The saber hit the ground before its owner even appeared. Its edge gleamed with a fierce, intimidating light."This saber looks so familiar. I think I've seen it before.""If I'm not mistaken, that's the Inferno Saber of the Bloodfire Legion leader.""The leader of the Bloodfire Legion? Even someone like him is competing in the tournament? Isn't he too old for this?""From what I know, the Bloodfire Legion leader has passed the Inferno Saber to his most prized disciple, Kendricks Lang, who is ranked eighth on the Legendary List."Amid the murmurs, a dark figure suddenly shot into the air. He landed on the battle ring just as the golden saber crashed down with a thunderous boom.The figure was a man dressed in black with a cold and formidable presence. He appeared to be in his 30s, tall and upright, with a piercing gaze. A black, broken sword was slung across his back, which added to his unapproachable demeanor.He was Kendricks Lang, ranked eighth on the Legendary List. Though ma
As Azalea stared at the overwhelming golden wave, her eyes narrowed, and her heart raced. She had expected a few more exchanges, but Kendricks's opening move was terrifying.Without hesitating, she flicked her wrist and pulled out a red paper parasol that seemed to appear from nowhere. The parasol gleamed with deep red hues, and its surface etched with mysterious runes. As light danced over its surface, the runes began to pulse and whirl as if infused with life."The Abyssal Parasol?" The spectators immediately recognized the origin of the red paper parasol.The Abyssal Parasol was a powerful defensive divine artifact known for its dark and formidable properties. It was once the prized possession of the Abyssal Legion, but it was believed to have been lost after their downfall. Surprisingly, it ended up in the hands of the Mystic Arts Order."Go!" Azalea opened the parasol and thrust it forward against the golden wave. It shot into the air and shone brightly. A layer of crimson l
The lack of strict rules at Sacred Wrym Summit allowed Abigail to set up betting pools.Caleb couldn't resist the urge to play a few rounds out of curiosity. He initially had some luck and racked up a decent win. But the tide turned, and he lost everything he had won.With the excitement and adrenaline pumping, he had nothing else to wager, so he bet with the Divine Talisman. From that moment on, it spiraled out of control.It wasn't until he lost dozens of talismans that he finally realized he was over his head and decided to give up. Hence, the talismans in Azalea's possession were a result of his reckless gambling."Where did you get a Divine Talisman?" Kendricks frowned as his expression darkened.The Divine Talisman was a hallmark of Sacred Wyrm Summit, and the lightning talisman she had used earlier was particularly rare. Kendricks found it absurd that a disciple from the Mystic Arts Order would possess the talismans."Heh… it's a secret." Azalea grinned.Before the match,
"Hmph! You got lucky this time." Kendricks glared at Azalea, then sheathed his Demonblade and left the battle ring.Even though he won, there was no thrill in it. He didn't feel proud about winning against a vulnerable woman when she had managed to injure him.Since his rise to fame, he had never felt so embarrassed. The Divine Talismans had played a part, but he couldn't deny being outmatched and humiliated. The missed chance to retaliate only deepened his frustration. Kendricks vowed he wouldn't show the Mystic Arts Order disciples mercy if he faced them again."Contestant number five is the winner in this match," Oron announced.The spectators reacted with warm applause.Azalea's stunning performance and Kendricks's formidable strength were worthy of praise. Most previous matches had been brutal, where a single misstep could cost a contestant their life.It was rare to see someone as wise as her, who knew when she was outmatched and chose to surrender immediately. Her quick
"The masters on the Legendary List are undoubtedly formidable. But it's not our style to give up without a fight at the Shadow Citadel. Given my responsibilities, I must take this chance. I hope you can understand, Jude." Dalen remained composed with a faint smile on his face."Since you're so full of yourself, bring it on. I'm eager to see what you've got." Jude stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His posture looked arrogant, almost as if he were taunting Dalen to attack. He wouldn't be so dismissive if he were facing a strong opponent. But when it came to an unknown rookie, Jude didn't see any reason to be concerned since it would only cost him a little of his time."Please forgive me," Dalen said casually. He clasped his hands before lunging forward with a palm strike toward Jude.Though the strike looked deceptively slow, it was actually astonishingly fast. The chill in the air arrived before his hand did. As the palm wind swept by, the surface of the battle ring f
Jude was struck senseless by Dalen's attack. He felt his life essence solidify within him, and his body stiffened. He was immobilized, and his internal energy couldn't flow properly.The Shadow Citadel's ultimate technique, Glacial Strike, could instantly immobilize its target. Despite Jude's strength, he was still unable to escape its effects."What the hell! Jude actually got hit.""That has to be a fluke, right? After throwing wild punches for so long, it was bound to happen eventually."The spectators were taken aback as they watched Jude get sent flying by a single blow. To them, the outcome of the match seemed clear-cut. Jude had spent the entire time toying with Dalen without launching an attack, so the hit should be a coincidence.At a glance, it seemed like Jude had carelessly thrown himself into Dalen's palm. But there was no denying that this strike changed the one-sided domination's outcome.As Jude's body went limp, Dalen seized the moment to strike. He leaped into
