Dragon Fang wasn’t just powerful...
They were elite.
Their members were feared citywide.
To be personally taken as apprentice by Zu Li herself—
That was beyond rare.
That was destiny-level opportunity.
Even the Iron Chain members looked shaken but Raze didn’t step back.
If anything, his resolve hardened.
If someone like Zu Li wanted West...
Then West’s value was even greater than they’d imagined.
"You can’t have him," Raze said firmly and all eyes turned to him.
Raze met Zu Li’s gaze directly.
"The Iron Chain Gang already has claim on him."
Zu Li raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Her tone carried faint amusement.
"And when," she asked calmly, "did he agree to belong to you?"
Raze didn’t answer immediately because he couldn’t.
West hadn’t agreed.
But before the tension could escalate—
Another voice rang out.
"Well, well... looks like I came at the right time."
Everyone turned again.
This time it was Ross approaching.
He approached with several Black Furnace gang members behind him, their dark uniforms unmistakable.
Ross had originally come for a completely different reason.
He wanted to talk to West about Aria.
He wanted to ask West for advice because she had been avoiding him and acting distant.
Since West was supposed to be her brother, he believed a few tips could point him in the right direction.
However, when he arrived and saw the destruction...
Saw the unconscious awakened...
Saw Gor’thala...
Saw Zu Li...
He understood immediately.
West was valuable...
Extremely valuable.
Ross stepped forward confidently.
"I think," Ross said smoothly, "West will prefer to join family."
He looked at West.
"You are Aria’s brother after all."
He spread his arms slightly.
"You belong with Black Furnace."
The crowd lost its mind.
"BLACK FURNACE TOO?!"
"THREE GANGS?!"
"THIS IS INSANE!"
Iron Chain.
Dragon Fang.
Black Furnace.
Three gangs.
All standing there.
All claiming him.
All wanting him.
West stood there silently, watching three gangs argue over him like he was property.
All he wanted to do was vanish and get to where he was headed but he hadn’t found an opening yet.
Raze spoke first.
"Iron Chain discovered him first."
Ross scoffed.
"He’s family."
Zu Li didn’t raise her voice but when she spoke—
They both went quiet.
"He is mine," she said simply.
They both gritted their teeth... she was obviously way too powerful for them to contend with but the decision laid with West.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Raze from Iron Chain crossed his arms. Ross from Black Furnace adjusted his collar, trying to maintain composure. Zu Li stood with effortless authority, her calm gaze never leaving West.
And then, almost simultaneously—
They all spoke.
"Make your decision," Raze said firmly.
"You belong with us," Ross added smoothly.
Zu Li said nothing at first but her eyes alone carried the weight of expectation.
The pressure was suffocating.
Every eye in the courtyard turned toward West.
Students.
Gang members.
Bystanders.
Everyone waited.
Seconds passed.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen seconds.
No response.
Zu Li frowned slightly.
Something was wrong.
Her instincts sharpened instantly as she turned around to look closer.
And then she realized, West wasn’t there.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...He’s gone."
"What?" Ross snapped while turning around.
Raze spun sharply too and sure enough—
West Einstein had vanished.
The exact spot where he had been standing was empty.
The crowd erupted instantly.
"WHERE DID HE GO?!"
"HE JUST DISAPPEARED?!"
"NO WAY!"
Raze cursed under his breath.
"Find him!"
Ross immediately barked at his men.
"Spread out!"
Zu Li didn’t shout.
She simply turned and then, moved.
Several blocks away.
West held tightly as wind roared past his ears.
He was on Gor’thala’s back and she was moving incredibly fast.
Her massive legs carried her across rooftops and streets with effortless power. Each step covered enormous distance and she wasn’t even using magic.
This was her natural speed.
West leaned low, gripping her shoulders tightly.
"Go, go, go!" he muttered.
Behind them, distant shouts echoed.
"They’re escaping!"
"DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY!"
Gor’thala didn’t look back.
"Master," she said calmly, "they pursue."
"I know," West replied.
He glanced behind them briefly.
Vehicles were already starting to appear in the distance.
Gang vehicles.
Fast ones.
Zu Li herself wasn’t using vehicles.
She was leaping from building to building.
Each leap carrying her across entire streets like gravity meant nothing to her.
West swallowed... she was too fast.
"Gor’thala," he said.
She nodded slightly.
"I understand."
Her body leaned forward slightly.
Magic gathered around her legs as faint green aura flared.
"Charge."
BOOM.
The world blurred as she accelerated instantaneously.
The ground shattered behind her as she launched forward like a missile, crossing entire city blocks in seconds.
Wind screamed past them violently as buildings became streaks of color.
West’s eyes widened.
"Holy—"
He barely finished the thought before they had already crossed several kilometers.
Behind them, the gang vehicles had only just begun to move.
Zu Li stopped mid-leap, landing on a rooftop.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...Acceleration skill," she murmured.
She watched the empty horizon.
West was gone... completely gone.
Her lips curved slightly.
"...Interesting."
~ Thirty minutes earlier ~
Aria stood outside West’s apartment door with her finger hovering over the doorbell again.
She pressed it.
Ding dong.
Silence.
She frowned.
"...He should be back by now."
She stepped back slightly, folding her arms.
She wore a tight cream-colored crop top that hugged her body perfectly, leaving a small strip of her smooth midriff exposed and shorts. Despite, the casualness of her dressing, she still looked incredibly beautiful and hot with her pink long hair swaying gently.
Her heart beat faster than usual...
West had been running through her mind all morning... She had anticipated it today long before it ever came... imagined it...
And now—
He wasn’t here.
She pulled out her phone and called him.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
No answer.
She sighed.
"Where are you..."
She leaned against the wall beside his door.
Five minutes passed...
Ten minutes...
Fifteen minutes...
Her excitement slowly began to fade, replaced by disappointment.
"...Did he forget?"
Twenty minutes...
Twenty-five minutes...
Thirty minutes....
She stared at her phone.
Still nothing.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"...He wouldn’t do that..."
Would he?
She exhaled slowly.
"...Maybe something came up."
She pushed herself off the wall.
"...I’ll just go—"