Chapter 1 The King Who Left Hell
The Hive Prison.
This concrete fortress built on an isolated island was known as the most terrifying prison on the planet, housing countless dangerous predators, serial killers, international drug lords, and lunatics who carried out terrorist attacks.
But now, there was only one "king" here—Ethan Williams.
Today was the day before Ethan's release.
The prison's iron gate slammed shut heavily, and a muscular man standing six feet tall walked into the common area. The man was covered in dense gang tattoos all over his body, his eyes as fierce as a hungry wolf.
Rumor had it that this guy had extremely terrifying gang connections on the outside, and even the warden didn't want to mess with him easily. Less than two hours after arriving, he had already beaten three inmates who tried to provoke him in the bathroom until their heads were bleeding and their teeth were scattered all over the floor.
"Listen up, I don't care who your old boss was." The man twisted his thick neck, his bones making a teeth-grinding cracking sound. He looked around at the surrounding prisoners and said with a cold laugh, "From today on, I make the rules here. Where's that waste Ethan? Tell him to crawl out here and lick my shoes."
The surrounding prisoners didn't speak, just silently stepped back to clear a path, their eyes flickering with a strange emotion.
Not fear, more like sympathy.
It was dinner time now, but the cafeteria was eerily quiet.
Ethan sat at a table in the corner, holding a spoon, casually stirring the steaming hot oatmeal in his plate. He didn't look like a prisoner at all. Those deep eyes showed a composure that saw through everything, with a hint of mockery playing at the corners of his mouth.
"You're the kid called Ethan?"
A huge shadow fell over Ethan.
Under countless watching eyes, the tattooed man walked over carrying his own meal tray. Looking at Ethan's not particularly impressive build, his eyes were full of contempt.
"I heard you're pretty tough around here? Now, I want you to kneel down and lick this clean."
As he spoke, the man suddenly lifted the bowl of freshly cooked, steaming hot meat porridge in his hand and poured it straight down toward Ethan's head.
No one saw clearly how Ethan stood up. By the time people realized what was happening, his right hand had already locked onto the man's thick wrist in a death grip.
A crisp bone-breaking sound echoed throughout the entire cafeteria.
The man let out a scream.
His arm, more than twice as thick as Ethan's, was forcibly bent at a ninety-degree angle. The stainless steel bowl slipped from his hand and fell, and that bowl of scalding meat porridge spilled all over the man's own face, burning it bright red with the flesh peeling back.
The shrill scream instantly turned into muffled wailing. His massive body crashed to the ground, rolling around frantically while clutching his scalded face.
Ethan just elegantly pulled out a tissue and wiped his fingers, as if he had just crushed a noisy fly.
Urgent alarm bells rang out, and the warden rushed in with a team of fully armed guards.
"Sir! Help! This maniac is trying to kill me! Shoot him!" The man lay on the ground, roaring madly through the pain.
The warden paid no attention to the man on the ground, just looked at Ethan standing to the side, and instantly broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat on his forehead.
Under the man's shocked, nearly bulging eyes, this usually high-and-mighty warden actually walked quickly to Ethan and bowed deeply.
"My sincere apologies, Mr. Williams. This is my negligence, allowing this trash to disturb your dining experience." The warden turned his head and shouted at the guards, "Drag this stupid idiot out! Throw him in the underground solitary cell! Without my orders, no one is allowed to give him water!"
The man was dragged away like a dead dog, and the cafeteria fell silent again. Ethan casually tossed the tissue on the table and turned to leave.
"Clean this up. I don't want to smell blood when I leave tomorrow."
The next morning, the prison gates slowly opened, and Ethan walked into the blinding sunlight.
Behind him, vicious gang leaders and cold-blooded killers stood in a row, all with their heads lowered. The warden was even more like a servant, carrying Ethan's worn luggage bag, personally seeing off this man who had ruled the Hive Prison for two full years.
Outside the gate, a brand new black Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked.
A man in a custom-made black suit with a shaved head and expressionless face strode up to Ethan. He stopped at just the right distance and bowed his head slightly.
"Mr. Williams, hello. I'm Noah, Leo Anderson's subordinate. From today on, I will serve as your personal assistant." Noah's voice was as steady as a machine, without any excess emotion.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, opened the car door and got in: "Let's go."
Several hours later, a luxury Gulfstream jet with a private logo soared into the sky.
Ethan leaned back in the leather seat, holding a glass of whiskey, looking at the thick clouds outside the window, his thoughts gradually drifting away.
He had once been MIT's brightest genius with a promising future. But because he trusted that woman too much, he took the fall for her brother in a case involving trade secrets, only to be met with heartless betrayal and years of imprisonment.
However, he didn't feel it was a waste.
Because before going to prison, his closest friend at MIT, Professor Leo, found him and gave him a tube of blue serum to drink. From that moment on, Ethan's body underwent earth-shattering changes.
His strength grew to the point where he could stop a speeding car with one hand, and his neural response speed even allowed him to clearly see the flight path of handgun bullets.
He was no longer that ordinary person who just shuttled back and forth in laboratories—he had become a true "monster."
Just a few months ago, the elusive Leo personally visited him in prison. Leo told him that the serum had activated his body's potential and warned him that the world was about to face massive upheaval.
But he didn't explain much more, just left behind some assets, said he would provide help after his release, and then completely disappeared.
Ethan took a sip from his glass, a playful smile curling at his lips. He had thought Leo only left him a few million dollars, but unexpectedly, Leo had thrown him a suffocatingly massive business empire, complete with an all-capable assistant like the Terminator.
"Mr. Williams, we've landed." Noah's voice interrupted Ethan's memories.
The plane came to a smooth stop on the tarmac. Noah stood to the side, respectfully asking: "The convoy below is ready. Do we need to go directly to company headquarters for an inspection? The board members are all waiting for you."
Ethan put down his glass, stood up and stretched, his eyes showing a hint of barely noticeable warmth.
"No."
Ethan walked straight toward the cabin door.
"Get me a cheap car."
"I'm going to my aunt's house."