From Bullets To Billions

Hercules lifted the thick branch, his muscles flexing as he held it out like a makeshift spear. His gaze locked on Max, and Max could see the intent burning behind those eyes, he was ready to hurl it right at him. Last time it had hit his leg, but this time? Who knew where it would land. Maybe it would be a fatal blow.

'No. I'm not dying again. I'm not going through that... not until I find out who the bastard was that did this to me! Not until I get back at the White Tigers!

The gang I built. The gang I created. I'll make sure it topples down!'

Fueled by the torrent of thoughts raging in his mind, a sudden surge of energy erupted inside Max's body. His pulse raced as if something deep within had been awakened, forcing his battered body to move.

With a sharp breath, Max launched himself off the ground like a frog, using every ounce of strength left to propel himself into the air.

WHOOSH!

The branch flew past him, missing him by mere inches. With a loud THUNK, it embedded itself deep into the ground where Max had been just moments before.

Landing hard, Max didn't stop. His instincts kicked in, run, move, survive. He sprinted for a short distance, weaving through the trees until he found cover once more, ducking behind the thick trunk of an old oak.

There, he crouched, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Sweat dripped down his face. He glanced downward, the branch that had hit him earlier was still embedded in his leg, blood staining the fabric around it.

'I have to think of a vow… something that will give me a strong resolve.

But something that's not too easy for me... but what? This makes no sense…' Max thought, frustration mixing with desperation.

Ideas flickered through his mind like sparks in the dark. Some vows felt too extreme, to give up his revenge? That would certainly be powerful, but it would also defeat the entire purpose of why he was fighting. That wasn't an option.

Then there were vows that didn't resonate, he had no issue with food or drink, so making a vow related to that would be meaningless.

He considered harsher vows, to never speak again? To never feel love?

Yes, they were extreme, almost impossible to endure, but were they the right ones?

And then there were vows that felt too weak. Even taking love aside, he imagined that for a Jigloo, a creature that couldn't help themselves, such a vow would be incredibly strong. But for him? It wouldn't carry the same weight.

Max's thoughts continued to swirl, options racing through his mind. The clock was ticking, he needed to decide. And fast.

'For me… what else could there be?' Max's mind raced. 'The other issue... didn't he say that if the vow was broken, it would be reset? But… does it really have to be that way?'

Thoughts swirled, pulling him deeper into a mental maze. 'In the first place, Hercules seemed to be speaking more from theory than experience. Maybe it's because of the type of vows people normally take...'

A new idea began to take shape. 'If everything is based on the state of the human mind, then most vows would either be broken or unbroken... black or white. But what if a vow could be placed on something more tangible? Something real… something measurable.'

Lost in these thoughts, Max had momentarily forgotten about the immediate threat, the monstrous presence that still lurked in the forest.

A voice boomed through the trees, sharp enough to snap him out of his trance.

"You think you can hide?" Hercules called, a wicked grin in his voice. "If you hide, you won't feel the true terror of almost losing your life. So... I'll force you out of hiding."

Max's eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat as he heard movement.

Hercules approached the nearest massive tree. Without a hint of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around its thick trunk. Muscles bulged and veins popped as he gritted his teeth, and with an earth-shaking CRACK, he tore the tree from its roots.

'He... he just uprooted a tree…!' Max thought, heart pounding.

With terrifying ease, Hercules began to swing the colossal tree left and right like a giant club. The trunk smashed into nearby trees, the sound of splintering wood echoing through the forest.

One by one, the trees toppled over, crashing into one another like dominoes. Birds fled in frantic bursts of wings, scattering high into the sky.

"Alright…" Hercules said with a menacing smirk. "You got further than I thought. Next lot."

And with that, he jumped from his position, still gripping the massive tree in hand. The sheer power and agility of the man were something Max had never expected, not at all.

When Hercules landed, his eyes locked on Max's general direction. He wasted no time. With a grunt, he swung the tree once more, and it was far faster than Max had anticipated.

'Too fast…!' Max's instincts screamed. He could already see how it would play out, the tree would come crashing through his hiding spot and obliterate everything in its path.

Max turned to run, but it was too late. The massive trunk struck the surrounding trees, snapping one clean in half. As the shattered half of the trunk tumbled downward, a large portion of it landed hard, right where Max was moving.

"Argh!" Max groaned as he fell to the forest floor. Pain shot through him like lightning.

Heavy footsteps approached. The sound of crunching wood and dragging debris grew louder with every step. Max gritted his teeth, barely able to move, his foot pinned beneath one of the fallen tree trunks.

'Damn it… no… not now…!' he thought, fighting the searing pain.

Through blurred vision, he saw a shadow loom overhead. Hercules stood tall, eyes gleaming with cold amusement.

Without a word, the giant man bent down, fingers sinking deep into the bark of the fallen tree. With a guttural growl, he hoisted the massive trunk with alarming ease, and hurled it aside like it weighed nothing.

As soon as the heavy tree had been lifted off Max, he didn't waste a second, he scrambled, doing his best to scurry away on the forest floor. But before he could get far, a massive hand clamped down around his body.

"You're a disappointment." Hercules growled, lifting Max effortlessly off the ground and pulling him close until their faces were nearly touching. His breath was hot, his eyes filled with disdain. "When you came all this way, I thought you had a strong resolve to see it through. But now… now I see it's useless."

Without loosening his grip, Hercules glanced upward and spotted a towering tree nearby. With a smirk, he started climbing, one-handed.

Using sheer strength, he yanked himself upward, hurling his body through the air, dragging Max along with him as if he weighed nothing. The wind rushed past Max's ears. In no time at all, they reached the uppermost branches near the top of the tree.

"Look where we are." Hercules said, voice low and menacing. "We're still at the peak of the mountain. You can see how steep it is down there."

Max's gaze followed where Hercules pointed. His stomach twisted. The mountainside was a sheer drop, almost vertical in places.

"If I fling your body down that slope," Hercules continued, his tone darkening, "do you think you'd survive?"

Max swallowed hard. The answer was clear: no chance.

If thrown with enough velocity, he'd bounce and roll uncontrollably. The jagged rocks and thick trees scattered down the slope would tear him apart before gravity pulled him even further. Maybe, maybe, if he were extremely lucky, something would break his fall. But the odds were slim to none.

'Did Hercules trick me? Was all of this talk just a game, a way to get me killed?' Max wondered, panic rising. 'It feels like he's really going to kill me now…'

"You ready?" Hercules asked, meeting Max's gaze with a wicked grin.

Max's eyes flickered, and to Hercules' surprise, he smiled back.

Without hesitation, Max reached out and wrapped both of his hands tightly around Hercules' wrist. His grip was firm, unwavering.

"I finally thought of something…" Max said, voice steady. "Something I can use to forge my resolve."

For once, Hercules remained silent. Curious, he gave Max the space to speak.

Max drew in a deep breath.

"My answer… is money."

That earned a raised eyebrow from Hercules, but Max pressed on.

"And I don't mean a vow like yours, not something like refusing to spend it. No. Instead, I will link my vow, my whole strength, everything, around money."

Max's eyes gleamed with determination now.

"If I lose my money, then I won't lose access to my power but just a part of it. But unless I hit zero… it won't be gone. And the opposite is true as well! If I increase my wealth, my strength will increase too!"

A grin stretched across Max's face as he shouted, voice echoing through the treetops.

"My vow is to link whatever this strange access is… to my money! That's my life now. That's who I am. And that's how I'll live from this moment on!"

For a moment, there was silence between them.

Then Hercules chuckled, a deep, amused sound.

"I've never heard a crazier answer…" he said. "Enjoy the trip."