From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 637

Chapter 637: 2 Billion Man (Part 1)

Max stood in the center of the arena, the weight of his phone in his pocket feeling like a tether to a new reality. He didn’t have time to dwell on the specific details of how he had managed to convince a titan like Dennis Stern to authorize such a transfer. He had promised to pay the man back with interest, but since he hadn’t stayed on the line long enough to hammer out the exact terms, he knew there was some level of trouble waiting for him on the horizon.

Dennis was a shark; he would probably not be satisfied unless Max eventually returned at least double the money he had borrowed. But that was a problem for the future, a problem for a version of Max that survived this night. Right now, as the data processed and the Vow recognized the shift in his net worth, he felt stronger than he ever had in his entire life.

The numbers on his screen were undeniable. His total wealth had reached a new peak:

$2,006,380,000

The starting amount of money Max had possessed at the very beginning of this journey was exactly one billion. Some how, some way, against all the odds of the underworld, he had managed to double it. As the power of his Vow surged to match the new balance, it was the first time Max truly felt superhuman.

He was still perhaps a rather weak superhuman compared to the legends who had made a name for themselves over decades, or those who had managed to last through countless wars, but in a lot of ways, he had reached a threshold. He was no longer the man he had been in his previous life. The frailty of his past was being overwritten by the cold, hard capital in his account.

The fight had reached a tense equilibrium where neither side felt like they held the advantage. Max and Ramon moved in a slow, predatory circle, closing the distance between each other step by step. They were both waiting, coiled like springs, for the other to make the first move.

The silence broke when Ramon kicked off his back foot. The exoskeleton hissed, driving his leg forward at a great speed that still managed to catch Max off guard. That burst of mechanical movement was something Ramon still had over him, the suit didn’t need to "wind up" the way muscles did.

The heavy metal leg drove into Max’s stomach, but the result was different this time. Max managed to catch the limb, absorbing the brunt of the blow. Because of the Vow’s increase, everything about Max had been upgraded, including his endurance and his physical body toughness. He didn’t crumble; instead, he threw the captured leg to the side with a grunt of exertion and charged in himself.

When Ramon went to strike with his gauntleted hand, Max performed a calculated parry, pushing the mechanical arm to the outside. He followed the movement through, grabbing the arm from behind and forcing it into a brutal joint lock. He pushed against the metal frame, his muscles bulging as he prepared to break Ramon’s arm at the elbow.

Max pushed, and Ramon felt a surge of panic. Even with the mechanical assistance of the exoskeleton, his raw strength was almost losing out to Max’s new physical power. Ramon fought against the lock, and in a desperate bid to free himself, he used the suit’s vertical lift to hoist his arm upward, lifting Max clean off the floor.

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