99 Going Back on Words (Part II)

"You are going back on your commitment!?" Kaden was incensed.

They betrayed the four fools due to the money he promised! And now he was refusing to pay?!

Were their efforts for nothing!?

"Think what you want," Zed replied in a lazy tone, "You think I care about the thoughts of idiots?"

There was no way he would pay those who planned to cripple him.

In fact, he was being magnanimous by sparing their lives. Otherwise, if not for Jessica and Loren, they would be in the underworld, joining a long list of people he killed.

"What did you say?" Kaden stepped forward.

"You must be having hearing problems!" Zed looked at him with plain disinterest, "Anyways, you are worse than idiots if you believe you would be safe after crippling those fools."

A frown appeared on Kaden's face. He was sure he could handle trouble since he shared his profits with law enforcement officers.

As long as the gangs didn't overstep their limits, the political class would also bless them. In fact, most of the organized crimes in the world were backed by the political class.

If not, there would be no organ harvesting, nor forced prostitution nor the criminal activities of the mafia. It was similar to how the overlords in the slum were backed by the city corporates and government officials.

At most, Kaden believed he and his gang would be imprisoned for a few months until the matter settled. In the worst-case scenario, one of the gang members would take the entire blame and rot in jail for years.

This wasn't bad as the rest of gang would take care of the family. 

"You don't know, do you?" Zed asked with a smile, "I guess those four didn't tell you otherwise you wouldn't have accepted their proposal."

"Know what?" Kaden stopped. 

"You get away with petty crimes since you satisfy the needs of officers with money and other needs," Zed patiently explained, "The catch is that this only works in petty crimes, provided the matter doesn't become big."

Kaden obviously knew that. The officers can't resist public pressure in case of adverse publicity.

"Still don't understand?" Zed released a deep sigh, "Those four are the children of top government officers."

Kaden's pupils dilated as the realization hit him.

The government officers were as thick as thieves! They wouldn't allow their family members to be harmed! Not even by those they secretly support!

"Let me give you a piece of good news," Zed offered them hope.

"Good news!?" Kaden was startled.

"Yes," Zed nodded, "Their parents arrived in the city only a few weeks ago."

"Ah!" Kaden felt there was hope. The new officials wouldn't have that much influence in the city. As long as the gang ran away, they would be safe!

"You want to hear another news?" Zed asked.

"There is another?" Kaden was pleasantly surprised.

"Yes," Zed replied, "Their parents are investigators."

Investigators?!

Then they would have influence in all cities!

Kaden and others felt as if they were drowning in the cold sea. This was terrible news!

There was nothing good in it! Then they remembered Zed only said 'news' instead of 'good news'.

"Fucker! You tricked us!" Kaden and others stared at him viciously. If not for him, they would not have crippled the four!

"I didn't!" Zed shook his head, "I only requested you to do what they wanted, by changing the target. I never asked you to cripple them!"

"You knew their background!" Kaden shouted.

"Yes, but who told you to not enquire about their background?" Zed asked, "Who asked you to leave your non-existent brains at home?"

"!#$%~" Kaden shouted a lot of curses.

When he thought about it, he felt it was indeed their fault. They didn't carry out basic research due to the lust for money!

...

"It is basic common sense to know the master of the dog before kicking it."

Zed concluded.

Out of the 'four fools', three were conscious so they clearly heard him.

Dog?!

Son of a bitch!

We are not dogs!

As they were in no condition to speak, they could only curse in their hearts.

"Hmm?" Zed felt their stares so he turned towards them. "It was your fault for not informing them about your background when they were crippling you! Had you done that, your legs would have remained intact!"

@#$%!

We tried to tell them but they didn't listen!

"Human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food."

Zed remembered the famous idiom about greed.

He stepped back to his car.

"Where are you going?!" Kaden finally regained his composure.

"At my friend's house," Zed answered as he opened the door, "I have been invited for dinner."

"You think you can leave after creating this mess!?" Kaden's rage burned in his eyes. 

"Yes," Zed nodded, "You should also leave while you still can."

"Damn you!" Kaden was angered.

His body blurred and he leaped towards Zed, the scales on his hands aimed at the latter's throat!

"Watch out!" Jessica shouted.

The scales were sharp and pointed, far more terrifying than needles. She could imagine the damage they could do.

"Never let anger take the best of you!"

Zed stretched his right hand towards Kaden. Bright flames erupted on his hand, and from his palm, a fireball swept out, leaving behind a trail of fire.

Kaden twisted his body to dodge the fireball but then his face fell. Another fireball, this time larger in size, charged at him with far greater speed.

In such a short span of time, he couldn't twist his body again to dodge. Still, he has plenty of experience in battles so he didn't panic! He crossed his arms on his face, just as the fireball smashed onto him!

THUD

Kaden collapsed on the floor. Except for some black burn marks on his scales, he was fine. The fireball created no damage! 

"You are weak---" Kaden lifted his head to insult Zed, but then his eyes almost popped out. 

