"Trouble? I wouldn't say that."
Lucas shook his head calmly.
"From the moment the incident happened until now, you've remained far too composed. Aside from me, you clearly have more than enough contingency plans."
"At the very least," he continued,
"I haven't seen even a hint of panic on your face."
Lex Luthor smiled indifferently.
"With someone as powerful as you at my side, why would I feel afraid?"
Lucas merely smiled and said nothing more.
If this were the middle-aged Lex Luthor, Lucas would believe without hesitation that the man could remain unmoved even if Eiffel tower collapsed before him.
But this version?
Not quite yet.
---
Soon, a new Luthor Group vehicle arrived at the scene and picked the three of them up again.
The assassination attempt did not alter Luthor's schedule in the slightest—
it was treated with the same indifference as stepping out to make a cup of coffee.
"He's lying."
After Luthor exited the car and entered the branch office building, Elaine spoke quietly from behind.
"Like someone carrying an umbrella on a cloudy day," she added.
Lucas led Elaine to the sofas outside the conference room and accepted a cup of coffee and a glass of warm milk from a secretary.
"You don't need to explain," Lucas said calmly.
"I already know that the assassination job Floyd took… was posted by Luthor himself."
Handing the warm milk to Elaine, he took a light sip of coffee.
Elaine held her cup and asked curiously,
"You're not angry?"
Lucas smiled.
"Why would I be? I took the money, so I do the job—regardless of the reason behind it."
"Besides," he added,
"I can understand why he wanted to test my strength."
Elaine nodded, seemingly enlightened.
"Then what if he keeps doing this?" she asked.
Lucas let out a soft scoff.
"Then he wouldn't be Lex Luthor."
---
"AAAH—!!"
Suddenly, terrified screams echoed from outside, followed immediately by the rapid crack of automatic gunfire.
"Well," Elaine said with a smile,
"maybe he is."
"This time, it's real."
Lucas tilted his head back and drained his coffee in one gulp.
Standing up, he adjusted his clothes and asked,
"Elaine, have you studied law?"
"Yes," Elaine raised her small hand.
"I'm familiar with the Castle Doctrine under current U.S. self-defense law."
"Good."
Lucas glanced at Lex Luthor, who had just stepped out of the conference room.
"Stay here. Your Uncle Lex will take care of you."
Then he added calmly,
"Right?"
Luthor nodded.
"Leave her safety to me."
Lucas smiled faintly and turned toward the stairwell.
---
At the entrance of the Luthor branch building, dozens of heavily armed militants had already seized and surrounded the area.
"Boss, Worm has taken control of the building's security system. The alarm was cut immediately."
"All electronic signals in the building are jammed. Even satellite phones are useless."
"HGPD's fastest response time is ten to fifteen minutes. A full force won't arrive for at least twenty-five to thirty."
"Hyena has already secured all emergency exits. No one's getting out."
"According to plan, we have approximately forty to forty-five minutes to complete the mission."
Listening to the reports, the leader—wearing a colorful skull mask—gave a low hum.
Then, in a deep, hoarse voice, he ordered,
"Clear the stairwells on both sides at maximum speed. Finish the job within twenty-five minutes."
"Yes!"
The militants acknowledged and dispersed.
---
Lucas descended the stairwell.
The Luthor branch occupied only the lower eight floors, so it didn't take long before he encountered armed men clearing and securing the stairs.
Bang! Bang!
The moment they saw Lucas, the leading gunman raised his rifle and fired two rapid shots.
The next second, his eyes went wide.
The bullets struck Lucas's body but failed to break skin, falling uselessly to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, Lucas was already in front of him.
Before the gunman could fire again, Lucas grabbed the barrel and squeezed lightly—
The metal warped like paper, rendering the weapon useless.
Another militant raised his gun, trying to shoot past his teammate—
But the first man's body suddenly bent backward and slammed into him.
Boom!
The immense force sent both men flying, smashing them violently into the stairwell wall.
Cracks spread across the concrete.
The moment they struck, the rebound force shattered their internal organs.
They were dead instantly.
Lucas continued downward, not sparing the two corpses a glance.
---
He was a Saiyan.
Though he didn't know why he lacked a tail.
But he wasn't a mindless brute driven only by muscle.
He lived in human society.
He had parents, family, and friends.
Killing was acceptable.
Lucas had never been soft-hearted, nor was he a saint.
But senseless slaughter?
That was no different from a beast tearing flesh apart.
If power meant killing anyone who displeased you—
Then the only ending was isolation, fear, and becoming a solitary monster hated by all.
Humanity rose above all other creatures because it used its mind.
---
Bang!
A militant charging up the stairs fired a shotgun without hesitation.
Steel pellets erupted from the barrel—but in Lucas's eyes, they moved as slowly as snails.
With a simple flick of his hand, a violent airflow surged outward.
The pellets were swept back instantly.
The militant was blown off his feet, pellets piercing straight through his body armor and into his flesh.
---
By now, the militants below had realized Lucas's existence and immediately adjusted their strategy.
Two floors down, six armed men were already waiting for him.
Two flashbangs landed at his feet.
Blinding light and concussive sound exploded outward—
Yet Lucas didn't even blink.
Immediately after, six large-caliber automatic weapons opened fire.
Gunfire roared through the stairwell, muzzle flashes flaring as brass casings clattered endlessly onto the floor.
Lucas, however, walked forward as if strolling through a garden.
Deformed bullets fell around him, piling at his feet as he continued downward.
"What the hell is that thing?!" the squad leader shouted.
He stopped firing, pulled two high-explosive grenades from his belt, yanked the pins, counted three seconds—and threw them.
The others ceased fire in perfect coordination and dove behind cover on both sides of the stairwell door.
BOOM!
A violent explosion shook the entire stairwell, the floor trembling underfoot.
As the militants peeked out to see what remained of Lucas—
A figure stepped out from the smoke and fire.
"You like fireworks?"
Lucas smiled faintly and raised his left hand, palm aimed at their position.
Humm—
An energy blast shot from his palm, giving them no time to react.
Lucas turned away without looking back.
BOOM!
An even more violent explosion followed.
Unlike conventional explosives, it caused no structural damage to the building.
Under the overwhelming energy, all six militants were instantly engulfed and dissolved—
Leaving not even a trace behind.
__
T/N:
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