Chapter 10

After Icarus left, Michael looked at Ruth with a puzzled expression. His daughter was very beautiful and had many admirers. But why did Icarus seem so eager to avoid her? Michael heaved a sigh and lamented, "It must be because you're too spoiled, Ruth. That's probably why Dr. Frye was annoyed with you." "I'm not! Icarus just doesn't like trouble, so that's why..." Ruth retorted angrily. Michael looked out the door and said pensively, "It's been a long time since I've seen such an outstanding young man. He's calm, patient, and not flashy at all. Moreover, he possesses extraordinary skills. "Most importantly, he's indifferent to fame and fortune. When I handed him that blank check earlier, his unfazed and cool response far exceeded someone of his age. What kind of family could raise such a child? If I had the chance, I'd really like to meet his parents." After saying this, Michael turned to look at Ruth and shook his head. "You and Freddy are both far behind compared to Dr. Frye. You two still have a lot of work to do." Ruth had never seen Michael speak so highly of a young man. Could Icarus really be that impressive? She didn't really think so and remained unconvinced. "I don't think Icarus dislikes you. You should try to get to know him more and make friends with him. This young man is definitely not an ordinary person," Michael reminded her again. ... Icarus returned to his vegetable garden, intending to pick some greens to take home. When he was about 100 yards from the vegetable garden, he noticed a series of footprints on the ground. Even though the footprints were faint on the hard, dry mountain path, Icarus could still discern that there were at least six different sets of footprints. This meant that about an hour ago, six people had walked in the direction of his vegetable garden. This was unusual. Normally, no one ever set foot on this hill. Could they have come to steal his vegetables? With that thought, Icarus quickened his pace. As soon as he reached the edge of the garden, several dark figures appeared from the side and surrounded him in a half circle. Instantly, six guns were pointed at Icarus. One of the men in black stepped forward with a smile on his face and said, "Hi. We'd like to ask you a few questions. We hope you'll answer honestly." "Alright, go ahead," Icarus replied, showing no trace of panic on his face. "Is this vegetable garden yours?" asked the man in black. "It is." "Then, were you near this garden around this time yesterday afternoon?" the man in black continued. "That's right." At this point, Icarus already knew why these people were there. "Did you see a woman here yesterday afternoon?" The man in black narrowed his eyes slightly. "I did," Icarus answered. The men in black exchanged glances, their eyes filled with killing intent. "Then... Did you save that woman?" The man's finger was on the trigger, ready to shoot at any moment. "Strictly speaking, I didn't save that woman. Your buddies tried to kill me, so I killed them in self-defense," Icarus said with a faint smile. "Thank you for your honesty. Goodbye." The man in black smiled coldly and pulled the trigger. A gunshot rang out, and a bullet went straight for Icarus' forehead. The man in black was no more than 30 feet away from Icarus. No human could possibly dodge a bullet within such a short distance. Yet, Icarus merely tilted his head slightly and dodged the bullet. "I already told you that your friends died because they tried to kill me. Why do you insist on making the same mistake?" Icarus' words echoed in the ears of every man in black as if he whispered them into their ears. The six men in black panicked and looked around, searching for Icarus frantically. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't see him. A dull thud sounded. The next second, one of the men in black screamed and was sent flying. "He's over here!" another man in black shouted and fired his gun. Chaos ensued as gunfire erupted, accompanied by screams of pain. In just 30 seconds, five of the six men in black were lying motionless on the ground, no longer breathing. The last one was the man in black who had asked the questions earlier. After seeing Icarus' unbelievable combat skills, his face was now completely pale, and he was trembling all over. He had encountered a monster! He had to run, or he'd be dead! The man in black turned to flee, only to see Icarus standing in front of him. "Ah!" The man in black screamed and raised his gun to shoot Icarus, who was now within arm's reach. Following a sickening squelch, his right hand which had been holding the gun fell to the ground. The man in black fell to the ground screaming at the top of his lungs, his eyes wide open in terror. He needed to call for reinforcements! He had to tell Ingrid that this man was a monster! The man in black used his left hand to pull out an old-fashioned phone from his pocket and dial a number. Icarus watched him quietly. Three seconds later, the call connected. The man in black was about to speak when Icarus snatched the phone from him. "Hello." He was greeted with silence from the other end. "The people you sent have been dealt with. I hate trouble, so I hope this will be the last time," Icarus said. The man in black shouted, "Ms. Young, this man is no ordinary person. You need to send Zeke... Ah!" Before he could finish, Icarus kicked him hard in the chest. The man let out a final scream before he ceased moving, devoid of life. "What's your full name?" Icarus asked into the phone. The person on the other end remained silent. "If you won't say, then forget it. Just remember what I said—don't bother me again." With that, Icarus hung up. After taking a look at the bloodied bodies scattered around, Icarus rubbed his temples. What was going on these past few days? He had encountered more trouble these days than in the past ten years combined! ... At the Young residence, Ingrid put down the phone, her hand trembling slightly. She, nor anyone from her family, had ever been threatened like this before. "Who the hell are you?" Ingrid said through gritted teeth. Her red lips formed a snarl, and her eyes radiated murderous intent. Today, she had sent six of her family's elite fighters, and they had all been wiped out. This wasn't something she had expected would happen. In the past two days, she had lost eight elite fighters. As Ingrid recalled the final words of her subordinate on the phone, she dialed a number. "Ask Zeke Blanche to see me." ... In the VIP ward of a hospital in the city center of Hindale, Melinda woke up from her coma and saw her parents sitting by the bedside. When Damien Johanson saw Melinda wake up, his tense emotions finally eased. "Melinda, you're finally awake. Does it hurt anywhere?" Melinda's mother, Leila Weide, looked very worried. "I'm fine, Dad, Mom," Melinda replied. After confirming that Melinda was not seriously injured, Damien's expression darkened. He asked, "Melinda, are you sure it was the Young family who did this?" "I'm sure. The two assassins thought I was dead and revealed that Ingrid Young was the one who sent them," Melinda said with a slight frown. "Damn them! In the past, our conflicts and clashes were carried out behind the scenes. They're now coming for us straight and even tried to kill my precious daughter! If I don't do something about this, I don't deserve to be your father!" Damien said furiously. After a while, he calmed down a bit and asked, "Melinda, do you remember who saved you? Our family owes him a great debt of gratitude for this. We must repay him." Upon recalling Icarus' incredible skills, Melinda felt a chill. "I... I don't know his name... But he looked very young, and he was an extremely skilled fighter. Those two assassins had guns, but they didn't even have a chance to fire them..." "That's remarkable! Could he be stronger than Micah?" Damien asked. Micah Unwin was Damien's best friend who was like a brother to him. He was an extraordinary 9th-stage innate fighter. Melinda shook her head and said, "I don't know, but that person was indeed very powerful." "No matter what, we owe him one. We must find him and repay his kindness," Damien said. ... The next day at school, Icarus sat at his desk and looked at Ruth, who was sitting beside him. "Hey, aren't you going to fulfill your promise?" Icarus asked. "I'll go after class. Why are you in such a hurry?" Ruth replied in annoyance. Ruth's ego was bruised. It hurt her feelings to think that someone of the opposite sex disliked her this much. After class, she left her seat angrily and walked toward the teachers' office. She could finally get away from being the center of attention and avoid the stares from others. Icarus took a deep breath. Five minutes later, Ruth returned, looking upset as she sat down next to him. "The headteacher wouldn't let me switch seats, and I even got scolded!"