Max woke up.
The first thing he noticed was his hands-both of them.
For years, he had lived with the reality of a missing limb, but now, staring down at his two fully restored arms, a strange sensation washed over him.
He flexed his fingers, tracing the old scars lining his skin.
His physique-aged, marked by years of battle.
Yet, something was wrong.
He didn't feel his full power.
The monstrous strength he wielded in Hell-the overwhelming force that crushed kings and demons-was gone.
Only remnants remained.
He had his physical abilities, his magic, his system, and a few lingering skills.
But it wasn't enough.
So-he trained.
His workouts were inhuman.
Balancing his entire body on a single finger, twisting his joints into near-impossible movements.
His muscles screamed, but he didn't stop.
Doctors observed in shock-watching his body recover in mere hours rather than months.
One doctor hesitated before calling Max's mother.
"This... isn't possible," he murmured. "His recovery-it's unnatural. I have a suspicion that he might be-"
She cut him off.
"Are you absolutely sure?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Because I don't want him doing something dangerous."
The doctor sighed.
"If he's an Awakener, then we can't stop him."
She clenched her fists but nodded.
"Then... discharge him. I'll handle the paperwork."
Max returned home.
But the house-was different.
The air felt emptier, the walls bare, the warmth missing.
Mom, what happened?"
She smiled weakly.
"I sold most of our furniture to pay for your hospital bills. I took loans too."
His chest tightened.
"And Yelena?"
"She quit school to work part-time."
Max swallowed hard.
But before he could say more-Yelena walked in.
"Oh. You woke up," she muttered.
Max turned toward their mother.
"Mom, I need to know-"
"Let's eat first," she interrupted, her voice soft.
Lunch was quiet.
Until his mother smiled.
"After ten years... we're finally eating together."
Max paused, his gaze lingering on the faint wrinkles lining her face-signs of struggles he had missed.
Then-his eyes caught movement.
Yelena.
Her fingers slipped into their mother's bag, snatching a wad of cash.
"Stop," Max said firmly.
She froze, her eyes narrowing.
"Who are you to tell me what's right and wrong?"
"I'm your brother."
Yelena laughed coldly.
"Brother? You don't know anything."
Her words hit like knives.
"You were in a coma at 16 while Mom spent every waking second on you. Selling our home, our restaurant, drowning in loans-for you. Meanwhile, I was bullied every day. You don't know what it's like to stand in front of the whole school while the debt collectors humiliate you. That day, I quit school. I started working. Because Mom wouldn't stop suffering for you."
She turned away.
"Honestly, it would've been better if you never existed."
She left.
Max didn't breathe.
Her words echoed.
"I'm adopted."
It wasn't a secret.
At five years old, he had learned the truth.
His birth parents left him in the garbage, abandoned him without hesitation.
His mother-his real mother now-had found him.
He knew that she adopted him because she had lost her own child.
She had been ready to die-but finding him had given her a reason to live.
He had saved her.
But his father-the man who once stood beside them-hadn't accepted him.
He wanted Max gone.
He and his mother fought until she finally left him behind and started a new life-with Max.
Then-Yelena was born.
"Mom," he whispered.
She turned, concern in her eyes.
"You suffered while I was in a coma, right?"
She smiled weakly.
"Why ask that?"
"Why didn't you leave me?"
The question shook her.
She gripped his hands tightly, her voice breaking.
Because mothers never leave their children."
"But I'm not your real son."
Her palm struck his cheek.
"Never say that again."
Then-she hugged him.
"I love you more than anyone. You are my son."
Max broke.
For the first time since waking-he cried.
Yelena sighed, crossing her arms.
"Mom, stop this drama."
She stepped toward the door.
"I'm leaving."
Then-the knocking came.
Max recognized the voices instantly.
The men who hit his mother.
"Open the door, or we break it."
Yelena walked out-ignoring them.
But they stormed inside.
They didn't acknowledge Max.
They only cared about his mother, readying to strike her again.
But this time-Max's hand caught their wrist.
And broke it.
A scream.
Another man lunged, but Max shattered his ribs before grabbing his face-forcing him inches from their mother.
"Look at her," Max growled.
The men who hit his mother.
"Open the door, or we break it."
