"I'm in trouble now!" A wave of unease washed over Ian, the strongest martial artist in Lester, as he met Dustin's cold gaze. Ian couldn't help being worried about getting beaten up. "What are you waiting for, Dad? Tear him to pieces! "You have to teach him a lesson!" Ken seethed. "Shut up!" Ian slapped his son angrily. Ken staggered backward, his remaining teeth flying away as well. His eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "W—why did you hit me, Dad?" He couldn't understand why he'd been smacked. His father usually wouldn't speak harshly to him, so what was happening? How could Ian slap him in public?"Don't you deserve to be disciplined after ruining Regalswords' reputation by bullying others? "I should teach you a lesson for embarrassing me!" Ian snapped, delivering another two slaps. "Pissed, he began kicking his son as well. Ken's pained screams filled the air under Ian's relentless attack. Ian was so violent that outsiders might have mistaken the two of
Emily, Nathan, and the rest looked surprised and at a loss.That was Ian Shonde, the great leader of Regalswords and the best martial artist in Lester! A person like him had apologized to them? Were they imagining this?"Sir Shonde, you better teach him a good lesson once you return. It'll be too late if he gets into bigger trouble," Dustin said.Everyone was rendered speechless and stared at Dustin in disbelief.Damn it! Has the bastard gone mad? How dare he openly lecture Ian? Was he not afraid that he'd be killed? How bold!"Hey! Do you have a death wish? Shut your mouth!" Nathan was so shocked that he almost cursed at Dustin.It was good enough that Ian did not blame him for beating Ken. But this bastard was going overboard!How dare he criticize Sir Shonde in front of so many people? He didn't know what's good for him."Dustin, apologize to Sir Shonde immediately!" Emily signaled at him furiously from the side.She felt a headache coming due to Dustin's reckless act
Dustin and the rest of them set out for the Black Forest early the next morning.Due to the terrible road conditions, driving was not an option. They could only walk there.Many martial artists had entered the forest since the day before. They were there to try their luck.However, the Black Forest was so huge that they lost all sense of direction when they entered. Most of them just walked around aimlessly, so it was difficult for them to find the treasure.About half an hour later, Dustin and the group finally got to the entrance of the Black Forest. They could see many people making their way in, one after another."Ms. Hoyles, do you know where the tomb is located?" Dustin asked."Well, I have no information about that yet."Emily continued dejectedly, "Everyone is just trying their luck now. Whoever finds the treasure first is the lucky one."Though it was a wild goose chase, they had no other choice.Their only advantage was that they were locals. Hence, they were more f
Dustin charged toward where the voices came from."Hurry up, guys! We don't want anyone to get left behind!"Emily yelled and quickly followed. She was worried that Dustin might be rash and jump into enemies' traps.After about ten minutes, they saw a vast plain.It was a barren land that was as wide as a football field. They could only see soil and rocks; no living thing was in sight.Right in the middle of the barren field was a tomb that led underground. The end of the path was black and seemed bottomless. Nobody knew what was in there.There was a group of strong martial artists surrounding the tomb. They guarded it carefully, looking around in alert. They were on the lookout for anyone approaching."Could that be Iris Meskill's tomb?"Nathan got excited as they spied on the dark tomb. They kept themselves hidden behind some trees.Lady Luck was truly smiling upon them! They had expected to stay in the forest for at least weeks. Who would have thought they'd find whe
All eyes fell on them when they heard what Weston said. Their gaze was hostile and unkind.There were many divine-level martial artists present. They could hear everything within a 300 feet radius. "They've noticed us!" Vanessa had a bad feeling. "Nathan, Emily, what do we do now?""Why are you so worried? I'm here. You'll be fine. Follow me!"Dusting himself off, Nathan walked out with his head held high.Though those were strong opponents, the Azure Mist wasn't to be looked down upon either. He had the confidence to take them down in a fair fight."Come on, let's go meet them." Emily gestured to the rest of them and graciously showed themselves. They had initially planned to watch on from the sidelines, but it was too bad that they were noticed so soon."Alright, now that everyone's here, how should we handle things?"Weston smiled evilly with his broadsword still hoisted over his shoulder."I suggest we should team up for now. Once we get the treasure, we can split it
He wasn't one to take advantage of those who were outnumbered."Fuck you, Sheaves!" Weston roared.He was ultimately defeated by a stab that Magnus delivered straight to his chest. He slumped to the ground.Within minutes, the Desert Hawks were wiped clean. None one of them survived."How dare a gang of bandits challenge us? Insolent bastards!" Magnus huffed and flicked his sword to the side, raining drops of blood to the ground."Hey! Why didn't Azure Mist join in the fight earlier on?"Drake turned and saw Nathan and the rest of them standing where they stood earlier. They were clean, with not a single drop of blood on them. It was clear that they had not joined the fight."Two major guilds are enough to deal with the Desert Hawks. There was no need for us to get involved," Nathan explained calmly.Though he was only stating the fact, it sounded to the rest of them like he was trying to act nobler than them."You did nothing and simply watched as we killed them. Are you tr
