Two powerful strikes collided, creating a loud boom. Dustin merely shivered slightly and easily stopped all the force.Dustin's strike sent the Red Cloaked Assassin flying. He crashed hard onto the ground with blood pouring from his mouth. Most of his circulatory pathways shattered."How—How can you be this powerful?"The Red Cloaked Assassin clutched his chest. He looked terrified.Despite being poisoned and heavily injured, Dustin triumphed with just one hit. The Red Cloaked Assassin couldn't help but wonder if Dustin was truly that much stronger."Did you not investigate my strength before ambushing me?" Dustin's voice was cold, and a bit of black blood stained his lips.Cinna got rid of all the poison in his body, so he wasn't in danger anymore. Dustin was hurt and poisoned, but because he was really skilled, he could endure it for a little while."Although you're just a grandmaster martial artist, we are more than enough to kill you!" the Red Cloaked Assassin interrupted.
Dustin was baffled. He stared at Cinna after the sudden attack.He had suspicions about many people, such as Maximus and Brooke, but never about Cinna.Cinna had risked his life for Dustin beforeand had sacrificed so much for the West Lucozian monarchy. Even at the risk of his own poisoning and injury, Dustin felt indebted and went all out to save him.Cinna was like family to him. As a death warrior for the monarchy, it was unbelievable that he would betray him."Mr. Shaffer? What—what are you doing?" Dustin asked with a trembling voice. Even now, he could hardly believe what was happening."Dustin, I'm sorry, but I had no choice," Cinna said with a complex expression and a hint of guilt. "I told you not to dig into the past. It would bring deadly consequences. Why didn't you listen? You could have lived a peaceful life. Why did you choose this path?""You ... Who are you, really?" Dustin frowned deeply."I am Cinna, the Vice Commander of the Central Cavalry in West Luc
The only option for Dustin now was to go down with Cinna."Huh?" Facing Dustin's swift iron fist, Cinna instinctively raised his arms to block it."Thud!" A muffled sound echoed as Dustin's punch directly broke Cinna's arms. Cinna flew like a sandbag. He crashed 20 feet away and spat out blood."Traitor!" Dustin's rage made his eyes bulge as he prepared to pursue.Cinna realized the danger and swiftly formed hand seals. With a stomp of his foot, he instantly disappeared, leaving only a pile of clothes.That was undoubtedly an extraordinary vanishing technique.Dustin started coughing up lots of blood as soon as Cinna vanished.Dustin was in critical condition due to old wounds, potent poison, and a blade in his chest. He was on the verge of collapsing."Your Highness!" Rodrigo roared in frustration, but he couldn't move due to his severe injuries."Dustin!" Maximus was barely able to stay upright either.They were all in dire states and there were still many Dragon Gu
Three minutes later, all the Dragon Guard assassins lay in a pool of blood.Dustin was drenched in blood. He staggered, barely holding himself up.His life signs weakened, and his powerful energy dissipated. He was on the verge of collapse.The surroundings grew hazy. His heartbeat was near silent."After everything I've been through, I die at the hands of my own people. How ironic!" Dustin chuckled softly as he looked at the knife in his chest. He grabbed it with both hands and pulled it out.In an instant, blood sprayed.Since death was inevitable, he didn't want to have a knife stuck in him.As he pulled it out, the world spun. With a final thud, he collapsed.Everything went black.At that moment, Dustin's pendant glowed and vanished into his forehead.As the pendant entered his body, it instantly transformed into a powerful energy coursing through Dustin's limbs and bones.The strange poison Cinna unleashed swiftly dissipated upon contact with this energy.Dustin's p
Cinna, visibly injured from Dustin's attack, stood before the masked man on the dragon throne."Mr. Shaffer, are you hurt?" the masked man asked in a deep, raspy voice."Just a scratch won't kill me," Cinna replied. He coughed up blood in between words."Looks more than a scratch. Take this medicine." The masked man waved his hand and a black tablet shot out."Thanks." Cinna caught the tablet and swallowed it right away. This medicine from the Dragon Guard was exceptionally rare. It could heal serious injuries really fast, but only high-ranking members got to use it."Mr. Rever," Cinna began, but Reagan raised a hand and interrupted him. "I'm now Reagan Judd. You can call me Mr. Judd or Sir Judd. The past is best left behind.""Yes, Sir Judd." Cinna nodded respectfully."Mr. Shaffer, how did the task I assigned you go?" Reagan inquired."I stabbed Dustin's heart. He should be dead by now," Cinna reported."Excellent!" Reagan nodded approvingly. "Mr. Shaffer, you'
