Villain Origin : Every Crime I Commit Helps Me Level Up-Chapter 13: The Alley Fight

Andre rolled his shoulders, his smirk widening. His glowing purple eyes scanned each of them lazily, committing their stances and weapons to memory.

Seven on one?

'Fair fight.'

Ethan stood at the center, his lips curled in amusement, but his eyes betrayed his frustration.

"You really think you're something special, don't you?" Ethan sneered, stepping forward. "You humiliated me, Andre. And now, I get to remind you of your place."

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Andre let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "You're acting like this is some big moment for you, Ethan. But honestly?" His smirk widened. "This just feels like a warm-up for me."

[ Ding! New Task Generated. ]

[ Survive the Ambush. ]

[ Objective: Defeat all seven opponents. ]

[ Reward: EP Boost + ??? Gift ]

[ Failure: Broken bones & Reputation Loss ]

'A consequence if I fail?... this is new'

Andre's heart pounded with excitement.

'Finally.'

For days, he'd been testing the limits of his new body—subtle exercises, small experiments—but this? This was the real test.

Ethan snapped his fingers. "Break him."

One of the thugs—a bald brute with a scar down his cheek—grinned as he charged forward, swinging a steel pipe straight at Andre's ribs.

Andre's body moved before his mind even fully processed it.

The moment the pipe whistled toward him, Andre twisted, the rush of wind tickling his shirt as the weapon cut through empty air. Before the thug could react, Andre stepped in and caught his wrist in a vice grip.

"Too slow."

A sharp elbow to the jaw sent the man sprawling onto the pavement, unconscious before he hit the ground.

"One."

The second thug—a massive wall of muscle—roared, swinging a bat at Andre's skull. Instead of dodging, Andre leaned into it, catching the handle mid-swing. His fingers clamped down like a steel trap, ripping the weapon clean from the man's grasp.

The thug's eyes widened. "What the—"

Andre slammed the bat into his ribs. Crack. The man let out a strangled grunt before dropping to his knees, wheezing.

"Two."

Scarface lunged from behind, attempting to wrap Andre in a chokehold. Predictable.

Andre shifted his weight and slammed his head backward into the man's nose. Scarface recoiled with a cry, clutching his now-broken nose, blood pouring down his lips. Andre followed up with a sharp knee to his gut, sending him collapsing onto the concrete.

"Three."

The remaining four hesitated.

'Smart.'

"You idiots!" Ethan snapped. "Stop standing around and finish him!"

The hesitation vanished.

Two charged at once. One swung a crowbar at Andre's leg while the other aimed a punch at his head.

Andre sidestepped the first attack, grabbed the crowbar-wielding thug's wrist, and yanked him forward—straight into his own teammate's punch. The sickening crack of bone-on-bone echoed through the alley as both men staggered.

Andre capitalized immediately, driving a brutal kick into the first thug's knee. Pop. He screamed, crumbling to the ground.

"Four."

The second thug barely had time to react before Andre spun and delivered a precise jab to his throat. He choked, clutching his neck, his eyes bulging as he collapsed.

"Five."

The last two exchanged uneasy glances.

Andre rolled his neck. Still so much energy left.

'This body is insane.'

One of them—clearly the most experienced—took a cautious step forward, raising his fists properly. "Don't underestimate us, you little—"

Andre cut him off with a feint, forcing the thug to instinctively guard his face. That was all he needed. He dropped low, sweeping the man's legs out from under him before driving an elbow into his temple as he fell.

"Six."

The final thug looked at Ethan, then at Andre, then back at Ethan.

He turned and ran.

Andre exhaled slowly, cracking his knuckles. "Seven."

Silence.

The only sound was the groans of the defeated men around him.

Ethan stood frozen, his face pale, his once-confident smirk completely gone.

Andre turned, his glowing purple eyes locking onto him. "So, Ethan..." He took a step forward, rolling his shoulders. "Still feeling brave?"

Ethan took an instinctive step back, his jaw clenching. "You think this means something?" he spat. "So what? You beat up some thugs? That doesn't change anything!"

Andre chuckled, tilting his head. "You're right, Ethan." His smirk grew. "It changes nothing. Because you were already beneath me before this even started."

Ethan's fists trembled. "You—"

Andre closed the distance in a blink.

Ethan flinched.

Andre grinned. "Relax, I'm not gonna hit you." He leaned in slightly. "But next time? Pick better men."

Before turning away, Andre's gaze drifted to one of the conscious thugs groaning on the ground. A cruel idea struck him. He reached down, gripping the man by the collar and yanking him up effortlessly.

Ethan's breath hitched.

Andre's glowing purple eyes bore into the thug's soul, his fingers tightening just enough to make a point. "I don't ever want to see your ugly faces again" Andre said in a dangerously low tone. "If you ever try this again..." His grip tightened further, his smirk sharpening.

The thug nodded frantically, his face drenched in cold sweat. "I-I got it! I swear!"

Andre exhaled through his nose and released him. The thug crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

Then, a sharp pat pat pat echoed through the alley.

Andre's eyes flicked toward Ethan—who stood there frozen, his face drained of color.

A dark stain spread down his designer trousers.

The alley was silent.

Julian blinked. "No way..."

Andre arched a brow, his smirk widening. "Damn."

Ethan trembled, fists clenched at his sides, but no words came out. His legs refused to move, his body betraying him.

Andre clicked his tongue. "Wow. That's rough, man." He took a step back, waving a hand in front of his face. "Might wanna get that cleaned up before anybody sees you. Just saying."

Ethan snapped out of his daze, his face twisting in rage and humiliation. Without another word, he turned and stormed off, shoving past the unconscious bodies of his own men.

Julian covered his mouth, trying and failing to suppress his laughter. 'Dude... DUDE.'

Andre stretched, exhaling deeply. The rush of the fight was already fading, but his excitement lingered.

'I need a bigger challenge.'

As he turned to leave, something caught Andre's attention.

A faint scent.

Not the usual alley stench of sweat and blood. Something... subtly sweet.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Then, the softest rustle. Like the whisper of fabric brushing against a surface.

Andre's gaze flicked toward a shadowy corner near the alley entrance, his senses sharpening.

Nothing.

But someone had been there. Watching.

The feeling was undeniable.

He glanced at the ground, catching sight of something small—almost unnoticeable in the dim alley light. A broken sliver ball bracelet .

Andre stared at it for a second.

Then shrugged.

'Not my problem.'

Without another thought, he strolled off, his hands in his pockets, Julian trailing behind him.

Andre took a sharp pause while walking

"You can come out now, Julian."

A beat of silence. Then, from behind a nearby wall, Julian stepped into view, his expression caught somewhere between awe and exasperation.

"How the hell did you know I was here?" Julian asked, crossing his arms.

Andre chuckled, not even bothering to look back. "I knew from the moment you started following me. You weren't exactly subtle."

Julian scoffed. "Subtle? I was practically a damn ninja."

Andre finally glanced over his shoulder, amusement dancing in his eyes. "If that's what you want to believe." He stretched lazily. "Besides, I wanted to put on a show for you. Hope you enjoyed it."

Julian blinked, then shook his head with a dry laugh. "You're insane, man."

Andre smirked. "And yet, you're still here."

Julian sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get out of here before campus security starts asking questions."

Andre didn't argue. With a final glance at the alley, he turned back toward campus, walking ahead while Julian fell in step beside him.