Chapter 3: Crush

Words : 1805 Updated : Oct 9th, 2024

The little girl snuggled obediently in Ethan's arms. Though her big eyes were brimming with tears, she didn't make a sound. She clung tightly to Ethan's clothes, as if terrified he might suddenly disappear. Ethan held this young girl, bound to him by blood, close. He swept his cold gaze over the people on the ground as a murderous intent glinted in his eyes. However, after a moment, that murderous intent gradually dissipated. After all, this was no longer the starry realm, and killing here would only bring endless trouble. More importantly, his Nascent Soul was damaged, and his cultivation was gone. It was best to keep a low profile until he regained his powers. A moment later, Ethan suddenly turned his head toward the open warehouse door. With hearing far beyond that of normal people, he caught faint sounds from afar. Outside the warehouse, a group of people was approaching quickly. Judging by their footsteps, there were at least fifteen people, and they were likely all adults. They must be the accomplices of those incapacitated thugs. Ethan speculated but didn't rush to leave. Since they were already here, he figured he might as well deal with them all at once. "Freeze, police!" A sharp voice rang out from the warehouse entrance. Hearing this, Ethan's brow furrowed, and he regretted his earlier assumption. He'd thought the new arrivals were allies of the thugs he'd taken down but hadn't expected them to be the police. Well, this was certainly going to be a bit troublesome. At the entrance stood a striking, confident female officer, Quinn Zorn, who stepped into the warehouse holding a handgun, the muzzle shifting unpredictably. She scanned her surroundings, noticing the men groaning on the ground, and the four military crossbows lying nearby—all signs of a recent violent struggle. After a brief pause, her gaze landed on Ethan, who stood holding the little girl. On the surface, he looked completely ordinary, but his presence was impossible to ignore. A dozen other officers, men and women, filed into the warehouse. Quinn stepped forward, her gun trained on Ethan the entire time. Coming from a family practicing martial arts, her instincts told her this ordinary-looking man was dangerous. "Freeze! Put the child down, hands on your head, and get down on the ground!" a male officer behind Quinn yelled at Ethan. Ethan stood still, a calm expression on his unremarkable face as he looked over the array of guns. He snorted softly. In the past, he had revered firearms, but after so many years fighting in the starry realm, he'd seen weapons far more terrifying, including some that could obliterate an entire planet with a single strike. These Earth-made firearms barely registered as a threat to him. Even with his Nascent Soul shattered, these people were no threat to him at all. If he wanted, he could eliminate them effortlessly. But he had no intention of doing so. Ethan had paid a steep price to return to Earth, his home, for the sake of those he cared about. If he were to start killing now, it would undoubtedly lead to relentless pursuit. If his powers were intact, he could make those who dared threaten him learn their place. But with his Nascent Soul damaged, being hunted by a national force would be a major headache. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it was best to keep a low profile until he regained his strength. "Let me make one thing clear: I'm not with these people. I attacked them to protect this little girl. I mean no harm." Ethan took a step back as he spoke. He felt a brief explanation was necessary, though in these past few centuries, he'd never once felt the need to explain himself to anyone. The warehouse was tense, as over a dozen police officers stared at Ethan, treating him like a formidable threat. Understandably so; anyone would feel threatened by someone capable of taking down ten armed robbers on his own. But when Ethan took a step back, the atmosphere grew even more tense. Bang! The sound of a gunshot shattered the tense silence. Quinn, hearing the gunshot, looked to the side and saw a young officer beside her, his face shocked, his hand trembling as he held his gun. "Damn it," Quinn cursed as she realized one of her officers had misfired. If someone were injured because of this misfire, she, as the team leader for this operation, would bear the full responsibility. The higher-ups would surely investigate this. She tensed up again but relaxed when she saw that Ethan was unharmed, still standing where he was. Thankfully, the shot had missed. At that moment, Quinn hadn't noticed the expressions of the officers around her. Each of them looked at Ethan with a mix of terror and disbelief, as if they'd seen a ghost. Quinn stepped forward after a slight hesitation. "Quinn, don't get any closer. This guy's dangerous!" Almost all the officers called out to her at once. Quinn paused, puzzled. These officers, usually so fearless, seemed out of character today. Despite her confusion, she continued forward, while her team remained on high alert, their bodies tense, crouching slightly, and their guns all aimed at Ethan. They were ready. If this dangerous man made a move on Quinn, they would open fire. Sure, he might have dodged one bullet, but could he avoid a hail of bullets? Ethan tilted his head, watching this female officer approach him. He had to admit, she was indeed quite attractive. Her looks were secondary, though—it was her physique, honed by constant training, that made her appealing. With her police uniform, she exuded a confident charm that could easily appeal to any man with a thing for uniforms.

Chapter 3: Crush

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