“This fellow really hit the jackpot! I can’t believe he really found a Blood Luminianth Root!”“I know right? With a treasure like that, he won’t have to worry for the rest of his life!”“Damn it! If I knew there was a treasure hiding in that piece of wood, I would’ve bought it myself!”With the Blood Luminianth Root’s debut, the onlookers immediately started talking.All of them looked at Dustin with a gaze full of envy.“Fuck! This guy really struck gold!” James clenched his teeth, eyes filled with rage.“That’s odd, how did he know that there was a treasure hiding inside?” Dahlia was more puzzled than shocked.Everyone had no clue, even Mr. Walter.And yet, Dustin managed to notice.“Is it really luck? Or was there another reason?” She wondered.“Dustin, we really won big this time! But, how did you guess that a Blood Luminianth Root was hiding in there?”Ruth asked the question that was on everyone’s minds.“To be honest, I wasn’t sure as well. It was purely a guess.” D
The night passed by peacefully.Natasha enjoyed her cup of coffee at Java Joys as she flipped through pages of documents.She looked worn out after staying up the entire night.“Natasha!” Just then, Quentin and Mr. Wangley stormed in through the door.“What is it?” Natasha couldn’t even be bothered to spare them a glance. She continued to flip through the documents.Bang!A wooden box was rudely slammed on the table.It opened up to reveal a single white pill in it.“Check this out, Natasha. Do you know what it is?” Quentin pointed at the pill, and his tone was unmistakably demanding“How would I know? You tell me.” She sat up lazily.“Hah! You can’t even recognize the Eternumax?” Quentin looked unimpressed.“So this is Eternumax. Well, what about it?” Natasha asked, not too concerned.“What about it?! You have the gall to ask me what about it? I bought this Eternumax from the Hummers! They’ve managed to manufacture it! Are you aware of that?” Quentin raised his voice.“Oh? So what? Is
Over at the Nicholsons’ that afternoon.“Dahlia, are you going to Miss Hummer’s birthday party this evening? Can you bring me along?” James asked excitedly when he saw the invitation on the table.She was, after all, the daughter of Edwin Hummer, the richest man in the country. It would be beneficial to make acquaintances with such a person.“I will be attending the birthday party, but the invitation is limited to two persons only. Julie has already called dibs on it.” Dahlia cast a damp over James’ enthusiasm.“Her?” Displeased, James turned to look at Julie, who was on the couch applying makeup to her face. “Dahlia, I’m your brother! How could you bring her, and not me?” He grumbled.At that, Julie shot him a glare and said condescendingly, “And what can you do there? Everyone attending the party tonight will be people of status and elites. Wouldn’t a high school dropout like you just embarrass yourself showing up there?”“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? Do you think that you’re
“Dahlia, you can head up first. I’m waiting for a friend here.” Julie made up an excuse to send Dahlia away once they entered the hotel lobby.She was well aware that with Dahlia around, she would never get the attention she yearned for.How would she make acquaintances with the rich and famous then? How would she get to know rich, eligible men?“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you at the banquet hall.” Without giving it much thought, Dahlia took the elevator up to the banquet hall.With Dahlia gone, Julie quickly became the center of attention. She deliberately walked around the lobby and flaunted coquettishly, attracting much attention.Some men approached her in an attempt to strike up a conversation, but she rejected them all, playing hard to get.“Hey, you’ve got such lovely earrings! May I know where you bought them from?”“Yes, that’s true! I’ve never seen such exquisite earrings before!”“These rubies are huge! They must have cost you a lot!”Soon, not only the men came up to her, bu
Over at the banquet hall, Dahlia was puzzled when she saw Julie panting as she entered. “Didn’t you say that you were waiting for a friend, Julie? Where’s your friend?”“Something came up and she couldn’t make it.”She smiled sheepishly. “Oh, Dahlia, could you lend me your compact mirror, please? I need to fix my makeup.”“I remembered that you’ve brought one yourself,” Dahlia said.“Mine’s faulty. I’d prefer to use yours.” Without waiting for a reply, Julie took Dahlia’s bag and fished around in it.Dahlia was annoyed by that. She had to admit, her cousin was really a spoiled brat who lacked manners.“Thanks, Dahlia.” Julie tossed Dahlia’s bag back to her after she managed to get the compact mirror out. Then, she made up some excuse to go to the washroom.Right at that moment, Tina made her entrance, followed by a crowd behind her, creating a ruckus in the banquet hall.In the end, she stopped smack in the middle of the hall.“Quiet down, everyone. I have an announcement to make.” Tin
