novelnext Chapter 514 A New King II
Chapter 514 A New King II
Liam folded his arms across his chest and looked at Ivan for a few seconds before speaking.
"So twelve years ago... tell me what happened."
The bathroom area had become strangely quiet. The two men Liam had thrown around earlier were still on the ground groaning and clutching various parts of their bodies, but apart from them nobody else was there. The sound of dripping water echoed faintly from a broken pipe somewhere above. The fluorescent lights hanging from the stained ceiling flickered every few seconds, bathing the room in an ugly white glow.
Ivan gritted his teeth.
Despite everything that had happened, despite seeing Liam throw grown men around like sacks of potatoes, he still refused to back down.
His pride would not allow it.
He straightened his shoulders and stared directly into Liam’s eyes.
"Listen... stranger."
His voice was rough.
"I don’t give a fuck who you are."
He took a step forward.
"But in here, I am king."
He spread his arms slightly as if presenting the prison around them.
"Nobody dares challenge me."
His expression darkened.
"And you walking into this block and harassing me?"
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"You better pray the guards protect you on your way out."
For a moment Liam simply stared at him.
Then he smiled.
Not a normal smile.
The kind of smile someone gave after hearing something unbelievably stupid.
"Incredible."
Ivan frowned.
Liam shook his head slowly.
"You don’t know the problem you’re in, do you?"
Ivan snorted.
"What fucking problem?"
Before he could finish speaking, Liam disappeared.
One second he was standing several metres away.
The next second he was directly in front of Ivan.
No footsteps.
No warning.
No blur.
Nothing.
Just there.
Ivan froze.
His brain struggled to process what had happened.
A second ago Liam had clearly been standing over there.
Now he was standing here.
Right in front of him.
Close enough for Ivan to see every detail on his face.
Close enough to feel his breathing.
The prison boss blinked.
Then blinked again.
Surely he imagined it.
His eyes immediately dropped toward the cigarette still resting between his fingers.
It was the same cheap prison cigarette he always smoked.
Nothing special.
Nothing unusual.
There was no way he was hallucinating.
No way.
Yet what he had just witnessed made absolutely no sense.
Humans did not move like that.
Nobody moved like that.
His heartbeat began speeding up.
For the first time since Liam arrived, genuine uncertainty crept into his mind.
Liam tilted his head.
"You still won’t talk?"
Ivan forced out a laugh.
It sounded much weaker than before.
"So what?"
He swallowed.
"You think I’ll fold because of your little magic trick?"
Liam chuckled.
The sound sent an uncomfortable chill through Ivan.
"You think that was a little magic trick?"
The smile slowly vanished from Liam’s face.
Everything about him changed.
The relaxed posture disappeared.
The amusement disappeared.
Even the atmosphere around him seemed different.
Dangerous.
Ivan suddenly felt like he was standing in front of a predator.
Before he could react, Liam’s hand shot forward.
It closed around his neck.
Then lifted.
Effortlessly.
"Khhhk!"
Ivan’s eyes widened.
The ground vanished beneath his feet.
His body rose into the air as though he weighed absolutely nothing.
His cigarette fell from his fingers and landed on the wet floor below.
For a moment his brain simply stopped working.
He was a large man.
Heavy.
Strong.
Most people couldn’t even move him when he planted his feet.
Yet Liam was holding him up with one hand.
One hand.
"Khhhk! Ghhk!"
His legs kicked wildly.
His hands immediately grabbed Liam’s wrist.
He tried pulling it away.
Nothing happened.
The arm felt like solid steel.
Panic began rising inside his chest.
The two injured prisoners looked up and their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Neither dared move.
Neither dared speak.
They simply watched.
Ivan’s shoes swung helplessly above the floor as he struggled for air.
"Khhhk! Ghh!"
His face was already turning red.
Liam didn’t even look strained.
He wasn’t using both hands.
He wasn’t bracing himself.
He simply stood there casually holding a fully grown man in the air.
Ivan couldn’t understand it.
The young man looked like he belonged on a fashion magazine cover.
Not like somebody capable of this.
Not like somebody with strength that bordered on insanity.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Ivan slammed both fists repeatedly against Liam’s forearm.
The impacts echoed through the bathroom.
Liam didn’t move.
Not even slightly.
The more Ivan struggled, the more terrifying it became.
It felt like fighting a statue.
A statue that could kill him whenever it wanted.
His lungs burned.
His vision began blurring around the edges.
Dark spots started appearing.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
The confidence he had displayed earlier was completely gone now.
There was only fear.
Raw fear.
The kind that appeared when a person finally realized death might actually be standing in front of them.
"P-P..."
His voice barely came out.
"Khh..."
His body continued twitching helplessly.
"P-Please..."
The word escaped his mouth like a broken whisper.
Liam’s eyes narrowed.
But he pretended not to hear.
Instead, he leaned closer.
Much closer.
Close enough for Ivan to see the coldness inside his eyes.
Close enough for Ivan to realize this man was not joking.
Not playing.
Not bluffing.
Liam tilted his head slightly.
"What?"
His voice was soft.
Almost curious.
"What are you saying?"
Ivan’s heart nearly stopped.
Because for the first time since entering prison twelve years ago...
He realized he was no longer dealing with a man he could intimidate.
He was dealing with someone who could end him whenever he wanted.
And judging by the look in Liam’s eyes, his patience was running out.
"P-Please..."
The word barely escaped Ivan’s throat.
It came out broken and weak, almost unrecognizable.
It wasn’t just the word that escaped him.
Tears followed.
Actual tears.
They rolled down his face as panic completely overtook him.
"Please"