Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Aidan was stunned, realizing that something was very off. In that split second, Aidan, who had brushed off Andrew like an insect, suddenly realized that this so- called "nobody" was not just tough. In fact, he was dangerous.

The instant their moves collided, Aidan's instincts-honed on the edge of martial king mastery-screamed in alarm.

With a low growl, he made his move. Instead of dodging Andrew's whip-like kick, he charged forward, trying to smash his forehead into Andrew's knee. At the same time, his fingers hooked like claws, launching a brutal move right for Andrew's heart.

"You little punk, since you have a dead wish, I'll rip your heart out and show it to you while it's still beating!"

Tiana gasped in horror. "Andrew, you're not his match-get out of there, now! If you die here for nothing, everything we've fought for will be wasted!"

Andrew's voice was calm but sharp. "Mrs. Rhodes, let me give you a lesson. Watch closely. Taking out trash like this? It really isn't that hard."

"And while you're at it, take another look-at the so-called pawn you thought was beneath Lauren... Well, it turns out that I might just be a tiny bit more impressive than you imagined."

Andrew's legs shot through the air, raining down kicks aimed at Aidan's head, ears, and chest. Every strike was a kill shot-fast, ruthless, and perfectly timed.

Aidan roared like a beast, caught off-guard by the unrelenting power. With every hit, he felt the pressure in his chest rise. He tried to shout, to retaliate, but the air in his lungs would not come out.

He could only block, and in the face of Andrew's relentless barrage, he stumbled backward, spinning like a top across the marble floor.

'H-How the hell is this possible? Why am I hesitating? Why do I feel fear? No one but a martial king should be able to suppress me like this! This brat is just riding a burst of momentum. Once it fades, he's done. Then, he dies!'

Gritting his teeth, Aidan took a deep breath and puffed out his chest to absorb a direct hit from Andrew's foot. His iron fists swung out like twin hammers, aiming to crush Andrew's skull from both sides.

He refused to believe he would be humbled by a street rat lurking in the shadows.

Andrew said nothing. Instead, he

smiled coldly. Then, his foot tapped lightly against the ground. It seemed soft, almost playful. However, the marblebeneath his toes shattered in a web of cracks-proof of the terrifying force he had just

summoned.

In the next instant, he exploded forward like a runaway train. Andrew's body slammed directly into Aidan's chest.

Aidan's twin palm strike froze mid-air. He looked like he was trying to give Andrew a hug, but his arms never reached him-they could not.

The sound was horrifying, like a log snapping underfoot. His ribs and his chest had shattered.

"You..." Aidan gasped, eyes bloodshot and bulging, staring at Andrew in disbelief.

Andrew's face remained unreadable. Then, he raised an elbow. With a single thrust, the blow detonated like a bomb, sending Aidan's giant frame flying across the hall like a broken wreck.

Andrew did not even follow up. Instead, he slid sideways-gliding over the smooth floor like he was skating on ice-until he appeared right in front of Kenny and Sherilyn.

"Get on your knees." His voice was like a gunshot in a quiet forest-cold, sharp, and inescapable.noveldrama

Before Sherilyn could even curse him out, Andrew lifted his leg and snapped it forward.

Kenny and Sherilyn both screamed, clutching their knees, which now felt

like they had been shattered from the inside out. They dropped to the

the owling in pain, both ofthem

floor

kneeling hard before him.