From Bullets To Billions

The pressure radiating off Hercules in that moment was undeniable, and it only intensified after he asked that final, pointed question.

Aron could feel it, clearly. The man wasn't bluffing.

Seeing how serious Hercules looked now, Aron wasn't so sure he could protect his master if the man suddenly lashed out.

Why didn't you tell me anything beforehand, young sir?! Aron thought in a panic. I have no idea what this Invitation is, but with our connections, we could have contacted anyone. We could have forged one, a perfect forgery, down to the tiniest detail. Any stamp, any signature…

It might have cost you a few million, but with this man, it might very well cost you your entire life.

From the corner of his eye, Max could practically feel what Aron was thinking. He didn't need to guess.

But no, no amount of money could forge this Invitation. Not this one.

And that's why Max did the one thing he knew would disarm the moment.

He smiled.

Calmly, he looked straight at Hercules.

"Was that some kind of test?" Max asked, leaning back casually in his seat. "You know I can't do that."

There was a brief pause, just a heartbeat, before Hercules suddenly let out a deep, genuine laugh.

"Haha! I guess you really did get an Invitation," he said, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Still... it's strange. Based on your age, I'd guess you're an heir to some company, or maybe a crime syndicate. Which makes me wonder: why were you given an Invitation?"

Hercules' gaze sharpened again. "Of course, there's always the chance that you killed someone else to claim their Invitation. But if that were the case... coming to me of all people wouldn't make any sense."

He paused for a moment, thoughtfully stroking his chin.

"Now that I think about it... there are reports of many others out there, people like me. With your connections, you should've been able to find quite a few of them. So I have to ask..." Hercules' voice dropped lower, more deliberate now.

"Why did you come to me? Is it because you thought I was the weakest?"

Each question felt like a carefully laid trap, like Hercules was trying to corner them into saying something foolish.

Thankfully, Max had anticipated this line of questioning. He had, after all, prepared for exactly this moment.

"That's not the case," Max replied firmly. "You should know what most of them are like. They wouldn't even meet with me. They'd kill me on the spot.

"Even if I told them I had an Invitation, they'd assume it was some kind of trap."

His voice was steady now, his gaze never wavering.

"However... as you said, even though you've received an Invitation, you don't attend any of the events. You don't take part in their world. Which tells me, you don't care."

Max leaned forward slightly.

"And the second reason... is simple. I heard rumors that you once took in a student."

Those words struck a nerve. Max could see it clearly, Hercules' reaction was immediate. His gaze dropped to the floor, his expression hardening for just a moment.

Sensing the shift, Max chose to press on, to fill the sudden silence.

"I've been given an Invitation," he continued, voice low but resolute. "And unlike you... I don't have the strength to survive what's coming."

He clenched his fists slightly. "I've done well so far, thanks to the man by my side, and thanks to my connections. But without strength... it's only a matter of time."

Max took a breath, letting the weight of his next words land.

"There had to be a reason why you took a student before, right? If it's money... or anything else you need, whatever it is, I'll do my best to provide it." He looked Hercules straight in the eye. "If you'll just teach me."

For a long moment, Hercules said nothing. But then, slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze locking with Max's, sharp and unwavering.

"Anything I want," Hercules said at last. His voice was calm, but there was a tension beneath it. "You're right, there wasa reason why I took a student before. And that... is exactly why I'm reluctant to do it again."

He leaned back slightly.

"But I can see you have your reasons," Hercules added. "And I can see how desperately you need this."

A pause. Then Hercules gave a small nod.

"I'll teach you," he said simply. "Since you want it so badly."

But then he lifted two fingers in the air.

"However... I have my conditions."

Max held his breath, listening intently.

"The first," Hercules said, his voice turning cold. "And the most important. If you ever come across that student of mine... someday, somewhere... I want you to do what I cannot."

His gaze darkened.

"I want you to kill him."

Max blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected that. Had the relationship between Hercules and his former student turned so bitter?

But Max wasn't about to question it. Not now, not when he had finally gotten what he came here for. If Hercules didn't want to explain, Max wasn't about to push and risk angering him.

However, something about it all felt strange.

Couldn't Hercules just take care of his own student himself? Max wondered. Or... was he saying that his student was even stronger than him?

"If you truly have received an Invitation," Hercules continued, his tone even, "then there's a good chance you'll cross paths with him eventually. For he, too, has an Invitation."

Max's mind spun at the revelation. If he remembered correctly from the information he'd gathered... Hercules' student was supposed to be around the same age as Max.

Someone so young receiving an Invitation... I've never heard of anything like that before.

Then it hit him, like a sudden spark of clarity.

Wait... is that why he agreed to meet with me? Max realized. It's not just because of the Invitation. It's because I'm a student, someone around the same age as his former student.

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Max straightened in his seat.

"If that is your wish," Max said firmly, "then I will do it. Are there... any details I should know?"

Hercules shook his head slowly.

"You'll know if you ever meet my student," he said. "And I don't want you seeking him out. Only act if he ever crosses your path, if he ever gets in your way."

With that, Hercules lowered one of the fingers he'd held up, leaving one remaining.

"Now... for the second condition." His voice turned cold once again. "I will teach you for one day only. And that day... is today. After that, I don't want to see you here again. If you return, I'll get rid of you myself."

"One day?!" Max exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "But what can I possibly learn in just one day?"

Hercules shook his head, eyes unwavering.

"If you can't learn it in one day," he said flatly, "then you wouldn't learn it in a hundred years. One day was all it took... for him to learn it."

His words hung heavy in the air.

"And there's no guarantee you'll even be able to learn what I have to teach," Hercules added.

Max felt the weight of the challenge settle on his shoulders.

There was no choice. He had to agree to the terms, whether he liked them or not. This might be his only chance.

But just how much could he really learn in a single day? And would it be enough to prepare him for what was coming, for the looming fight against the Rejected Corps?

Max clenched his fists.

"Alright," he said. "Deal. I guess we better not waste any time."