"What?" Gordon and the others were dumbfounded by how politely and courteously Patrick had spoken to Dustin. Their eyes were round with disbelief.The son of the Hill family—one of the Ten Princes of South Province, dubbed the top aristocrat—had actually greeted that jerk with a smile?How was that even possible?!"No way. Dustin knows Mr. Hill?" The smile on Zoey's face turned to ice. She had initially thought that Patrick had walked over for Gordon; never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that he was there for Dustin. Not to mention, from the way they were acting, it seemed like they were close."How the hell did that punk climb his way up to become friends with Mr. Hill?!" Shock aside, Zeke was more jealous than anything. What right did a loser have to hit it off with the top aristocrat?"How could this be?" Gordon was rooted to the spot, astonishment written on his face. It was one thing to be ignored by Patrick, but he couldn't come to terms with how the person h
"Now, I'd like to propose a toast!" Hector raised his glass, swept his gaze over all the guests, and downed his drink.In response, everyone stood and raised their glass to toast in return.After some small talk, it was time for the gift-giving segment. "Mr. Harmon, here are some golden horses that I forged with my own hands. I wish you nothing but success in life!""Mr. Harmon, this crystal necklace once belonged to an ancient king. I hope you like it." "Mr. Harmon, this painting is an authentic masterpiece by Pikasso. It's truly a priceless treasure. That being said, I wish you the best of health and a lifetime full of smiles ahead!" One by one, the guests stepped up with their gifts in hand, offering their heartfelt birthday wishes. There were numerous rich and respected people among them, and this gift-giving segment was also a subtle display of comparison and competition. The one with the rarest and most expensive gift got to show off. They could display their power and
"What's going on?" The crowd glanced at each other and broke out in whispers at the sight of the wedding carriage being brought in. Wasn't it Hector's 50th birthday? It seemed like Tyler was deliberately stirring up trouble. "Tyler, what's the meaning of this?" Hector's smile gradually disappeared. He didn't expect Tyler to cut straight to the chase right after his arrival. He was truly relentless. "In accordance with our marriage contract, I'm picking up my bride today," Tyler stated calmly. "Marriage contract? Bride?""It can't be. Tyler and Natasha are engaged?""They're both talented and good-looking, so it's not surprising for them to be betrothed. However, this manner of retrieving the bride seems rather abrupt." The crowd was buzzing in surprise, confusion, jealousy, and curiosity. Picking up the bride at a birthday party was an unprecedented move. Hector stayed calm and composed. "Tyler, we'll discuss the details of the marriage agreement later on. It's my birthda
At that moment, Dylan suddenly shot up as he slammed the table. He bellowed, "Tyler Grant, don't think you can act as you please just because you have some talent. We're not easy targets!" "Who are you? Do you have the right to talk to me?" Tyler gave him a cold glance. "Hmph! Listen up!" Dylan straightened his chest and held his head up high. "My name is Dylan Harmon, I'm currently a high-ranking commander of the Dark Panther Cavalry. I've fought over a dozen wars and slain hundreds of men!""A mere commander is challenging me? Where did you get your courage? You're not even a deputy general," Tyler spoke indifferently."Even though I'm only a commander, Scarlet Spanner is my general! I don't believe you'd dare challenge the Goddess of War!" Dylan responded arrogantly. "Scarlet Spanner?" Tyler frowned slightly, finally betraying a hint of emotion. As Dragonmarsh's first Goddess of War, Scarlet had not only achieved incredible feats, she came from an influential background and
"What?" The crowd was shocked as they took in Dylan's seriously injured figure laying on the ground. Nobody expected Tyler to defeat a high-ranking commander of the Dark Panther Cavalry with just a finger. He was too powerful. The concerning thing was that Dylan had Scarlet backing him. When Tyler injured Dylan in public, it was akin to slapping Scarlet. The crowd wondered if he was just tyrannically arrogant or fearlessly confident. "How dare you injure one of us! Do you really think we are easy targets?" After recovering from the shock, the Harmons shot up in anger. They could no longer tolerate being bullied to such an extent. "Tyler Grant! I am a commander of the Dark Panther Cavalry. If you hurt me, Scarlet will never forgive you!" Dylan struggled to stand up, feeling shock and anger. Gifted with extraordinary talents and sharp perceptions since he was a child, he had trained into a divine-level martial artist at a young age. Armed with the abilities he was proud of, he ne
Tyler stomped on the ground heavily, causing a violent surge of energy to strike Dylan. Dylan staggered backward from the impact, spitting out another mouthful of blood. "You …" He gritted his teeth, not daring to utter another sound. He knew he had been completely defeated. "Tyler, you are too much!" Jacob erupted in fury at the sight of his son injured once again. "Cut the crap! Make a choice—The carriage or the coffin?" With his hands behind his back, Tyler gave off an imposing air. "Tyler Grant! Do you think you can suppress the entire Harmon family alone? You're absolutely crazy!" Jacob retorted angrily. "Who said I'm alone?" Tyler raised his hand and snapped his fingers. "Come in." On his orders, the sound of synchronized marching could be heard by the door. As they approached, the noise grew louder. Even the liquids on the table rippled slightly. To everyone's astonishment, following the sound was a group of black-clad, masked, and fully armed guards striding in with
