"S—she's awake?" Everyone was amazed to see that Mrs. Xenos had come around, and they stared at her wide-eyed with disbelief. Nobody had ever thought that this young man would be able to cure Mrs. Xenos of something that even Dr. Alden found impossible. And he managed to do so with just several needles! The entire process had been nothing special and was just plain old needling techniques, but it was exactly because of how simple everything had been that they found it shocking."H—how is this possible?" Dr. Alden was completely blown away by what he just witnessed. That was cerebral congestion, and she had been diagnosed as a vegetative patient, for goodness sake! It was such a complicated condition, and he managed to cure her with just several needles? He must be joking!"She's awake! She's awake! Mom's awake!" It took Ruby a while to register that her mother was finally awake, but when she snapped back to her senses, she jumped with joy. She had been utterly devastated when she got t
Dr. Alden did not hesitate to invite Dustin to join them. His medical skills were truly miraculous, to say the least. It was amazing how he could bring someone from the brink of death back to consciousness with just several needles. Had it not been for his ego, Dr. Alden would have asked Dustin to be his mentor."I have no such plans yet. We'll see when the opportunity arises." Dustin rejected him nicely. Then, without anyone asking, he quickly scribbled down a prescription and handed it to Ruby. "Remember to make sure that your mother takes her medications on time. She'll have to take them for about a month, and she'll be alright.""Thank you, Dustin!" Ruby beamed brightly at him."I have other plans, so I'll take my leave now." Dustin did not stay there much longer and left the hospital soon after. As he left the hospital, Dustin was suddenly reminded that he had yet to change Natasha's wound dressing today, so he hailed a cab and headed straight for the Harmon estate.…In the Harm
"You?" Trent was caught off guard when he saw Kate step forward. He had never thought that his daughter would come forward in the family's time of need."That sounds good. I think Kate is indeed a suitable candidate. We should consider letting her take Natasha's place for the marriage alliance," Jacob vouched for Kate. The rest of the family nodded in agreement when they saw Jacob backing Kate up. They were convinced that Kate was just about as good as Natasha, both in looks and abilities. It really wasn't a bad idea to let her marry Tyler."Kate, this is no laughing matter. You should consider it carefully," Hector warned sternly."Uncle Hector, I've given it much thought. Since Natasha is reluctant to marry Tyler, I'll do it," Kate announced boldly."Are you really willing to sacrifice yourself for the family?" Hector asked once again."Well, someone has got to do it, so it might as well be me. This is my responsibility as a Harmon!" Natasha declared righteously. Although she put on
Jacob stood up and enunciated each word slowly. "I will go to the Grants with Kate to talk about the marriage arrangement in detail.""Thank you for backing me up, Uncle Jacob!" Kate was overjoyed."I'll leave the task to you then, Jacob." Hector nodded at him."Wait for our good news, everyone!" Jacob looked around the room and nodded at his brothers before leaving with Kate in tow. Hector seemed deep in thought as he watched them leave.…Over in Natasha's room, she laid on her bed with her eyes closed as Dustin sat beside her, meticulously applying an ointment to her wound. The wound on Natasha's face wasn't severe, and after applying some of Dustin's special ointment, it was clearly much better than it had been before."Sis! I have good news!" Ruth barged into the room excitedly."Oh? What's the good news?" Natasha asked with her eyes still closed, enjoying the attentive treatment Dustin was giving her."Uncle Jacob suggested that someone else take your place for the marriage allia
"What? He threatened to send his troops?" Everyone was startled by the news Jacob brought. They had all thought that things would run smoothly. As long as Tyler agreed to their proposal, the marriage alliance would still be on. Who'd have thought that this was how things turned out?"I just don't get it. What am I lacking compared to Natasha? Why would Tyler refuse to marry me?" Kate hissed through gritted teeth, livid. As a woman, she had lowered herself so much by going to the Grants to offer her hand in marriage. Not only had Tyler not appreciated the gesture and thrown her out, but he also did not even spare her a glance once the entire time! It was pure humiliation!"So Tyler rejected the swap, and Natasha refuses to marry him. Now what?" Someone asked."I say we go head-on against them!" Kate exclaimed in frustration. "Since Tyler isn't showing us any respect, I don't see why we should honor them either!""Watch your words, Kate!" Trent immediately stopped her from continuing. Th
"Why are you back so soon, Son? Weren't you warding off enemies at the borders?" Jacob quickly went up to his son joyfully once he snapped out of the initial shock of seeing Dylan."Everything's peaceful over at the borders now, so I took a few days off to come back for a bit." Dylan chuckled."Good, that's good … It's great to see you back! I haven't seen you in a year! You look even more ripped now!" Jacob patted Dylan on the back delightedly. He was pleased with his son's achievements. Out of all the members of the younger generation in the Harmons, Dylan was the most accomplished of all."I've got good news, Dad. I've been promoted! I'm now a high-ranking commander in the Dark Panther Cavalry. I've got over a thousand men working under me!" Dylan announced proudly."What? A high-ranking commander?" An excited chatter broke out among the crowd, who were all delightfully surprised to hear that. There were also some who were envious of his progress. As a high-ranking commander, he wa
