A Deal

Zane felt a rush of adrenaline surge through him as he watched Kevin fall to the ground, blood pooling around him. A mix of horror and rage consumed him. The man who had attacked Kevin sneered, clearly enjoying the pain and chaos he was causing.

"You... you'll pay for this!" Zane shouted, his voice trembling with fury.

The man chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Bold words for someone in your position. But I'm done wasting time here. Give me the core, or you'll both suffer."

Zane's mind raced. He needed to act fast, but without knowing the extent of his opponent's abilities, he had to be careful. He knelt beside Kevin, checking his pulse. It was weak, but he was still alive. Determination steeled Zane's resolve.

'I can't win against him,' he thought. 'If I tell him I absorbed the core, he will kill us. I have no time; I need to buy some before the Fista Guild arrives. They must have been informed.'

"I don't have the core," Zane said, standing up and facing the man. "But if you let Kevin go, I'll take you to it."

The man studied Zane, suspicion evident in his eyes. "You think you can bargain with me? You're not in a position to negotiate."

"Maybe not," Zane replied, his tone steady, "but if you kill us, you'll never get the core. Let Kevin go, and I'll show you where it is."

The man seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But if you try anything, I'll make sure you both regret it."

Zane helped Kevin to his feet, supporting him as they moved towards the exit. As they walked, Zane whispered to Kevin, "Hang in there. We're getting out of this."

Kevin nodded weakly, and Zane felt a small measure of relief that his friend was still conscious. But they had to hurry.

They reached the warehouse door, and Zane led them into the night. He had no real plan, but he knew he needed to buy time. As they walked, he felt Kevin's grip on his shoulder tighten, a sign that he was slipping into unconsciousness.

"Kevin, stay with me," Zane urged, but his friend's eyes were already closing.

The man, growing impatient, shoved Zane forward. "Move faster. I don't have all night."

Zane's mind raced as they approached an alleyway. He spotted a broken piece of metal pipe on the ground and quickly formulated a plan. He glanced at Kevin, who was barely conscious.

"Kevin, I'm sorry," Zane whispered.

With a swift motion, Zane grabbed the pipe and swung it at the man. The element of surprise gave him the advantage, and the pipe connected with the man's head, sending him staggering back.

"Just wait for a bit!" Zane shouted, adrenaline surging through him. He made a split-second decision and turned to face the man, his own survival instincts kicking in.

The man, now enraged, recovered quickly and advanced on Zane. "You're going to regret that!"

Zane tried to use his abilities to create a barrier, but his energy was depleted. The man lunged at him, and they grappled, exchanging blows. Zane was outmatched, but his determination kept him fighting. He covered himself in scales and leaped to attack the man, knowing deep down that winning was impossible; he was simply buying time.

Varek conjured an ice wall in an instant, making the entire area cover in frost and ice, using it to his advantage. "You are buying time, huh?" he mocked. "Fine. I don't need the core now. I will finish this, and then your family will come next."

Zane trembled but kept control. 'Just a little bit more,' he told himself.

Zane punched the ground to destroy the ice beneath his feet and charged toward Varek. The man remained still, watching him with a cruel smirk. Just as Zane's punch was about to connect with Varek's face, Zane felt something warm in his chest. His eyes traveled down to see an ice spike piercing through his torso. He coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

"I told you I was going to finish it," Varek said coldly. "You think you can escape or buy time with your pathetic skills? You're an awakened, but not for long. I'll teach you how weak you truly are."

As he spoke, Varek lifted Zane effortlessly and began punching him brutally, releasing his pent-up frustration. Zane's scales disappeared; his vision blurred by the blood in his eyes. He felt numb as everything around him became silent. The punches grew distant, and slowly, his vision faded away.

---

Zane found himself in a dark space. He couldn't see, hear, or feel anything. He was just present in it, floating in the void. He remembered this place from after he fought the red-haired woman and her boss.

