John's voice rang out cold and sharp, slicing through the narrow alley like a blade. As he spoke, he lifted his foot and brought it down hard on the young man's hand. The bones beneath his boot twisted and contorted grotesquely under the pressure.
The youth was clearly trained—his face drenched in sweat from the searing pain, yet he clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"No one sent me. You're mistaken… I acted alone."
He was lying, obviously.
John didn't waste words. Instead, he applied more pressure. A sickening crack echoed as the bones in the hand beneath his boot shattered one by one.
Ten fingers, one heart. The pain of a twisted hand was unbearable even for a trained elite. The youth's face contorted, and he let out an inhuman scream like a pig being slaughtered.
"THE BOUNTY!" he shrieked. "I was after the Association Alliance's bounty! That's all!"
John narrowed his eyes slightly.
The bounty?
Was it really that simple?
He wasn't convinced.