"Die!" the nine Judes roared in unison as they attacked Dalen. The clones flashed across the battle ring. They wove in and out, blurring the line between reality and illusion. It was impossible to tell which was the real one.With his mastery of the Spectral Sprint technique, Jude was already hard to follow. And he became nearly impossible to track when he used the Spectral Clone technique. Dalen quickly channeled his internal energy to form a white barrier around himself. Just as the shield materialized, a relentless storm of punches rained down from every direction. Each blow sent ripples through the barrier.As the punches rained like a torrential downpour, Dalen's barrier shook like a boat caught in a fierce storm and threatened to break at any moment."Do you think you can stop me? I'll rip you to shreds." Jude vented his pent-up rage as he threw more punches.As a renowned master on the Legendary List, it was embarrassing to be injured by an unknown rookie. If he didn't r
The venue fell into stunned silence as all eyes were drawn to the injured and unconscious Jude. Nobody had anticipated this outcome.Just seconds ago, Jude had been dominating the match. He relentlessly attacked Dalen and was on the verge of shattering his barrier to secure victory. But suddenly, he collapsed to the ground.The sequence of events unfolded so quickly that the spectators barely had time to process what had happened."What just happened? Jude lost?""That was odd! What the heck happened a moment ago?""This match is full of surprises."After a brief moment of silence, the spectators erupted into an uproar. Jude's defeat was utterly unexpected. At first, he toyed with Dalen and underestimated him. However, his overconfidence allowed Dalen to seize the opportunity and deliver powerful blows.Furious, Jude unleashed a fierce assault that left Dalen struggling to defend himself. But against all odds, Jude lost, and Dalen emerged as the surprising victor.The sequenc
The enforcement team worked with remarkable efficiency. Within an hour, Huxley, Warrick, and Percival had been brought back to the castle.Per Austin's instructions, Axel made sure the three met briefly upon arrival, though they were given no opportunity to speak to one another. Afterward, they were taken to separate rooms and were guarded individually.Due to their status, the enforcement team treated them with respect, offering them tea and wine. However, they weren't allowed to leave their rooms and had to wait for Austin to summon them.Warrick was confined to Room A1, Huxley to Room A2, and Percival to Room A3. Their rooms were right next to each other, separated only by thin walls. If they stepped out, they would see one another, but none of them knew how close they were.This, of course, was all part of Austin's plan. He knew that extracting the truth from these three cunning foxes would require unconventional tactics.…Inside Room A1, Warrick sat calmly, sipping his te
"Hm?"Even Warrick frowned at the news.The royal enforcement team was rarely mobilized. When they did, it was always for something monumental. The question was, did a minor figure like Jovian Ballard really warrant such attention from Austin?"Mr. Thatcher, are you sure the royal enforcement team has been mobilized? And it's because of Jovian?" Warrick asked skeptically."Of course I'm sure," Huxley replied with a grave expression. "I've just received orders from above. The enforcement team captain will be taking over my duties temporarily. From now on, they'll have full control over the city's defense and investigative operations.""That's strange. Why would Lord Austin go to such lengths for someone so insignificant?" Warrick was confused, his brow furrowing.According to his intel, this was the first time Jovian and Austin had even met. Even if they had crossed paths before, it shouldn't have been enough to justify deploying the enforcement team.It seemed Warrick had undere
The next morning, after breakfast at the West Lucozian castle, Austin tried calling Jovian. However, his calls went unanswered. After several attempts, he still couldn't get through."Huh?" Austin was puzzled. They had made plans the previous day to head to Oakvale that day. Why was Jovian suddenly unreachable? Had he stood Austin up?After thinking it over, he found that unlikely. He and Jovian had gotten along well and even called each other brothers. On top of that, they had promised to travel together and watch out for one another.If Jovian had an urgent matter that required him to leave West Lucozia, he would have at least given Austin a heads-up. Jovian wouldn't just disappear without a word."Could something have happened to him?" Austin's unease grew. He quickly summoned his trusted aide. "Go find out where Jovian is. Report back to me as soon as you have any information.""Yes, Your Highness," the aide replied before hurrying off.Austin poured himself a cup of tea
