"Ruby, are you going to go back on your word?" Dalen asked with a half-smile."Who said that I regretted? It's not like I can't afford to lose." Ruby rolled her eyes and quickly stepped forward. After pushing through the crowd and standing before Dustin, she said quickly yet stiffly, "Well… I misunderstood you before. I'm sorry."After saying that, Ruby turned around without giving a chance for Dustin to reply.Dustin was taken aback, confused about what was happening. Although Ruby was apologizing, she seemed unwilling to do so."I already apologized. Are you happy now?" Ruby returned to Dalen's side and pouted.Dalen shook his head with a smile. He didn't pursue it any further.At this moment, Dustin was at the center of attention.Various guilds and experts were scrambling to recruit Dustin. Plus, the conditions they offered were extremely enticing. It was obvious that they were scared of missing out on such a golden opportunity.Some even tried to seduce Dustin, hoping th
"Sir, Mr. Alessandro put up a challenge at the center of the ancient town. "He wanted to challenge Dragonmarsh's martial artists to dampen their nation's spirit. He also wanted to gain a name for himself and bring honor to the Alessandro family."Everything was going well at first. Two Dragonmarsh's aces lost against him. Unexpectedly, a nameless person appeared at the third match. "He took advantage when Mr. Alessandro was at his weakest and defeated him unfairly. He even tortured and humiliated him. Please avenge him and kill that lowly Dragonmarsh martial artist!"The butler knelt on the floor and quickly recounted the events, embellishing the details for added effect."Fuck!" Anthony was furious after hearing that. Then, he slapped the butler's face. "Who let you set up a challenge at Sacred Wrym Summit? Do you know that it'll ruin our plan?""Sir, it's not my fault. Mr. Alessandro said that his family had been dormant for so long. He wanted to use this chance to make a nam
Anthony and the Kimbokuan warriors held on tightly to their swords with alert looks on their faces as they observed the unexpected appearance of the individuals. It appeared as if they were up against a strong opponent. They had no choice as these men and women with blonde hair and blue eyes were very imposing."Mr. Alessandro, how have you been? It's been a long time." A sturdy, middle-aged man with a neat beard and a greasy hairdo walked forward and greeted them with a smile."Bailey? It's you!" Anthony looked carefully and was very surprised, "Aren't you being held prisoner at the Hall of Gods? Why are you…" He looked around and decided it was best not to ask.He remembered that Bailey, the Grizz Lord, was the nemesis of the Hall of Gods. He was on the most wanted list of the Hall of Gods and he was finally caught with the help of many skilled fighters. After that, he was imprisoned in a secret location at the Hall of Gods.No one had expected that Bailey would be released a
A few decades ago, Dragonmarsh was indeed a weak country. Kimboku was ahead of Dragonmarsh in all areas of development. However, they must admit that the two countries had completely switched places. If Dragonmarsh was allowed to develop freely, Kimboku would have to pay dearly in the future.As such, Kimboku had been trying their best to thwart the development of Dragonmarsh. They couldn't afford to miss any chance at weakening Dragonmarsh. This was also the reason why he came to the Sacred Wrym Summit."Mr. Bailey, what's your plan?" After a moment of silence, Anthony finally spoke up. It was very risky to attack the Sacred Wrym Summit if he relied solely on the power of the Alessandro family. It'd be a different story if he had help."I've got two plans. If we do everything according to my plans, Dragonmarsh will certainly suffer a serious setback," Bailey said meaningfully."Mr. Bailey, can you please elaborate on your plans?" Anthony was a little curious."My first plan
"Sir, is Bailey trustworthy?" After the departure of the members of the Hall of Gods, a one-eyed warrior asked in a lowered voice."Trust no one except for those from the Alessandro family." Anthony shook his head. The Grizz Lord, Bailey, whom he knew before was a loud and proud but mindless person. However, he seemed to have changed a lot now."Sir, if Bailey isn't trustworthy, are we still going to work with him?" The one-eyed warrior continued asking."Of course." Anthony narrowed his eyes and continued, "It doesn't matter if it's Kimboku or the Hall of Gods from the West, we have the same enemy which is Dragonmarsh! "What we need to do is to wreak havoc on Dragonmarsh and impede its development. With this pretext, it doesn't matter if we have our own plans. We'll work together as long as we share the same goal!""Understood!" The one-eyed warrior nodded heavily. In other words, the supposed corporation was just them using each other to achieve their own goal."Hurry up and
The one-eyed warrior was furious when he was being ignored. He quickly moved forward with his sword in his hands and delivered a powerful blow to the silhouette. The silhouette didn't turn around nor did it avoid the attack. Instead, it simply lifted its hand and caught the curved longsword aiming at him.Sparks flew when the silhouette's pale and weak-looking hand caught the one-eyed warrior's curved longsword. It was as if the hand was made of steel."W-What?" The one-eyed warrior's eyes widened in shock. He didn't think that the silhouette would be able to block a strike this strong with bare hands. He couldn't even retrieve his sword no matter how hard he tried. Who was this person?The one-eyed warrior's sword was broken into many pieces as the silhouette clenched its fist around the sword tighter. In the next moment, the silhouette turned around abruptly and revealed its pale and sickly face. Its blood-red eyes shone with a demonic glow in the dark.The silhouette growl
Dread often stemmed from the unfamiliar.The Kimboku warriors were skilled and brave in facing ordinary enemies. However, their courage faltered when confronted with the formidable Blood Devil Willem.Willem was a figure of mystery, endowed with immortality and the remarkable ability to transform into a bat. The mention of his name alone was enough to send shivers down the spines of many."Blood Devil?" Willem shook his head.He continued, "I'm not particularly fond of that moniker. I come from the distinguished royal lineage of the Esmington Empire, holding the honorable title of Earl."You can call me Willem or Earl Willem." A sly grin spread across his face, revealing two sharp fangs."Willem, no one cares about your noble status. You're Blood Devil, plain and simple," Bailey stated bluntly.He then gestured toward Anthony. "Let me introduce you to Mr. Alessandro, one of the ten Sword Sages of Kimboku.""Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alessandro." Willem extended his hand, presen
"Mr. Alessandro, meet Vanzan, Noir, and Shyvan. They are notable figures from Eskus, each possessing impressive skills." Bailey introduced."Vanzan? Noir? Shyvan?" Anthony raised an eyebrow, growing more surprised by the moment. In Eskus, the Silent Specters, a mysterious and powerful assassin organization, operated discreetly. They would kill anyone for the right price. One of their notable targets was a former ruler of Glorian.The organization comprised three elite assassins—Vanzan, Noir, and Shyvan—named after Eskus's deities. Their mission success rate was an astonishing 100%. The assassination of the Glorian ruler was attributed to their skills.Their unparalleled ability to kill such a highly guarded Glorian ruler and evade capture spoke volumes about their prowess.Anthony was surprised by the arrival of Blood Devil Willem and Eskus' three elite assassins. Each of them was capable of unleashing a tempest of bloodshed and chaos."Welcome, gentlemen. Come on in," Anthony
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr