Chapter 161 Collateral

Three months ago,

'Gah~ what a day~' Crow Russel ruffled his hair as he exited their office. Recently, his workload has increased and no matter how hard he tried to finish everything before the day ends, he would always be left with something to do— then it's another heavy workload the next day, and the next, and the next.

He sighed, pulling out the lighter from his pocket and throwing it into a public trash can. He had quit smoking a year ago since he didn't want his newborn son to see that side of him. Also, he has another son, who is currently studying in United Superheroes Academy. If he didn't get ahold of his life now, then when would he be able to do so?

'I wonder what's for dinner today.' He asked himself as his stomach growled in response. The last time he ate a meal was during breakfast, no wonder he was as hungry as a wolf right now.

Dragging his feet to the train station, then walking all the way home, he was moving purely on adrenaline to get home. He may be a superhero, but even superheroes cannot escape the restrictions of hunger. That's why he heaved a sigh of relief when he finally got home. At least, he can finally eat his wife's home-cooked meal.

Or so that's what he thought.

A smile spread across his face as he knocked on the door to their apartment. "Honey? I'm home." He excitedly announced before entering. In his imagination, he already saw his wife running towards her in her apron, welcoming her with a smile on her face. He already heard the 'Oh, you're back?' sweet swords of his wife as she embraced him, melting his fatigue away. The relaxing atmosphere of the house, he almost felt it. Almost.

But as soon as he opened the door, no one was there to welcome him, not even the usual cries of his newborn son, or the slight nod of his teenager to greet him. No one. In fact, there were no signs of any family member in his place. The lights were turned off, and an eerie cold aura emanated from the living room.

"Honey?!" Crippling fear and panic rose within Crow's system as he rushed towards the living room, only to find that there was a man sitting there.

The man was approximately seven feet tall, with a burly body. He wore a trench coat and a hat that covered most of his face. His hand held a piece of paper and his legs tapped an indistinct pace. It was obvious he was getting impatient from waiting, but Crow ignored all of that. Whatever it is that happened in his house, he knew that the man was responsible for it.

Lights began flickering in the house, and then a steady bzzzt sound emanated from Crow's body while he powered himself up. The light bulbs, which were once flickering, now gave off a steady stream of light, illuminating the entire place.

There were no signs of struggle, and everything was in order. But then again, one couldn't call the place in order when the inhabitants were missing from it. "YOU! WHERE IS MY WIFE?!"

Crow didn't wait for an answer, he flew right at the man, with his fists tucked in. He was ready to deliver a good jab on the burly man's face. And by the off-chance that it doesn't work, he can just electrocute him to death.

Notwithstanding his sudden movement, the man didn't move at all. Instead, he raised his hand, fully intending to block his fist even though electricity coursed through it. The man didn't speak a word, he calmly sat there with one hand holding a piece of paper and the other hand trying to block Crow's fist.

Zzzzzt!

The punch connected, and a steady stream of electricity struck the burly man. However, he still didn't move, nor did he have the slightest reaction to the electrocution. Instead, he smiled and twisted Crow's hand. "I'm trying to be welcoming here, is this how you greet a visitor? You should at least offer me a drink."

Just like any other superheroes aspiring to climb the ranks of the SAO Rankings, Crow also didn't overlook his physical capabilities and had been training ever since. His lightning superpower is strong enough as it is, and the only thing that could give him more edge in a head-to-head fight is by increasing his strength.

That's why he was confident when he threw a punch at the burly man. He knew that it would at least hurt him a little bit, even if somehow, his superpower could negate his electricity. However, such was not the case.

Crow immediately noticed the grin on the man's face as he easily broke his arm like a toothpick. His electricity also didn't work on the man, as if the man was a living ground wire. There was no time to back down, however, and Crow twisted and delivered a kick to the man, totally ignoring his dangling right arm.

However, his leg also broke like a toothpick when the kick connected. With a groan, he sprawled on the ground. He has met his match. "Crow Russel, superhero name Zeus, with two lovely sons and a wife. Do you only amount to this much?" The man asked.

With his left arm, Crow supported himself just so he could stand up, he tried to electrocute the man once again but to no avail. The man was simply electric-proof— that, and no attack seemed to get through him. "What do you want?" He gritted his teeth.

"I have here something that might interest you. It has its own drawbacks but you know how it is. Power comes with sacrifices, right?" The man said, handing an injection to Crow. "And let me get straight to the point. Your family is safe, I'm just... keeping them as collateral."

p "I'm asking you... WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Nothing much, just help me out on a mission, and then we'll call it quits." The man continued. "I'm Creaker, by the way, nice to meet you, Zeus." After saying that, Creaker stood up, stretched a little, and handed Crow the piece of paper. "Give me a call when you've already decided."