"Have you asked me for permission before taking her away?" Dustin stood in front of Tyler, blocking his path. He had a frosty expression as he stood unyielding. "Huh?" The guests were dumbfounded and in shock. They could not believe someone would dare to challenge Tyler. This person must've had nerves of steel. Zoey's eyes widened in surprise. "What's Dustin doing up front? Doesn't he value his life?" Even if they disregarded Tyler's background, the armed guards behind him were terrifying enough. Zeke sneered. "Hmph, he must have a death wish to challenge General Lionheart!" Tyler commanded the armed guards with an air of dominance. With just a single command, he could have Dustin shot into oblivion. "Fool! He thinks he can show off in front of Tyler just because he's friends with Patrick. What a joke." Gordon looked like he was looking at a corpse. While Patrick held a high social standing, he had no official position. He was absolutely incomparable to Tyler. "This is spelli
Seeing that Tyler was serious, Natasha and Patrick stood up and stopped him. "Tyler, speak and behave as you wish, but he is my friend. You better not act recklessly." Patrick stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Dustin, clearly taking his side. His actions shocked many. It finally dawned on them why Dustin acted without restraint—he had someone backing him. "Patrick, no one can stop me from killing my target, not even you." Tyler's expression remained cold, not showing any sign of yielding. A rich playboy was nothing in his eyes. "There's no reason to go that far. You should forgive sometimes." Patrick frowned slightly. Tyler spat out, "Get lost. My bullets don't discriminate." "You—" Patrick's expression darkened. Even though they were both sons of affluent families, he could never compare to Tyler in terms of status and authority. If Tyler decided to use force, he would be powerless to stop him. "Mr. Grant, why are you so angry? Can't things be discussed n
Austin's words were calm and almost casual. Yet, they struck like thunder and echoed in the hearts of the three assistant generals of the Red Legion.If they answered Austin's questions, there might still be a slim chance of survival. But if they refused, death was the only outcome.After all, who would willingly choose death when they had worked so hard to achieve their wealth and status? Yet, pride and dignity held them back. They didn't want to be branded as traitors.Now, they were caught in a dilemma. Which was more important—their honor or their lives? It was an impossible choice."You have ten seconds left. If you don't speak, you'll lose your chance." Austin's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.His words seemed to pierce their souls, and the three Red Legion assistant generals broke into a cold sweat.As the countdown neared its end, Auron finally couldn't hold back. "Your Highness! I'll talk—I'll tell you everything."Dropping to his knees, he scrambled forward and wa
Axel swallowed hard, shock written all over his face. He had always known the Draken Guardians were formidable, but he had never expected them to be this lethal.He had pushed himself to his limit just to hold his own against Connor and Dave, only to end up seriously wounded. Yet, when the Draken Guardians arrived, they wiped them out—along with several dozen Red Legion soldiers—without losing a single man.If Axel hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the Red Legion, a force renowned for its elite soldiers, could be so easily crushed. Or perhaps it wasn't that the Red Legion was weak, but that the Draken Guardians were far stronger than anyone had imagined.Even their most ordinary members were strong enough to become a mighty general. As for those at the level of captain, their strength was far beyond Axel's. The lethality of a team made up of such skilled experts had reached the point of being an overwhelming force."Mr. Cruz, please arrange some
"Damn it! This punk's tougher than I thought. We're in real trouble if this keeps up," Connor said, swinging his twin blades relentlessly. Every strike was aimed at Axel's vital points.But Axel was quick. He weaved in and out of reach and avoided direct confrontation. It was obvious he was just stalling for time."Sir Prescott should be far enough by now. There's no point dragging this out. Let's fall back."Sensing the futility of their efforts, Dave considered retreating. He didn't fear death, but he wasn't about to waste his life for nothing.Since Warrick had escaped, their interception mission was also completed."You guys hold him off. The rest of you, fall back with me."Connor was decisive. Realizing they weren't making any progress, he quickly ordered a retreat and left a few decoys behind to buy time.They had barely run a hundred yards when a wave of soldiers suddenly appeared at the alley's entrance. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, filled the narrow space and comple
