Before the attacks could land, someone said, "Stop it! Don't hurt my parents!" Queenie came in from the backyard, and Nox was behind her.The sight of Queenie made Gold's temples throb. "You're finally here, bitch."Queenie ignored Gold. Instead, she checked on her father. George was fine, and Queenie stood up. "What do you want, Gold?"Gold's eyes were red with fury. "What do I want? You killed my son, and you have the gall to ask me what I want?""Nonsense. I didn't kill Silas," Queenie snapped."Lies! My son came to you at the ball of the bluebloods, didn't he?" Gold asked.Queenie looked uneasy. "And so what?"Gold said, "That's as good as a confession. Guards, take her down!"The bodyguards tried to attack Queenie, but Queenie roared, "Hold it right there! Gold, your bastard of a son kidnapped me! You're trying to capture me before I even hold him accountable for his crimes?"Queenie told him what happened that night, but Gold said coldly, "I don't know anything about the
Nox raised his head coolly. "Wanna have another round?"Gold wouldn't do it. All his bodyguards were taken down, and he panicked. "W-Who are you? Why are you meddling with my family's affairs?"Nox icily said, "I told you, you don't deserve to know my name."And an icy voice came from the doorway. "Is that so? I'd like to see how arrogant you can be when I'm here."A platoon of armed soldiers in camo suits came barging in. They held up their guns, training them on Nox and everyone else. The one in the lead was Rivera, the lieutenant colonel.The sight of these soldiers made Queenie's parents scream. Queenie was frozen in fear as well.Gold, however, quickly approached his brother and his platoon. "Just in time, Rivera. Quick, get that punk."Rivera looked at Nox, but when he felt Nox's aura crashing down on him, his heart skipped a beat. He wondered, 'Who is this punk? His aura is powerful. It's even more powerful than the commander's.'He took a deep breath. "Did you injure th
Nox smiled at Queenie. "Don't worry about me. It's alright.""How can I not worry? Are you stupid? Why'd you confess to murder?" Queenie was panicking, but Nox only patted her head reassuringly."Don't worry. I'll be fine." He then approached Rivera and Gold. "Listen up, I killed Silas. Queenie and her family aren't involved in this. You want revenge? Come at me."Gold stared at Nox, his eyes wide. "You killed my son, you punk?""That I did," said Nox."How dare you? You bastard, I'll kill you!" A berserk Gold rushed at Nox, but Rivera stopped him."Don't worry, Gold. I will make him pay for Silas' death. But a mere killing is not enough for him."Gold nodded. Rivera then turned to Nox. "You have guts, I'll give you that. But for killing my nephew, I'll kill you too. Soldiers, take him away."The armed soldiers quickly grabbed Nox and tried to take him away, but Queenie ran up to them."You can't just accuse him of murder. He didn't kill Silas," she cried, trying to pull Nox a
"Rivera Joshton?" Alexander knew who Rivera was. As Ferguson said, he was the lieutenant colonel of Zone: Draco. Even though Alexander was rich, he wouldn't try to get into a fight with the military.Still, Alexander smirked. "Zone: Draco's soldier captured the lord? Well, this is interesting. Ferguson, this is an order. Hop on my private jet and set a course for Zone: Draco. Seek out General Fort. And tell him…"Alexander whispered something to his steward. Ferguson looked horrified for a moment, then he nodded. "I understand, sir. Right away."Alexander smiled. "Zone: Draco, huh? Let's see how you get out of this, Rivera."…Nox was imprisoned in a dank underground chamber in the Joshton Residence. Armed soldiers from Zone: Draco stood guard at the doorstep. Even though he was imprisoned, Nox remained seated cross-legged.Rivera could only capture him because he didn't want to fight them. If he wanted to, they could send an army, and he could take them down easily, let alone a
Rivera roared, "You bastard! How dare you say our commander's name? I'll shoot you here and now!""I doubt you can do that." Nox sneered.And that ruffled Rivera's feathers. He was a lieutenant colonel, and this level of disrespect was unacceptable. "Soldiers, shoot this scoundrel!"A group of guards came rushing in and pointed their weapons at Nox."You asked for this, punk! You have no one to blame but yourself!"Just when the soldiers were about to shoot, Nox recited, "Amidst the mountains and rivers grand, No worry dims the fervent stand. On sands of battle, our nation's seed, Where the fallen rest, in valor freed. In the mist of blood, 'neath skies of gold, Dragon's cry echoes, mighty and bold. Across the land, resounds the dragon's call, In sands where brave souls eternally sprawl."Every word he spoke struck inspiration and fear into the soldiers around him. When the soldiers heard what he said, they were stunned. One of them widened his eyes."That's the battlesong of ou
Gold couldn't believe Alexander and a hundred men were around his house. Even Rivera's face fell."Darn it! Is he mad? We have no beef with his company, so what's with this assault?" Gold roared.Rivera said, "Worry not, Gold. With me around, no one can touch my family. We're checking things out."Gold nodded, and they both left the underground chamber.A big group of people surrounded the Joshton Family's gates. In the lead was Alexander himself. And then, the gates swung open. Out came Rivera, Gold, and a platoon of armed soldiers.The soldiers held up their guns, pointing at Alexander and the bodyguards. Alexander, however, was unfazed. He stood tall and proud.Gold asked, "What brings you to my humble abode, Mr. Weeks? And you brought quite a number of people, too."Alexander sneered. "I'll make it clear, Gold. Have you captured someone from the Sanders Residence?"Gold sneered as well. "And who might that person be, Mr. Weeks?""Don't play dumb. I'm telling you, the perso
