Chapter 1 The Runaway Orphan

• Kingsbury.
• A tall guy with sharp features stood in the narrow alley with one hand on his hip, squinting into the chilly wind while chatting on the phone.
• A voice crackled from the other end. "Hey, boss, did you make it to Kingsbury?"
• The tall guy replied, "I've been here for a while now, but the orphanage from ten years ago? It's a public toilet now. I went in to take a leak, but some old guy tried to charge me five cents. I couldn't hold it, so I just did my business in the alley."
• The sound of him relieving himself filled the call, yet the other person appeared unbothered. "Boss, I forgot to say... the old man moved with your seven sisters around eight years ago."
• "What?!" the tall guy barked. "Could that old man sell them off? Those girls are supposed to be my future wives!"
• The guy on the phone? That was Troy Leif. He grew up in a strange orphanage where it was just him, seven girls, and one grumpy old man.
• When he was a kid, Troy couldn't grasp why the old man seemed so gruff. As he got older, things started to make sense. Life in the orphanage wasn't easy—no regular meals, barely any shelter.
• Despite the hardships, Troy was content. His seven "sisters" doted on him, and even the old man would joke, "These girls will be your wives one day. Eat up, or you'll never keep up with them."
• Troy was a scrappy kid, too—he'd sneak out and steal food, like garlic, to eat. Of course, that led to some nasty mouth ulcers, but those days were still some of the best.
• Everything changed when he turned ten. His oldest sister made fun of this, well, not being "fully grown" yet. Humiliated, Troy ran away and never looked back.
• He remembered that day vividly. He'd been outside, showing off how far he could pee—ten meters against the wind—when a middle-aged woman in a white coat appeared, holding her chest and calling for help.
• Thinking he could be a hero, Troy zipped up and ran over to her. However, the woman pulled a sneaky move, wiped a cloth on his face, and knocked him out cold. The last thing he remembered was her perfume hitting him hard.
• Half-conscious, he heard someone whisper, "Kid, you've got to survive."
• When Troy regained consciousness, he was in a brightly lit lab full of high-tech equipment. Around him, other kids floated in massive glass tanks.
• Terrified, Troy freaked out. Although he was just ten, thoughts of his sisters and the old man filled his mind.
• Determined to escape, he started punching the bulletproof glass around him. To his surprise, it shattered with each blow. When he dashed away, he realized he could run faster than ever. His body had somehow changed.
• He escaped, discovering it was part of a massive underground lab. The place was eerily quiet—no one in sight.
• Just when he thought he was safe, a bunch of folks appeared out of nowhere, grabbed him, and knocked him out again. When he woke up, he wasn't in Eldoria anymore. He was in some foreign land, trapped in a secret organization where they trained him to kill.
• Over the years, Troy found a way to escape the organization, but life on the run was brutal. He got caught up in power struggles, assassination attempts, and wars. Along the way, he started piecing together the truth about his origins and the woman who had kidnapped him. Still, there were plenty of unanswered questions.
• Lost in thought, Troy was pulled back to the present when the voice on the phone stated, "Boss, I'll share the location once I get it. I've got a few things to handle first. Talk later."
• Before Troy could properly zip up, a frantic girl came rushing into the alley. She looked about his age, with long black hair, a mini skirt, and an angelic face. Her long, stocking-clad legs looked like they could hold up laundry.
• Grinning, Troy zipped up. "Hey, what a coincidence! Are you here for a break too? Come this way—it's less windy. Won't get your shoes wet."
• The girl glanced at him, then at the puddle nearby. Her expression flickered with fear. Without a word, she hurried over, clearly spooked.