Chapter 139: Broadway killers...

The street was eerily silent, without the presence life save for Zafron and his assailants.With his hand raised, Zafron slowly turned to face the man pressing a knife against his belly. The attacker ran a hand across his bushy beard, revealing a wicked grin of overlapping teeth.

"What do you want?" Zafron asked, his voice steady despite the cold steel threatening to pierce his skin.

"Everything you've got," the man growled, twisting the blade for emphasis. His foul breath washed over Zafron's face, making him recoil slightly.

'So this was a planned robbery...' Zafron thought, his eyes scanning his surroundings for any help.

Behind them, the scrape of metal on wood broke the silence as the two more attackers worked to detach the cart from its pole, preparing for a swift getaway.

Zafron's mind raced. 'If they're after my belongings, they're probably desperate for food. Petty criminals like them are the more dangerous ones,' he reasoned, deciding to remain still and let events unfold.

But the thought of losing Cassandra's bracelet—a gift he'd received just that day—gnawed at him. He hadn't even had the chance to try it on, and now he was about to lose it.

The man leaned in closer, pinning the knife even tighter against Zafron's belly. The cold steel bit into his skin, threatening to break through at any moment. Zafron's eyes darted around, desperately seeking potential exits. His heart raced as he weighed his options.

The precious gift from Cassandra weighed heavily on his mind, but as he assessed his attackers, he noticed their long legs.

'They'll be fast,' he thought, 'but I could be faster, thanks to my daily quests.' Still, he hesitated to take the risk. These were hungry men looking for something to eat, and despite the danger, a part of him sympathized with their desperation.

Deciding to let them have their way, Zafron stood stock-still as the man roughly shoved a hand into his first pocket.

Finding nothing, the attacker's face contorted with anger. "You don't have anything?" he snarled, his rancid breath hot on Zafron's face.

As the man's hand plunged into the other pocket, Zafron's heart sank. Fingers closed around metal, and out came the gleaming silver bracelet. The attacker's eyes widened, a spark of greed replacing the frustration.

Turning to his companions, who had just finished detaching the cart, the man shouted, "We're in luck today, boys! This guy's got something precious and valuable!"

The other two attackers, having pulled the cart free, jumped in eagerly. "Come on!" one of them called out. "Let's get out of here before someone shows up!"

Zafron watched helplessly as the man holding the knife began to back away, the bracelet clutched tightly in his fist. The precious gift he hadn't even had a chance to try on was slipping away, along with any hope of explaining its loss to Cassandra.

As the attackers prepared to leave, a shout rang out from behind. "Konzi, we can't let him go! He might call the Enforcers on us. Let's kill him!"

The older man who had first called on Zafron to help with the cart shook his head. "No, we should just leave," he argued, his voice tinged with fear and urgency.

Konzi, still clutching the knife and bracelet, turned back to his companions. His eyes, wild with a mix of greed and panic, darted between them and Zafron. "Denova's right," he growled, "we can't let him leave."

Konzi, suddenly turned back towards Zafron. His eyes glinted with murderous intent as he aimed for Zafron's belly, clearly meaning to do more than just rob him.

In that instant, Zafron's perspective shifted. His initial plan to passively allow the robbery evaporated as he realized these weren't just hungry thieves—they were killers. The thought crystallized in his mind: 'They don't deserve to leave.'

Time seemed to slow as Zafron's instincts, honed by countless daily quests, kicked in. Just as Konzi's arm began its downward arc, Zafron's hand shot out, catching the attacker's wrist in mid-air. The knife stopped mere inches from his abdomen.

Konzi's eyes widened in surprise, his overlapping teeth bared in a snarl of frustration. The two men stood frozen for a moment, locked in a battle of strength and will.

Zafron's grip tightened, his resolve hardening. He wasn't just fighting for his life now—he was fighting for the bracelet. To think he would let them just get away with it like that. What was wrong with him? This was his thought at that moment.

"You've made a big mistake," Zafron growled, his voice low and dangerous. The fear that had gripped him earlier was gone, replaced by a cold determination. He knew what he had to do. Sёarᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Konzi strained against Zafron's grip, desperately trying to drive the blade into his opponent's flesh.

But Zafron held firm, his own strength surprising him. As their struggle intensified, Zafron's grip tightened incrementally, eliciting a scream from Konzi that shattered the night's silence.

From the cart, Denova and the other attacker watched in shock. They had expected to hear Zafron's cries of pain, not their comrade's agonized shrieks. Confused and alarmed, Denova slipped out of the cart, intent on aiding his fellow thief.

"Konzi, what's up?"

Zafron's eyes widened as he noticed trickles of blood running from Konzi's hand, staining the ground beneath them.

With a sickening realization, he understood that his grip had broken the man's bones, driving them through his skin. The knife and the precious bracelet clattered to the ground, forgotten in the midst of the struggle.

'How am I this strong?' Zafron wondered, a mix of awe and fear coursing through him. 'My daily quests have finally proven more helpful than I ever imagined!!!'

Despite the excruciating pain, Konzi bent down, reaching for the fallen blade. Zafron reacted instinctively, twisting the man's already mangled hand.

There was a horrifying crunch as bones shattered, the hand nearly separating from the wrist. Konzi's scream was blood-curdling, a sound that could wake the dead, rippling through the empty streets.

Before Konzi could utter another word, Zafron's other fist connected with his face. The force behind the punch was immense, snapping Konzi's head back with a sickening sound. The would-be killer crumpled to the ground, unconscious or worse.

Denova who was closing in, stood frozen, his eyes fixed on Konzi's shattered face and the pool of blood spreading beneath him.

Horror and rage battled for dominance in his expression before fury won out. "You beast!" he shouted at Zafron, his voice raw with emotion.

With a swift motion, Denova stretched forth his hand. In a display of magic that caught Zafron off guard, a blade materialized out of thin air. Gripping the conjured weapon, Denova charged blindly at Zafron, his eyes wild with vengeance.

Zafron, still riding the wave of adrenaline from his encounter with Konzi, reacted on instinct. He sidestepped nimbly, causing Denova to rush past him, blade cutting through empty air.

But Denova was no novice; he pivoted quickly, swinging the magical blade back towards Zafron.

Again, Zafron dodged, his newfound reflexes serving him well. The dance of attack and evasion continued, with Denova pressing his assault and Zafron narrowly avoiding each potentially lethal strike.

'Is it that these guys are weak or what?' Zafron wondered at how effortless he was dealing with them.