Fighting even against someone with subpar skill was still exhausting, especially when there were many of them. Each body that fell at Mark’s feet sent another wave of urgency to finish this all at once. He needed to see someone he knew first — anyone.
It didn’t matter whether it was Penny, Benjamin, Slater, or Mint.
At this point, he had wishful thinking. That while fighting all these men, he would stumble upon them in a room. It was why, whenever he got the time, he would check some rooms — sometimes, throwing his enemy into the doors to force them open. Multitasking.
But Mark was not ready to see what he had just walked into.
Standing by the door, Mark came to a complete halt the second he kicked it open. He was told by one of the guys he fought with that this was the way, before Mark knocked him out. Who would have thought that person was telling the truth?
The only thing the syndicate didn’t tell him was that Zoren wasn’t a hostage. He wasn’t kept like one, but instead, there he was, lifting a man with his bare hand while holding the latter’s head.
Mark’s eyes fell on the other man’s twitching hand, catching blood dripping from his fingertips. He gulped, shifting his eyes to where his boss was standing.
’This...’ he thought, holding his breath as he studied the dark look on Zoren’s face. A very familiar yet unfamiliar look that Mark hadn’t seen in ages. ’... is just like that time.’
Zoren’s eyes were naturally dark, but now they were oozing with killing intent. Physically, Zoren had grown weak because of his health issues. However, during the brief time Zoren recovered, he had learned a lot of things to maintain it.
And Mark wouldn’t deny that Zoren was one of the strongest and most cunning people he had known. After all, Zoren was not a fighter, but he knew how to fight if he wanted to. But the most concerning part was that Zoren was just like Renny whenever he had to use his hands to hurt someone.
’I should’ve known,’ Mark told himself, reminded of the time Zoren reached out to Mint when the latter introduced herself to the group. ’That he truly is... recovering. But why do I feel like... something in him is different?’
Something was not right, and this gut feeling just seemed to eat Mark from the inside.
"Master," Mark whispered, but Zoren didn’t move an inch. "Put him down, please."
Mark gulped, taking a step carefully, as if he were afraid to disturb a beast’s nap. "Sir," he called again, his voice quiet and careful. "He’s not moving anymore. That man is no longer a threat."
Zoren tilted his head, staring at Glenn. "Mark," he called quietly, yet for some reason, Mark felt like he almost flinched. "If I squeezed tight enough, do you think that’ll crush his head?"
"What?"
"Was it possible for a human being to crush another human being’s skull with his bare hand?" Slowly, Zoren slid his eyes to the corner while Mark’s brows rose. "By the look on your face, the answer’s no."
"Sir."
"Should we put that to the test?" Zoren set his eyes back on the unconscious Glenn, whose head remained in his grip. "Do you think that will wake him up? And that... he would feel the pain?"
"Miss Penelope wouldn’t want you to sully your hands," Mark breathed out, something about Zoren’s tone giving him this unsettling sensation under his skin. "You promised her that you’d no longer use the Phantom Circle and stay away from such violence."
Just as Mark thought of that, Zoren slowly walked to the same spot and faced him. Mark slowly lifted his gaze, and when their eyes met, his pupils dilated. Since Mark was standing at the entrance, all he could see was Zoren’s side profile. But now that Zoren was facing him, he could see the blood on the side of Zoren’s head that trickled down his face, neck, and drenched his collar with nothing but red.
Zoren winced a bit and touched his temple with his thumb. "My head’s throbbing, Mark," he muttered, while Mark wasted no time to get to him.
Just in time, Mark held Zoren’s arm as the latter briefly swayed as if he was almost losing his balance. "Sir, you’re bleeding." His eyes shook, knowing whatever that wound was, it was not something shallow.
"He hit me and then..." Zoren forced his eyes to open. "I am... getting a bit confused here."
"Huh?"
"Glenn." Zoren tipped his head in the body’s direction. "He thinks he can just hold a gun at me when I’m the one who’s allowing him to live."
"What?" Mark furrowed his brows. "Sir, what are you—"
Mark couldn’t finish his sentence as Zoren suddenly winced, holding his head. "Sir! Sir!"
As Mark’s voice sounded distant in Zoren’s ears, overwhelmed by this ear-splitting ringing, a man’s frantic voice suddenly rang in Zoren’s head.
"Renren?! Zoren!? Where are you!?" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
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