Karan was especially cautious of this guy. He could tell at a single glance that this man was on a whole different level from the other two. But this didn't scare him off. Instead, he grinned—his pulse quickened, not from fear but from the electric thrill of the chase he'd crossed seas to find. After all, he'd come all the way to Las Vegas to hunt.

And his prey was standing right before his eyes.

But now he was forced to change his plans for the night, all thanks to the oddity, an unexpected variable, that was running wild below. This wasn't the time to play around.

"Kuargh...!" A short, painful wail pierced Karan's ears. Glancing from the corner of his eye, he saw the Jockey impaled through the chest by the beast's sharp claws—throb, throb—his beating heart protruding grotesquely from his back like a macabre trophy.

The metallic tang of blood hit Karan's nostrils as crimson sprayed, forming a small pool on the sticky floor. Cough! The Jockey spat a mouthful onto the ground, his eyes glazing over.

Swish! "You sure you have time to be distracted?" The words whispered like a death whistle in Karan's ears. "!!!" A blurred shadow darted to his side—Baam!—followed by a punch straight to his obliques that sent him flying into the concrete wall. Boom! Dust exploded, the concrete cracking under the impact, creating a shallow crater in its wake.

"You know, I've always wondered what was so special about you. Why does the lord keep all his attention on you?" It was the robed man again. He eyed Karan curiously. "Why is he always so wary of you...?"

As the dust clouds settled, Karan cracked his neck and let out an amused chuckle. "Doomwalker, you say?" His figure emerged unscathed.

"You people sure gave me a grand title." A dangerous crimson glow shimmered in his eyes, fiery orange embers dancing around him like fireflies that spread shadows instead of light.

"Hahahahaha!" The red hooded figure burst into laughter. "You know what? I thought the same thing! Doomwalker? Really? A load of bullshit! Just because you threw a huge tantrum fifteen years ago, they gave you such a grand title!" His voice dripped with disdain. "Yes, that's right." The man glared at Karan with contempt-filled eyes, "you're nothing but a child who just loves to throw tantrums."

"You sure babble a lot."

"Hmm? Why? Not in the mood for small talk anymore because I called you a child? Or," the man's eyes began to glow red, "did I just make you recall something unpleasant?" He taunted, a grin stretching across his face.

The faint smile vanished from Karan's face. His jaw tightened, a flicker of that old rage bubbling up—a warm, blood-coated smile ringing in his mind like a gunshot’s echo in a hollow chamber. With his fist tightly clenched, he disappeared from his spot, reappearing inches from the man and threw a jab at his face.

But—Fwish—like a phantom, the robed man's body dissolved into the air as the punch pierced through it. "Hmm?" Before Karan could process it, Swish—like a ghost, the man reappeared to his side and launched a jab aimed at his chest.

Karan spun to the side hurriedly, raising his hands to his chest to brace for impact—Baam!—the force pushing him back a few steps, his boots scraping against the debris-littered floor. "It's futile. You can't even touch me if that's all you've got," the man taunted.

Before Karan could retort, "Kyaaaaaa!!!" a loud, terrified scream reached his ears. 'This voice...' A voice he knew all too well.

"You're getting distracted again! Don't disappoint me further, Doomwalker!!" The robed man materialized before Karan and struck with a finger jab aimed at his heart.

But this time, Karan grabbed his wrist, shocking the man into wide-eyed surprise. "Output at 8%," Karan whispered under his breath, followed by a powerful punch to the man's abdomen—Boom—sending him crashing through the wall into Lucien's office, creating a massive rupture. The impact shook the building, dust and plaster raining down like fallout.

Karan grabbed one of the huge chunks of debris that was raining from the impact, its rough edges biting into his palms, and aimed it downward at the strange creature below, leaping toward two girls standing frozen amid the crowd.

