Chapter 31
New Expo East Road, No. 5433 — Inside the Starbucks.
"Ah… Ahhh!!"
Inside the Starbucks, a customer suddenly clutched his head as if suffering an epileptic seizure. He let out a miserable, wolf-like howl of unbearable pain. In his agony, he knocked over the cappuccino in front of him. The coffee spilled across his laptop and splattered onto his trench coat.
The previously quiet and leisurely atmosphere was shattered in an instant. Other customers turned their heads and leaned in to look. Soon a small crowd had gathered. Kind-hearted patrons and baristas stepped forward to check on Danton Black.
"Sir, what's wrong with you?"
"He's having a seizure! Call an ambulance!"
The barista beside Danton Black jumped in fright at his ghostly, agonized screaming.
The onlookers immediately offered various suggestions and asked if there were any doctors or nurses present who could provide emergency aid. The barista frantically tried to comfort the "patient," repeatedly saying things like "Stay calm, stay calm, don't move, you'll be okay."
"Police! Make way! Make way!"
Two plainclothes officers, holding Beretta M9 pistols, shouted at the crowd. As the onlookers reluctantly parted to create a narrow gap, the officers pushed through. They saw Danton Black rolling on the ground, howling in pain, while the barista tried desperately to comfort him.
The two plainclothes officers hesitated for a moment and exchanged a glance. They did not immediately follow Alex's order to shoot. Once a suspect lost the ability to resist, they only needed to handcuff and arrest him.
Although guns were common in America, opening fire was still a serious matter — especially near the highly publicized Martin Stein speech, which could cause massive repercussions. As veteran officers, they understood the consequences of shooting and preferred to assess the situation first.
The two officers instinctively thought they should arrest him since Danton showed no resistance. But then Alex's steel-hard, unquestionable command came through their earpieces:
"Fire!"
Alex was leaning low over the Lightning motorcycle, the rushing wind cutting across his cold face like knives. His dyed-white hair whipped wildly behind him in the fierce airflow. Traveling at over 320 km/h, he and the bike fused into a streak of light, surging forward. The surrounding scenery blurred and disappeared behind him as he weaved through the chaotic traffic like a fish in a turbulent river.
Over 200 police officers were converging on the Starbucks like the petals of a closing flower, slowly encircling Danton Black. The two officers who had arrived first were simply patrolling nearby and had reached the location ahead of the main force.
Even while racing at high speed, Alex still wore the mismatched reading glasses. Through the real-time surveillance feed, he saw the scene inside the Starbucks and immediately issued the order.
The two plainclothes officers' expressions hardened. Without further hesitation, they followed their superior's command. One officer quickly stepped forward and shouted, "Get away from him!" then hurriedly pulled the barista and concerned customers back.
The barista and customers, sensing the officers' tense urgency, looked confused but cooperated and moved away from Danton Black.
The surrounding crowd saw the other officer pointing his gun at Danton Black and began to panic, retreating and fleeing the Starbucks.
Their reaction proved wise. Seeing that no one was near Danton Black anymore, the officer aiming at him did not hesitate. He opened fire on the screaming, writhing figure.
Bang bang bang bang…
The Beretta M9 pistol, with its 15-round detachable magazine, emptied its entire load into Danton Black's body. Each bullet struck a duplicate, splashing out countless droplets and wisps of smoke like water.
The acidic liquid sprayed like blood. Danton Black's body blurred in agony. He felt this was the most dangerous moment of his life. Enduring the excruciating pain in his brain, he desperately created more duplicates to block the bullets.
The shooting officer's heart turned cold. His eyes widened in horror as he watched.
Danton Black rose from a deep, icy hell of acidic smoke and vapor, his face twisted and blurred. His eyes were tormented to the point of madness, the whites filled with bulging red veins — a terrifying sight, like a demon from hell.
The instinct to survive had turned him into the most horrifying humanoid monster.
The shooting officer was momentarily frozen by his grotesque appearance. The other officer, who had been clearing civilians, steeled himself and joined the firefight. His Beretta M9 also spat bullets, firing at the duplicates like the Terminator shooting the liquid metal man. Each shot created a splash of liquid — every splash marking the death of a duplicate, releasing colorless acidic smoke.
Every new duplicate he created weakened his brainwaves further, turning them into a funnel that absorbed more of Alex's sonic weapon. The pain became unbearable. His face and thoughts grew increasingly distorted.
