For the next few days, Dustin occupied himself with investigating James' death. Someone had murdered James and framed him for the former's death. Although he didn't know who the true killer was, he could at least guess their intentions. They wanted to send him a warning, as well as make others turn against him. A stab in the back was always the hardest to anticipate. Dustin had also tried approaching Dahlia several times, but she still refused to see him. He knew that before the real murderer was revealed, there was no way they could peacefully talk to each other.On the third morning, Dustin stood at the edge of the battle ring in Flame Dragon Dojo as he studied the black needle. The needle was forged from dark steel and had been dipped in poison. If the needle managed to prick into a person's skin, it would cause an instant death, which was why James' death had been so sudden.But the question was, "Who did the needle belong to?""Sir …"Right then, Nelson barged into the dojo, ca
In the Doyle family's training grounds."Holy shit! There are so many people!" Ruth was shocked by the amount of people that crowded the vast space. Everywhere she looked, people were talking animatedly. Fortunately, the Doyle family martial artists were keeping everyone in line."Terry is a revered genius. Of course, the spotlight would be on him." Hector smiled."Dad, if he's that strong, does Dustin have a winning chance?" Ruth asked nervously. "It'll be difficult, but not impossible," Hector answered. "Hmph! Serves him right for being so stubborn!" Natasha's words were harsh, but they failed to conceal her worry. She tried to persuade Dustin to surrender multiple times, but Dustin seemed unbothered. "It doesn't matter if he loses. It's more important that he tries. Besides, losing to Terry Doyle isn't humiliating." Hector smiled again. He wasn't interested in the duel. However, Dustin was going to be his son-in-law, so he had to come and support Dustin."Why, fancy seeing you
As it neared the agreed time for their battle, Dustin, Nelson, and several other men walked into the training ground. No matter which direction they looked, people were flocking around every corner.In the middle of the training grounds was a large battle ring. There were only a few seats surrounding the platform, so most people had no choice but to stand. This naturally meant that those who were sitting were not ordinary people, especially those sitting on the east side, where they had the best view of the arena. Upon closer inspection, Dustin saw a few familiar faces, including Hector and his daughters, Paul and Patrick Hill, Claudia, as well as Maggie. Others seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't recall their names. Dustin turned his attention to those on the west side of the arena, where well-known fighters in the martial arts world sat. Many of them were strong individuals who ranked only second to Paul. "Was it necessary to put on such a huge show for a normal competition?"
"Dustin, you should know where you stand. Don't think you're so important just because you've met some high-ranking people before. You're just like salesmen who are always eyeing wealthy people." Zoey jeered.For some reason, there were always people who thought highly of themselves despite being nobodies. "What the fuck are you guys talking about?" Nelson exploded before Dustin had a chance to get angry. If they had been anywhere else, the Flame Dragon Disciples would have killed these people for belittling their leader. "Pfft! You even have bodyguards now? Are you pretending to be a big shot?" Zeke was unfazed, and he was sure that anyone following Dustin wasn't anyone important either."Dustin, you should take good care of your dogs. This isn't a place they can bark." Gordon smirked. "You—""Alright, enough." Adriana tried to calm everyone. "We're here to watch the duel, not to fight.""Fine. Since Adriana is the one asking, we'll forgive those idiotic bastards." Gordon put on a
"Flame Dragon Gang's new leader?" Gordon and his friends glanced at Nelson and Dustin before exchanging looks and then burst out in laughter."Pfft! Excuse me, but did you hit your head or something?" Zoey cackled. "Did you just say that Dustin is the gang leader of Flame Dragon Gang, the new talented individual who challenged Terry Doyle? Well, you might as well say that he's God, then!""Who's this idiot? As if that bastard could possibly be someone as talented as the Flame Dragon Gang's leader." Zeke jeered."How dare you humiliate our leader! You're dead meat!" Nelson was pissed. He started to roll up his sleeves when Dustin raised a hand to stop him. "Forget it. There's no point arguing with these ignorant fools." Dustin's target was Terry, not small fries like them."Yeah, right. Do you think you're so strong?" Zeke smirked. "Didn't you just say that you're the assistant gang leader and he's the leader? Well, if that's the case, why don't I know the two of you?" Gordon qu
The Doyle family members angrily snapped. "Who the hell are you? How dare you make a scene here!"Three of the family's skilled fighters leaped onto the stage, glaring at the challenger. "Hmph, trash like you don't deserve to know my name. Tell Terry Doyle to accept my challenge!" The man in green pointed his spear at them provokingly."Who is this man? He's such a dick.""He must have a death wish to challenge Terry Doyle.""Tsk, I guess his pride matters more than his life."The people in the arena stared at the man and whispered to each other. "Well, if you want to challenge Mr. Terry, you'll have to get through us!" The three fighters from the Doyle family drew their swords and charged toward the man."Since all of you are so eager to die, so be it!" The man in green tightened his grip on his spear and began countering their attacks. His astonishing speed made it hard for the three fighters to defend themselves, and one of them quickly found himself at the mercy of the
