Who are you?” Stephan’s face was frozen in terror, his body slumped on the ground. There was no hint of arrogance left in his trembling voice. He was soundly beaten after just three attacks. This proved the disparity in their abilities.How could there be someone with such devastating powers remaining unknown in a small place like Swinton?“I’ll be honest with you. I’m Fletcher Lawson. Liam and Noah were my apprentices!” Fletcher said coldly. “What? You are Mr. Lawson of Klesbridge?” Stephan was dumbfounded at this revelation. His reputation as a martial artist preceded him.Fletcher was not only one of the most prominent fighters in Klesbridge, but he was also a master of poison! There were many tricks that he could use to make someone drop dead without a trace. His mere presence was enough to make one’s blood run cold.“You seem to have heard of me!” Fletcher sneered.When Fletcher revealed his identity, Stephan’s face had turned as pale as a sheet. If he knew that Fletcher wa
The crowd gaped as Fletcher hung limply on the wall. They never imagined that the mighty Fletcher Lawson, who had just trounced Stephan Chapman, had been defeated with an effortless slap.What the fuck was going on?“H—How could this be?” Stephan’s eyes were wide with disbelief that someone as powerful as Fletcher, the strongest fighter in Klesbrige, had been defeated with a single blow.Was this kid a monster?“No way! Dustin actually won?” Ruth couldn’t believe it either. At first, she’d been so certain that Dustin would lose. Instead, he had won the match in a breeze. With just one slap, he sent Fletcher flying. His strength was unheard of!“Fletcher… lost?” Edwin was shaken and astonished. He was very familiar with Fletcher’s strength. Even in Swinton, there was hardly anyone who could be his opponent. Yet somehow, someone as impregnable as him hadn’t been able to withstand a single blow from Dustin.Unbelievable! Had Fletcher underestimated his opponent, or was it a fluke?
Dustin narrowed his eyes at the sight of the swinging blades. They had chosen to accuse him of being a traitor without even trying to get the full picture.“Tilda, there must be a misunderstanding. There’s no way Dustin is the spy!” Natasha objected.“We’ll know whether it’s a misunderstanding after doing an investigation," Tilda shouted icily. “Tie him up! Kill him if he tries to resist!”“Kill me?” Dustin frowned. “You’re making such extreme decisions when the investigations haven’t even begun. Aren’t you going a bit too far?”Tilda humphed. “For the good of the Harmon family, I can do anything!”“How can you be sure that I’m the spy?” Dustin retorted.“I don’t need to be sure. You are the spy if I say so!” Tilda responded domineeringly.Seeing how unreasonable Tilda was being, Dustin’s expression hardened. He had been trying to reason things out peacefully the entire time, yet Tilda accused him of being the mole without any proof.She had gone too far!“Tilda, there’s no so
“That can’t be. Tilda was the mole?”Everyone was shocked at Ruth’s words. However, the crowd’s expressions hardened when the assassins’ clothing were peeled off, revealing the same tattoo on their bodies.This was obviously not a coincidence. “You can’t prove anything with just a tattoo, can you?” objected the bald guard.“Maybe it would have been less persuasive if there was only one tattoo, but what if everyone had the same tattoo?” Dustin walked up to Tilda’s deceased men and yanked off all their clothing.Soon, everyone realized that each of the men wore the same tattoo as well. This made things so much more apparent. It was safe to say that they’d found the traitor!“No wonder Tilda immediately started kicking up a fuss the moment she arrived. She was the traitor all along!” Stephan was disgruntled. As one of the Harmon family’s men himself, he hated nothing more than betrayal like this.“But why? The Harmon family has always trusted her so why did Tilda betray us?” Ruth
After killing the traitor, Dustin carried the weakened Natasha to the car.The area where the snake had bitten her had turned black and purple, and as the venom spread through her body, her entire leg turned numb.“How troublesome.” Dustin inspected the wound, his expression turning grave. He could have treated her easily if this was any regular snake venom. However, this venom was particularly potent. Since Dustin lacked his medicinal herbs and acupuncture needles, he had nothing at his disposal but his skills. It would be difficult for him to treat the wound.It seemed the only option left was to suck the venom out.“Roth Harmon, give me a hand!” Dustin hollered.“I’m Ruth! Ruth Harmon!” Ruth corrected him, quickly getting into the car. She asked, “What do you need me to do?”“Take off your sister’s pants,” he directed. “Hey! What are you trying to do? You better not play around!” Ruth sounded like she was speaking to a pervert.“Your sister has been poisoned with a potent v
That evening, Dustin finally woke up after hours of sleeping and found that he was in a hospital room. A shocked voice rang out the moment his eyes opened.“Huh? You aren’t dead, Rhys?”Dustin’s gaze followed the source of the voice and landed on Ruth sitting beside him with a dazed expression as she looked at him.“What? Disappointed to see me alive?” Dustin snapped."Ahem. Um, I'm just surprised." Ruth grinned bashfully."Where's your sister?" Dustin asked, changing the topic."Oh, she went to get your medicine." Ruth examined him and said, “I heard that the venom is something called the Deadly Slither. It’s extremely poisonous and can kill a person quickly! It’s a miracle that you’re still alive!”“You’re right. The venom is potent. It even managed to knock me out for a few hours. No wonder it’s one of the world’s top ten most poisonous venoms,” Dustin marveled."Why does that sound weird?" Ruth was puzzled.Before Ruth could come out of her daze, two people entered the hos
Meanwhile, in a nearby hospital room, Dahlia’s grandfather lay unconscious, his face ashen.Florence and several members of the Nicholson family gathered together as they discussed countermeasures hushedly.“How peculiar. Old Mr. Nicholson has always been fine. Why did he suddenly fall ill?”“Exactly! He’s always looked so strong and healthy. Who would’ve guessed that this would happen if he fell ill.”Everyone sighed with pity for the old man.“How’s Granddad?” Dahlia bolted into the room in her heels. She had been in a meeting when she received the news of her grandfather falling ill and rushed over as fast as possible.“Dahlia, the doctors think that he might not make it,” Florence mumbled, shaking her head.“What?” Dahlia’s face paled. “How could that be? Wasn’t he fine yesterday?”“I think it’s weird too! But maybe this is his fate,” Florence sighed.“Where’s the doctor? Doctor!” Dahlia called, distraught.“It’s futile. All sorts of doctors have checked him. They say his
“Who said I can’t do it? Fine. Then, who else can save Granddad if not me?” Dustin growled. He realized that it was impossible trying to reason with women using logic!“The only one who can save Grandpa now is the incredible Dr. Ross Leister!” Dahlia answered with a grim expression.“That’s right! Matt’s already gone to call the doctor. If Dr. Leister agrees to help us, we can save Old Mr. Nicholson. There’ll be no need for a quack like you.”“Dr. Ross Leister? Who’s that?” Dustin asked.“He’s Dr. Cross’ apprentice who specializes in treating rare diseases. He’s way better than you are!” Florence stated proudly. As soon as the words left her mouth, two people entered the room. The first was Matt. He was followed by a man in his 30s in a white coat and a pair of glasses, with a haughty and pretentious expression on his face.“Matt! Did you manage to get Dr. Leister?” Florence rushed over.“Of course!” With a gentle smile, Matt introduced the man, “This is Dr. Leister.”“So you’
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr