"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
"What?" The scene before the crowd caused their eyes to widen and their jaws to drop in shock. All of them had witnessed Verdant Phantom's strength firsthand and saw how ferocious his last attack was, yet Terry had used nothing but his chest to block the blow. Was that even humanly possible?"How can this be?" Verdant Phantom was shocked. He staggered backward, his face full of disbelief. He had spent years perfecting that last attack, and no one had ever managed to stop it. Even Geoffrey Vaughn had lost to that attack, so he thought that he'd be able to defeat Terry with the same attack. However, Terry had stopped his attack, which should be strong enough to pierce through armor and cripple someone, with nothing but his body. And Terry was terrifyingly calm about it. "Is this all you've got? How disappointing." Terry shook his head."Don't be so full of yourself. I don't believe you're immune to all physical attacks!" Verdant Phantom gritted his teeth before stabbing Terry wit
How were they going to win against a monster like Terry?"What do you think of Terry's performance, Sir Paul?" Phil was beaming from ear to ear after witnessing his son's outstanding show. "Not bad. He's a talented one indeed." Paul gave a small smile. "I have a feeling that he will become a Grandmaster martial artist in the next decade."Paul's words shocked everyone. Grandmaster martial artists were extremely rare. Even in Balerno, where several hundred million people resided, there had only ever been five Grandmaster martial artists. And each of them had made a name for themselves with their strength. Terry's talent must be truly incredible if Paul was willing to give such high praise. "You flatter him, Sir Paul. My son might be talented, but he still needs work." Phil's words may seem modest, but he failed to hide the grin on his face.As long as his son became a Grandmaster martial artist within the next decade, the Doyle family would be invincible! In fact, they might ve
"No way. He went up?" Zoey and the others stopped smiling as they watched Dustin get onto the arena, their faces frozen in shock. They never expected Dustin to actually go into the ring, thinking that he was merely bluffing. Still, did he have a death wish?"Hey, you! Weren't you going to eat your shit while doing a handstand? Go ahead." Nelson suddenly spoke.Zeke stiffened awkwardly. It had merely been an offhanded comment. He never imagined that Dustin would be so bold, so his words were coming back to bite him in the ass. Zoey suddenly thought of something. "Hang on. Dustin isn't the Flame Dragon Gang's leader, is he?" Besides the leader of the Flame Dragon Gang, who else would dare to challenge Terry?"Impossible! There's no way a loser like him can be Flame Dragon Gang's leader." Gordon immediately protested. "I guess you're going to keep being stubborn, eh? Well, let me show you." Nelson sneered before fishing out a badge and slapping it against Gordon's face."You—"
Terry shook his head with a smile. "Don't tell me you're trying to use me to make a name for yourself."It wouldn't be the first time someone did something like that. Terry had encountered many who challenged him in hopes of using their victory to boost their reputation, just like Vardant Phantom. Still, all those people eventually lost to him. "Let me make this clear. I'm not interested in making a name for myself. I decided to challenge you to save myself the trouble by settling things with your family once and for all," Dustin answered calmly. "Settle things with us? And how do you intend to do that?" Terry had a small smile. "Simple. If I defeat you today, you and your family have to stop meddling in my life," Dustin answered straightforwardly. "Defeat me? Pfft!" Terry was surprised by Dustin's words and burst out laughing. The audience also laughed mockingly along with Terry. It would be a miracle if Dustin could come out of this battle alive, but to think he could defe
Poseidon hovered in the air with his trident in one hand and radiated a commanding presence. He stood like a god, and his figure was so intimidating that it struck fear into those who beheld him.With a wave of his hand, an invisible energy struck Warrick and expelled the three silver needles from his body. Feeling sensation returned to his limbs, Warrick's face lit up. He quickly rose to his feet and clenched his fist to his chest in salute."Thank you, Lord Poseidon, for saving me. I will never forget this kindness!" he said."No need for formalities, Sir Prescott. Now that you've pledged yourself to the Hall of Gods, it's only natural that I ensure your safety," Poseidon replied with a faint smile as he descended gracefully."Your timely arrival was a blessing," Warrick said as he bowed his head slightly in deference. "Otherwise, we would have perished tonight."The Hall of Gods' royal gods were figures he could only look up to. Everything about Poseidon, from his power to hi
Mulder knew Warrick had been on the battlefield for years, and his physical strength was unmatched. On top of that, he was already halfway to becoming an ultimate grandmaster. Even if Warrick couldn't defeat the prodigious Logan, Mulder figured the difference wouldn't be too big. But he never expected Logan to take down Warrick with a single finger, leaving him severely injured and unable to stand. The difference in their strength was far beyond anything Mulder could have imagined.In other words, Logan had been toying with them from the start and didn't take the fight seriously. If he had, they would've all been dead.Warrick clutched his chest and coughed up blood as he staggered to his feet. His chest was a charred ruin, the flesh torn open and slick with blood. It was an awful, gory mess."I didn't expect you to be this strong. I underestimated you," he growled.He slowly raised his head, and his face twisted with a menacing look. "Guess I was just unlucky to fall into your
