George could do nothing in the face of this kind of power. All Keith had to do was tighten his hold a bit more, and George would die.Derek quickly went down on his knees. "Commander, please, spare my uncle!""You think you're in any position to ask for favors?"Derek's final hope went up in smokes. Keith was not called the Butcher for nothing. Killing a thousand rogue organization members all by his lonesome was an impossible feat. No one in their right mind would dissuade the Butcher from doing what he wanted to do.Right before George could be killed, Nox stepped forth. "Keith, stop it.""Milord, the old git had the audacity to insult you. Please, let me slaughter him," Keith protested.Nox shot him a glare. Resigned, Keith sighed. "You're lucky, you old bastard. But if there's a next time, I will snap your neck." He swung George away, and the guy flew through the air.Nox didn't care about that. "I'll see Queenie. You guys stay here. And don't cause any trouble." Nox went in
Nox was confused. "What are you saying? When have I ever lied to you?" Nox quickly held down the uncontrollable Queenie."You liar! You still won't admit it?" Queenie glared at Nox, her eyes red."Admit what? I don't know what you're talking about," Nox answered."Fine, then why didn't you take my calls? And why haven't you called me back? I'm your girlfriend! I think about you every day, you know that?" Queenie kept crying like a baby."I'm sorry. I lost your number, and that's my fault." Nox wasn't at fault, but since Thalia deleted Queenie's number, Nox had no idea how to get it back.Queenie didn't understand his situation. She sneered. "You lost my number? I can't believe you came up with that kind of excuse.""I didn't! It's the truth!""It's the truth? Fine, then why'd you go on a date with another woman and hold her like she's your lover?"'What? A date?'"I didn't!" Nox was speechless."Oh yeah? See for yourself!" Queenie tossed her phone to Nox. Nox took it and saw
Since Nox sounded genuine, Queenie raised her head. "You're not lying?""I swear!" Nox held up his right hand."Queenie asked, "Why haven't you come to see me, then?""I've been busy, Queenie. I'm sorry." That was the truth."Don't lie to me again. Ever since I knew you, I've only had eyes for you. I'd die if you lied to me." Queenie started shedding tears again.Nox quickly hugged her and cooed. Now he realized Queenie wasn't sick. She was just heartbroken, but he still felt for Queenie. "I'm sorry I did this to you, Queenie. Look at you, all gaunt."Queenie said, "It's all your fault. My heart died the moment I saw that photo."Nox heaved a sigh and held Queenie tighter. There was love in his eyes. He decided to see Annie as soon as possible and clear things up with her so that Queenie wouldn't get the wrong idea."Nono, I'm hungry," said Queenie weakly. Of course, she was hungry. Days of starvation tended to have that effect on people. If Nox hadn't come in time, she'd have
Keith did not look happy after that call. He hung up and looked around, but Nox hadn't come out. Then he turned to Jebediah. "I have to go, Master White. Urgent matters. Tell the lord if he asks.""Of course.""Thank you. Derek, we're moving out." Keith then left the Sanders Residence.Derek wouldn't disobey his commander's orders. He looked at George and Yvette sadly before leaving the house. There were already Shadow Division members waiting outside. They approached Keith. "Commander.""What's the sitch?" Keith got into his car."Commander, this is news from the customs. A group of Black Flag's Rank A members have infiltrated Riverton under the guise of another identity. If the information's right, they're here for the Redmoon Auction House's case."Ice-cold murder swirled around Keith. "They dispatched Rank A members?"The member answered, "Affirmative."Keith sneered. "Guess they're desperate then. I want you to find the bastards' hiding place ASAP. This is an order! I don'
Queenie felt much better after Nox cleared things up with her. "Nono, how'd you know I was sick? You don't even have my number now.""It's all thanks to your cousin.""My cousin?""Yes. He gave me a call and told me about you." Nox told everything that happened to Queenie.Queenie was excited to hear Derek was around. "Derek? Gods, it's been years since I saw him. Where is he?" she asked quickly."Probably outside. Let's meet up with him.""Sure. Derek's the best. We've been close since we were kids. However, after graduating from college, some kind of national security agency recruited him. He never told us about the deets, and now he's in Riverton." Queenie walked out with Nox.Nox knew why Derek kept it a secret. The Shadow Division members must keep their jobs private. Fundamental rules, of course.They were tied to the nation's security, but more importantly, if their identities were known, the enemies could hold their friends and family hostage to threaten them.Jebediah
Nox scratched his nose and smiled wryly. "I'll tell you later."Queenie eyed him with suspicion. "Fine." She was disappointed that she missed Derek but then looked at the skies. The air felt warm. "Nono, I wanna go shopping. You gotta come with me.""Sure. We can go anywhere you want," Nox said gently."That's more like it." Queenie happily turned to her parents. "I'm heading out, you guys."Yvette didn't dare object, so she forced a smile. "Don't stay out too late. You're still weak.""Okay." Queenie and Nox left.Once they were gone, George couldn't hold it in anymore. His legs buckled, and he fell to the ground. "Dear gods. What did we do wrong to deserve Greenshade?" George bawled and whined like a big baby.Yvette quickly helped George up. "Calm down, George. As long as Queenie's fine, it's all okay.""My foot! That bastard's friend almost killed me! This is unacceptable!" Rage bubbled in George's soul."What do you want, then?""What do I want? I will never let that bas
