Everyone was stunned by Dustin's rapid-fire answer. He was too fast. So fast that they weren't able to react in time. Their brains seemed to crash, and they lost any remaining competitive spirit they had left. What was supposed to be a competitive riddle contest became Dustin's one-man show. Even Keanu broke out in a sweat as he watched Dustin's performance. These riddles were drawn at random and varied widely. Even if Dustin were an expert in the subject, he shouldn't have been able to answer so quickly and accurately. Regal Court had gone to great lengths to maintain confidentiality. If not for that, Keanu would have suspected Dustin of having access to the correct answers and memorizing them all. "Here's the l-last riddle." Keanu gulped before reading from the card. "A word, four letters, a puzzling feat. Read it forward, back, or flipped, so neat. In all directions, its meaning stays in sight. Left to right, it spells the same …""Noon," Dustin said casually. "Yo
"Rhys.""Mr. Rhys, congratulations on your win." Carrying the box containing Enchanting Elegance, Keanu walked respectfully toward Dustin.With a smile, he said, "Allow me to present you this priceless treasure, Enchanting Elegance, on behalf of Regal Court.""Let me inspect it first." Cody was the first to receive the box from Keanu. Upon opening it, his eyes lit up."What a precious item!" After confirming its authenticity, Cody finally noticed he was out of line. After all, Dustin was the one who earned the prize. If he kept it for himself without any explanation, he would undoubtedly be criticized for it.The best course of action was for Dustin to offer it up to him voluntarily. That way, he could accept it graciously and gain both the treasure and recognition. It would be the perfect plan!"Dustin, although I've long admired Enchanting Elegance, it is your rightful win. I won't take what belongs to you." Cody put on a pained expression as he spoke. While he was givi
"Y-You! What nonsense!" Harper exploded in anger."Am I wrong? If it wasn't for this handsome man, you'd have gone bankrupt. But here you are, bickering away. Are you really that dumb?"Lana folded her arms and pouted. She even gave Dustin a flirtatious look when she was done. "Right, handsome?" She drew out the word handsome, making it sound flirtatious. "Oh wow! So you two were a team!" Harper looked between them with a look of realization. "No wonder you two were so cozy with each other. It turns out that you've been colluding secretly!""Idiot." Lana rolled her eyes at her, having no words. How stupid could Harper get? She always spoke without thinking. "Let it go, Harper. Dustin was the one who won Enchanting Elegance. We have no right to meddle in what he decides to do with it. " Cody patted Harper on the shoulder.Despite maintaining a calm front, his gaze turned icy. This brat clearly couldn't read the room. If Dustin had handed over the painting, it might have ea
Lana finally got to the point. "Handsome, you seem like a talented man. Why don't you be a follower of the Camron family?"Other than the Swansons and the Welches, no other family will dare touch you here in South City.""You aren't inviting me because you have your eyes on Enchanting Elegance too, are you?" Dustin probed. "Enchanting Elegance?" Lana smiled."Even though it's a treasure, I'm not short on wealth. It holds little value to me.""Oh? Then why are you helping me, Ms. Camron?" Dustin was intrigued. "Even though I'm not short on wealth, I'm short on men." Lana extended a finger and tapped Dustin's chest. She was practically glowing when she said, "You look thin but are surprisingly muscular. I didn't misjudge you after all. I wonder, would you be interested in being my 108th boyfriend?""Huh?" Dustin frowned and instinctively took two steps back. He thought she was after the painting, not him. That was something he didn't expect. What a flirt. Was she trying to g
Dustin quickly noticed a few hostile gazes upon leaving Regal Court. With a swift glance, he identified at least two groups of people that had their eyes on him. It seemed like Lana was right. Enchanting Elegance was a valuable treasure, and it attracted a lot of unwarranted trouble. Ordinary folks were not necessarily able to hold on to such a treasure even if they happened to get their hands on it. Luckily, Dustin was far from ordinary. "Since you have targeted me, let's see if you have what it takes to take it from me." Dustin snorted. Without a sound, he moved toward a secluded area. The two groups followed him discreetly from the left and right side. After about ten minutes of walking, Dustin turned into a deserted old alley."This is a great chance! Follow him!" More than a dozen black-clad men armed with knives rushed after Dustin into the old alley. But soon, they were in shock. And that was because they realized they were in a dead-end, and Dustin was nowhere to
