"And you were able to feel the effects?"
"I was," Jas admitted. "Although the improvent was limited."
"Then you will have an adequate reference point," Ethan said. He opened the bottle and removed one yellow pill. "There are eleven Body Strengthening Pills in this batch. I will give you one as a reward of your earlier performance. You will be able to feel the effect after absorbing it.", Ethan said casually.
Jas studied the small sphere in Ethan’s palm. It appeared ordinary, almost unimpressive.
He accepted it anyway.
He swallowed the pill with restrained skepticism, half expecting nothing more than mild stimulation.
Instead, a wave of heat spread from his body outward.
It began as warmth in his abdon, but within seconds it had traveled through his bloodstream. His breath caught involuntarily, and he instinctively gripped the edge of the table to steady himself.
"What is this?" he muttered, although the question was directed more at himself than at Ethan.
The heat intensified but did not burn. It expanded steadily, reinforcing muscle fibers and tightening connective tissue. His senses sharpened noticeably. He could hear subtle vibrations in the walls and detect faint scents that he had previously ignored. His heartbeat adjusted into a slower, stronger rhythm.
He straightened gradually, aware that the usual heaviness in his limbs had vanished.
He clenched his fist carefully, and he could feel controlled strength gathering within it. When he threw a asured punch into the empty air, the displaced wind brushed against his face.
A low laugh escaped him before he could suppress it.
"This is not comparable to what I was given as a child," Jas said, and his voice carried genuine astonishnt. "This is several levels beyond it."
He turned toward Ethan, his composure partially abandoned. "You were not exaggerating."
Ethan had a smug face.
"Now tell , what do you think?"
Jas inhaled slowly, allowing the final traces of energy to settle within his system.
"If my family sees this," he said carefully, "they will beco crazy."
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