"Let's see what you're made of, kid." A burly man wielding a broadsword was the first to jump into the ring. His sword, which weighed well over 200 pounds, looked as light as a feather because of his muscular physique. "Who are you? Do you have a death wish?" The man in green pointed his spear toward the burly man. A look of disdain on his face. "I'm Toby Hunt, leader of Hollowblades!" In a smooth motion, the man slammed the tip of his blade into the ground, a murderous aura enveloping him. "Oh, it's Sir Hunt. No wonder he seemed familiar.""Hollowblades is quite a famous guild, and Sir Hunt is known for his sword skills. I've heard that he's so strong he can even cut boulders apart!""With Sir Hunt around, that guy's dead meat!""Sir Hunt, please teach that arrogant bastard a lesson and protect Balerno martial artists' reputation!"Everyone showed their support for Toby. "Hollowblades? What's that? I've never even heard of that name." The man in green sneered, unfazed by h
If the man had only defeated one opponent, others might have considered it was due to his luck. However, defeating several dozen opponents nonstop could only mean that he was an incredibly powerful individual. Thanks to that, the man finally earned some recognition from the crowd. "Who is this guy? He's so strong!""A man dressed in green and good at using a spear? Don't tell me he's the person who rose to fame in the martial world recently by challenging strong fighters—Verdant Phantom?""What? Verdant Phantom? I heard that even Geoffrey Vaughn, who's in the top twenty of The Heavenly Immortals, lost to him!""He defeated someone as strong as Geoffrey Vaughn? He's a monster!"Everyone was shocked to hear his nickname. After all, the name Verdant Phantom had been gathering attention, especially after the man defeated Geoffrey Vaughn. However, since he never appeared in public, few knew what he looked like. Everyone was surprised to learn that he would show up. They were even
As night fell, Warrick sat motionless in his room as he tried to calm his mind through meditation. He had always been able to clear his mind with ease. But tonight, no matter how hard he tried, focus eluded him. A restless unease settled over him and refused to let him relax.Nearly two hours passed before Mulder's scouts finally returned. This time, they brought good news.The smuggling route they had scouted was completely safe, with no signs of an ambush. The West Lucozia army had yet to discover this potential escape route.Once everything was confirmed, Mulder let out a breath of relief. Warrick, too, finally felt the weight lift from his chest."Since the route is safe, we should set out immediately to avoid any unexpected complications." Warrick said. He had no intention of waiting any longer. He was a wanted man, and every moment in West Lucozia increased his chances of capture. There was no telling when the army might surround him. Only by escaping to Thaloria would he
After a hearty meal, the burly Warrick sprawled lazily onto the bed and dozed off. He slept soundly till dusk, lost in a deep dream. When the sky was painted in brilliant hues of the setting sun, only then did he wake up leisurely.The exhaustion from the previous day seemed to have melted away. He felt invigorated, refreshed, and in high spirits.At that moment, Leigh had already set the table in the hall with quiet efficiency. Compared to the first meal, this spread was far more lavish.At the center of the table sat a whole roasted pig. Its golden-brown skin glistened with a rich, crispy sheen. The mouthwatering aroma filled the room, making it impossible not to crave a bite.Warrick had never been one for formalities. The moment he saw the feast, he didn't hesitate. He strode over, took a seat, and started digging in. He ate with zero restraint without sparing a single thought for Mulder, who was still out gathering intel.After a while, half of the roast pig was gone. His fac
"Who is it?" Warrick's grip tightened around the hilt of his steel blade. His eyes, sharp and alert, were like those of a startled predator—full of caution and menace.For the past few days, he had been on edge, like a cornered animal. He barely slept and was constantly on high alert, fearing danger would strike at any moment.The door slowly creaked open. An elderly man with gray hair stepped inside with a tray of fruit and pastries in both hands.Before he could even register what was happening, a flash of cold steel appeared, and Warrick's blade was at the elderly man's throat.The elderly man trembled with fear. The tray slipped from his grasp, and fruit and pastries scattered on the floor."Easy, Sir Prescott. He's one of us." Mulder stepped forward and pressed down on the flat of Warrick's blade with a finger. He smiled and explained, "His name's Leigh Houston. He's mute and has served the Hall of Gods for years. He keeps watch over this tunnel entrance and has never slipp
