Chapter 270 - [Bonus ]Filled And Refilled

Uncle Jo has had a fair experience of brutality. Although this was disturbing, it didn't make him as pale as the others. This was already expected of Teren, he thought.

'Mesi...'

He regretted not talking to his friend's son. Now, it's all too late. You cannot bring someone back from the dead.

"It's his choice. Bury them somewhere."

Teren stood up and went back. None noticed but he too has a pallid face. This was the first time he killed another again after he regained some of his emotions. Furthermore, he killed a good man again.

Does he have the right to be guilty?

Every time he got into this mood, Teren would ask himself this. Catherine's word back then echoed in his head stronger now than before.

'I'm disgusting...'

He internally sighed before standing in front of the new Aberrants.

"Alright... all those who still want to change leaders, step forward!"

He raised his voice, startling them. Obviously, after his terrifying showcase of prowess, only a retard would come forward or those seeking death. None of them were either.

Teren dust himself off as he already expected this. After a while, he spoke again.

"You will all listen to Uncle Jo and those before you. Don't worry, this will not be slavery." Teren was straightforward about it, "As long as you're obedient, you'll get richer than those who work twice as you." he then smiled, "That's all."

It's not all punishment, they need some reward as well. Giving them money for their work should be obvious but currently, they're too scared to think about the money. That's why Teren restated what they can get.

This immediately changed what they view Teren as. At first, it was a tyrannical devil but now, it's a tyrannical boss devil. What's the difference? Well, at least they gain money from obeying him. Money is powerful to those in the working class anyway, they wouldn't deny getting an extra penny.

With that said, Teren talked to the core members of the Devi House, namely; Uncle Jo, Old Derman, Nathan, and Dennis. Hanon was still not there. He should be finishing some work as a teacher, he's been passionate about it. Meanwhile, Alph is always on his business trip, expanding his business with the promise of his company growing exponentially. Just the fact that he defeated Jomar, Josh's big brother, brokerage agency in his first month will make investors swoon over his potential.

Teren brought them the news of what he had been doing while omitting the part where he tortured Trisha. This shook Old Derman to his very bones.

"The... Drago House is on our side...?!"

"Yes, I'll make some scheduled meetings where you can talk to them. I'll... be active on the chat from now on. That's my bad."

After hearing the reason why Teren is nowhere to be seen, they could no longer hate him for it. He just invaded the whole Drago House - a force that even a hundred Devi House wouldn't be able to threaten - won, and forged alliance!

Who could do that!?

Inevitably, instead of being bitter that Teren was out of reach for a long while, they respected him instead. The next time he's out of reach again, they wouldn't complain.

However, of course, there's still lingering doubt. Teren was not the one to joke or say empty words but it's still the Drago House that they are talking about. Although Teren made use of the Drago people against others back then, that's entirely different from having the whole Drago House as their backup.

"Okay... we'll wait for them, Boss Hark." Uncle Jo said while Old Derman nodded, slightly lowering his head.

Afterward, Teren left a final piece of advice.

"Continue what you're doing, but be sure to be ready for war every moment."

This struck the core members deeply and thought that they should train the Aberrants while giving them some task, right?

They cannot make an individual stronger but they could train them to act as one, strengthening their overall power significantly.

For that, they need a wide ground. While discussing, Teren said to them that they should return to the Public. So, is that what Teren was thinking when he claimed that den of delinquents? Old Derman asked himself.

He and Uncle Jo looked at each other. They have to take what Teren said seriously, they both agreed.

Afterward, Teren left with Nick.

"What you did earlier? Is it intentional to make others fear you?"

"Did I scare you?"

Teren replied to Nick's question with another question.

"Who wouldn't?" Nick tensely laughed.

"Nah, don't think about it. I only do that to enemies. What you did back then, aren't you trying to make an enemy out of me?"

"Yeah, okay, sorry about that." Nick apologized to which he asked himself.

'Wait, why am I apologizing?'

"So, forget about it. I mean... w-we're friends."

Hearing this made Nick look at Teren to see him facing the other direction.

"I-is that so..."

Nick awkwardly scratched his head while looking away.

"So... since we're friends, I shouldn't take money from you while I teach you how to ball, right?"

"No," Teren replied outright as he faced forward again, "I'm taking the time you should be using to make money. It's natural I should pay you. Also, how many times should I say it? I don't really need the money I have. As long as you don't abuse it, you can ask me for it."

"O-oh, I wouldn't do that. That's not what friends do."

Nick smiled, getting clingy on the word 'friend'

"Yeah, but I trust you as a friend so no need to be reserved."

Teren was getting influenced by it.

"Then I guess I'll take money from you as a friend."

"I could also use you since I'm your friend."

"..."

"..."

The two then burst into laughter afterward before continuing their conversation. On their way, they would stop and get some snacks.

"It's best to place some food into your stomach first and have something to hydrate yourself... wait, this only applies to normal people." Nick raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not normal then?"

"I don't think anyone normal can invade a whole gang territory though." 

Nick chuckled to which Teren agreed. Surprisingly, it doesn't affect him as much as before. Once again, he felt that relaxing sensation which he felt before the camping incident.

Teren now realized what it is now, somehow.

'I'm happy for having a friend...?'

To be ordinary, that's a step forward...

The two eventually reached the basketball court and surprisingly, it was the same court where Teren's name as the 'Hat Guy' spread.

There, they saw that people were already playing ball. Of course, others would play at the public court. They assumed that since there's something happening in the city right now, there shouldn't be people playing at the court.

Also, looking at them, some of them were familiar to him. Since they were at the same place that he met them, he realized that they were the guys that participated in the battle royale back then. The ones who lasted.

"What should we do?"

Nick asked.

"Let's shoo them away."

Teren answered which Nick wasn't surprised.

"Or... we could challenge them."

"What? It's just needless killin-"

"No, no," Nick immediately intercepted Teren's words, "I mean, for a game of ball."

"Oh but... I don't even know the rules."

Teren doubted that he could even score a point.

"It's just street basketball, there are little rules. I'll teach it to you on the way. Just imitate the other players first."

"Sure, I guess making it a challenge will make me grow faster. We don't have much time anyway." Teren agreed, he wasn't scared to fail.

Reaching the court, they entered, making eyes fall upon them.

"Hm?"

The game stopped when the long-haired man with a chiseled jaw saw Teren. He's Sean, the one called Remarian Terrorist. During the Battle Royale within that same place, Teren killed two people and one of them was Sean's 'rival' who's actually his childhood friend, Vander, the so-called "Panther"

"That kid looks familiar..."

He held the ball so the game stopped. The giant guy titled the 'Bulldozer' Gomaro replied.

"Hm? Really? I'm bad at remembering faces."

After the incident there at the court, Sean wanted revenge so much that he managed to take the strongest people back at the battle royale to his team, including the Bulldozer, Sam, and even the glasses guy and PackBoy.

After experiencing the same, they got along pretty well. With the idea of getting back to 'Hat Guy', they formed a team or as others call them, they are the "Vengeance"

Some called them the Revengers but it was rejected. Furthermore, "Vengeance" was a cooler name for their group.

However, after some time had passed without anyone knowing where or who Hat Guy is, the group settled down and just hang out. Sean couldn't forget what happened to Vander but while hanging out with these guys, the void inside of him was getting refilled.

At that moment, Catherine and her group arrived.