This meant that the mastermind behind his assault didn't see him as a big threat. It could also mean that the person didn't hold considerable power. Dustin dusted off his clothes and put the box away. He was just about to leave when a few black SUVs pulled up at the opening of the old alley. The car doors flung open, and a group of muscular men dressed in fighting gear charged out. Every one of them was armed and surrounded Dustin as soon as they got out of the car, leaving him with no chance of escape. "Move aside!" At that moment, a burly man strolled confidently toward him with a cigar in his mouth. He had a scar on his face and an imposing presence. It was clear that he had bad intentions. "It's you?" Dustin narrowed his eyes slightly, recognizing the man.It was none other than Ziggy, who had caused trouble in Harmony Healers earlier that day. "Brat, we meet again!" Ziggy puffed on his cigar. With his bulging belly and hands on his hips, he was clad in a faux mink c
Seated by the window on the second floor of Regal Court, Lana swirled her wine glass. Her gaze was fixed on the tranquil night outside. The moon and stars were mirrored in her beautiful eyes. It made her appear exceptionally charming. "Ms. Camron." At that moment, a bodyguard dressed in a suit approached her. He whispered, "We had an incident earlier. The target you asked us to keep an eye on has disappeared.""Disappeared?"Lana raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?""The target is quite strong. He took down dozens of people with his bare fists. Then, he disappeared without a trace," the bodyguard replied with his head lowered."Oh? Doesn't that mean he's an excellent fighter?" Lana smiled, her expression betraying her growing interest in him."I thought he was just good-looking, but it seems like he's got some skills. Have someone investigate him and find out about his background. If he's on the right side, try to bring him over.""Understood!" the bodyguard replied and l
"Master Brooke, Dustin, we've found you." At that moment, Cody and Harper walked in through the door."Hmph! You're here to take advantage of us again!" Harper grimaced and shot Dustin a scornful look. She couldn't shake off the events from last night. Her resentment toward Dustin and his collusion with Lana was still fresh in her mind. "Dustin, I heard you were almost robbed last night. Are you alright?" Cody asked with a concerned look."Thank you for your concern, Mr. Ostrower. They were just a bunch of petty thieves. I didn't take them seriously," Dustin replied.Dustin suddenly changed the topic and asked, "By the way, Mr. Ostrower, how did you know I was almost robbed?""Huh?" Cody's expression froze, but he swiftly regained his composure."Oh, I have a well-informed network. In this part of South City, hardly anything can happen without me getting wind of it.""I see." Dustin chuckled with a knowing look.He had been wondering who might have taken an interest in Encha
"Damn it! This punk's tougher than I thought. We're in real trouble if this keeps up," Connor said, swinging his twin blades relentlessly. Every strike was aimed at Axel's vital points.But Axel was quick. He weaved in and out of reach and avoided direct confrontation. It was obvious he was just stalling for time."Sir Prescott should be far enough by now. There's no point dragging this out. Let's fall back."Sensing the futility of their efforts, Dave considered retreating. He didn't fear death, but he wasn't about to waste his life for nothing.Since Warrick had escaped, their interception mission was also completed."You guys hold him off. The rest of you, fall back with me."Connor was decisive. Realizing they weren't making any progress, he quickly ordered a retreat and left a few decoys behind to buy time.They had barely run a hundred yards when a wave of soldiers suddenly appeared at the alley's entrance. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, filled the narrow space and comple
"This punk's a real pain in the ass!"Connor glanced over his shoulder and noticed Axel was still hot on their trail.The squad he had sent to intercept Axel was completely outmaneuvered, and they couldn't get anywhere near him.To Connor's dismay, Axel kept shooting off signal flares as he pursued them. Each flare gave away their position. At this rate, it didn't matter which direction they ran—they were bound to be intercepted."Connor! Dave! Make a move and swat that damn fly," Warrick ordered decisively."If we leave, who's going to protect you?" Connor hesitated.Warrick was in bad shape. Without them guarding him, a single attack from an expert could be fatal."If you don't take out that fly, I'll be in even more danger. Get moving now!" Warrick snapped."Yes, sir!"Connor and Dave exchanged a glance before splitting up with their squads to surround Axel.They both knew what was at stake. If they didn't take Axel down quickly, their entire force would be stranded and do
"Kill them all!"At Warrick's command, the Red Legion charged without hesitation. Blades flashed as they stormed toward the elite enforcement unit.This time, nearly a thousand Red Legion soldiers arrived. With their sheer numbers, they launched a pincer attack from both flanks, leaving the enemy with no way to fend it off."Form the Shield Formation!" Axel shouted upon seeing the dire situation. His men immediately sheathed their blades and raised their shields to form a defensive line. Their pursuit had cut them off from the main force. Since they were up against an enemy ten times their size, forming a defensive line was their best option.If they could stall for even a moment, reinforcements from the castle would arrive, and the tide would turn in their favor. Once that happened, the thousand-strong Red Legion would be the ones on the defensive.After a brief charge, the two forces collided.Warrick had personally trained the Red Legion. He selected only the most loyal and
