"Does it matter to me who you are?" Dustin shrugged."You insolent bastard! I am the leader of Asclepia, Dr. Bruce Darby's best student! Your disrespect toward me is a direct disrespect toward Asclepia! Just a word from me is enough to make you vanish from the medical field! Don't test me!" Preston threatened.The people who showed up were people involved in the medical field. Asclepia's power stretched across the nation. And all prestigious entities in the medical world respected them. It was easy for them to wipe out a small fry."Oh, I'm so scared. Well, go ahead and do as you wish, then," Dustin replied dismissively.His unconcern attitude and disregard fueled Preston's anger. "Y—yo—you bastard! Just wait!""Are you done yet? If you are, please get lost." Dustin waved his hand impatiently as if he was driving a bug away."You—!" Preston gritted his teeth.As he was about to get violent, Miranda tugged on his arm. "Preston, there's no need to stoop to levels of such lowlife.
"Silence!" As everyone got into a heated discussion, a loud voice roared. Then, a group of elders of the Stoneray Order entered the hall.Dr. Linden Watkins, leader of the Stoneray Order, walked before the group. Several other elders and some of the administrative disciples followed behind him."Is that Dr. Linden Watkins? He has such a grand aura coming from him!" "Whoever does well in the examination today will be chosen as Dr. Watkins' student. And will be learning from Dr. Watkins himself. The chosen one will have a bright future ahead!"The mood turned serious when Linden entered. Everyone looked at him with respect in their eyes.Linden was the best of the great three doctors in Balerno. Not only was he a skilled doctor, but he also had many students in the entire country. Everyone respected him. It would be a big achievement to become his student."We have some interesting candidates here today." He looked at the crowd, briefly focusing on Preston and Miranda.Asclepia h
Preston smiled faintly after taking three sips of the medicine and wrote on the paper. He listed down all the herbs in the medicine. When he was halfway through, he took another sip to ensure he did everything correctly. When he was sure of his judgment, he listed the rest of the ingredients. It took him less than 10 minutes."I'm done." Preston raised his hand to inform the invigilators that he finished. Although he spoke softly, he managed to attract the attention of everyone in the hall."Is he serious? He's finished already in such a short time?" "Hmph! I don't believe he's that good. I bet he just guessed the herbs!" The crowd whispered among themselves. Some were amazed, while some were doubtful."Let me check." The invigilator went to Preston and took his answer script. His eyes immediately lit up after going through the list. "Not bad at all. Your answers are all correct. There's not a single mistake. Perfect score." The invigilator praised.An uproar broke out amon
"Zero?" Everyone was shocked before they burst out in laughter. They looked at Dustin like he was a fool."Hahaha … How hilarious! The audacity he has to act so arrogantly when he got zero marks!" "He looked so certain of himself that I had begun to think he was all that. In the end, he was just pretending!" "Even I could at least get a few points if I simply wrote some herbs. How did you manage to get zero points? What a joke!" Everyone started to ridicule him.They initially thought Dustin was an expert when he wrote confidently and quickly. But in the end, the zero he received said a lot about him and exposed him as a fool."Rascal, I must say, you sure are shameless. How can you behave so arrogantly when you're getting zero? I am amazed." Preston sarcastically gave him a thumbs-up."If you don't have the ability, then admit that you don't. You are humiliating yourself if you insist on being arrogant!" Miranda looked at him like he was an idiot."Zero?" Dustin ignored t
"He said nothing wrong. There is aconite in the medicine." Linden's words shocked everyone."What?" That invigilator froze in disbelief. "Dr. Watkins, you must be mistaken. I remember that aconite wasn't listed in the recipe."The elders beside Linden did not say anything but had puzzled expressions. The medicines were brewed according to a recipe, and no one would dare to change it. How is it possible that it contained aconite?"Originally, Aconite was not included. But I just felt like adding it, so I did," Linden said casually,"You felt like it?" When the crowd heard that statement, they exchanged looks with each other. Wasn't Linden too carefree?"Dr. Watkins, when aconite is combined with the Fritillaria bulb, it becomes poisonous. Why would you add it?" The invigilator frowned.He had said the same thing just now to criticize Dustin. Now, Linden had confirmed that there was really aconite in the medicine."It's to test everyone, of course," Linden said casually. "If we st
"What?" Everyone shouted in shock. A bottle fell out of someone's hand and broke into pieces as it crashed to the ground.Nobody expected the medicine they tasted to be poison!It was supposed to be just an easy examination to identify the components of the medicine. How did it turn into a life-threatening situation? Was it necessary for the examination to be so extreme?"Dr. Watkins, isn't this going too far?" The invigilator frowned. Linden had always done his best to save lives, so using poison to test them seemed unusual."There is a fine line between medicine and poison. There are times when poison can also be used to save lives. It all depends on how someone uses them. As long as it's effective, it doesn't matter how it's being used," Linden said seriously."But—" "Enough."The invigilator was about to say something when Linden raised a hand and cut him off. "The Stoneray Order does not accept incompetent students. Anyone who isn't confident in your own skills, you may ch
Right then, many of them began showing signs of poisoning. Some felt dizzy, and others experienced severe abdominal pain. Some even had cramps.Although their symptoms were different, it would affect their production of the medicinal pill. But giving up was not an option. They could only grit their teeth and continue."Who do you think will be number one today, Dr. Watkins?" an elder with a white beard asked."Preston and Miranda are performing well and gifted in the medical field, so they are considered geniuses. But I think the young man will do better." Linden looked at Dustin."Him?" The elder followed and looked at Dustin too. Then, he asked, curious, "But Dr. Watkins, he's a nobody. Maybe he was lucky in the previous round. He's still not on the same level as Preston and Miranda."No matter their family background, talents, or medical accomplishments, they were not on the same level. And Dustin's good luck would not change anything."Hahaha … We'll find out soon enough."