Over the next few days, the Harmons began sending out invitations and busied themselves with preparations for Hector's 50th birthday celebration. As one of the Fabulous Five, the Harmons were a large family with lots of connections, and the leader of the family, Hector, was widely revered. Hence, when news got out that Hector was celebrating his birthday, it sent almost half the city into an excited frenzy. Countless celebrities, wealthy elites, and influential figures were eager to attend the event.Bright and early in the Harmon estate five days later, the entire household bustled with activity. It was truly a grand affair, as not only was it Hector's birthday celebration, but it was also the day that Tyler was coming for Natasha. The Harmons needed all the support they could get to pressure Tyler into backing off.Back in her room, Natasha studied her face in the mirror, admiring how fair and supple her skin was now. She was pleasantly surprised by how well the wound healed. She had
It was the day of Hector's 50th birthday celebration, and many elites and prominent figures showed up for the event. Though the banquet had yet to commence, there was already quite a crowd in the banquet hall, and more guests arrived as time went on."Dustin? What are you doing here?" Dustin heard a woman ask from behind him. He turned around to see several familiar faces that he had met once, quite some time ago. They were Adriana, Zoey, Gordon, Zeke, and several others. These were Natasha's classmates from her school days.The first time he met them, Adriana had some troubles due to her contract and was harassed by a manager working for the Langfords. He had helped her out of the situation and beaten up the manager. After Luis Langford returned to Stonia, Dustin had never met these people again, so it was quite a surprise to meet them again."Hey! I asked you a question! Why are you not answering me? How rude!" Zoey was displeased by his reaction, or rather, the lack of it."Of cours
While Dustin was away, Natasha couldn't help but worry about him. She would always keep an eye out for any news about him. But no matter how much she missed him, she wouldn't call him. She didn't want to distract or cause him to lose focus on the important matters concerning the nation's affairs. Understanding how busy he was, she kept her feelings in check and buried herself in work to keep her mind occupied.But when Natasha finally saw Dustin again, all the emotions she had bottled up came rushing out. Months of longing turned into overwhelming affection, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.Her assistant, Tanya, watched in shock. She had no idea Natasha—typically the poised, decisive, and commanding chairwoman—was in a relationship. What surprised her even more was how different Natasha seemed around Dustin. The usually unshakable "queen" now appeared soft and tender in his presence.Tanya couldn't help but watch Dustin more closely. His looks and charisma were u
Dustin had boarded the plane back to Oakvale. His trip to Sacred Wrym Summit had been full of ups and downs. From the Combat Tournament to the invasion of the Hall of Gods, his journey had been perilous. Thankfully, the outcome was favorable. He had won the championship at the tournament, acquired three Dracan essences, and ultimately foiled the Hall of Gods' plan. In every way, the mission had been nearly flawless.After bidding farewell to his newfound allies, Dustin joined Grace on the return flight. Four of the five Dracan essences had already been gathered, leaving only one remaining. According to Grace, the last essence had been located, and the person holding it was in Oakvale. Though their identity was still unknown, she suspected it was most likely one of the three princes.With the position of heir to the throne still uncertain, the three princes were all eager to secure their power. Whoever obtained the Dracan essence would be blessed with fortune and have a higher c
The chaos of the night quickly settled.By morning, as the first light of dawn broke across the horizon, Sacred Wrym Summit had regained its usual tranquility. Yet, the bloodstains across the ground and the wreckage of buildings stood as grim reminders of the previous night's violence.The military forces summoned by Grace had already taken the Hall of Gods' prisoners into custody.Rumors spread like wildfire, fueling gossip throughout the martial world as all the major guilds watched with keen interest. After all, very few in history had ever dared to challenge Sacred Wrym Summit, and a bold invasion aimed at destroying it was nothing short of unprecedented.The outcome was clear to all who bore witness. After many years, the world had come to recognize the true terror of Arion. He was no mere mortal—he was almost a godlike figure.…Inside the Hall of Gods' headquarters in Streuqua, the core members were gathered, seated in two rows on either side of the grand hall.On the thr