Axel had no time to hesitate. He lunged forward and grabbed the overturned Dragon-Binding Net. Then, he used every ounce of his strength to pin Warrick down again."Get over here! We have to keep him restrained."As the net strained under Warrick's sheer power, Axel let out a roar and pushed his cultivation to the limit. His veins bulged and blood pounded in his ears. He threw every last bit of strength into holding Warrick down.For now, he managed to pin Warrick down, but the elite enforcement unit on the other side wasn't faring well. Warrick thrashed wildly, sending more than a dozen men swinging through the air. Some slammed into trees, while others crashed into walls. Within moments, the Dragon-Binding Net flipped over again.Several elite enforcement units tried to rush in and help, but they barely got close before getting hit by their own airborne comrades and sent flying.Against Warrick's Divine Strength, they were utterly outmatched. The regular guards didn't stand a
If Warrick had been at his peak, Axel might have been more cautious. But with Tranqurin coursing through his vein, Warrick had barely a fraction of his usual strength left. His power was still fading, and Axel wasn't about to waste the opportunity. He had to capture Warrick while he had the chance."Get the hell out of my way!"As the enforcers closed in, Warrick let out a furious roar and slammed his massive fist into the floor.With a loud explosion, the earth shook violently. The ground within dozens of yards cracked and caved in, splitting apart like a spiderweb. A powerful shockwave tore through the air, sending dirt flying and walls shattering. The entire meeting room collapsed into ruins.The elite enforcers, caught in the blast, were flung backward like ragdolls. They crashed to the ground, disoriented and battered. Even Axel was thrown back more than ten yards.Warrick panted heavily, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Forcing his internal energy into action had only
Austin's words were strong and commanding, each one landing like a thunderclap.Warrick felt the weight of his presence. His brow furrowed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced at the so-called evidence on the floor, showing no sign of panic or guilt. Instead, he said indifferently, "Your Highness, these dead men were nothing more than ants. Is this really worth making such a fuss over? I doubt you haven't killed anyone before."As the old saying went, the higher one climbed, the heavier one's purse. Warrick had clawed his way up, risking his life at every step for the sake of rising above the masses. Everyone had their own desires—some sought fame, others fortune. Some were greedy for money, some for power, and others reveled in the adoration of the masses. To achieve those things, one inevitably had to engage in shady dealings. It was an unspoken rule among officials, and Warrick saw nothing wrong with it."Ants?" Austin sneered. "Without these 'ant
The ashen-faced Huxley was dragged away. With his crimes exposed, his fate was sealed. His entire family would be implicated, and their assets would be seized.Those guilty would be punished, and even those who had merely benefited from his corruption would be held accountable. To put it bluntly, Huxley's entire family was about to be annihilated.Austin issued his next order once the bloodstains were cleaned up. "Axel, it's time to bring in the mastermind."With Huxley dealt with, the next step was to confront Warrick. Unlike Huxley, Warrick wouldn't be easy to deal with. After all, he commanded a large number of troops. If backed into a corner, he could become a major threat."Understood!" Axel responded respectfully, then turned to his subordinates. "Gather more men and come with me."Warrick had earned his prestigious position through years of fierce battles. On the battlefield, he was a one-man army, a warrior capable of taking on thousands. His strength was beyond what mos
"You bastard! With all this evidence in front of you, what do you have to say for yourself?" Austin barked."Your Highness, please let me explain…" Huxley broke out in a cold sweat, his voice trembling with panic."This is a lie. Someone's trying to frame me! I've always followed the law—how could I possibly be involved in something so vile?""The evidence is right in front of you, and you're still trying to weasel out of it?" Austin shot back. "Looks like you won't confess until death is knocking at your door."He raised his hand and ordered, "Guards, throw him into Grimhold Keep. Use whatever means necessary—let's see how long he keeps up this act.""Yes, Your Highness."A squad of enforcement team members rushed in and surrounded Huxley.Cornered, Huxley finally lost his nerve. He dropped to his knees with a thud and begged, "Your Highness, I admit I made a grave mistake."His voice cracked as he continued, "I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. Please, for the sake of my y
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