It was unclear how long it had been when Dustin slowly regained consciousness. His upper body was wrapped in thick bandages. His limbs were feeble and weak, and his breath was visibly frail."Didn't I die?" Dustin glanced at his palm, then around the room. The place seemed somewhat familiar. It was as though he had been there before."You're awake?" Grace entered the room carrying a bowl of soup. "You were severely injured. Fortunately, you're resilient. It wasn't easy to save you.""Did you save me?" Dustin was astonished."Who else?" Grace said lightly. "The pendant I gave you protected your vital organs. It infused powerful vitality into your body when it mattered most. It was a close call, but it pulled you back from the brink of death.""I didn't expect that that pendant could bring me back from the brink. Do you have any more of those treasures? Maybe give me a couple?" Dustin shamelessly asked."Haha! Do you think I have them lying around?" Grace replied irrita
It was actually his self-confidence that took a real hit."Dustin Rhys, let me remind you, a camel that starved to death is still bigger than a horse. The Dragon Guard might have been destroyed, but the remnants of this organization are still powerful. You have to be very careful." Grace sounded very serious."I know that." Dustin nodded. "I have learned my lesson. I'll never allow this to happen again.""I hope so," Grace replied."Anything special happened in the three days that I was unconscious?" Dustin asked."You reminded me of something!" Grace suddenly thought of something and exclaimed."According to the information I received from the royal family, the remnants of Dragon Guard appear to have left Oakvale. They even shut down all of the secret businesses they owned.""They left Oakvale? Where did they go?" Dustin continued asking."I can't say for sure. But according to the information gathered from all over, the Dragon Guard remnants might have moved on to West
"You?" Dustin was surprised to hear that as he looked Grace up and down.He said, "Your Highness, you're a very cherished princess. You mustn't put yourself at risk, and I can't involve you in this.""What? You don't think I can do it?" Grace smiled and waved her hand. Suddenly, a sharp and white light shot out the window. It destroyed the artificial mountain in the garden.There was a loud explosion. The artificial mountain was blown to ashes."The internal energy of a grandmaster?" Dustin's pupil constricted. "You're actually a grandmaster martial artist?" Female grandmasters were very rare. It was hard for women to undergo the training to become a grandmaster due to their bodily limitations.Dustin really had no idea that Grace was actually a grandmaster because she looked so fragile. The most important point was that he had failed to realize this despite spending so much time with her, even with all his experience. He thought that this woman was very good at hiding h
When the castle's gate swung open, every eye turned toward the entrance. Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Austin strode out with his two guards. His posture exuded confidence and authority."Your Highness!"The gathered officials instantly rushed forward to greet him. Grins spread across their faces as if they couldn't wait to please him. Whether it was Huxley, Percival, or Warrick, all wore the same ingratiating expression.After all, Austin was the infamous hellraiser. Though he had reined himself over the past two years, his past reputation still loomed over them.At least Rufus could be reasoned with. But Austin? He was a wild card—utterly unpredictable, like a ticking time bomb. Every last one of them had suffered his wrath before.Percival approached with a flattering smile. "Your Highness, you finally come out. I have something important to discuss with you. If you'd be so kind as to listen—"Before he could finish his sentence, he was dismissed by Austin, who found h
"Get lost! I'm not in the mood for anything right now. If you want to eat, go on your own." Warrick snapped, looking annoyed."I'm not going either," Percival refused flatly. "I'm on a health regimen these days—only tea, no alcohol.""Fine. If you're going to wait, then keep waiting. I won't be sticking around." Huxley forced a smile and acted like he was about to leave.But as he turned, he almost bumped into Boston, who was approaching from the other direction."Sorry, Sir Thatcher! I hope I didn't startle you." Since he was surrounded by so many high-ranking officials, Boston was already on edge. He had momentarily spaced out and almost caused a mishap by running into Huxley, which left him flustered and a bit tongue-tied.Unlike the other generals, Boston didn't come from an influential background or have any powerful connections. He had worked his way up from the bottom, and the last thing he wanted was to offend Huxley and risk losing everything he had fought so hard for.
