"What did you just say? A major shareholder?" Julie paused for a moment before she laughed. "Hahaha! Have you lost your marbles, Rhys? You? A major shareholder? What a joke!""Oh, Rhys, you can go around boasting to others for all I care, but what's the point of bragging to us? You're just humiliating yourself!" Matt guffawed. He had done a thorough investigation on Dustin, and from what he found out, Dustin was, simply put, a good-for-nothing. He might have had some underhanded tactics up his sleeves, but he definitely had no real capabilities."Whether or not you believe me, that's your choice to make. But I guarantee that you won't be getting the company's rights," Dustin said calmly."Hah! You guarantee? How highly you think of yourself! Mr. Marcs is in charge here. Just one word from him, and the decision is final!" Julie made a disdainful face. "I do not know any Mr. Marcs, but I'm sure he does not have the authority to do so." Dustin remained unfazed."Hah! And do you? Tak
"To tell you the truth, Mr. Rhys is a tight buddy of mine. We'd give our lives up for each other. In fact, I had a night out drinking with him just yesterday! As long as I put a word in for you, he'll definitely do me this favor!" Mr. Marcs assured.Dustin chuckled lightly at that. What an artful liar!"Hey! What are you sniggering at?" Mr. Marcs glared at Dustin."Ignore him, Harvey. He's just a loser." Julie rolled her eyes."Mr. Marcs, if you can get me the company's rights, I'll be sure to repay you handsomely!" Matt promised."Haha! No problem! I'll get it done!" Mr. Marcs was beyond elated."Thank you, Mr. Marcs!" Matt grinned too. Judging from the high demand for Immortunol, he would soon be filthy rich once he got the company's rights. And then, he would have no difficulty restoring his family to its former glory!"Mr. Matt, I happen to have another business opportunity apart from the company's rights. Would you be interested?" Mr. Marcs asked sneakily."Oh? And what bu
"You! How dare you hit me?" Mr. Marcs held his face, which still burned from the smack. A mix of anger and shock was evident on his face.With the Harmons behind him, people fought to curry favor with him everywhere he went. When has anyone ever had the gall to hit him?"So what if I smacked you? As an employee, you're supposed to uphold the standards of the company, but look what you're doing! You steal from the company and mix substandard products with quality products. I think you deserve every bit of that smack!" As Dustin spoke, he went up and delivered a few more smacks. Mr. Marcs saw stars and bled from both his nose and mouth. The commotion attracted a lot of onlookers."Goodness! Who's this? How dare he hit Mr. Marcs?""Wreaking havoc on Harmons' premise! I gotta say, he's something else!""I think he's just ignorant. He's going to end up in a lot of trouble!"The crowd gathered around to watch and exchanged comments among themselves."Rhys! Are you out of your mind?
"Do you hear that? Everyone's saying that you're the thief." Morgan smirked maliciously. Which insolent bastard is this who dared meddle in his affairs?"Mr. Finn, it seems like you're going to cover up for him, then?" Dustin's eyes narrowed, a menacing look in his eyes.It suddenly made sense to Dustin why Mr. Marcs dared to act so rampantly. It was because he had an equally unrighteous superior! Dustin had thought that he had seen the worst from Mr. Marcs, but it turns out that Morgan was worse! Not only did he distort the truth, he even framed others for things that they did not do. It was plain for all to see that his subordinate was in the wrong, but he blatantly put the blame on Dustin. That was too much!"So what if I cover up for him? Who do you think calls the shots here?" Mr. Finn pressed his lips together into a thin line. "I'm giving you a chance now. Get down on your knees and apologize to Mr. Marcs right now, and admit that you were wrong. If you don't, I'll make sure
"What? Mr. Rhys?" Morgan had shock written all over his face.He had indeed received news that the developer of Immortunol, Mr. Rhys, would be present today, but he hadn't expected him to be so young!"N—no way! H—he's… He's Mr. Rhys?!" Mr. Marcs's eyes widened in disbelief. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the person he had been bragging about being a tight buddy with was right there in front of him. This was bad. This was really bad. They were in deep trouble now."Mr. Rhys? Dustin Rhys?" Julie looked around in bewilderment. "They must be mistaken! The brilliant Mr. Rhys who developed Immortunol was Dustin? How is that possible?" She mused."What ability does this rascal possess to be able to come up with the prescription formula for Immortunol?" Matt felt astonished, which was soon taken over by jealousy. Immortunol was a precious drug that was able to bring in endless fortune! But how did such a treasure end up in the hands of such a worthless person? It was tru
"H—how could you order them to smack me?" Morgan cradled his face in his palms as disbelief consumed him."Not only did I get them to hit you, I'm throwing you out too! As of this moment, you are no longer vice president of the company!' Natasha said bluntly."Natasha Harmon! This is too much! I've slaved my ass off in the company all these years, and you're laying me off all because of this scoundrel? How easily you dismiss my effort and labor! Are you not afraid that this won't sit well with the rest of the employees?""What? Is that a threat? Do you think that you are in a position to threaten me?"Natasha laughed mockingly. "Let me be honest here. I'm not only going to fire you, but I'm also sending you to prison today! I have records of all your dirty deeds, which I'm sure are enough to keep you in there for a lifetime!""Natasha Harmon! How dare you! I have the support of your cousin, Quentin Harmon!" Morgan shouted loudly, though he was trembling within."Quentin Harmon? H