Drake's head fell to the ground with a thud. Everyone was shocked. No one had expected Magnus to pull such a dirty trick.He was smiling and agreeing to an alliance just seconds ago. But now, he had chopped Drake's head off. He was plain evil!"Drake!" After they got over the shock, the Ironfists disciples were angered. Before they could even react, the Skycrane disciples began attacking. Following their shrieks, most of the Ironfists disciples were defeated within seconds. As for the remaining, Magnus and his men surrounded and killed them off. They did not stand a chance against Magnus.The Azure Mist had their guards up when they saw how ruthless the Skycrane disciples were. They pulled their swords out, waiting to see what they would do next."Magnus! I never thought you'd be so despicable to attack someone sneakily!" Nathan's brows furrowed.Skycrane was supposed to be a decent guild. How could Magnus resort to such underhanded tactics? It was shameless!"Haha! What
"Nathan won't hold up for much longer." Dustin could finally hold it in no more.But what was meant as a warning received a lot of retorts from the Azure Mist disciples."That's nonsense! Nathan is extremely skilled, and his swordsmanship is incredible! How could he possibly be defeated?""Exactly! Please look closely! Nathan is winning!""Hmph! Why are you on the opponent's side and belittling Nathan? If you don't know what's happening, keep your nonsense to yourself!"They shouted at Dustin.Everyone could see that Nathan was overpowering Magnus! It wouldn't take much longer for him to win the battle!But not only was Dustin not cheering Nathan on, he was even belittling him? How annoying!"You probably don't know Nathan well, Dustin."Vanessa proudly explained, "Nathan's so skillful that he's considered one of the top three in the younger generation of Lester martial artists. "He's earned himself the nickname of the Little Dragon and has defeated many reputable martial ar
"You bastard! With all this evidence in front of you, what do you have to say for yourself?" Austin barked."Your Highness, please let me explain…" Huxley broke out in a cold sweat, his voice trembling with panic."This is a lie. Someone's trying to frame me! I've always followed the law—how could I possibly be involved in something so vile?""The evidence is right in front of you, and you're still trying to weasel out of it?" Austin shot back. "Looks like you won't confess until death is knocking at your door."He raised his hand and ordered, "Guards, throw him into Grimhold Keep. Use whatever means necessary—let's see how long he keeps up this act.""Yes, Your Highness."A squad of enforcement team members rushed in and surrounded Huxley.Cornered, Huxley finally lost his nerve. He dropped to his knees with a thud and begged, "Your Highness, I admit I made a grave mistake."His voice cracked as he continued, "I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. Please, for the sake of my y
Night had fallen. Austin sat in the meeting room, quietly reading a book as he waited for the results of the investigation.After successfully turning Percival against his allies, it was only a matter of time before they uncovered solid evidence of Warrick and Huxley's crimes.For years, the castle had turned a blind eye to their shady dealings. After all, corruption among officials was nothing new.But this time was different. The two had secretly orchestrated Jovian's murder, a direct challenge to the authority and dignity of the royal family. Such defiance couldn't be ignored. If Austin didn't set an example, others would surely follow."Your Highness!"Axel burst into the meeting room, panting heavily. He had clearly run the whole way to avoid any delay.Austin set his book aside and asked calmly, "Well? How did it go?""Your Highness, we've completely shut down all of Warrick and Huxley's illicit operations. Every hidden network they had built over the years has also been d
At that moment, Percival truly panicked. Earlier, he had only worried about being implicated. But now, faced with such a serious accusation, he was completely caught off guard."Hmph! The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare deny it? Do you want me to torture the truth out of you?" Austin barked."Your Highness, I'm innocent!" Percival was so terrified he was on the verge of tears. He raised his hand and swore, "If I had anything to do with Jovian's death, may I be damned for eternity.""If swearing oaths proved innocence, we wouldn't need an enforcement team," Austin said coldly. "Out of respect for your years of service to West Lucozia, I'll give you a chance to come clean and receive a lighter sentence. Tell the truth now, or I'll throw you into Grimhold Keep."At the mention of Grimhold Keep, Percival began to shake uncontrollably. Tears and snot ran down his face as he wailed, "Your Highness, I swear I didn't do anything. Who's the bastard making up these accusations?
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