"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
"Oh? Really? Then, show them the evidence. Let everyone see for themselves." Austin said with a faint smile.Langdon swallowed hard, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.Had his entire past really been dug up in just half a day?"First, I investigated Mr. Langdon's assets and income sources," Axel said, pulling out a stack of documents and placing them on the table. He explained firmly, "His spending far exceeds his salary. He owns 18 luxury homes, dozens of high-end cars, and a private collection of gold, antiques, and famous paintings. "Altogether, his assets are worth tens of billions. Given his salary, it would take him several thousand years of saving every penny to afford that. So I have to ask—where did all this money come from?"The moment those words left his mouth, all eyes turned to Langdon.Everyone knew he was corrupt, but no one expected it to be on this scale. If his fixed assets alone were worth billions, his liquid assets must be even more staggering.
"And as for the rest of you, I'll be investigating each of you one by one." Austin's gaze moved past Langdon and landed on the royal advisors. He sneered and added, "You'd better keep your records clean. If I find anything on any of you, I'll handle it by the book, and there won't be any mercy."At these words, panic swept through the room. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, and their hearts pounded like war drums.As soon as they realized Austin was angry, they quickly fell silent. Langdon had always been making all the noise, but now they found themselves caught in the fire.Anyone who'd held a position like theirs usually had some skeletons in the closet. In the past, Rufus had been willing to turn a blind eye and let things slide. But now, Austin clearly wasn't following the usual rules. If he decided to investigate thoroughly, most of them would likely find their careers and reputations destroyed."Mr. Rhys, what do we do now? Lord Austin seems dead serious about this."
"Langdon, I can't tell if you're playing dumb or if you really are that stupid." Though Austin was smiling, his eyes were cold. He continued, "You asked for physical evidence, and I provided it. You asked for witnesses, and I gave you those too. Now, with both evidence and testimony laid bare, and even the criminal confessing, what else do you want?""Hmph! The government is rife with corruption. I'm simply seeking justice and preventing you from wrongfully killing the innocent." Langdon still held his righteous stance.Some of the royal advisors who had initially supported him now stayed silent. They could sense Austin's rising anger and didn't dare provoke him further. At that instant, they had lost their confidence. As Austin had pointed out, the solid evidence was right before them, and it was impossible to deny.Langdon was a member of the Rhys family and Austin's elder. He could afford to speak without a filter, but the others couldn't. If they truly angered Austin, the
"Sir Thatcher? Mr. Wentworth?" When Langdon saw their faces, his eyes went wide in disbelief. "You… How did you two end up like this?" He was genuinely stunned.Huxley and Percival were two of the most powerful figures in West Lucozia. They commanded respect wherever they went, and even Langdon himself had to show them deference.He never expected that they had fallen from their positions of prestige to become disheveled prisoners overnight."Austin! You've gone too far!" Recovering from his initial shock, Langdon's fury erupted. He didn't even bother with titles anymore. "Do you even realize what you're doing? These two men are pillars of West Lucozia and the prince's most trusted advisors. They're your elders and mentors. Yet, you tortured them like this. Are you even human?""He's right," someone chimed in. "They dedicated their lives to this country. What crime did they commit to deserve such cruelty by Your Highness?"The gathered officials erupted in outrage and condemned
"Your Highness, you mustn't speak such nonsense." Langdon put on a righteous front.He continued, "I've always prided myself on my integrity and never done anything dishonorable. I've never betrayed the prince's trust or let the people down, and I have nothing to hide.""Such lofty words," Austin scoffed. "If you have nothing to hide, why not let the enforcement team investigate?"Langdon's face tightened, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes. After all, what official didn't have some skeletons in the closet? A full investigation would likely turn up something, no matter how small. Even if the offenses weren't serious, the damage to his reputation would be permanent.With so many officials watching, Langdon couldn't afford to back down. If he did, he would lose his standing in the political world—and his claim to integrity along with it."Go ahead and investigate." He raised his chin and said confidently, "I've lived an honest life and never engaged in anything illegal. No m
Austin sat in his chair and silently watched the royal advisors put on their pretentious act. He slowly sipped his tea as if he couldn't be bothered by their so-called accusations.His nonchalant demeanor made Langdon and the others frown. Their once-outrageous voices began to falter.They had stormed in full of righteous fury earlier, only to be met with complete apathy. What was the point of arguing when he wasn't even listening?"Are you done?" Austin finally spoke once the room had quieted down. "If not, go ahead and keep talking. Say as much as you need to until you're satisfied.""Your Highness, we're here to discuss serious matters. Your dismissive attitude is truly disappointing," Langdon said sharply."Serious matters?" Austin let out a short laugh.He went on, "You barge in here without even understanding the full picture and spewing accusations like they're facts. As far as I'm concerned, you're no different from clowns putting on a show.""You… How dare you!" Langdon
"Are you even qualified to sit while speaking to me?"Austin's words struck like the blow of a hammer. They were sharp and unrelenting, and they left no room for retort.Langdon sat frozen and was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected a brat like Austin to have such a sharp tongue.If he admitted he had come for personal matters, he would keep his pride intact, but he would lose control of the conversation. Everything he had prepared—and all the accusations he meant to throw—would be meaningless.But if he insisted it was official business, he would have to show proper respect and offer a formal greeting. No matter how he answered, he would be conceding ground."I'll ask one more time. Are you here on official or personal matters?" Austin asked coldly."O-Official matters." Cornered, Langdon barely managed to get the words out."Well? Is this how an official conducts himself?" Austin pressed.Langdon had no choice but to rise and offer a deep bow. "Your Highness, it's an h
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