"Alright, alright. Let's put all those behind us and talk business, shall we?" Matt stepped in to smooth things over. "Dustin, let's be professional here. I'm really interested in the company's rights. Here's a million-dollar check. I'd like to buy an allocation for the rights.""A million dollars? Do you take me for a beggar?" Dustin found it ridiculous."Hey! Are you saying that a million dollars is too little? Aren't you getting greedy?" Julie protested indignantly. "Just because the Harmons' gave you a prescription formula, you think that you can flaunt your authority? You only have authority because you are affiliated with the Harmons!""Dustin, let's cut to the chase. Name your price; how much will it take for you to give me the company rights?" Matt tried his best to stay calm."No amount of money will be able to get you that. A person of your character is simply not qualified to obtain the company rights for Immortunol," Dustin flat-out rejected him."What? You're rejectin
An hour later, James burst into the Nicholson manor hurriedly. "Mom! I've got bad news! Julie's in big trouble!""Trouble? What trouble?" Florence was enjoying her tea and responded slowly."Matt just called to tell me that Julie's been sent to jail!" That was a shocking piece of news."What?" Florence sat bolt upright when she heard that. "How did that happen? Why would Julie suddenly be locked up?""Matt said that Julie went to the Harmons' to buy something called Immortunol, and she got into some sort of conflict with Dustin. Somehow, Julie ended up detained for stealing drugs," James explained."Stealing drugs? No! That's impossible! Julie might be spoiled, but she would never commit theft!" As Florence spoke, she suddenly seemed to catch an important piece of information. "Hang on, did you just say that Julie had a conflict with Dustin, which was why she got caught? Could it be possible that the worthless piece of trash pulled a dirty trick on her?""That's right! That's wha
"Let me correct you," Dustin said.As his hand slowly tightened into a fist, a white longsword formed from his true energy. "In Dragonmarsh, there is no 'God. ' We only have the Lord of the Dead."The moment the words left his mouth, a tempest of sword aura exploded outward. Within a radius of several dozen yards, the winds howled, sand and stones were sent flying, and the waves along the shore grew even more violent."Such overwhelming pressure. That sword aura is insane. Is this Logan's actual strength?"Feeling the surge of energy, Warrick and the others couldn't help but turn pale. It was then they realized that Dustin hadn't been fighting seriously before. Or perhaps, with their strength, they hadn't even earned the right to make him fight for real. They figured only someone of Poseidon's caliber could force Dustin to go all out."Interesting… truly fascinating." Poseidon suddenly laughed. "I thought you were just a pup, but it turns out you're a hungry wolf. Now, this is s
Poseidon hovered in the air with his trident in one hand and radiated a commanding presence. He stood like a god, and his figure was so intimidating that it struck fear into those who beheld him.With a wave of his hand, an invisible energy struck Warrick and expelled the three silver needles from his body. Feeling sensation returned to his limbs, Warrick's face lit up. He quickly rose to his feet and clenched his fist to his chest in salute."Thank you, Lord Poseidon, for saving me. I will never forget this kindness!" he said."No need for formalities, Sir Prescott. Now that you've pledged yourself to the Hall of Gods, it's only natural that I ensure your safety," Poseidon replied with a faint smile as he descended gracefully."Your timely arrival was a blessing," Warrick said as he bowed his head slightly in deference. "Otherwise, we would have perished tonight."The Hall of Gods' royal gods were figures he could only look up to. Everything about Poseidon, from his power to hi
Mulder knew Warrick had been on the battlefield for years, and his physical strength was unmatched. On top of that, he was already halfway to becoming an ultimate grandmaster. Even if Warrick couldn't defeat the prodigious Logan, Mulder figured the difference wouldn't be too big. But he never expected Logan to take down Warrick with a single finger, leaving him severely injured and unable to stand. The difference in their strength was far beyond anything Mulder could have imagined.In other words, Logan had been toying with them from the start and didn't take the fight seriously. If he had, they would've all been dead.Warrick clutched his chest and coughed up blood as he staggered to his feet. His chest was a charred ruin, the flesh torn open and slick with blood. It was an awful, gory mess."I didn't expect you to be this strong. I underestimated you," he growled.He slowly raised his head, and his face twisted with a menacing look. "Guess I was just unlucky to fall into your