Yelena walked out-ignoring them.
But they stormed inside.
They didn't acknowledge Max.
They only cared about his mother, readying to strike her again.
But this time-Max's hand caught their wrist.
And broke it.
A scream.
Another man lunged, but Max shattered his ribs before grabbing his face-forcing him inches from their mother.
"Look at her," Max growled.
"Do you think I'll let you touch her?"
His mother panicked.
"Let them go, Max."
For a moment-he hesitated.
Then-he dropped them.
His mother's expression had changed.
She was afraid of him.
She called someone.
"Max woke up... but he's an Awakener. I didn't tell him anything. You need to explain."
The voice on the other end was familiar.
"Sunny," she said softly.
Max's best friend.
"Send him to me at 8:20 PM."
She handed Max the phone.
Sunny wants to meet you."
Max nodded, taking the call.
After the call, his phone rang again.
An unknown number.
He answered.
"If you want your sister back, send 1 million RUB (Russian Ruble)-or she dies."
His breathing stopped.
"Who are you?"
The call cut off.
Max stared at the screen, his mind racing.
Then-his eyes lowered.
Blood.
The faintest drops of red-likely left behind by one of the men he had broken earlier.
A twisted grin spread across his lips.
"I can smell your location."
And with that-Max vanished.
The hideout was a warehouse, dimly lit and filled with scattered figures.
Yelena sat bound to a chair, her wrists bruised, her face twisted in defiance.
Two men hovered over her, laughing.
"I didn't know that old woman had an Awakener son," one sneered.
"Call Robart. That brat's gonna learn what an Awakener really means."
Then-a punch landed squarely on his jaw, sending him crashing into the crates nearby.
The second man barely reacted before Max's fist met his ribs, breaking bone.
A third man grabbed a knife, lunging-Max caught his wrist, twisting it backward until a sickening snap echoed.
He turned toward Yelena, his voice sharp.
"Get up. Go home."
She hesitated.
But seeing his expression, she obeyed-running out of the warehouse.
For a brief moment, she looked back.
Watching Max.
Feeling something unfamiliar.
Regret.
Regret for the words she had said earlier.
But she ran anyway.
Then-Robart arrived.
The man was towering, muscles rippling beneath thick armor, his fists wrapped in heat-resistant gloves that shimmered with faint energy.
"You're the brat causing trouble?"
Max didn't answer.
Robart attacked first, his fist colliding with Max's face.
But Max didn't even flinch.
Instead-he smiled.
And in the next second-Robart was hit with a flurry of blows that sent him staggering backward, blood dripping from his mouth.
"What... the hell are you?"
Max punched harder, his strikes breaking armor, shattering ribs-until Robart collapsed onto the ground.
Max turned toward a steel safe, forcing it open.
Inside-cash. Lots of it.
He took everything, throwing the bills into his inventory.
The system notified him-10 million RUB collected.
Max stared at the men around him-broken, barely breathing.
"You won't need this anymore."
And then-he blew up the warehouse, walking away as flames consumed everything behind him.
Back home, Max paid off all the loans and rent-wiping out his mother's debts entirely
But even with that-money remained.
So, he bought gifts.
Clothes for his mother and Yelena. A new fold phone for his mom. A sleek phone for Yelena.
Then-pizza.
A simple gift-but one that mattered.
He set everything down before his mother, who stared at him in disbelief.
"I paid off everything," Max said.
Yelena's eyes widened.
"You... what?"
His mother covered her mouth, tears forming.
"Max, how...?"
"Don't ask. Just rest now. Quit your work.
And Yelena-go back to school."
Silence.
Then-Yelena spoke softly.
"Max... I..."
She couldn't finish the sentence.
And for the first time in years-Max smiled.
"From now on, I'll take care of both of you."
His voice softened.
"In return-just smile."
His mother touched his face gently, her own smile trembling.
"If you want me to smile... then never leave me again."
Max exhaled, his emotions raw.
"I promise. I will never break my promises."
Then At 8:20 PM, Max arrived at a small café near his old school.
The door opened.
And there-stood Sunny.
His best friend.
The one person he hadn't seen in ten years.
Sunny smirked, crossing his arms.
"Long time no see, idiot."