Rivera sneered. "And what if I do?""Very well. I hope you will not come to regret this. Guards, surround this residence!" Alexander ordered. His bodyguards quickly surrounded the gate.Just when they were about to push through, Rivera roared, "Soldiers, at the ready! If anyone takes a step ahead, shoot to kill!"His soldiers held up their assault rifles higher, pointing them at the bodyguards. The confrontation had begun, but Alexander was not panicking. He knew the Joshtons were done for. They had, after all, imprisoned a lord.And then, roars of battle aircraft screamed through the skies, penetrating the land. Alexander smiled. "They're here."Everyone looked at the skies. In the distance, more than a dozen of the latest FC-31 battle aircraft came zooming in like a dragon. As the lieutenant colonel of Zone: Draco, the moment Rivera heard the engines' roar, he looked solemn."FC-31? Why's the zone's battle aircraft here?"Sixteen FC-31 came barging toward Riverton. Even the ci
"Is that the division leader? And the Chief of Staff? And the Director of Logistics? And is the last one our commander?"When Rivera's soldiers saw all the officers coming off the Eagle-10s, they were numb with shock. Rivera's legs almost buckled. 'The division leader? The Chief of Staff? The Director of Logistics? And the commander himself? W-What's going on?' he wondered.While Rivera was still in a stupor, the burly, uniformed Draco and his officers were already coming closer. Following them was Ferguson.Draco was about 6 feet 5 inches, his arms hanging down from his sides like a gorilla's. His face was as fierce as a panther. Draco Fort, also known as Leeroy Fort in his younger days, was one of the most arrogant, wildest, and hardest-to-tame soldiers of the south. But Nox managed it.Eventually, Draco became one of the Four Generals, and he became known as Draco. He had Nox to thank for his glorious life, and he was grateful for Nox. Draco was now the commander of a million so
Their targets were the relics around the altars. The moment the whirlpool showed up, the black energy conjured black walls and kept Brundela on lockdown, cutting off all communications.Possessed by evil spirits, gods from ancient civilizations came back to life. In the underground graveyard, the dead came bursting out of their coffins, and skeletons with phantom flames flickering around them charged at the holy knights and James' secret agents.Nothing more needed to be said. The holy knights' leader led the charge. The other knights resolved to fight to the death as they battled the skeleton gods.James and his secret agents fired off at the enemies, but the bullets did nothing to the skeletons. All they managed was to light a big spark. Only grenades and howitzers could deal damage to them, and even then, the damage was light.The battle was fierce. Though the knights did not fear death, they were still weaker than the prehistoric gods. These skeletons were nigh invincible, and
Nox was hovering higher than the Ice Temple Lord, and he got everyone's attention."Who's that?""It's a Faeastian!""My God, it's the Nine-State Lord!" Nox was known throughout Faeast and the world. Brundela's council members had recognized him the moment he showed up. They had nothing but fear for gods, yet Nox was the strongest man in the Mortal World, so they respected him.The clouds in Brundela's skies were hanging heavily over the ground, and the icy aura they radiated was making everyone shiver. Winter seemed to have come early for Brundela. The temperature was dipping fast.Back in the control center, intelligence agents were watching the surveillance footage closely, and they noticed the altar. The Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators were there, strengthening the altars' seal the best they could. There were soldiers guarding the altar as well.For some reason, the secret agents had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Murphy's Law, as they said.Suddenly,
A sliver of energy flew out of the puppet and gathered natural energy around it. Then, the temperature rose at a blistering rate. Fortunately, Bard's reminder came just in time, and Vermilion Bird was prepared for this. She led her team away from the spot.A pillar of fire engulfed the building, and heat waves shot off in every direction, lethal and deadly. The light eventually faded, and all buildings in a few hundred yards were razed to the ground.If Vermilion Bird had killed the puppet without thinking just now, she would have lost all her men and suffered serious injuries. "That bitch! I'm going to make her into a human swine one day! I'll give her hell!" she cursed.Bard gasped. 'Yeah, women can be really terrifying.' Not one General was a normal person.This incident didn't escape Nox, of course. He saw it through his divine sense. "Heh, you can't fight the flow of history? You say that, Aphrodite, but you've done the same thing more than once. Schemes and plots when your ey