After parting ways with Boston, Jovian checked into a nearby hotel to await the good news. Boston wasted no time. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, he headed to the castle to deliver a letter of introduction. But when he arrived, he was stunned by what he saw.The gates of the West Lucozian monarchy had already gathered quite a few people, and among them were several figures he immediately recognized. These included Huxley Thatcher, the Commander of the Militia; Warrick Prescott, the Major General of the State Guard; and Percival Wentworth, the Chancellor of the National Academy.These three were first-ranking officials. In West Lucozia, they were nothing short of kingmakers who wielded immense power and influence. Warrick, in particular, was two ranks above Boston. Hence, he felt the need to be cautious in his presence and was eager not to make a bad impression.Alongside these three prominent figures, several second- and third-ranking officials also stood in line at
The following morning, Jovian stood at the entrance of West Lucozia Airport, wearing a sharp suit.Before the trip, he had contacted his comrade with whom he had fought side by side in the military. After earning military merit and with the Ballard family's influence, he was fortunate enough to stay in Oakvale and secure a decent position.His comrade, on the other hand, had moved to West Lucozia to carve out a life for himself. Years of hard work had paid off—he was now a third-rank general with considerable power, influence, and a strong network of connections. Jovian's meeting with the Prince of West Lucozia would depend entirely on his comrade's connections.Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the air as a military jeep pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, and the first thing that came into view was a bald head gleaming in the sunlight like a lightbulb. The glare nearly blinded him.Under that shiny dome was a face that looked ordinary at first glance. But w
"Grandfather, I understand why you sent Uncle Jonathan and Uncle Jensen to the Spanner and Fallon families to gather information," Natasha began. "But West Lucozia is thousands of miles away."She shook her head slightly. "They've always stayed out of the government's political matters. Sending Uncle Jovian there wouldn't achieve anything. He'd likely just be turned away." Oakvale and West Lucozia were worlds apart. The fight for the Oakvale throne didn't really affect the West Lucozian monarchy. Both sides had long adhered to an unspoken agreement to avoid meddling in each other's affairs."I know, but it'll be different this time. The royal throne is at stake, and every faction will do whatever it takes to secure West Lucozia's support. If the West Lucozian monarchy picks a side, the balance we've maintained for years will collapse. That's why I need to be ready for whatever happens," Simon replied.It would be best if the West Lucozian monarchy stayed out of the political strug
At the Ballard estate, Dustin was warmly welcomed to stay after dinner. This was the first time Natasha had brought her boyfriend home, so the Ballards made a big deal of it.Simon personally accompanied the young couple and invited them to the study to chat over tea. With his sharp eye, Simon could tell Dustin was no ordinary martial artist. His manners, speech, and broad knowledge set him apart from most people."Dustin, I fully support your relationship with Natasha. Your background or status doesn't matter. What matters most is that you two are happy together." Simon paused and said earnestly, "I want you to understand that she's been pampered all her life and hasn't faced much hardship. Now that she's with you, I hope you'll take good care of her.""Don't worry, Mr. Ballard. I would never let her down," Dustin replied sincerely.Though they had known each other for some time and hadn't yet taken their relationship to the next level, they had already made their feelings clear
After hearing Nathaniel's words, Tristan's expression darkened. His brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.It seemed he had underestimated the situation. He had assumed it was just a simple rivalry between brothers; he hadn't anticipated Seamus seizing the chance to further his own agenda.Seamus already wielded considerable influence. Under the guise of supporting Matthias' ascension to the throne, he had been forming alliances and recruiting talents. His influence had grown to rival the royal family's.If Seamus really supported Matthias' ascension, he'd overshadow the king, and no one would be able to stop him. The worst-case scenario would be Seamus using Matthias as a puppet to overthrow the House of Linsor."Nathaniel, is everything you said true?" Tristan frowned."Absolutely. Every word," Nathaniel replied solemnly. "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can send someone to investigate.""I believe you. But… taking down Seamus won't be easy. Do you have a plan?" Tr
An hour later, Nathaniel quietly entered a private mansion wearing a disguise.Inside the living room, Tristan had already prepared tea and refreshments. He looked as if he had been waiting for a long time."Sorry to have kept you waiting, Tristan." Nathaniel took off his coat and walked forward with a smile."No need to apologize. I'm happy that you made the effort to arrange this. A few extra minutes are nothing, especially since it's rare for us to meet." Tristan gestured for him to sit while he poured two cups of tea and handed one to his brother.Nathaniel accepted the cup and discreetly set it aside. Whenever he was out, he was always cautious about food and drink—this wariness had become second nature."You asked to meet me on short notice. Is this about official matters or something personal?" Tristan took a sip from his cup and got straight to the point."Both," Nathaniel replied, still smiling."Oh?" Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it, then.""Given how things
In another luxurious mansion in the Inner City, a female spy dressed in black, cloaked in a hood, was reporting the results of her investigation to Nathaniel."Your Highness, the Moseys have been particularly active recently and are rallying allies. Many of the eight great families and other influential factions have already allied with them. If left unchecked, they'll pose a serious threat to us," she said, kneeling with her head lowered slightly."So the Moseys are backing Matthias, huh?" Nathaniel sat quietly, his expression unreadable."The Moseys have grand ambitions. While they claim to support Prince Matthias, they're merely setting him up as a puppet to rise to power and expand their own influence," she revealed.She had been infiltrating the Moseys' mansion for years and had gained a deep understanding of their operations, from the smallest details to the key players.Though Seamus appeared as a benevolent philanthropist, it was all a façade. Behind closed doors, he was r