Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1108 1108: Speed Running Life events (8) || The Underworld

Rudy went to the city. Even at night, the post-apocalyptic metropolis didn't sleep; it just changed predators. Sirens wailed in the distance, mixing with the guttural roars of monsters lurking in the quarantined zones.

Rudy stood on the edge of a crumbling gargoyle atop a skyscraper, looking down at the sprawl. He wasn't looking for lights or movement. He was looking for a void.

In this new world, everyone leaked energy. Awakened humans buzzed like static. Monsters felt like rotting meat. But he needed the specific, freezing emptiness of a high-ranking demon.

He closed his eyes, filtering out the noise. He ignored the flickering aura of the S-Rank hero patrolling three blocks over. He ignored the nest of arachnids in the sewers.

There.

Deep in the heart of the commercial district, buried beneath layers of concrete and lead, was something or someone he was looking for.

The Obsidian Club

"Found you," Rudy muttered.

He didn't fly. He stepped off the ledge and let gravity take him, shifting into a bolt of lightning just before impact.

It wasn't just a nightclub; it was a fortress disguised as a vice den. The Obsidian Club was where the new world's currency like Mana Crystals and Monster Cores, changed hands off the books.

The queue outside was long, filled with desperate Awakened and corrupt officials. Two bouncers, both hulking Tank-class Awakened, guarded the velvet rope.

Rudy walked past the line. He wore the casual clothes he'd stolen from his own closet earlier, looking entirely out of place among the armored mercenaries and tuxedo-clad mobsters.

"Ticket," the first bouncer grunted, stepping in Rudy's path. His skin was covered in stone-like scales.

"I'm here for the auction," Rudy said, not breaking stride.

"Auction is invite onl—"

Rudy didn't stop. He walked straight into the man. There was a wet crunch as the kinetic force of his movement transferred directly into the bouncer's chest cavity. The man didn't fly back; he simply folded, his ribs pulverizing instantly. He dropped to the pavement, gasping for air that his lungs could no longer hold.

The second bouncer reached for his weapon.

Rudy flicked a finger. A condensed bullet of air punched through the man's kneecap.

The line of people went silent. Rudy stepped over the groaning bodies and pushed the heavy steel doors open.

Inside, the bass shook the floor. Rudy ignored the dance floor and headed straight for the VIP elevator in the back. Guards rushed to intercept him—men with rifles and magic wands.

Rudy didn't slow down. He unleashed a pulse of pure killing intent. It wasn't magic; it was the psychic weight of a man who had slaughtered armies. The guards froze, their survival instincts screaming at them to play dead. They collapsed to their knees, vomiting or passing out from the sheer pressure.

The elevator doors pinged open. Rudy stepped in and pressed the button for the sub-basement.

The sub-basement was quiet. A circular table dominated the room, surrounded by shadowy figures representing the city's various syndicates.

At the head of the table sat Maria.

She looked younger than Rudy remembered. Her dark hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and she wore a suit that cost more than the building above them. She was trying to look like the Don, but her eyes betrayed her stress. Her father was dead in this timeline, leaving her to hold the wolves at bay.

"I don't care about your territories," Maria said, her voice steady but strained. "The artifacts are sold to the highest bidder. That is the rule."

"Rules change, Princess," a scarred man to her left sneered. He slammed a heavy, gauntleted fist on the table. "Your father is gone. You need protection. My organization is willing to provide it... for a 60% cut."

The elevator doors slid open.

Rudy walked in, hands in his pockets. "Sixty percent? That's a rip-off. I usually only charge ten."

Every head turned.

Maria stood up, her hand hovering near the panic button under the table. "Who are you? How did you get past the guards?"

"Your guards are taking a nap," Rudy said, walking toward the empty chair at the opposite end of the table. "And I'm here to collect a debt."

"A debt?" Maria narrowed her eyes. "I don't know you."

"Your father did. He made a wager before he died. He bet that if his daughter ever got in over her head, I'd be the one to fish her out." Rudy sat down and propped his feet up on the mahogany table. "I'm here to cash in."

The scarred man stood up, his gauntlet glowing with red energy. "I don't know who this clown is, but kill him."

He gestured to his own bodyguards.

"Lilim," Maria whispered.

The shadows behind Maria's chair elongated. A silhouette detached itself from the darkness, forming into a woman with pale skin, crimson eyes, and horns curving back from her forehead. She wore a butler's uniform that did little to hide the lethal grace of her frame.

"Oh, hey there." Rudy glanced over at her and greeted her.

Lilith moved so fast that she blurred, but of course, Rudy could see her.

She bypassed the scarred man entirely and lunged for Rudy. Her duty was to eliminate the intruder first. A blade made of solidified shadow materialized in her hand, aimed directly at Rudy's jugular.

It was a kill strike. S-Class speed. Unblockable for any human.

Rudy didn't even blink. He raised his left hand, extending two fingers.

CLANG.

The shockwave cracked the table in half.

The dust settled, and the room went deathly silent.

Rudy was holding Lilim's shadow blade between his index and middle finger. He hadn't moved an inch from his chair.

Lilim's eyes widened. For the first time in centuries, the demon looked confused. She pulled, trying to retract the weapon, but it was like trying to pull a mountain.

"Naughty," Rudy tutted.

He looked directly into Lilim's red eyes. The playful smirk vanished from his face, replaced by the gaze of an absolute ruler.

He spoke a single word. It wasn't English. It wasn't a human language. It was a guttural, vibrating sound that resonated with the frequency of the Abyss.

"Kneel."