Aphrodite was a master manipulator. She knew the weaknesses of Nox's underlings, and she praised Bard, "At least you know where you stand, Bard. You never overreach. Though we failed to make you one of us, I still thought it'd be a shame to kill you."Bard smiled. "Oh, you're such an actor, Ms. Mousse. You know why we don't like you? Queenie is a genuine lady, just like our lord. You're far inferior to her. And don't flatter yourself. Of course, I know where I stand. I can't even reach the pinnacle of martial arts, let alone cultivation."No matter how smart I am, my lack of talents holds me back. I can never be made an important leader." He was only spared because he couldn't become a threat to the Mousses.Nox didn't use schemes because he didn't need them. Absolute power could trump any plot.Vermilion Bird clenched her teeth. "What is the meaning of this? The lord knows that the bitch is here?"Bard shook his head. Vermilion Bird was a smart woman, but Aphrodite made her lose
Aphrodite felt nothing but sorrow, and Vermilion Bird burst into laughter. "I expected nothing less from these people. Your men are just like their employers. Hey, knights, you guys want to find out more about Faeast martial arts? See those Mousse guys? They're masters. Deal with them."Vermilion Bird gave her orders. She knew these people would escape the moment she showed up. The knights flew off, going after the escaped Mousses. The Mousses were a family of warriors, while these knights were cultivators, to an extent. They wore mystical artifacts, and the Mousses' guys didn't have something like that.The battle was fierce but short. The Mousses' powerhouses were taken out, and the rest were dealt with by the Shadow Division."And now only you're left. Interesting, isn't it? Karma always bites you in the ass. You betrayed my lord, and now your men betray you. You deserve this," Vermilion Bird cursed."Yes, I deserve this, but as long as he wants to be the Nine-State Lord, then w
'The beating heart of this land?' The woman's underlings looked grim. They were supposed to be the master tacticians here. Yet, Nox played them like a cheap kazoo. 'He's a far better tactician than we expected!'Nox began his counterattack not long after the Ocean of Death incident. This woman was none other than Aphrodite, Nox's old flame. When she saw Brundela's fate stabilizing, she knew right then that things had gotten out of her hands."Tell the Mousses in Eropa to retreat right away. There is no need to stay here any longer. He's not attacking us because he's waiting for us to do the same. The moment our men try to start anything, he'll swoop in and take them all out. "No one can beat him if he decides to go all the way. Not even me," said Aphrodite.Suddenly, the Mousses' powerhouse noticed something. "I sense bloodlust. Who goes there? Show yourself!" The powerhouses unsheathed their weapons and stood around Aphrodite, protecting her.A group of black silhouettes appeare
Now they had one, and it was Elizabeth. Her speech awakened the bravery and courage lying within the people of Brundela. An overwhelming majority of the council members stood up and chanted, "Long live the queen! Long live Brundela!""Good." Nox noticed something. The fate of Brundela stopped its downward shift and was stabilizing."The Mortal World and mortals. The Realm of the Gods has been here for millennia, and still, I can't figure out how mortals work." The Ice Temple Lord was confused. These mortals were prone to deception and scams. They were weak and frail. Yet, they had the potential to unleash strength that could shock even the gods."It's solidarity. You guys wouldn't get it. You call yourselves gods and lock yourselves up in the Realm of the Gods. You try to enslave the world despite being so out of touch with it."Do you know why I call you false gods? True gods are omnipotent. Their word is law. They can change the rules that govern this world just by saying it, b
Ice Temple's Lord didn't even look at Dickson. The man was so crushed that there wasn't even a hint of arrogance left in his soul. The Ice Temple's Lord's technique locked his spirit. So, it was not severely weakened. Thus, He would die very soon, even without the Ice Temple's Lord attacking him."Please, leader of gods. You are the only true god. I swear my undying loyalty to you. Spare me, please!" Dickson begged for his life.Dickson finally met his match. The arrogant would-be king couldn't even do anything against the Ice Temple's Lord."Oh, I can save you, but what makes you think you're worth it? You're lower than scum, and you think you have the right to ask for my favor? Repent and pray, then I might make it quick for you. Refuse, and only unending hell awaits."That threat scared Dickson. He cried and begged for mercy. He cursed his own soul and put his faith in a god stronger than his master."And you think you deserve the gift of life, maggot? Open your eyes, mortals
Two cultivators were fighting in mid-air, while the other Ice Temple cultivators made an invisible barrier to keep them in, or the council hall would be destroyed from the impact of the fight.The battle was awe-inspiring, and Dickson became smug. So what if his enemy was a leader of gods? Perhaps he was no match for one, but the Assad gods could easily destroy him if a slave could fight him for a prolonged period.Ice Temple's Lord realized that Dickson couldn't feel pain as the essence had nearly devoured his spirit. He was nothing if not feral, and he did not fear death at all. A brilliant idea appeared in his mind. He could create an army of fearless gods if he could get his hands on this technique.Nox said telepathically, "How much longer are you going to take? He's just a useless tribute. Do you honestly want to keep this up until he burns himself away?"Ice Temple's Lord's pupils contracted, and he looked at Nox. Nox looked up from his book. The Ice Temple Lord thought th