"Here's the problem—even if we know Warrick's intentions, how do we stop him?" Austin asked.Right now, Warrick had already disappeared without a trace. Austin's team hadn't even come close enough to get a hold of him, so there was no way to track him down.West Lucozia's vast territory and resources made it impossible to seal off every exit route completely. While it might be manageable in the short term, prolonging such an operation would significantly impact West Lucozia's economy. Wasting resources on a single fugitive wasn't a wise move."Warrick is a wanted man across the entire city. There's no way he's leaving through official channels. He'll have to sneak his way out," Dustin analyzed. He continued, "According to the maritime charts, if he's traveling from West Lucozia to Artea, he'll have to go through Thaloria. That's our lead. Get someone on it immediately—find out how many smuggling routes there are from West Lucozia to Thaloria.""Got it. I'll get it done right away
"Damn you, Mulder! You've really screwed me over this time." Axel gnashed his teeth as rage boiled inside him. Mulder's betrayal hadn't just implicated Axel's sister, but it had also dragged Axel himself into the mess.Mulder had climbed the ranks to assistant chief of the City Defenders in just a few years, and Axel had played a major role in backing him.Now that this mess had blown up, Axel was right in the middle of it. No matter how he tried to explain, he was going to take the fall for it."Everyone, follow me! Let's capture that traitor."After learning Mulder's escape route, Axel waved his hand and led his enforcement team out at full speed.He had already messed up by failing to capture Warrick, which was a serious lapse in duty. Now, with his brother-in-law openly rebelling against them, things had only gotten worse.If Axel didn't turn this situation around and bring those traitors to justice, his days as an enforcement team captain were numbered.After a thorough s
"Damn it!" Warrick cursed. "I was just getting started."He was covered in blood. His eyes burned with a wild, excited gleam.Warrick lived for the fight. After two days in hiding, he was itching to let loose—and now that he had, he wasn't ready to stop."Sir Prescott, think about the bigger picture. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late," Mulder urged, grabbing his arm.At the far end of the street, dark figures were already visible in the distance, rushing toward them.Though Warrick still seemed reluctant, he quickly calmed down."Fall back!" he shouted.With that, he and Mulder charged past the checkpoint and led a handful of battered soldiers into the outer city.Unlike the inner city, the outer city had much weaker defenses. The sheer size of the area made it impossible to secure every corner, so only the main thoroughfares had a strong military presence.Mulder had already mapped out their escape route and prepared the gear.According to the original plan—if they ha
"Stop right there!" Colton suddenly shouted and stopped Mulder just as he was about to pass through the checkpoint.In an instant, everyone tensed up. Mulder's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his blade, and Warrick clenched his fists, ready for a fight."Mr. Dane, is there a problem?" Mulder turned, smiling calmly."Are these men your soldiers?" Colton's gaze swept over the men, scanning each one from the front to the back."Of course. I trained them myself." Mulder nodded, the easy smile still plastered on his face."Show me their ID badges. I need to check them one by one.""Is that really necessary? I'm in a bit of a hurry to carry out my mission.""I'm just doing my duty, and I'd appreciate your cooperation," Colton replied, his gaze unwavering."Mr. Dane, it's not like we just met. Do you still not trust me?" Mulder's eyes narrowed slightly. "Besides, I have Mr. Cruz's signed authorization right here. Even if you won't do me a favor, surely you wouldn't disrespect
With Mulder leading the way, Warrick—disguised as a member of the City Defenders—walked openly through the streets.Night had fallen, and the streets were eerily empty—not a single soul was in sight. Only heavily armed patrols moved through the city.Every checkpoint along the main road was heavily guarded. Even the patrol squads had to show their emblems to pass.Warrick walked at the back of the group. His hat was pulled low so that it covered half his face. In the darkness, it was nearly impossible to make out his features unless someone got close."Austin is more meticulous than I expected," he muttered. "If it weren't for the Hall of Gods' undercover agents helping me, I'd never make it out of Celestria."Seeing sentries stationed openly on the streets and hidden in the alleys, Warrick felt a chill crawl down his spine. In less than two miles, they had already passed seven or eight checkpoints.In addition to the heavily guarded checkpoints on the main roads, countless hidde
"To avoid trouble, the four guards must die," Mulder said bluntly.The four Red Legion guards instantly turned pale upon hearing that.Even Warrick frowned, his face darkening. "What nonsense are you spouting? They are my personal guards, my brothers-in-arms. How could they possibly betray me?""You never really know who you can trust. Betrayal happens all the time—even between comrades. For your safety, we can't take that risk," Mulder said solemnly."A warrior can be killed but never disgraced. We've followed Sir Prescott for years, through life and death. No matter the cost—even if it's our lives—we would never betray him," Geralt said."That's right. Don't judge loyal men by your own petty standards," Kalen snapped.Hmph! Scum like you could never understand the bond between men who have fought and bled together," another added.They responded to Mulder's words with a mix of anger and disdain. These men were Warrick's personal guards—battle-hardened and fiercely loyal. The