A column of fire surged at him, like the mouth of a wild beast. The intensity of heat was dozens of times stronger than the fireballs!

Kaden realized the previous moves were just flashy attacks with no real power. His opponent was only toying with him!

"Shiet!" Kaden leaped high in the air to dodge. But much to his shock, the column of fire changed its direction and slammed into him in the mid-air.

"Ahhh!" Kaden cried. Under the intense fire, his scales started melting like wax.

BANG!

He fell on the ground in the shape of 'X'. His scales continued to melt while another column of fire rushed at him.

"Help me, idiots!"

As Kaden tried to extinguish the fire, he shouted at his subordinates.

What angered him more than the powers of Zed was the response of his gang! They were standing there with their mouths open while he wriggled like a snake under the onslaught of fire!

"Ah!" The members of the gang stepped out of the trance-like state.

Six of them charged at Zed while the remaining four rushed to rescue Kaden.

"I would handle him!" A man named Finlay declared, "You all follow behind to see how I destroy him!"

His hands transformed into stone hammers. Furthermore, as he charged forward, the visible skin on his body started wrapping with a stone shell!

"Stone is considered as the most powerful form of Earth Element!" The other five remarked. "And everyone knows fire can never defeat stone!"

"Zed!" Loren and Jessica were worried. They wanted to help but the five stopped them.

"Why isn't he summoning the domain?!" Jessica wondered in her heart.

Under the domain, its wielder was the god. She was sure Zed would get a chance to escape if he used the domain!

Zed continued to stand in front of his car. His expression remained the same with no signs of panic.

"Is your entire body made of stone?" Zed was curious.

"Why does it matter to you!?" Finlay asked with a smirk, "My hands are enough to send you the next life!"

"It doesn't matter to me," Zed answered with a smile.

"Then why ask such a nonsense question?" Finlay leaped towards Zed, his hammers smashing down on the face.

"Because it would matter to you," Zed replied as two streaks of fire surged out of his back.

"You are looking to die!" Finlay was annoyed.

Zed has used large columns of fire to defeat Kaden! But for him?! Only two streaks!

Two minuscule streaks of fire against stone hammers?!

It was simply courting death!

Finlay smiled sinisterly as the streaks of fire and hammers were about to collide. He was in the mid-air, just two meters away from Zed, and he knew what would happen in the next moment! His hammers would crush into Zed's face, exploding his head!

Just then, his heart sank and his smile stiffened.

"What?!"

The streaks of fire swept past the hammers, without colliding! Their speed exploded and they charged at the lower parts of his body!

Sssss!

The streaks of fire smashed into his jewels!!!!

"Nooooooo!!" Finlay screamed in horror as the fire started burning his crotch.

He stumbled down on the road, his eyes wide open with terror. He quickly transformed his stone-hammer hands to their normal forms in order to extinguish the fire!

"AHHHHH!"

The fire showed no sign of extinguishing! Instead the fire erupted and wrapped his hands!

Finlay ignored the burning pain from his hands. He tried his best to wipe out the fire from his crotch.

Sadly, all his efforts proved futile.

"God nooooo!"

Finlay released blood-wrenching screams as his entire crotch melted to oblivion.

The fire scorched his hands and spread further now that he wasn't covered by the stone shell.

The mental pain of losing his jewels made him numb to everything else. He continued to stare at his crotch where there was nothing but burned flesh.

Zed waved his hand and the fire on Finlay's body disappeared. Finlay's face was already white like a paper and the next moment, he fainted.

"Sighs~ Good intentions are never appreciated in today's age!" Zed said with a deep sigh, "I asked him whether his entire body was covered by the stone shell, but he chose not to answer!"

Behind, Jessica and Loren were struck on the spot.

"He won just like that!?" Jessica felt she was worried for nothing.

Earlier, she thought it would be impossible for a Fire Elementalist to win against an Earth Element mutant. But he won just like that, with no efforts!

"I guess that man's body wasn't entirely covered with the stone shell!" Loren answered, unaware of the deep meanings of her words, "No wonder that man was easily defeated!"

Some distance away, the five gang members froze on the track, their backs drenching with cold sweat. None of them dared take another step forward.

Their throats turned dry as they saw the state of their friend. They trembled violently as they imagined what would have happened had they charged at Zed instead of Finlay!

They always believed nothing could be worse than death, but today, the reality proved them wrong!

Finlay was alive but none of them wanted to be in his shoes, even if the choice was between death and life! Death was definitely a better outcome!

"Sieur, you go ahead and handle that Zed!" one of the five said to the man next to him, "I will provide support from behind!"

"No!" Sieur refused without the least bit of hesitation, "You are the strongest of us so you should be in front!"

"...This is an order!" the one from the before commanded.

He knew he was abusing his authority, but he didn't mind as long as he could protect himself from that demon! He didn't wish to see his precious jewels burned!

"I refuse!" Sieur refused again, "I want to father children!"

"......................................"