"Bang!" When Dustin's alchemy furnace exploded, everyone turned and looked at him. Some were shocked, some were confused, and some were enjoying what they saw. After a moment of shock, Preston and Miranda laughed out loud."Hahaha! His furnace exploded? And here I thought he might secretly be an expert. It turns out he just managed to make his furnace explode?" Preston ridiculed.Because of Dustin's excellent performance in the previous test, Preston thought he was a strong opponent. So, he did his best to produce the pill. But now that Dustin's furnace exploded, Preston thought he had just been overreacting. If someone's furnace exploded, that person was not suitable to be considered his rival."What were we expecting? Trash will always be trash. Just because he got lucky once will not change anything. Under a bit of pressure, he can't take it and starts making mistakes." Miranda looked down on Dustin. How could an ordinary doctor compare to medical geniuses from Asclepia lik
Ten minutes later, Warrick was escorted out of Room A1 again.Axel's demeanor had completely changed since their first meeting, and he had become unusually warm."Sir Prescott, Lord Austin has concluded the investigation. It turns out this matter has nothing to do with you. We made a mistake earlier, and I apologize for any offense caused." He smiled apologetically and spoke with a humble tone."Hm?" Seeing the fawning expression on Axel's face, Warrick raised an eyebrow and looked surprised. Just moments ago, the two sides had been at each other's throats. What had caused such a sudden change?"Did you really investigate it thoroughly?" Warrick asked tentatively."Of course! According to our findings, Jovian's disappearance was the result of a personal vendetta from his enemies in Oakvale," Axel said with a straight face.He continued, "He was a tyrant and always stirring up trouble everywhere he went. He got what was coming to him. Lord Austin only launched the investigation
"After you, Sir Prescott." With one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Axel's other hand gestured toward the door."Hmph!" Warrick shot a cold glance at Axel's subtle movement and then turned to leave the meeting room.Even if Austin had his suspicions, Warrick knew he couldn't do anything to him without concrete evidence.Axel escorted Warrick back to Room A1. After closing the door, he went to Room A2 and led Huxley to the meeting room."Your Highness, it is my privilege to stand before you." Huxley entered the meeting room with a respectful salute."Mr. Thatcher, please take a seat." Austin's face remained neutral as he gestured for Huxley to sit, then motioned for Axel to pour him a cup of tea."Do you know why I've summoned you here today?" Austin spoke calmly, and his words carried the same probing tone as earlier."Is it about Jovian's disappearance?" Huxley asked in return."Oh? It seems you're quick on the uptake." Austin raised an eyebrow. "In that case, g
The enforcement team worked with remarkable efficiency. Within an hour, Huxley, Warrick, and Percival had been brought back to the castle.Per Austin's instructions, Axel made sure the three met briefly upon arrival, though they were given no opportunity to speak to one another. Afterward, they were taken to separate rooms and were guarded individually.Due to their status, the enforcement team treated them with respect, offering them tea and wine. However, they weren't allowed to leave their rooms and had to wait for Austin to summon them.Warrick was confined to Room A1, Huxley to Room A2, and Percival to Room A3. Their rooms were right next to each other, separated only by thin walls. If they stepped out, they would see one another, but none of them knew how close they were.This, of course, was all part of Austin's plan. He knew that extracting the truth from these three cunning foxes would require unconventional tactics.…Inside Room A1, Warrick sat calmly, sipping his te
"Hm?"Even Warrick frowned at the news.The royal enforcement team was rarely mobilized. When they did, it was always for something monumental. The question was, did a minor figure like Jovian Ballard really warrant such attention from Austin?"Mr. Thatcher, are you sure the royal enforcement team has been mobilized? And it's because of Jovian?" Warrick asked skeptically."Of course I'm sure," Huxley replied with a grave expression. "I've just received orders from above. The enforcement team captain will be taking over my duties temporarily. From now on, they'll have full control over the city's defense and investigative operations.""That's strange. Why would Lord Austin go to such lengths for someone so insignificant?" Warrick was confused, his brow furrowing.According to his intel, this was the first time Jovian and Austin had even met. Even if they had crossed paths before, it shouldn't have been enough to justify deploying the enforcement team.It seemed Warrick had undere