The other two robed men, clad in dark hoods, who had been standing idle until now, dashed toward Karan to intercept him. Without even glancing their way, he raised his left hand—Fwish! Fwish!—two dark, shadowy spears erupted from the ground below them with blinding speed, piercing their hearts and impaling them to the ceiling before they could react, with a wet thud of flesh echoing faintly through the floor.

"Aaaaaaa—!" Two frightened shouts erupted from the floor below, high-pitched and desperate.

Taking his stance, Karan hurled the massive rock with such force that it ripped through the air, slamming into the airborne creature and sending it flying into the corner wall—Shriek!!—eliciting a painful screech that echoed throughout the club, rattling glasses and sending chills down everyone's spines.

"H-huh..?"

"Ah-aah-uwaaaaaa!!!!"

"What is that!!?"

"What the f*ck is that!?"

"Aaa! Help!!"

"Run!!"

More and more terrified shouts erupted as the commotion finally snapped the dazed clubgoers out of their nirvana, sobering them up.

A stampede broke out in the cramped space, people scrambling to escape the nightmare before them—the air thick with sweat, screams, and the acrid scent of fear. "Aaahh!" A woman shrieked as she was shoved aside, clutching her spilled drink; another tripped over a body still lost in haze, only to be trampled underfoot.

"Uaaaa!!"

"Aaaaa! Don't get in my way!!"

Many fell—some tripping, others still lost in their haze—and were trampled underfoot, men and women alike, their cries swallowed by the pandemonium.

Without hesitation, Karan leaped over the railing and landed before the two girls. "Are you okay?" Amid the shouts and panic, he asked in a gentle, soothing voice, his eyes scanning them for injuries. Hearing his voice, the blonde-haired girl turned around to look at him, her hands trembling.

It was Sasha. "Handsome..." No other words escaped her as she stared at Karan in a daze, then lunged forward, hugging him tightly—her body shaking against his, a whispered "Thank you" barely audible over the din.

On the first floor—

The dust and debris settled, revealing the red-robed man emerging from the rubble. His hood had fallen back, exposing icy-pale skin, long wet blonde hair shimmering like golden strands, ominous blood-red eyes, and an unearthly beautiful face.

'He was able to react to my speed and even land a counterattack...' He touched his throbbing abdomen where Karan had punched him. Despite the pain, his expression remained as stoic as still water. Stepping out of the debris, he gazed at the two thin, long shadowy spears smeared in dark crimson blood, holding the impaled figures aloft against the ceiling.

He approached the corpses and raised his hand, his eyes gleaming dangerously. The bodies of the two dead men began melting into gooey blackish-red pools with a sickening, wet slurping sound, dripping to the ground and leaving only their black hoods behind.

Next, he clenched his pale hand into a fist, and—as if alive—the blackish-red goo responded, surging toward him and absorbing into his body with a chill that rippled the air. It revitalized him, prompting him to close his eyes briefly, a faint sigh escaping his lips.

Slowly reopening his eyes, the man approached the cold railing. He first glanced at the carnage he'd unleashed, now slumped in a large cavity in the wall, its ragged breaths echoing faintly. Then his gaze shifted to Karan, standing amid the chaotic stampede in front of the two girls.

Among them, he noticed an unusual warmth in the eyes of the blonde figure gazing intently at Karan.

'Interesting.' He pulled his hood back on and turned away. "If it weren't for the lord's orders, I would've liked to play with you more. Although," a strange murky blackish-crimson goo began oozing from his hand, gathering on his palm with a viscous drip.

Once it reached the size of a fist, the blob fell from his hand and slithered away, hiding somewhere in the enclosure, leaving a faint, oily trail that sent a foreboding chill through the room, "I don't think it's appropriate to leave without a proper farewell." His voice dripped with malice.

He turned briefly, catching sight of Sasha hugging Karan tightly, an amused smile creeping across his cheeks before he vanished like a phantom. "I shall prepare a special gift for our next meeting, Doomwalker." His words left behind a silent, sinister echo.