The street fell quiet after the last thug hit the ground. The shattered remains of ice, fire-scorched pavement, and claw marks etched into walls bore witness to the carnage Jayden had unleashed. His breathing was calm, steady, inhuman.. as though he hadn't just dismantled ten men.

Then a heavy bootstep echoed across the alley. Jayden turned.

It was the leader.

His eyes burned with fury, veins bulging across his arms like living cords of steel.

"You…" he growled, voice thick with hatred. "You think claws and parlor tricks make you a fighter? I'll show you what real strength is!"

Jayden didn't flinch. He twirled the metallic rod once in his grip, his arms still coated in that living sheen of steel. His claws gleamed like silver blades under the dim streetlights, jagged and cruel.

"Strength without control…" Jayden muttered, "…Is nothing but noise."

The leader gritted his teeth. "This won't end like the last time, kid. I promise you ." he seethed.

Then with a roar, the he surged forward, the asphalt cracking under his first step as he charged towards Jayden. His body moved like a boulder launched from a catapult, fist cocked back, brimming with raw power.

Jayden's eyes narrowed, but he stood still. The leader's punch came like a cannonball. Jayden crossed his arms, metal ringing against bone as the blow landed.

BOOM!

The sheer impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, cracking windows on nearby buildings. Dust kicked up, and for a moment the two were locked… strength against strength.

The leader sneered, pushing harder. "You can't hold me!"

Jayden's lips curled. "I don't need to."he muttered, before using his mind to summon the metal rod back to his grip.

Then his claws shot forward in a blur. A metallic slash carved through the air, forcing the leader back a step. Jayden pressed in, rod spinning like a staff, the blows coming sharp and fast. The rod cracked across the leader's ribs, then his jaw, then swept down at his knees with bone-crushing force.

But the leader was no ordinary thug. With a guttural roar, he caught the rod in his hands, veins bursting against the strain. He yanked it, dragging Jayden closer, then swung his other arm in a devastating clothesline.

WHAM.

Jayden was slammed into the side of a parked truck, metal crumpling inward around his frame. The whole vehicle bounced from the impact.

"You're weak!" the leader bellowed.

Jayden stepped out of the dent calmly, dust rolling off his metal-coated arms. His glowing eyes locked on his opponent. Then he cracked his neck, exhaled slow, and let the partial Wolverine Stalker form surge deeper. His muscles thickened, claws lengthened, and his aura spread like a predator's snarl in the air.

The leader charged again. This time, Jayden met him halfway.

The clash was savage, steel claws against raw flesh, the rod spinning in arcs that shattered the ground on impact. Jayden weaved through the man's swings, claws carving lines across his biceps and shoulders, blood spraying into the air. The leader's fists were like wrecking balls, one grazing Jayden's side hard enough to split concrete when it missed.

Jayden answered with speed. He ducked low, telekinetically pulling the rod back into his grip after feinting a throw, then jammed it up beneath the man's ribs with bone-breaking force. The leader staggered but roared, grabbing Jayden by the throat and slamming him down hard enough to crater the ground.

For a second, the world seemed to hold still.

Then Jayden's metal claws pierced through the leader's wrist.

The man screamed, grip breaking. Jayden rolled free, sprang up, and with one final surge of power, he delivered a savage uppercut to the man's jaw.

BAM!

The leader staggered back but didn't fall. He refused to.

But Jayden wasn't finished, he roared, beastly and human at once. Then he struck.

A blur of claws and fist. A rain of metallic slashes and punches. Each blow precise, merciless, fueled by both strength and metal.

The leader's body buckled under the onslaught. His final desperate punch was caught midair… Jayden's steel hand crushing his fist until the bones shattered. With a savage twist, Jayden drove his claws across the man's chest, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap, coughing blood.

Silence returned to the alley.

Jayden stood tall, chest rising and falling, claws dripping red. His golden eyes flickered once, then calmed, the beast receding. He let his claws slid back in, and reverted his skin and bones to normal.

The leader groaned, barely conscious. "Y… you're a monster…"

Jayden stepped closer, crouched, and stared him in the eyes. "No," he said coldly. "I'm a predator."

Then in one swift motion, Jayden's fist slammed into the leader's chest, causing him to gasp in terror as his bones shattered, and his lungs ruptured.

He collapsed to the ground with a thud, unable to breathe as his eyes relaxed and his body stilled.

Jayden exhaled and stood up, staring at the system notification in his line of sight.

[+400 Exp]

[You have killed a level 38 human]

[+200 Exp received]

Jayden closed the system's interface with a thought. His eyes darted to the other two lifeless thugs across the alley.

He had killed three people.

But his expression showed no form of guilt. Instead, he felt relief. Relief that none of the girls got hurt because of him.

But at the same time, he was annoyed. Annoyed that the thugs attacked him and threatened the girls. He was getting sick of it all… thugs, oppression and harassment.

He even considered killing the rest of the thugs passed out on the ground, so they would never get the chance to look for him and think of getting retribution again.

But he decided against it as killing all of them would be wasteful and unnecessary. He had already killed three, including the leader. That was enough to make a statement.

And if it wasn't, he would deal with it when the time comes. For now, he just wanted peace and some rest.

He began to make his way down the alley, heading over to reunite with the girls.