"I am the king of the world…"
Danton Black howled in agony, his face twisted beyond recognition, veins bulging as he staggered forward.
He looked like a terrifying demon. The officers' pistols seemed ineffective against him. He used an endless stream of duplicates to block wave after wave of bullets. The gunfire had no effect on him!
The two officers felt a chill of terror. Their hair stood on end as they took a step back.
At that exact moment—
Vroooom…
A massive, thunderous roar rolled in like a storm of lightning, carrying a deep, oppressive rumble from the distant horizon and sweeping toward them.
The sound arrived incredibly fast. Before the crowd could fully register it, the roaring crash slammed into their eardrums.
Bang… Crash!
The Starbucks' floor-to-ceiling glass shattered. Alex, riding the Lightning motorcycle, leaped forward and smashed straight through it.
Glass shards flew through the air like beautiful colored droplets sparkling in the sunlight. Alex and the sleek silver-and-black machine fused into one, like a cold, merciless shark leaping from the deep sea, baring its razor-sharp teeth.
Alex twisted in mid-air, separating from the Lightning motorcycle. The bike continued forward, crashing violently into rows of seats and tables, smashing them into a pile of wood splinters and glass. It finally slammed into the far wall, becoming a tangled wreck with the destroyed furniture.
Alex landed on both feet. His gaze locked onto Multiple like thunder, making everyone's hair stand on end.
His body suddenly tightened every pore. Shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, hands, feet, tendons, and membranes — all his power drew inward. The surging strength of his blood condensed into a single, perfectly controlled force.
Then he took one powerful step forward. An aura of a ferocious beast erupted from him.
Boom!
It sounded like he had stepped on a landmine. The dark brown, deliberately stylish floor tiles beneath his foot cracked and collapsed. A spiderweb of fractures spread outward from the point of impact.
"Stop!!!"
Suddenly, the system screamed in Alex's ear.
Damn it! Alex, you bastard!
The system cursed wildly in its mind. It had already sensed it — Alex had no intention of completing the task. He was going to kill Multiple with one punch and continue resisting it to the end. Even the bribe of controlled nuclear fusion data had failed to move him.
Trash host! Wasting all my effort!
Alex ignored the voice in his ear and focused even more intently. Mind and intent merged, intent and energy merged, energy and power merged. In that mysterious state, he gathered every ounce of his essence, energy, and spirit. The limit that the system had once blocked him from surpassing now felt like a rope being snapped.
He felt every single one of his 130 trillion cells generating a faint magnetic field. All those tiny fields converged like tributaries into a great river — his body. In an instant, he became a magnetic field entity, easily gathering all his strength and unleashing unparalleled power.
His fist, violent and ferocious, seemed to cross ten meters in the blink of an eye, slamming toward Multiple's chest.
Danton Black felt death approaching. His face had already twisted and blurred beyond recognition. Duplicates poured out frantically in a desperate attempt to block the Grim Reaper.
Alex's fist tore through the newly created duplicates like punching through layers of water. Multiple's final struggle had no effect. The fist broke through everything.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rang out. Danton Black was sent flying like a cannonball. He slammed into the wall four meters up. Blood sprayed across the white wall behind him like a grotesque red flower — a shocking sight.
His entire body went limp like soft mud. His eyes bulged outward, still showing the terror of his final moments. Every bone in his body had been shattered. His internal organs were completely destroyed. Brain matter leaked from his nose and mouth. His limbs were bent at unnatural angles.
He had become a horrifying, soft corpse. The sight alone was enough to make anyone shudder in fear.
Especially when his limp body remained stuck to the wall for three or four seconds before slowly sliding down. The two officers who witnessed it couldn't help but look at the drenched Alex with terror in their eyes. His already tight white shirt was now plastered to his body, clearly outlining his perfect muscular physique.
Alex frowned slightly. The acidic liquid from the duplicates had soaked him from head to toe, making him extremely uncomfortable.
He glanced at Multiple, confirming this was the real body and that the man had been completely pulverized by the violent shock force — dead beyond any doubt. He no longer paid him any attention. Cleaning up the corpse was not his job.
With a calm expression, he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing back the acid-soaked white strands. He removed the reading glasses, shook off the water, and tucked them into the left breast pocket of his white shirt. His eyes swept over the two subordinates staring at him like he was a monster. Then Alex walked out of the ruined Starbucks.
"Clean up the scene."
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