"Oh? You guessed it?" Dustin smirked. "Now that you know who I am, it's up to you to decide what to do."If Warrick chose to surrender, Dustin would simply seal his pressure points and leave him to Austin's judgment. But if he resisted, Dustin wouldn't hesitate to cripple him."Haven't you given up your title as the prince? Why did you return? Are you going to compete with Austin for the throne?" Warrick asked.Uncertainty flickered across his face before he continued, "If that's your intention, I can help you. Spare me today, and I guarantee you'll become the next Prince of West Lucozia."Power was a tempting beast. History was filled with stories of brothers turning against each other and fathers murdering their sons for it.In Warrick's mind, Logan's quiet return to West Lucozia meant one thing—he was after the throne."Guarantee?" Dustin scoffed. "What guarantee are you offering?" His voice was dripping with disdain. "You're a cornered rat now. You're barely holding on to you
"Warrick's blade technique is terrifying," Mulder mumbled. "This should be the finishing blow, right?"Watching from a distance, he was awestruck by the dazzling blade aura. Only now did he truly grasp the sheer gulf between Warrick and Dustin.Warrick's strike descended with such overwhelming force that it seemed to split the earth and obliterate everything in its path. Even from 300 feet away, the pressure rolling off it sent a chill down Mulder's spine.Under Mulder's stunned gaze, Warrick brought his full weight down, with blade and body merging into a single force that swallowed Dustin whole.The instant they clashed, an incandescent explosion of light erupted. It was so blinding that Mulder couldn't even open his eyes.A split second later, a deafening blast erupted, and a shockwave shot outward like a tidal surge. The force flattened the waves and overturned several fishing boats docked at the pier.Even Mulder, more than 300 feet away, was caught in the blast and tumbled
"So what if I am? And what if I push even further?" Dustin's smile slowly faded. "If you don't like it, do something about it."There was no reasoning with tyrants like Warrick."Punk, are you really willing to risk your life against me? Have you ever considered what happens if you lose?" Warrick's face turned grim as a wave of killing intent spread from him.He had already taken a step back to avoid unnecessary trouble. If Dustin refused to back down, there was no choice but to fight."Cut the crap. You wanna fight, fight." Dustin didn't bother with more words. With a flick of his wrist, a silver needle shot out and aimed toward Warrick's forehead—silent, unassuming, but deadly."Hmm?" Warrick's brow furrowed as he instinctively raised his arm. Sparks flew as the needle deflected off his arm and buried into the ground."Oh? You've mastered the Adamantine Body Technique?" Dustin narrowed his eyes. At that instant, he saw through Warrick's technique. Not only was he halfway
Mulder's body trembled, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. His energy drained, and his entire being seemed to collapse.Dustin's finger flick had not only shattered his sword but also injured his internal organs. With the effects of the enhanced serum wearing off, Mulder was now back to his original state and completely spent.His once-powerful frame now shrank like a punctured balloon. He looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant. Mulder could no longer fight. Even standing up was a challenge."He's finished," Dustin said coolly, then looked at Warrick. "Now it's your turn.""Hmm?" Warrick frowned, and his expression turned serious.Dustin's display of strength earlier had made him feel a sense of crisis. If they fought head-on, there was no telling who would come out on top.But Warrick was just one step away from escaping West Lucozia, bound for Artea and a life of freedom and luxury. He had no intention of risking his life in battle unless he absolutely
"This is interesting." Dustin smirked as the dense barrage of swords came slashing down at him. In the blink of an eye, his figure dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished.A storm of sword shadows carrying the force that could split rivers and overturn seas crashed down on the fishing boat where he had just been standing. The entire vessel broke apart in an instant—some sinking into the depths while others drifted across the water."What? He dodged it?" Warrick's eyes flickered with surprise.Mulder's attack just now had been a 360-degree attack. Once caught in its range, there was no chance to dodge—only the option to endure. He couldn't understand how Dustin had managed to avoid it. Did he just teleport?"Hiding like a coward? What kind of warrior are you? Come fight me face-to-face."Frustrated after his attack missed again, Mulder grew desperate. His enhanced serum would only last for 15 minutes. If this dragged on, he'd collapse from exhaustion before Dustin even touche
"Oh? Are we going all out now?" Dustin smirked, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.Mulder, who had advanced to become a grandmaster martial artist through drugs, had a weak foundation. Even after taking the enhanced serum, he still posed no threat to Dustin. If Mulder were a hundred times stronger, he might just barely be able to fight Dustin.As the serum's effects pushed his body to the limit, Mulder suddenly let out a furious roar. His muscles swelled rapidly, and his bones cracked as they expanded. His body grew larger at an alarming rate, and his clothes tore apart under the strain.His six-foot frame stretched to nearly seven feet in mere moments as his body swelled to monstrous proportions. His face twisted fiercely, and his skin darkened as black scales surfaced.With another guttural growl, his roar turned beastlike. He grabbed his shredded shirt and ripped it away, exposing his broad chest covered in dark scales. A faint, eerie sheen flickered across their surface."D
Dustin's words made Mulder frown.Mulder knew all too well that Warrick was the kind of man who had no sense of loyalty or honor. If Warrick could kill his own personal guards without hesitation, what would stop him from killing a stranger? Mulder was certain that the moment things went south, Warrick would be the first to flee. Given the choice, he'd never willingly risk his life as Warrick's sacrificial pawn. But now, there was no turning back.With his undercover identity exposed and him helping Warrick escape, Mulder became a sworn enemy of West Lucozia. His name was now on the most-wanted list.Tonight was their best chance to escape. If they missed it, finding another way out would be nearly impossible.There was only one path left for him—kill whoever stood in his way and make it onto that escape boat."Enough talk, punk. Let's see what you're really made of," Mulder said.After weighing his options, he gritted his teeth and finally decided to draw his longsword. His fig