"Oh, I'm going too far now, am I? Well, so what if I am? What are you going to do about it?" The red-haired lady stood with arms akimbo as she glared daggers at Dahlia."I've called the cops! You better not act rashly!" Dahlia warned. She had Julie make several calls as soon as they had the accident."The cops?" The red-haired girl laughed obnoxiously as her friends behind her watched on unkindly, obviously having no regard for the authorities. "Do you think that I'd be daunted by mere cops? I'll have you know, I can kill you right this instant and chuck you into the ocean as fish food, and no one will be able to do anything about it!" She laughed nastily."Surely you can't be above the law!" Dahlia shook her head with a frown, her brows furrowed."The law? Haha! I am the fucking law! Now, pay me ten million dollars, or I'll show you what I'm capable of!" The red-haired lady threatened."Ten million dollars? That's daylight robbery!" Julie was aggravated. Even if she had bought that ca
The young men and women, who were with the red-haired lady, began clamoring, disregarding Dustin's presence."Get down on your knees and apologize, or I'll break your arms and legs!" Dustin demanded coldly."My! cocky, aren't you?" One of the men walked up to Dustin and poked him in the chest rudely, taunting him as he did so, "Do you know who we are, loser? How dare you act so arrogantly with us? I'll—" Before he could finish his sentence, he was struck with full force across the face. A loud slap could be heard as he was sent flying through the air, crashing through a car window head-first. The top half of his body went right through the window and into the car, whereas the other half of his body dangled outside of the car."How dare you slap my friend? Do you have a death wish?" The lady with the red hair was infuriated by Dustin's actions. In one swift motion, she launched herself toward Dustin at an unbelievable speed. When she got near, she threw a punch at Dustin with all her m
"Ahhh!" Maggie, who had her kneecaps fractured, let out an ear-piercing scream. She fell flat on the ground and rolled around in pain."What?" Everyone was shocked by what they saw. None of them had expected Dustin to hurt Maggie, even after she revealed her identity. He truly showed her no mercy. But she was the daughter of the great Doyle family! No matter where she went, people always tried their best to please her, and nobody dared cross her. It was beyond everyone's comprehension that Dustin would actually break her kneecaps! It was insane!"Are you out of your flipping mind, Dustin? Do you know what you've done?" After the initial shock wore off, Julie leaped to her feet, her face white as a sheet."You! How dare you hurt Miss Doyle? You're done for! All of you!" "That's right! The Doyles aren't ever going to let you go! This is no longer about the money!" Maggie's friends clamored in fury. As scions of wealthy families, they were all used to bullying others; never the other w
"Mom just called me to say that someone spotted Terrence having a meal at Saffron Restaurant. She's heading over with Aunt Florence and wants us to come along to catch the swindler too!" Julie told Dahlia."Terrence Stone? How dare that cheat show his face in public again?" Dahlia was furious. He had nearly made her family go bankrupt because of the issue with the abandoned building. In the end, it was Dustin who took one for the family and bought it over. Hence, she had nothing good to say about Terrence."Stop being idle, Dustin! Go, get a car! We need to make Terrence give back all the money he ripped us off!" Julie said resentfully."I've bought over the abandoned building, so neither of you made any losses. Why are you both so worked up?" Dustin couldn't comprehend their anger."Hey! What do you mean? A con man like Terrence needs to be taught a lesson! We should act for justice!" Julie declared righteously."Is that so?" Dustin smiled. He knew very well what was going on in Julie
"You swindler! Give me back my money!" Florence began shouting aggressively the moment she entered. She had even gotten several stout and burly women to come along with her to back her up."Why are you here?" A sudden feeling of guilt came over Terrence, and his expression changed. He had not expected them to barge in while he was having a meal."How are we going to catch the swindler if we didn't come here personally?" Victoria shot him a glare."That's right! How dare you enjoy dining in such a luxurious place after cheating us of our money? You're utterly shameless!" Florence demanded with her hands on her hips."Who are these shrews, Terrence? Should we throw them out?" Terrence's friends asked meanly. Terrence was about to be the wealthiest one among them, so they were all dying to suck up to him."No, that won't be necessary. I know them." An idea came to Terrence, and he quickly told his friends, "You guys head on back for now. I've got some personal matters to deal with. I'll b
Florence and Victoria came for Terrence to get their money back. In fact, they were prepared to resort to violence to get things done, ready to teach him a lesson the moment Terrence tried to pull anything funny. However, they had not foreseen that he would readily admit his mistakes and even humbly tell them that he would pay them for their loss. For a moment, both of them were unsure if he really was a swindler. Could it be possible that Terrence was indeed innocent?"If you truly are a victim too, Terrence, where would you get the money to pay us back?" Florence was doubtful."Indeed, I do not have the money right now, but I can borrow some from people around me." Terrence sighed before he continued, "I've got some connections here in Millsburg, and I have plenty of friends. Did you see those people who were here with me earlier on? I invited them here for a meal so that I could borrow some money from them to pay you your loss."Florence and Victoria were moved by his words. They we
"Speak of the devil! The simpleton is here!" Florence had barely finished her sentence when a group of three came in through the doors of Saffron Restaurant. It was none other than Dustin, Dahlia, and Julie."Terrence Stone!" Julie's eyes swept the place once she entered. She quickly spotted Terrence in the private room and stormed over angrily."Julie, hear me out!" Terrence was just about to explain himself with an awkward smile on his face when, without any prior warning, Julie slapped him across the face. Caught off guard, he cupped his cheek with his hand, unable to react."Why are you being so aggressive, Julie?" Victoria reprimanded her immediately."Why are you defending him, Mom? Did he not deserve that?" Beside herself with anger, Julie saw nothing wrong with her actions. He deserved that slap very much for cheating her money and taking advantage of her feelings for him. "You're mistaken! Terrence isn't a swindler!" Victoria swiftly pulled Julie aside."He's not a swindler?
That was the mannerism of a true gentleman! At that moment, Terrence appeared heroic."You're in luck, Dustin! What are you waiting for? Why aren't you thanking Terrence? He decided to buy that rubbish off your hands!" Julie announced proudly."There's no need for that. We're all friends. I can't bear to see you suffer such a loss. Just give me the ownership of that piece of land, and we've got a deal," Terrence said with an amiable smile."When did I agree to the deal?" Dustin asked."What?" Terrence thought that he had heard Dustin wrong. He never thought that he would be rejected. Julie and the rest of them were astonished too. Unable to comprehend what was going on in Dustin's head, they assumed that he had lost his marbles. After all, who would turn down money and choose to hold on to a piece of trash?"Dustin, did you not hear what I said? The abandoned construction site is worth nothing, and you have no use for it! Why don't you just sell it to me?" Terrence tried to talk some s
After a night of chaos, some of the Red Legion's members were killed, others were captured, and the entire force had been wiped out.But the fallout didn't stop there. The Prescott estate was also raided. All embezzled wealth was confiscated, and those found guilty were thrown into prison.Anyone connected to the Prescotts was placed under house arrest and subjected to rigorous investigation.And the man behind it—Warrick—had become the kingdom's most wanted fugitive.Until he was captured, Celestria remained under lockdown. Major roads were sealed off, and patrol teams scoured every corner to ensure Warrick had no way out.Austin's crackdown sparked outrage among senior officials who didn't know the full story. They voiced their dissatisfaction, with some even gathering outside the castle gates in protest. They stomped their feet in outrage, just short of openly cursing him.To them, Warrick had made great contributions to the nation. Even if he had committed crimes, he didn't d
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