"Oh? You guessed it?" Dustin smirked. "Now that you know who I am, it's up to you to decide what to do."If Warrick chose to surrender, Dustin would simply seal his pressure points and leave him to Austin's judgment. But if he resisted, Dustin wouldn't hesitate to cripple him."Haven't you given up your title as the prince? Why did you return? Are you going to compete with Austin for the throne?" Warrick asked.Uncertainty flickered across his face before he continued, "If that's your intention, I can help you. Spare me today, and I guarantee you'll become the next Prince of West Lucozia."Power was a tempting beast. History was filled with stories of brothers turning against each other and fathers murdering their sons for it.In Warrick's mind, Logan's quiet return to West Lucozia meant one thing—he was after the throne."Guarantee?" Dustin scoffed. "What guarantee are you offering?" His voice was dripping with disdain. "You're a cornered rat now. You're barely holding on to you
"Warrick's blade technique is terrifying," Mulder mumbled. "This should be the finishing blow, right?"Watching from a distance, he was awestruck by the dazzling blade aura. Only now did he truly grasp the sheer gulf between Warrick and Dustin.Warrick's strike descended with such overwhelming force that it seemed to split the earth and obliterate everything in its path. Even from 300 feet away, the pressure rolling off it sent a chill down Mulder's spine.Under Mulder's stunned gaze, Warrick brought his full weight down, with blade and body merging into a single force that swallowed Dustin whole.The instant they clashed, an incandescent explosion of light erupted. It was so blinding that Mulder couldn't even open his eyes.A split second later, a deafening blast erupted, and a shockwave shot outward like a tidal surge. The force flattened the waves and overturned several fishing boats docked at the pier.Even Mulder, more than 300 feet away, was caught in the blast and tumbled
"So what if I am? And what if I push even further?" Dustin's smile slowly faded. "If you don't like it, do something about it."There was no reasoning with tyrants like Warrick."Punk, are you really willing to risk your life against me? Have you ever considered what happens if you lose?" Warrick's face turned grim as a wave of killing intent spread from him.He had already taken a step back to avoid unnecessary trouble. If Dustin refused to back down, there was no choice but to fight."Cut the crap. You wanna fight, fight." Dustin didn't bother with more words. With a flick of his wrist, a silver needle shot out and aimed toward Warrick's forehead—silent, unassuming, but deadly."Hmm?" Warrick's brow furrowed as he instinctively raised his arm. Sparks flew as the needle deflected off his arm and buried into the ground."Oh? You've mastered the Adamantine Body Technique?" Dustin narrowed his eyes. At that instant, he saw through Warrick's technique. Not only was he halfway
Mulder's body trembled, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. His energy drained, and his entire being seemed to collapse.Dustin's finger flick had not only shattered his sword but also injured his internal organs. With the effects of the enhanced serum wearing off, Mulder was now back to his original state and completely spent.His once-powerful frame now shrank like a punctured balloon. He looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant. Mulder could no longer fight. Even standing up was a challenge."He's finished," Dustin said coolly, then looked at Warrick. "Now it's your turn.""Hmm?" Warrick frowned, and his expression turned serious.Dustin's display of strength earlier had made him feel a sense of crisis. If they fought head-on, there was no telling who would come out on top.But Warrick was just one step away from escaping West Lucozia, bound for Artea and a life of freedom and luxury. He had no intention of risking his life in battle unless he absolutely
"This is interesting." Dustin smirked as the dense barrage of swords came slashing down at him. In the blink of an eye, his figure dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished.A storm of sword shadows carrying the force that could split rivers and overturn seas crashed down on the fishing boat where he had just been standing. The entire vessel broke apart in an instant—some sinking into the depths while others drifted across the water."What? He dodged it?" Warrick's eyes flickered with surprise.Mulder's attack just now had been a 360-degree attack. Once caught in its range, there was no chance to dodge—only the option to endure. He couldn't understand how Dustin had managed to avoid it. Did he just teleport?"Hiding like a coward? What kind of warrior are you? Come fight me face-to-face."Frustrated after his attack missed again, Mulder grew desperate. His enhanced serum would only last for 15 minutes. If this dragged on, he'd collapse from exhaustion before Dustin even touche
"Oh? Are we going all out now?" Dustin smirked, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.Mulder, who had advanced to become a grandmaster martial artist through drugs, had a weak foundation. Even after taking the enhanced serum, he still posed no threat to Dustin. If Mulder were a hundred times stronger, he might just barely be able to fight Dustin.As the serum's effects pushed his body to the limit, Mulder suddenly let out a furious roar. His muscles swelled rapidly, and his bones cracked as they expanded. His body grew larger at an alarming rate, and his clothes tore apart under the strain.His six-foot frame stretched to nearly seven feet in mere moments as his body swelled to monstrous proportions. His face twisted fiercely, and his skin darkened as black scales surfaced.With another guttural growl, his roar turned beastlike. He grabbed his shredded shirt and ripped it away, exposing his broad chest covered in dark scales. A faint, eerie sheen flickered across their surface."D