Upon returning to the villa, Dustin began to make the necessary preparations.He had finally gathered all three precious herbs needed. The rest of the supplementary herbs were prepared beforehand. Next, it was time for the most crucial step—producing Sanctifix. "Maximus, I'll be locked up in there for a day. You need to keep watch vigilantly. No one is to enter and bother me," Dustin reminded."Don't worry, Dustin. Not even a fly will be able to enter these doors!" Maximus guaranteed with a confident pat on his chest.Dustin nodded before looking over at Brooke. "Dr. Busch, I'll leave Mr. Shaffer in your hands then. Nothing must happen to him before I come out of the room.""Rest assured. I might not be able to cure Mr. Shaffer, but I'm fully capable of keeping him alive for some time," Brooke assured. "Great. I'll leave things to the both of you then." Dustin gave them simple instructions and wasted no more time on words before entering the makeshift alchemy room.He had all
"Do you smell that, Max?" Brooke seemed to sense something, and he took a deep breath."You mean the herbal scent?" Maximus tilted his head curiously. "It's been there all along, hasn't it? What's wrong?""No, it's different now. It's quite special." Brooke went up to the door of the alchemy room. Then, he crouched down to catch a whiff of the scent wafting out from the gap under the door. He spent most of his time around herbs. Thus, he could easily detect the slightest change in scent.All of a sudden, the door creaked open.Dustin was just about to step out of the room when he spotted Brooke crouching on the ground in a weird position. "Dr. Busch, what's wrong? Are you having a stomachache?" "Uhh …" Brooke smiled sheepishly before quickly reacting. He promptly asked, "Dustin, how is it? Did you succeed in producing Sanctifix?"Dustin sighed and put on a dejected expression when he heard that.At the sight of Dustin in such a state, Brooke froze and paled. "You f-failed?" h
"He's awake! He's awake! Mr. Shaffer's awake!" Brooke was so ecstatic that he cried tears of joy when he saw Cinna open his eyes.It had been ten years. Ten whole years! The person that he'd been watching over had finally come around! It was a pure joy that was simply indescribable."Thank god everything went smoothly." Dustin teared up when he saw Cinna slowly regaining consciousness. He could not contain his happiness.It was as they had expected. Only Sanctifix was able to cure Cinna of his condition. All his efforts had not been in vain."Busch, where am I?" Cinna lay on the bed and looked around in confusion. Then, his gaze rested on Brooke, and he asked raspily, "And ... Why do you look so old?" He sounded like he was in discomfort."Mr. Shaffer, you're in a safe place. You have nothing to worry about. As for what you mentioned about me looking old …" Brooke touched his face and chuckled wryly. "It's been a decade since the last time you saw me. How could I still look th
"What are you doing, Mr. Shaffer? There is no need for such formalities! Please get up!" Dustin quickly helped Cinna up from his knees."Your Highness, it was my mistake for failing to protect you and the Princess Consort. I am ready to receive my punishment!" Tears rolled down Cinna's face."Mr. Shaffer, what are you saying? Had you not risked your life to save me back then, I wouldn't be standing here now!" Dustin consoled him."All of our friends in Valiant Troop are now dead. I'm the only one left. I have failed the Prince and the Princess Consort. I have failed all of you!" Cinna choked up.“Mr. Shaffer, there is no need to blame yourself for what happened. You did your best, and I'm glad to see that you're still alive."I was the one who brought all the trouble upon all of you. I'm the one to be blamed. "Had it not been for me, you would not have laid unconscious for ten years."Had it not been for me, our friends in Valiant Troop would not have died. I am the one who sho
"Donovan Linsor?" Dustin frowned when he heard the name. "That name sounds familiar. Who is he?""You might not be familiar with Donovan Linsor, but I'm sure you know the Prince of Carsonne, Your Highness," Cinna said solemnly."So it was him!" Dustin saw red.The Prince of Carsonne, or Donovan Linsor, was the King's younger brother. He was considered an exceptional among the royals.Ten years ago, Donovan was acknowledged as an outstanding talent with a great strategic vision. But for some reason, he suddenly withdrew from the public eye. And till this day, his whereabouts remained unknown."Mr. Shaffer, are you saying that the Prince of Carsonne had something to do with the assassination back then?" Dustin pressed."I can't say for sure that he had anything to do with it, but he definitely knows something about it," Cinna answered."Oh? Why do you say so?" Dustin narrowed his eyes."The Prince of Carsonne had a close relationship with your father. When we were attacked outs
The most important thing was to find Donovan and ask him about the truth behind what had happened. "Mr. Shaffer, you should rest up since you've just woken up. If there's anything you need, just tell me any time." Dustin helped Cinna lie back on the bed."Your Highness!" Cinna suddenly grabbed Dustin's arm. He said earnestly, "What happened then is all in the past now. Forget about it. "If you continue investigating, it will only put you in danger. I believe the Princess Consort would have wanted you to live your life peacefully!""Mr. Shaffer, this is an unresolved matter that weighs heavily on my heart, and I feel guilty for it. If I do not get to the bottom of it, I shall never find peace," Dustin explained.Seeing the look of determination in his eyes, Cinna could only sigh. He did not say any more. He knew that with Dustin's stubborn personality, he would never back down on something when his heart was already set on it."Mr. Shaffer, all you need to do now is to rest well