"You whore! How dare you seduce my boyfriend? I’ll make your life a living hell!"Tina kept forcing the wine on Dahlia, humiliating her before the crowd.She was rough and ruthless.By the time the bottle of wine was emptied, Dahlia had slumped to the ground helplessly.Even then, Tina did not stop. She grabbed a fistful of Dahlia’s hair and pulled her head up.Then, a torrent of slaps rained down on Dahlia, each one harder than the one before."You slut! You whore! How dare you mess with my boyfriend? How dare you?" Tina shouted as she roughed Dahlia up, almost in a frenzy.When Tina finally stopped, Dahlia’s face was swollen and blotched, with streaks of blood coming out the corner of her mouth."Why? Why?" Dahlia asked breathlessly, trying to regain her bearings."You have the audacity to ask why? Are you unaware of what you have done, you bitch!" Tina reached for Dahlia’s hair again and slammed her head hard to the ground.Blood gushed out immediately. A mixture of blood and wine d
The sky started to rain.At that moment, the atmosphere at the party in Emperor Hotel was lively as usual. The commotion earlier clearly had not affected the party.Tina looked like a princess, surrounded by people. Everyone approached her to leave a good impression.Yet, most of the people did not interest her. Only a few distinguished guests were worthy of chatting with her."Miss, Mr. Williams and Mr. Chapman are here." One of the butlers came up to her and reported.Tina turned around and saw two fine-looking men who were standing quietly at the entrance of the party.One of them was Oliver from Boulderthorn!The other was Oliver’s senior, Troy Chapman. Behind the two of them were two bodyguards."Mr. Williams, Mr. Chapman. It's good to see you again." Tina immediately gave them a warm welcome with a smile."Happy birthday, Ms. Hummer." Oliver and Troy presented their gifts respectively."Oh, please. It is my honor to have you both as my guests. There’s no need for presen
"He dared to hit Ms. Hummer? He must be asking for death!""He’s out of his mind! He’s definitely gone insane!""He struck Ms. Hummer in front of such a crowd! Not even the Gods could spare him now!"Because of Dustin’s actions, the whole room went into chaos. Some were shocked, not knowing how to react. Others were impressed, while the rest were in disbelief. For all their lives, they'd believed that only a person like Tina Hummer could bully others. They could never even imagine someone who would strike back!"Kill him! Kill him now!" When Tina stood up again, she was in a frenzy. Her face contorted with terrifying rage."Kill! Him!"The guards in the area finally returned to their senses and charged toward him with a baton.Dustin was unfazed. He moved at the speed of light, defeating each guard with a single punch, sending them flying across the room in all directions.He glided through the entire fight effortlessly, not a single hint of struggle showing on his face. The
Night had fallen. Austin sat in the meeting room, quietly reading a book as he waited for the results of the investigation.After successfully turning Percival against his allies, it was only a matter of time before they uncovered solid evidence of Warrick and Huxley's crimes.For years, the castle had turned a blind eye to their shady dealings. After all, corruption among officials was nothing new.But this time was different. The two had secretly orchestrated Jovian's murder, a direct challenge to the authority and dignity of the royal family. Such defiance couldn't be ignored. If Austin didn't set an example, others would surely follow."Your Highness!"Axel burst into the meeting room, panting heavily. He had clearly run the whole way to avoid any delay.Austin set his book aside and asked calmly, "Well? How did it go?""Your Highness, we've completely shut down all of Warrick and Huxley's illicit operations. Every hidden network they had built over the years has also been d
At that moment, Percival truly panicked. Earlier, he had only worried about being implicated. But now, faced with such a serious accusation, he was completely caught off guard."Hmph! The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare deny it? Do you want me to torture the truth out of you?" Austin barked."Your Highness, I'm innocent!" Percival was so terrified he was on the verge of tears. He raised his hand and swore, "If I had anything to do with Jovian's death, may I be damned for eternity.""If swearing oaths proved innocence, we wouldn't need an enforcement team," Austin said coldly. "Out of respect for your years of service to West Lucozia, I'll give you a chance to come clean and receive a lighter sentence. Tell the truth now, or I'll throw you into Grimhold Keep."At the mention of Grimhold Keep, Percival began to shake uncontrollably. Tears and snot ran down his face as he wailed, "Your Highness, I swear I didn't do anything. Who's the bastard making up these accusations?