He also remembered seeing something here, but it was unclear. A faded, shiny ball appeared and started floating around him. Zane watched this happen, and as he was about to touch it, the ball backed away and grew larger, forming into a creature Zane had never seen before—not in books or on the internet. It was enormous, comparable to the size of Mount Everest.

Zane felt like an ant in front of it. The creature stared at him, and Zane gulped, feeling an overwhelming fear, a compulsion to submit and bow.

The creature's voice boomed in Zane's mind, ancient and powerful. "You dare to stand before me, mortal?"

Zane struggled to find his voice. "Who... who are you?"

The creature's voice boomed, echoing in the void. "I am Alagor, one of the Kings of Monsters."

"Wh-what!" Zane said inwardly, not wanting to do anything stupid in front of him to make him angry. *He is a King of monsters, what do you expect him to do?*

"I-I want to go back. My friend needs my help," Zane said hesitantly. He was scared, but he had to save Kevin.

"Don't worry, little boy, here time doesn't pass. You will awaken at the same moment you lost consciousness," Alagor said and continued, "Do you think you can save him with your current strength?"

Zane remained silent. He knew he couldn't. What else could he do?

"You will get yourself killed if you go like that."

"I-I know that, but what choice do I have?"

"How about I help you save him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I will give you power, but in return, you have to fulfill my task."

"What task?"

"Kill all the other monster kings," Alagor said, and Zane felt heavy pressure on him.

Zane panted heavily. It was shocking for him to hear that Alagor wanted to kill his own kind.

"W-why?"

"You don't need to know, so do you accept?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I will give you the power to save your friend and heal you too. As you grow stronger, you will meet me again in the future."

As Alagor finished, a heavy light occurred, covering everything and Zane.

---

Meanwhile, Varek saw Zane blank out. "Tch, pathetic," he said, freeing Zane from his grip and letting him hit the ground. Then his eyes went to Kevin. He was breathing heavily; anyone could see he was at his last moments. If he didn't get treatment, he would die for sure.

"Let's finish him first."

A large spike formed above Varek's hand, which he threw at Kevin.

Just as the spike flew through the air, Varek sensed something behind him. He turned, only to see Zane standing up, his eyes glowing with a dark, otherworldly energy. 

"What the—" Varek started, but Zane moved faster than he had ever seen. 

With newfound strength and speed, Zane intercepted the ice spike, shattering it with a single blow. He turned to face Varek, his scales shimmering with a dark, formidable energy.

"You... you're supposed to be dead!" Varek stammered, taking a step back.

Zane clenched his fists, feeling the raw power coursing through him. "I'm not dead. And you're about to find out just how wrong you were."

With a roar, Zane lunged at Varek. His movements were swift and precise, a blur of dark energy. Varek tried to conjure ice spikes, but Zane shattered them effortlessly. He closed the distance between them, landing a powerful blow that sent Varek flying.

Varek struggled to his feet, but Zane was relentless. He struck Varek with a series of powerful punches, each one fueled by Alagor's energy. Varek's ice barriers shattered under the relentless assault.

"Impossible!" Varek gasped, blood trickling from his mouth.

Zane grabbed Varek by the collar, lifting him effortlessly. "This is for Kevin," he growled, slamming Varek into the ground with enough force to crack the concrete.

Varek lay motionless, his body battered and broken. Zane took a deep breath, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away. He turned to Kevin, who was still unconscious but breathing.

"It's over, Kevin," Zane said softly. "We're safe now."

As he stood there, the weight of Alagor's presence lingered in the back of his mind. He had made a pact with a monster, but for now, he had the power to

protect those he loved. And he would do whatever it took to keep them safe.

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A/N:

Hello Readers,

Author here, So, far response is good and i am really enjoying writing this novel in next few chapters new arc will start where you will see how the journey of zane in academy take place new villains and challenges, lots thing is going to happen so stay with me and show your support with power stones and sharing to your family and help me get contracted.

Thanks!