The next morning, after breakfast at the West Lucozian castle, Austin tried calling Jovian. However, his calls went unanswered. After several attempts, he still couldn't get through."Huh?" Austin was puzzled. They had made plans the previous day to head to Oakvale that day. Why was Jovian suddenly unreachable? Had he stood Austin up?After thinking it over, he found that unlikely. He and Jovian had gotten along well and even called each other brothers. On top of that, they had promised to travel together and watch out for one another.If Jovian had an urgent matter that required him to leave West Lucozia, he would have at least given Austin a heads-up. Jovian wouldn't just disappear without a word."Could something have happened to him?" Austin's unease grew. He quickly summoned his trusted aide. "Go find out where Jovian is. Report back to me as soon as you have any information.""Yes, Your Highness," the aide replied before hurrying off.Austin poured himself a cup of tea
A dull sound echoed through the air.Jovian's body shuddered. Blood streamed from his eyes, ears, and nose as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless. He was dead. After fighting to his last breath, he had chosen the only honorable way out.The scene had left even the assassins, who were no strangers to bloodshed, momentarily stunned. Taking one's own life so decisively wasn't something just anyone could do. Even the lowest of creatures had the instinct to cling to life, let alone a human being."This guy… He's ruthless," Ronan muttered, and his face darkened.Warrick had given strict orders to capture Jovian alive, but now he was dead. Now, Ronan had no way to deliver. If he had known it would come to this, he would have personally intervened to kill Jovian first."What now, boss?" one of the assassins asked."Clean up the scene," Ronan ordered. "I'll take the body back myself." With that, he hoisted Jovian's body onto his shoulder, tossed it into the vehicle, and drove off.…W
The sounds of battle echoed under the streetlights. Shouts of pain mixed with the clash of weapons could be heard. Five figures were locked in a deadly struggle, and blood splattered across the ground.The fight raged for nearly half an hour until the noise gradually subsided. The five figures lay motionless in pools of blood.Under the dim glow of the streetlights, three of the black-clad assassins were confirmed dead. One's neck was snapped, another's chest pierced, and the last had bled out from a fatal wound.Jovian and Boston were in no better condition.Boston was soaked in blood. His body was riddled with deep cuts, some so severe they exposed the bone beneath.Jovian wasn't much better. His abdomen and shoulder were slashed. His right arm had been severed, and he was left in a pitiful state.Boston coughed. After taking down the last assassin, he collapsed to the ground. He gasped for air as blood poured from his mouth. His chest and abdomen were torn open, and his orga
"Jovian, listen to me. West Lucozia's trouble runs deep. You won't be able to handle it. You need to get out of there," Boston urged.When Jovian remained silent, Boston couldn't hide his growing concern. After all, they were comrades, and he didn't want to see his friend die on the street."You're right. I'm not afraid if they come at me head-on. What worries me is if they come at me from behind."After hesitating for a moment, Jovian nodded. "Alright, Boston. Take me back to the hotel. I'll pack my things.""Now that's more like it." Boston sighed in relief. "As they say, there's always a chance as long as you're alive. The most important thing is to stay safe.""Thanks, man. I'll buy you a drink next time." Jovian smiled.Without Boston's constant advice, Jovian might have taken a chance. But if things went south, he'd regret it too late.Back at the hotel, Jovian wasted no time. He packed quickly, then hopped into Boston's car to head to the airport. With the burden lifted,
"Gentlemen, I've done my part and had my tea already. I still have things to take care of, so I'll leave now. Farewell!" Jovian said.When no one responded, he didn't say another word. He nodded respectfully, stood up, and exited the room.When the door opened, Warrick's face darkened, and his hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword. But before he could act, Huxley gently touched his arm and shook his head.Jovian noticed something was off and paused at the doorway before stepping out.Boston, who was standing by the door, let out a quiet sigh of relief as he watched Jovian leave without a scratch. His relief was short-lived, though, when he saw the grim expressions on the faces of the three men inside.It was clear that the meeting hadn't gone well. Fortunately, nothing too serious had happened. Otherwise, Boston would have much explaining to do to both sides."Why did you stop me? That arrogant brat clearly doesn't respect us. He'll think we're pushovers if we don