A dull sound echoed through the air.Jovian's body shuddered. Blood streamed from his eyes, ears, and nose as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless. He was dead. After fighting to his last breath, he had chosen the only honorable way out.The scene had left even the assassins, who were no strangers to bloodshed, momentarily stunned. Taking one's own life so decisively wasn't something just anyone could do. Even the lowest of creatures had the instinct to cling to life, let alone a human being."This guy… He's ruthless," Ronan muttered, and his face darkened.Warrick had given strict orders to capture Jovian alive, but now he was dead. Now, Ronan had no way to deliver. If he had known it would come to this, he would have personally intervened to kill Jovian first."What now, boss?" one of the assassins asked."Clean up the scene," Ronan ordered. "I'll take the body back myself." With that, he hoisted Jovian's body onto his shoulder, tossed it into the vehicle, and drove off.…W
The sounds of battle echoed under the streetlights. Shouts of pain mixed with the clash of weapons could be heard. Five figures were locked in a deadly struggle, and blood splattered across the ground.The fight raged for nearly half an hour until the noise gradually subsided. The five figures lay motionless in pools of blood.Under the dim glow of the streetlights, three of the black-clad assassins were confirmed dead. One's neck was snapped, another's chest pierced, and the last had bled out from a fatal wound.Jovian and Boston were in no better condition.Boston was soaked in blood. His body was riddled with deep cuts, some so severe they exposed the bone beneath.Jovian wasn't much better. His abdomen and shoulder were slashed. His right arm had been severed, and he was left in a pitiful state.Boston coughed. After taking down the last assassin, he collapsed to the ground. He gasped for air as blood poured from his mouth. His chest and abdomen were torn open, and his orga
"Jovian, listen to me. West Lucozia's trouble runs deep. You won't be able to handle it. You need to get out of there," Boston urged.When Jovian remained silent, Boston couldn't hide his growing concern. After all, they were comrades, and he didn't want to see his friend die on the street."You're right. I'm not afraid if they come at me head-on. What worries me is if they come at me from behind."After hesitating for a moment, Jovian nodded. "Alright, Boston. Take me back to the hotel. I'll pack my things.""Now that's more like it." Boston sighed in relief. "As they say, there's always a chance as long as you're alive. The most important thing is to stay safe.""Thanks, man. I'll buy you a drink next time." Jovian smiled.Without Boston's constant advice, Jovian might have taken a chance. But if things went south, he'd regret it too late.Back at the hotel, Jovian wasted no time. He packed quickly, then hopped into Boston's car to head to the airport. With the burden lifted,
"Gentlemen, I've done my part and had my tea already. I still have things to take care of, so I'll leave now. Farewell!" Jovian said.When no one responded, he didn't say another word. He nodded respectfully, stood up, and exited the room.When the door opened, Warrick's face darkened, and his hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword. But before he could act, Huxley gently touched his arm and shook his head.Jovian noticed something was off and paused at the doorway before stepping out.Boston, who was standing by the door, let out a quiet sigh of relief as he watched Jovian leave without a scratch. His relief was short-lived, though, when he saw the grim expressions on the faces of the three men inside.It was clear that the meeting hadn't gone well. Fortunately, nothing too serious had happened. Otherwise, Boston would have much explaining to do to both sides."Why did you stop me? That arrogant brat clearly doesn't respect us. He'll think we're pushovers if we don
"Gentlemen, you certainly have a refined sense of humor." Jovian took another sip of tea. "But I'm not exactly a brave man. I startle easily, so I'd appreciate it if you kept the jokes to a minimum.""Of course." Huxley smiled and nodded. "Just some lighthearted banter to break the ice. If we've offended you, I apologize on behalf of Mr. Prescott. Please don't take it to heart."Jovian's expression eased slightly at that.Since he had the nerve to attend this trap-laden dinner, he wasn't afraid of a few threats. He wouldn't mind sharing information with them if they were willing to have a proper conversation.But they had tried to strong-arm him. Their words were laced with veiled threats and demands as if he were someone they could push around.Naturally, that didn't sit well with him. He just didn't let it show—for now."There's no need for an apology. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," Jovian said flatly. He stood to leave and felt that continuing this conversation w
"Well… some things are better left unsaid, but I believe you understand what I'm getting at," Percival said gravely."I'm afraid I don't, Mr. Wentworth. You'll have to forgive my ignorance." Jovian's tone was measured and composed."You…" Percival's expression darkened.Judging by Jovian's demeanor when he first arrived, Percival had assumed that he was someone who knew how to read between the lines. Yet now, he was feigning ignorance, making it clear that he wasn't taking Percival seriously."Enough, Mr. Wentworth. Let me handle this."Warrick took over the conversation and got straight to the point. "Jovian, right? Let's not waste time. We know why you're here. The only question is—what have you found out?""And what kind of information are you referring to, Sir Prescott?" Jovian asked.Warrick slammed a palm onto the table, and his face darkened. "Don't play dumb with me, brat. I don't have time for games. If you don't start talking, don't blame me if I stop showing the Balla