From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168: At Death’s Door

Max felt it in that instant, just a flick of the wrist from Hercules, and he was airborne. The giant had let go.

Max could feel the wind whipping past his back, tugging at his hair as the image of Hercules grew smaller and smaller by the second.

He threw me... he actually threw me? The thought echoed in his mind, panic rising. This is it. This is the second time... I’m going to die, aren’t I?

Then, gravity seized him. Max plummeted, crashing straight through a thick branch. The wood cracked against his back, knocking the air from his lungs.

The next moment, he slammed into the hard earth below. His body bounced, skidding across the uneven ground. Pain lanced through his ribs, a sharp, splintering sensation that told him something was broken.

But the fall wasn’t over. His battered body continued to tumble downward, spinning uncontrollably. The world blurred around him, sky, earth, trees blending into a dizzying swirl, until suddenly, his back slammed into something else.

There was a loud grunt of effort.

"ARGHH!"

Max’s spinning mind caught up, and he turned his head with effort. Through the haze of pain, he caught sight of a familiar face, Aron’s.

Aron was gritting his teeth, his expression strained with exertion. Both arms were wrapped around Max, holding him tightly. His legs were bent, bracing against the ground as he struggled to halt the momentum of Max’s fall.

His feet slid, tearing through the earth beneath them, struggling for grip. Muscles strained, veins bulged, and then, at last, they stopped.

The two of them were still, Aron’s trembling arms clutching Max’s broken body.

"What... what are you doing?" Max managed to ask through ragged breaths. "I told you... not to get involved..."

Aron didn’t flinch. His voice was low but steady. "I’ll do anything you say, you’re the boss, Max. But there’s one thing I won’t ever do, watch you die."

He tightened his grip. "I made a promise, to protect you, no matter what. With you falling in front of me like this... how could I not act?"

Aron’s gaze hardened. "And if I have to face Hercules himself because of it, then so be it. Losing you is a hell of a lot worse than fighting him."

Max, having just experienced firsthand what going up against Hercules meant, wasn’t entirely convinced about that part.

But as Aron stood there, steady beneath him, something warm spread through Max’s battered chest, a rare comfort in the middle of this nightmare.

Someone had his back.

Looking off into the distance, Max could no longer see Hercules standing in the large tree. The massive branches were still, and there were no heavy footsteps thundering toward them either.

Silence.

It was pretty clear now, Max was in no condition to fight. Heck, he could barely move. Maybe Hercules had figured the same thing. Maybe, to him, this was the end of it all. No need to chase after a broken kid.

"Aron," Max said, his voice strained and uneven. Every breath was a fight, like shards of glass were lodged in his chest. He winced. Where had his ribs broken into?

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