"This punk's a real pain in the ass!"Connor glanced over his shoulder and noticed Axel was still hot on their trail.The squad he had sent to intercept Axel was completely outmaneuvered, and they couldn't get anywhere near him.To Connor's dismay, Axel kept shooting off signal flares as he pursued them. Each flare gave away their position. At this rate, it didn't matter which direction they ran—they were bound to be intercepted."Connor! Dave! Make a move and swat that damn fly," Warrick ordered decisively."If we leave, who's going to protect you?" Connor hesitated.Warrick was in bad shape. Without them guarding him, a single attack from an expert could be fatal."If you don't take out that fly, I'll be in even more danger. Get moving now!" Warrick snapped."Yes, sir!"Connor and Dave exchanged a glance before splitting up with their squads to surround Axel.They both knew what was at stake. If they didn't take Axel down quickly, their entire force would be stranded and do
"Kill them all!"At Warrick's command, the Red Legion charged without hesitation. Blades flashed as they stormed toward the elite enforcement unit.This time, nearly a thousand Red Legion soldiers arrived. With their sheer numbers, they launched a pincer attack from both flanks, leaving the enemy with no way to fend it off."Form the Shield Formation!" Axel shouted upon seeing the dire situation. His men immediately sheathed their blades and raised their shields to form a defensive line. Their pursuit had cut them off from the main force. Since they were up against an enemy ten times their size, forming a defensive line was their best option.If they could stall for even a moment, reinforcements from the castle would arrive, and the tide would turn in their favor. Once that happened, the thousand-strong Red Legion would be the ones on the defensive.After a brief charge, the two forces collided.Warrick had personally trained the Red Legion. He selected only the most loyal and
Axel had no time to hesitate. He lunged forward and grabbed the overturned Dragon-Binding Net. Then, he used every ounce of his strength to pin Warrick down again."Get over here! We have to keep him restrained."As the net strained under Warrick's sheer power, Axel let out a roar and pushed his cultivation to the limit. His veins bulged and blood pounded in his ears. He threw every last bit of strength into holding Warrick down.For now, he managed to pin Warrick down, but the elite enforcement unit on the other side wasn't faring well. Warrick thrashed wildly, sending more than a dozen men swinging through the air. Some slammed into trees, while others crashed into walls. Within moments, the Dragon-Binding Net flipped over again.Several elite enforcement units tried to rush in and help, but they barely got close before getting hit by their own airborne comrades and sent flying.Against Warrick's Divine Strength, they were utterly outmatched. The regular guards didn't stand a
If Warrick had been at his peak, Axel might have been more cautious. But with Tranqurin coursing through his vein, Warrick had barely a fraction of his usual strength left. His power was still fading, and Axel wasn't about to waste the opportunity. He had to capture Warrick while he had the chance."Get the hell out of my way!"As the enforcers closed in, Warrick let out a furious roar and slammed his massive fist into the floor.With a loud explosion, the earth shook violently. The ground within dozens of yards cracked and caved in, splitting apart like a spiderweb. A powerful shockwave tore through the air, sending dirt flying and walls shattering. The entire meeting room collapsed into ruins.The elite enforcers, caught in the blast, were flung backward like ragdolls. They crashed to the ground, disoriented and battered. Even Axel was thrown back more than ten yards.Warrick panted heavily, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Forcing his internal energy into action had only
Austin's words were strong and commanding, each one landing like a thunderclap.Warrick felt the weight of his presence. His brow furrowed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced at the so-called evidence on the floor, showing no sign of panic or guilt. Instead, he said indifferently, "Your Highness, these dead men were nothing more than ants. Is this really worth making such a fuss over? I doubt you haven't killed anyone before."As the old saying went, the higher one climbed, the heavier one's purse. Warrick had clawed his way up, risking his life at every step for the sake of rising above the masses. Everyone had their own desires—some sought fame, others fortune. Some were greedy for money, some for power, and others reveled in the adoration of the masses. To achieve those things, one inevitably had to engage in shady dealings. It was an unspoken rule among officials, and Warrick saw nothing wrong with it."Ants?" Austin sneered. "Without these 'ant
The ashen-faced Huxley was dragged away. With his crimes exposed, his fate was sealed. His entire family would be implicated, and their assets would be seized.Those guilty would be punished, and even those who had merely benefited from his corruption would be held accountable. To put it bluntly, Huxley's entire family was about to be annihilated.Austin issued his next order once the bloodstains were cleaned up. "Axel, it's time to bring in the mastermind."With Huxley dealt with, the next step was to confront Warrick. Unlike Huxley, Warrick wouldn't be easy to deal with. After all, he commanded a large number of troops. If backed into a corner, he could become a major threat."Understood!" Axel responded respectfully, then turned to his subordinates. "Gather more men and come with me."Warrick had earned his prestigious position through years of fierce battles. On the battlefield, he was a one-man army, a warrior capable of taking on thousands. His strength was beyond what mos