After Jebediah was gone, a Stretch Lincoln Limousine appeared at the end of the road. Though it was a few hundred yards away, Nox felt it the moment it showed up, but he kept quiet.The couple kept walking straight. Queenie wanted to grab some coffee, so they went into a coffee shop. They placed their orders, and Nox said, "Give me a second. I need to use the restroom.""Sure," Queenie replied.Nox went through the backdoor and disappeared into thin air.The limousine was still tailing Nox and Queenie. It was parked by the road. Faye, Mr. Inkheart, Larry, and the bald guy silently waited in the car.No one noticed a silhouette suddenly appearing on the top of the limousine. He appeared out of thin air, and then, everyone heard a chilly voice ask, "How dare you tail me, you curs?"Everyone in the car shivered. They knew where that voice came from. It was above the car. Everyone looked up, and Larry gasped in shock. A moment ago, no one was up there, and now, Nox was standing right
"Is that so?" Nox took a seat."Yeah. Take a sip and give me a review." Queenie pushed a cup of steaming hot coffee over to Nox.Nox took it from her and had a taste. The coffee was bitter at first, but there was something fresh in it. 'Good coffee,' he thought."It's not bad," said Nox."Glad you liked it." Queenie beamed.The couple chatted away happily, and a while later, they were done with their coffee. Queenie suggested they go shopping at the mall. Nox nodded.They came out of the coffee shop, and Nox tasted danger in the air. The moment it came close, Nox darted ahead and defended Queenie. "Queenie, look out!"The explosion of a rifle shot tore through the street. A tanned Voxlian man was lying on the windowsill of a building across the street. He was holding the Destroyer, a Voxlian anti-tank rifle.The Destroyer was Voxlia's most powerful sniper rifle. It was over six feet six inches long, and its bullets were 20 millimetres wide.The rifle could easily destroy a tan
The talismans were Magic Mountain's Forbidden Art, and Nox had fused them with Ultimate Sun Dragon Manual. Nox's mentors back in Mystia had taught him the Sovereign Seal earlier than expected.Their goal was simple. If Nox became the Sovereign, he could use the seal to command all the natural energy around him. If he didn't become the Sovereign, he would teach the Sovereign how to use the seal.The Sovereign Seal was a Saintly technique and the most ancient technique around. It was stronger than a Celestial technique.A golden seal brighter than the sun slowly rose into the air. It was the Sovereign Seal.As it appeared, natural energy gathered around it. The energy flew into the relics Brundela took from Faeast. Within a museum not open to the public, a bronze sword started to tremble as natural energy flowed into it. That got the attention of a professor."That sword belonged to Faeast's Emperor Elijah! What is going on?"A silhouette came out of the sword, and his aura was maj
Back in the navy command center, Fergus got the drone footage of Brundela's latest development. There were a few generals from the Nox Army with him. They could see that the monsters in the capital were far stronger than the ones they took out."It's a pity the capital is too densely populated. We have the weapons, but we can't use them." Fergus slammed the table in frustration. Even if the capital were to fall into enemy hands and the people torn apart by the monsters, Fergus could not order his men to fire at the capital, or things would be bad for them.Fergus could only open fire if the monsters were in a no man's land."Commander Parrish, the lord has orders. We are to keep the waters guarded. Once the capital's crisis is over, we are to make our way to the port and give humanitarian aid," a Nox Army general said telepathically. He just got Nox's orders."Is that so? Then Nox can stop this crisis." Fergus' eyes shone. He had no idea what Nox was planning, but he was the Sovere
Demons were walking the lands of Brundela. Legendary creatures were roaming the streets as if the end of days were here. The resurrected monsters were causing chaos everywhere. When the Titans showed themselves, despair washed over Brundela.There were too many monsters running around. Even after the Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators sent out everyone they had, it still wasn't enough to stop these creatures. The monsters went straight to the council hall, and so did the Titans.The Ice Temple Lord created a Magic Ice Formation and kept using Forbidden Arts and mystical artifacts to fend off the enemies. He had already done his best."You have to do something, Nine-State Lord. I can't hold on much longer!" the Ice Temple Lord said telepathically.Though monsters were about, they were not a threat to the Ice Temple Lord. he could leave anytime he wanted, but he had a deal with Nox. If he were to desert the battlefield, he would face a hell far worse than he could imagine late
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