"The Gray Bulls Gang have begun a terror in this town. We are all in deep bondage, and their new leader is a horror from the depths of hell," Kelly said, her tone dropping quite low.

"Huh?!"

"Yes!" Kelly nodded quickly as she stepped back a bit. Her hands shot to her hair, her eyes growing moist, but she immediately wiped them before the tears could fall.

"After you killed the leader of the gang, the remaining members who were still alive regrouped and met up with their vice leader, who lived in the better parts of town. They made him the new leader."

'As expected.' Max nodded slightly, clinging on to every word.

"The new leader, upon hearing how a stranger defeated the old leader even after using the hybrid serum, decided to go the extra mile. I don't know why or how, but he somehow managed to reach out to the same corporation that supplied the old leader and struck a deal with them. He obtained his own serum."

'Huh? That was no hybrid serum that dude took—it was a serum meant to turn him into a demon vessel. He became a vessel for a demonic being. Crap! That means the vice leader also got in touch with the same corporation that provides demonic serums?

Shit! Things just got worse. What started as a simple takeover might now turn into another battle against a demon vessel, depending on whether he's taken the serum yet and how strong he's become since then,' Max thought as he began rubbing his temples in frustration.

"After that, he made all our lives miserable. The people in the normal parts of town weren't spared either. They're being extorted too, and the amount of money they take from us is so much that most of us in the slums can't even afford food for days.

Anyone who doesn't comply gets beaten so badly that some don't even survive." Kelly's voice cracked as she broke down crying, sobbing into her palms.

'I'm confused about one thing though—how did she manage to gather all this information? This is actually impressive. She's just as smart as Ja… wait! We need more members, and she's obviously as sharp as Jake.' Max nearly facepalmed but quickly composed himself, crouching down in front of the kneeling Kelly.

"Kelly…" Max called softly, his tone calm yet firm. The young woman lifted her teary eyes, quickly wiping her face as she looked up at him.

"I'm here now, okay? I came to set this town free from their reins."

"No, Max!" Kelly suddenly shouted, shaking her head as she wiped her cheeks clean. "You don't understand. Even though you're strong, the new leader is stronger than the previous one you fought. Right now, he's managed to recruit over five hundred men into his gang.

And every single one of them is actively looking for you. In fact, he's put up wanted posters with your face on them. Anyone with any information about you gets five thousand dollars."

"Huh? Why would he be looking for me?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow as he shot up to his feet, scanning the small house cautiously.

"I have no idea, and that's why I told you to come in as soon as possible so nobody would spot you. Otherwise, it would be chaos," Kelly said as she also stood up.

"You seem to know a lot about this town and the gang," Max muttered, eyeing the female with a suspicious look. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Kelly said, meeting his gaze steadily.

"Do you know where their base is?" he asked again, his tone low but sharp.

"Wait, what do you want to do? What part of he has over five hundred men on his side don't you understand?" Kelly thundered in frustration, her voice echoing slightly off the cracked walls.

"And what part of I'm a hybrid don't you understand?" Max shot back calmly, lifting his clawed hand. The scales shimmered faintly under the dim light. "You think five hundred men would do anything to me? Humans, at that?"

Kelly just shook her head with a tired sigh. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to calm down.

'I don't know if he can really help our situation or not, but for some reason… I feel like he can,' she thought, biting her lower lip.

"I have no idea where their base is," she finally said, "but I can try to find out. It'll take some time though, and you'll need to stay hidden until I get back to you."

"I can do that. But I can't stay here. I've got somewhere else I can crash," Max replied, glancing around the small house.

"But what if I need to find you after I get the information?" Kelly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Max's eyes darted around the room until he spotted a small wooden table with a notepad and a pen lying on top. Walking toward it, he picked them up and scribbled down a number before handing the paper to her.

"Call this number whenever you need me. I'll be crashing at their place," Max said, his tone calm but firm.

Kelly took the paper and glanced through it, nodding as she memorized the digits. "Kindly stay safe, and don't do anything reckless," she said genuinely, her voice softer now.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Take care too," Max said with a warm smile as he reached out and gently caressed her face. His thumb brushed against her cheek, his eyes locking onto hers.

The world seemed to pause for a heartbeat. Kelly's breath hitched, her cheeks flushing bright red as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Yet, she didn't move away. She simply stood there, caught in his gaze.

"Ahem!" Max cleared his throat quickly, withdrawing his hand with a nervous smile. "I'll be going now. Bye!" he said, and in a swift blur, he exited the house with his bag clutched tightly in his hand.

Kelly stood frozen for a few seconds before snapping out of it. "What was that just now? Why did my heart start racing the moment he touched my face?" she muttered to herself, facepalming with a shy chuckle. "For a second, it felt like the whole world disappeared, and all I could see was him. What is wrong with you, Kelly?"

She sighed deeply, shaking her head with a small, embarrassed smile before turning back to finish what she was doing before Max came.

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