Ten minutes later, Warrick was escorted out of Room A1 again.Axel's demeanor had completely changed since their first meeting, and he had become unusually warm."Sir Prescott, Lord Austin has concluded the investigation. It turns out this matter has nothing to do with you. We made a mistake earlier, and I apologize for any offense caused." He smiled apologetically and spoke with a humble tone."Hm?" Seeing the fawning expression on Axel's face, Warrick raised an eyebrow and looked surprised. Just moments ago, the two sides had been at each other's throats. What had caused such a sudden change?"Did you really investigate it thoroughly?" Warrick asked tentatively."Of course! According to our findings, Jovian's disappearance was the result of a personal vendetta from his enemies in Oakvale," Axel said with a straight face.He continued, "He was a tyrant and always stirring up trouble everywhere he went. He got what was coming to him. Lord Austin only launched the investigation
"After you, Sir Prescott." With one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Axel's other hand gestured toward the door."Hmph!" Warrick shot a cold glance at Axel's subtle movement and then turned to leave the meeting room.Even if Austin had his suspicions, Warrick knew he couldn't do anything to him without concrete evidence.Axel escorted Warrick back to Room A1. After closing the door, he went to Room A2 and led Huxley to the meeting room."Your Highness, it is my privilege to stand before you." Huxley entered the meeting room with a respectful salute."Mr. Thatcher, please take a seat." Austin's face remained neutral as he gestured for Huxley to sit, then motioned for Axel to pour him a cup of tea."Do you know why I've summoned you here today?" Austin spoke calmly, and his words carried the same probing tone as earlier."Is it about Jovian's disappearance?" Huxley asked in return."Oh? It seems you're quick on the uptake." Austin raised an eyebrow. "In that case, g
The enforcement team worked with remarkable efficiency. Within an hour, Huxley, Warrick, and Percival had been brought back to the castle.Per Austin's instructions, Axel made sure the three met briefly upon arrival, though they were given no opportunity to speak to one another. Afterward, they were taken to separate rooms and were guarded individually.Due to their status, the enforcement team treated them with respect, offering them tea and wine. However, they weren't allowed to leave their rooms and had to wait for Austin to summon them.Warrick was confined to Room A1, Huxley to Room A2, and Percival to Room A3. Their rooms were right next to each other, separated only by thin walls. If they stepped out, they would see one another, but none of them knew how close they were.This, of course, was all part of Austin's plan. He knew that extracting the truth from these three cunning foxes would require unconventional tactics.…Inside Room A1, Warrick sat calmly, sipping his te
"Hm?"Even Warrick frowned at the news.The royal enforcement team was rarely mobilized. When they did, it was always for something monumental. The question was, did a minor figure like Jovian Ballard really warrant such attention from Austin?"Mr. Thatcher, are you sure the royal enforcement team has been mobilized? And it's because of Jovian?" Warrick asked skeptically."Of course I'm sure," Huxley replied with a grave expression. "I've just received orders from above. The enforcement team captain will be taking over my duties temporarily. From now on, they'll have full control over the city's defense and investigative operations.""That's strange. Why would Lord Austin go to such lengths for someone so insignificant?" Warrick was confused, his brow furrowing.According to his intel, this was the first time Jovian and Austin had even met. Even if they had crossed paths before, it shouldn't have been enough to justify deploying the enforcement team.It seemed Warrick had undere
The next morning, after breakfast at the West Lucozian castle, Austin tried calling Jovian. However, his calls went unanswered. After several attempts, he still couldn't get through."Huh?" Austin was puzzled. They had made plans the previous day to head to Oakvale that day. Why was Jovian suddenly unreachable? Had he stood Austin up?After thinking it over, he found that unlikely. He and Jovian had gotten along well and even called each other brothers. On top of that, they had promised to travel together and watch out for one another.If Jovian had an urgent matter that required him to leave West Lucozia, he would have at least given Austin a heads-up. Jovian wouldn't just disappear without a word."Could something have happened to him?" Austin's unease grew. He quickly summoned his trusted aide. "Go find out where Jovian is. Report back to me as soon as you have any information.""Yes, Your Highness," the aide replied before hurrying off.Austin poured himself a cup of tea
A dull sound echoed through the air.Jovian's body shuddered. Blood streamed from his eyes, ears, and nose as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless. He was dead. After fighting to his last breath, he had chosen the only honorable way out.The scene had left even the assassins, who were no strangers to bloodshed, momentarily stunned. Taking one's own life so decisively wasn't something just anyone could do. Even the lowest of creatures had the instinct to cling to life, let alone a human being."This guy… He's ruthless," Ronan muttered, and his face darkened.Warrick had given strict orders to capture Jovian alive, but now he was dead. Now, Ronan had no way to deliver. If he had known it would come to this, he would have personally intervened to kill Jovian first."What now, boss?" one of the assassins asked."Clean up the scene," Ronan ordered. "I'll take the body back myself." With that, he hoisted Jovian's body onto his shoulder, tossed it into the vehicle, and drove off.…W
The sounds of battle echoed under the streetlights. Shouts of pain mixed with the clash of weapons could be heard. Five figures were locked in a deadly struggle, and blood splattered across the ground.The fight raged for nearly half an hour until the noise gradually subsided. The five figures lay motionless in pools of blood.Under the dim glow of the streetlights, three of the black-clad assassins were confirmed dead. One's neck was snapped, another's chest pierced, and the last had bled out from a fatal wound.Jovian and Boston were in no better condition.Boston was soaked in blood. His body was riddled with deep cuts, some so severe they exposed the bone beneath.Jovian wasn't much better. His abdomen and shoulder were slashed. His right arm had been severed, and he was left in a pitiful state.Boston coughed. After taking down the last assassin, he collapsed to the ground. He gasped for air as blood poured from his mouth. His chest and abdomen were torn open, and his orga