"Disappointing," he said again, this time letting the word carry his frustration more.

"I’ll crush you!" His opponent lashed out, throwing wild punches, abandoning all accuracy as he unleashed a barrage in one breath.

For most, attacks that fast might as well be bullets, but Francis watched them all come in without a trace of concern.

Trajectory Reading painted the paths across his vision. Ghost-lines appeared and vanished in half-second intervals, showing him exactly where each fist was going.

And with that, he casually raised his palm again, blocking every attack.

"Just die already!" The man pulled back for one final combination. He took a breath, locked his body, then fired off.

CRACK.

CRACK.

"AAAGH—!"

His fists bent inward, folding at angles no hand should take. The metal knuckle also bit into his bones, driving the damage deeper

THUD!

He sank to his knees, both hands hanging useless at his sides.

"N...No." The woman’s face went pale at the sight.

She pulled her leg back and drove a hard kick toward Francis’s thigh, aiming for the male weakest point.

Although he didn’t think it would hurt him, his old instinct kicked in. He lifted her into the air, caught her ankle, and swung her body down.

CRACK.

She hit the kneeling man at full force.

Two bodies meeting at that speed and angle produced only one outcome — destruction.

What landed on the ground was not two people anymore. Bone, muscle, and torn clothing folded into each other in a shape that no longer had a name.

Francis stood over the wreckage and wiped his hand along the inside of his sleeve.

’They were weaker than the Defense Force agents. But at least the points will be worth something.’

[Liver +30]

[Liver +35]

[Liver +25]

[Innate Talent Acquired - Chain Drive]

[The user can keep attacking continuously without extra energy drain, as long as the attack chain is not interrupted. Each passing second increases attack speed by 5%. Max at 100%]

The new innate talent caught his attention. With how fast his attacks were, a couple of seconds was more than enough for him to release a devastating combination.

[Innate Talent Acquired – Kinetic Damper]

[Allows the user to reduce kinetic impact by channeling moisture on their body, spreading the force through their legs and into the ground. Damping effect -50%]

It was a good thing he cut the gunner instead of just using his fists. With the ability reducing force from impact-based attacks, blunt weapons would lose much of their effectiveness.

[Innate Talent Redundant – Spring Joints III]

As for the woman, she got Spring Joint, which was already a common talent, but very useful when combined with his existing abilities.

He moved down the stairs and entered the production floor. Power was still running, fed by the backup generator.

A handful of chemists were still at their stations. They likely thought the trio could handle the situation.

"Wait, please don’t kill us."

"Please, no. We’re just working for them. We’re only following orders."

"Stop. We can talk this out. We have money. Lots of it. Maybe you can talk to Vance and figure things out."

Those higher in command started talking.

Francis stepped closer and tried to pick up Vance’s presence.

Nothing came back. Either he wasn’t there, or he was outside his range.

Looking up, he saw CCTV cameras covering the entire floor.

"Mr. Vance, how about you show yourself?. If you offer the right amount, I won’t mind stopping here."

Ten seconds later, a burst of static came from one of the speakers.

(What do you want, and who sent you here?)

Francis smiled. It seemed his main target was still inside the facility. But here was also a chance he was speaking remotely and already fled.

For now, he decided to send a bait first.

"Me?" His tone change, slipping into someone more familiar with the criminal world.

With his experience in undercover missions, a change in personality was as easy as flipping a switch.

"Let’s just say I was sent here to deliver a message. There’s a new high roller in town, and your owner has a conflict of interest with ours."

(You don’t know who you’re messing with. The Dark Chain has roots beyond this city. Are you really trying to start a war with us?)

Francis gave a short laughed.

"For it to be called a war, both sides need equal strength. But those three you sent upstairs didn’t even last ten seconds against me. That should tell you which side has the bigger guns."

This time Vance didn’t respond immediately, giving Francis a brief window to speak.

"But don’t worry. I know you’re just working for them. You only care about money, right? I’ll double whatever they’re paying you. Think of it as an early bird offer."

Another silence followed.

(Do you really expect me to believe that after you killed my men?)

"Oh please. Don’t act like you care about them. They’re replaceable pawns. As long as your labs are still running, you can keep producing drugs. That’s all that matters to us."

Francis kept his tone steady, but he was already moving through the lab, scanning for any distinct vibration.

Unfortunately, the roar of the generator was clouding his senses.

(You will regret messing with us,) Vance warned, before cutting off the connection.

SWOOOSH!

Francis moved quickly and checked every room, including the deeper sections of the facility.

Unfortunately, Vance was not here, just as he suspected.

CRACK!

"Damn it!"

He destroyed the control room that connected all the CCTV in the facility, then ran back toward the production floor at full speed.

The chemists and technicians had already started fleeing.

"Where do you think you’re going!" he caught up to the two of them and slammed their heads together, crushing them.

"You trash can all run from me, but you can’t hide."

His eyes flashed red. The anger of not being able to kill the head of this drug den did not sit well with him. His old vigilante fixation surfaced in full throttle.

CRACK!

CRACK!

One by one, he chased the chemists like dogs and continued his one-sided slaughter—punching, kicking, throwing, and crushing anyone tied to the operation in the most brutal way possible.