Dustin showed no sign of joy after getting a definite answer from the woman. Instead, he looked gloomy. The person in Aylka must have only agreed because she was certain she had ways to get the information he needed.But somehow, he just had a nagging feeling that there was something odd about the whole thing. The closer he got to the bottom of things, the more uneasy he felt.He didn't even know what was the source of this unsettling feeling. It felt like intuition, but then again, maybe he was just overthinking things."Forget it. I'll work things out as they come." Dustin shook his head and did away with these troubling thoughts. Just as he was about to return to his room for a rest, his phone rang. It was a call from Lana."Hello, Ms. Camron. Is anything the matter?" Dustin looked around and noticed that the sun was already setting."Ms. Camron? Haha! I'm sorry, you guessed wrong." Suddenly, a raspy voice could be heard through the phone."What?" Dustin's brows furrowed i
Dustin had just gotten out of his car when he was blocked by two men with full tattoo sleeves."I'm here to meet someone," Dustin answered coldly."We need to run a body check on you!" the two men said before promptly patting Dustin down.He did not resist their actions and simply stood there cooperatively without moving. He wasn't going to do anything rash without ensuring Lana's safety."Alright, go on in." After checking Dustin and making sure that he didn't have any weapons on him, the two men stood aside and let him in.Dustin said nothing and entered the cathedral.In the cathedral, a burly man with unkempt stubble sat topless at a table. He had a bunch of lackeys around him, and they were enjoying a huge feast of roasted lamb. There were also all sorts of alcohol on the table. As they sat there, stuffing their faces with the lamb and chugging on alcohol, they looked like they were having the time of their lives.Over in a corner, Lana was tied to a stone pillar with a
After a night of chaos, some of the Red Legion's members were killed, others were captured, and the entire force had been wiped out.But the fallout didn't stop there. The Prescott estate was also raided. All embezzled wealth was confiscated, and those found guilty were thrown into prison.Anyone connected to the Prescotts was placed under house arrest and subjected to rigorous investigation.And the man behind it—Warrick—had become the kingdom's most wanted fugitive.Until he was captured, Celestria remained under lockdown. Major roads were sealed off, and patrol teams scoured every corner to ensure Warrick had no way out.Austin's crackdown sparked outrage among senior officials who didn't know the full story. They voiced their dissatisfaction, with some even gathering outside the castle gates in protest. They stomped their feet in outrage, just short of openly cursing him.To them, Warrick had made great contributions to the nation. Even if he had committed crimes, he didn't d
Austin's words were calm and almost casual. Yet, they struck like thunder and echoed in the hearts of the three assistant generals of the Red Legion.If they answered Austin's questions, there might still be a slim chance of survival. But if they refused, death was the only outcome.After all, who would willingly choose death when they had worked so hard to achieve their wealth and status? Yet, pride and dignity held them back. They didn't want to be branded as traitors.Now, they were caught in a dilemma. Which was more important—their honor or their lives? It was an impossible choice."You have ten seconds left. If you don't speak, you'll lose your chance." Austin's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.His words seemed to pierce their souls, and the three Red Legion assistant generals broke into a cold sweat.As the countdown neared its end, Auron finally couldn't hold back. "Your Highness! I'll talk—I'll tell you everything."Dropping to his knees, he scrambled forward and wa
Axel swallowed hard, shock written all over his face. He had always known the Draken Guardians were formidable, but he had never expected them to be this lethal.He had pushed himself to his limit just to hold his own against Connor and Dave, only to end up seriously wounded. Yet, when the Draken Guardians arrived, they wiped them out—along with several dozen Red Legion soldiers—without losing a single man.If Axel hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the Red Legion, a force renowned for its elite soldiers, could be so easily crushed. Or perhaps it wasn't that the Red Legion was weak, but that the Draken Guardians were far stronger than anyone had imagined.Even their most ordinary members were strong enough to become a mighty general. As for those at the level of captain, their strength was far beyond Axel's. The lethality of a team made up of such skilled experts had reached the point of being an overwhelming force."Mr. Cruz, please arrange some
"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