After dealing with the Hall of Gods' elite fighters, Arion disappeared in a blur. When he reappeared, he was hovering above the forbidden ground of Sacred Wrym Summit.The scene at the entrance to the forbidden ground was one of utter carnage. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, and rivers of blood flowed freely. All members of the Hall of Gods, including Hank, lay motionless on the ground.Dustin and Willard, both covered in blood and exuding killing intent, had fought fiercely. After a long, grueling fight, they succeeded in defending the forbidden ground of Sacred Wrym Summit. They had thwarted the Hall of Gods' plan to destroy the Dracan force.At that instant, Dustin seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up. Through the mist and darkness, he pinpointed Arion's figure hovering above. Arion smiled faintly and nodded at Dustin before disappearing again.Crossing several mountains in mere seconds, Arion arrived above the Sacred Wrym Summit's grand hall. Below, the discipl
When the dust finally settled, Arion was the only one left standing.Bailey, Willem, Anthony, Batuul, the three elite assassins from Eskus, and several gods from the Hall of Gods were either dead or gravely injured.Willem's body had been blasted into countless pieces. Each fragment wriggled on the ground as it struggled to piece together. Batuul fared even worse. He was utterly obliterated, leaving no trace behind, not even ashes. On the contrary, Bailey and the three Eskus assassins had both their arms severed and were gravely wounded. Though Anthony's limbs were still intact, his crushed internal organs left him coughing up blood. The backlash from the demonic blade had also taken a devastating toll on his body. He now appeared decades older, his face gaunt and hollow, his hair gray. His frail frame made him look like a man standing at death's door."H-How is this possible? No… this can't be happening!" Bailey's expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief as he stared a
Arion's sudden appearance caught everyone off guard. They stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. What was going on? Wasn't Arion already dead? How could he be standing there in front of them? Could it be a ghost?They exchanged baffled looks, and their faces were filled with disbelief. They couldn't make sense of it. How could Arion possibly be alive? It was beyond their comprehension."You… you're not dead?" No one was more shocked than Willem. After all his effort, he had finally found the chance to bite into Arion's neck and drain every drop of his blood.He was certain Arion had died—there was no way he could have survived. But if Arion was dead, who was this person standing before them?"Everyone, calm down!" Bailey spoke up. "Arion's body is still over there. This person must be an imposter."At his words, everyone turned to look at the corpse lying nearby.Bailey was right. The body was still there, and there was no way Arion could still be alive. So, the person in front o
As the Snow Maiden attacked, Batuul's illusory Elephantine stirred into action. With a mighty roar, it charged forward and slammed into Arion. Its tusks, sharp as spears, aimed directly at his chest.Caught in the swirling snow, Arion couldn't avoid the attack and quickly invoked the Glow Incantation to shield himself. The tusks collided with the barrier in a deafening crash. The impact sent Arion flying, and the golden light surrounding him shattered like glass. Clearly, the illusory Elephantine's strength had far exceeded the Glow Incantation's limits.As Arion was tossed into the air, the three-headed, six-armed Chimera Wrath seized its moment. With six different weapons in hand, it launched a relentless assault.Arion swung his sword to block but was driven further back with each blow. With no solid footing in midair, his agility was useless against the onslaught.After several exchanges, one of the Chimera's weapons struck Arion squarely in the chest, sending him crashing to
After a prolonged battle, Anthony and the others finally realized the gravity of the situation.Arion wasn't just a sword master but also had unpredictable agility. No matter how they attacked, they couldn't even land a single hit. On top of that, his sword was a constant threat.If this deadlock continued, the situation would only worsen. So, when Bailey spoke, they knew it was time for decisive action, and there was no turning back. It was either kill or be killed.At that moment, Anthony, who had been holding back, finally decided to use his ultimate technique. He bit his finger and smeared the blood across his blade. His lips moved quickly as if whispering an incantation."Snow Maiden, arise!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he swung his sword. A white figure shot out and hovered in the air. It was a woman with fair skin and mesmerizing beauty. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, her dress was as white as snow, and her eyes had a sinister gleam.The moment she appe
"How many tricks does this old geezer have?"The impact of the divine talisman explosion left everyone both shocked and enraged. No one had expected that Arion would still manage to unleash such a powerful supreme divine power even after the Glow Incantation was broken and the lightning strikes failed to cause any harm.The impact of the thousands of divine talismans exploding at once was terrifying. Only the strongest fighters—Willem, Bailey, and Batuul—could withstand it. The rest of the group was severely injured. At that moment, they finally realized the terrifying strength of Dragonmarsh's strongest man."Impressive," Willem said, landing smoothly after being thrown back. His withered skin was now covered in cracks, and blood oozed from it.Most of the shockwave from the explosion had hit him directly. Despite his impressive defense, he still took some damage. However, these injuries were nothing to him. His wounds had already healed within a few seconds, as if nothing had hap