"Really? That's impressive.""Of course it is. And tonight, Riverton's bluebloods are all invited to a ball held on that same ship.""Really?""Yep. Look at the row of supercars. They're owned by Riverton's rich and famous. And Riverton's viceroy will show up as well.""Awesome. That's the power of Riverton's richest man for you."The tourists watched enviously as more supercars appeared. The bluebloods of Riverton and guests of the ball were in those cars. Impeccably-dressed people eventually stepped out of the vehicles and lined up for the ball.Beauty and lust always surrounded wealth and power. Alongside the powerful people were scantily-clad women who were also attending the ball.At the same time, a Mini arrived at the car park. Queenie got out of the car. She stared at the cruise ship docked by the riverside and muttered, "So that's where the ball is held?"The resplendent, unnecessarily luxurious sight made Queenie frown. 'The rich sure know how to splurge. Holding a ba
"Damn you. It's a surprise seeing you here, but you're not escaping me this time." A venomous smile curled Silas' lips.He had nothing but hatred for Queenie. Ever since Nox brutalized him, Silas had carried a grudge, but his men were no match for Nox, so he'd been holding the grudge in and letting it fester.Now, he finally saw his chance. And then, honks ripped through the air. A trio of military Hummers were charging over to the pier.The tourists gasped."Those are Zone: Draco's cars.""Zone: Draco's soldiers are joining the ball too? Whoa."The Hummers stopped, and a dozen armed soldiers in uniform leaped out of the vehicles. And then, a lieutenant colonel came out. He was burly and tanned. His face was almost purplish-bronze.A terrifying aura swirled around him. This man was Rivera Joshton, the representative of Zone: Draco for the ball.Gold, Silas, and his bodyguards approached him. Gold, especially, was excited. "Rivera, you're finally back."Rivera called out to his
Zone: Draco was an important part of Riverton. Silas was basking in the glory, thanks to his uncle as well.But too many guests were around, so the path ahead was blocked. Silas noticed a passage on the left side of the deck, but there was a red carpet draped on the ground, and a big group of bodyguards were standing sentry.Since there was barely anyone using that passage, Silas pointed at it. "Uncle, Dad, there's too many people here. Why don't we take that passage?"Gold and Rivera looked at the passage and nodded. They were approaching the passage, but before they could use it, a few bodyguards stepped forth."Good evening. This is a special passage, and it is not open to anyone."Silas' face fell. "Who are you to get in my uncle's way? Do you know who he is? Move."Silas wanted to barge in, but the bodyguards did not budge. "Sorry, but it's Mr. Weeks' orders. No one but our VIP is allowed entrance through this passage.""You think you have the right to stop my uncle, you cu
While Queenie was seething, a yacht was quickly zooming closer to the ship. Within the yacht were Alexander and Nox."We are here, milord." Alexander waved at the bodyguards on the SS Empire.The bodyguards saw him and opened up the secret compartment. The yacht slowed down and entered the SS Empire. A while later, Alexander, Nox, and the bodyguards came up to the special passage."Milord, I must apologize. We have confirmed the identities of all the guests at this event. General Fort did not make an appearance. Instead, he sent a lieutenant general."Nox grunted, but he didn't complain. He knew Draco all too well. The man was obsessed with the military. He'd never take his precious time to join boring events like this. And then Nox followed Alexander into the fifth floor.But Nox didn't like balls like this either, so he requested to stay in his private parlor. Alexander could understand where he was coming from. "I shall stay with you, milord."Nox waved him down. "There is no
The ball was going to officially begin. Being the organizer, Alexander had to make a speech, of course. He went onstage and took the mic.With a smile, he said, "Thank you for joining this event, friends. This ball is held with the improvement of Riverton's business world in mind. It is a platform for all of you to socialize and connect. Most importantly, it's for me to express my gratitude to my king."The guests gasped. The mention of a king surprised them."Someone has Alexander's respect and gratitude? Who could it be?""Yeah. Who's important enough for Alexander to dub him king?"The guests broke out into a discussion. Even Queenie got curious."Mr. Weeks, who is this king you speak of? Can you ask him to come out here?" some rich guy suggested.Alexander waved him down. "Sorry, but my lord is in no state to see any guests." He held up a glass of champagne and loudly announced, "He is my everything. I swear my loyalty to the king for this life and forevermore! I raise a toa
Yes, it was Queenie. The attention everyone was suddenly giving her numbed Queenie. Her eyes went wide, and she was at a loss.A beautiful usher came up to Queenie, smiling. "Ms. Sanders, please go onstage.""Me? This must be a mistake." Queenie was in stunned disbelief."You jest, Ms. Sanders. You're the top guest of Mr. Weeks tonight. This is no mistake." The usher smiled.'I am his top guest?' Queenie wondered in confusion. 'But I'm supposed to just show up, talk things out with the old git, and scoot. Why is he asking me to go onstage? In front of Riverton's rich and famous, no less? And he has a present for me? What is going on?'"Ms. Sanders, please come with me," the usher said. "Mr. Weeks is waiting."Queenie snapped out of it, but she was still at a loss. Everyone was staring at her, and she panicked. Still, she was invited, so she had to go up there.Her mind still a mush, Queenie ascended the stairs. The guests were curious, wondering who this woman was. They started
"It is Empire Corp's honor to have you here." Alexander smiled at Queenie as he approached her.Queenie was speechless. She thought, 'Is the old git mad? This is going too far, even if he's trying to woo me.'She didn't say that out loud. What she did say was something else. "Hello, Mr. Weeks. I don't think we've met before?"Alexander answered, "We have not, but your reputation precedes you.""Really? And who might be the one to mention my name?" Queenie was surprised."I apologize, but I cannot disclose that information for now," said Alexander.That confused Queenie more."But don't be nervous. As I have mentioned, you are my most esteemed guest for the evening. And to express my joy for your presence, I have prepared a gift for you." Alexander beckoned the usher over.A beautiful lady came up to the stage, holding a mysterious platter. Queenie thought Alexander was mad for giving her a present.Alexander pulled off the silk cloth, revealing a shining blue gemstone to Queen
The guests couldn't hide their envy when they saw Queenie taking Bluetear. And they also had no idea who Queenie was, nor did they know why Alexander was so generous.Rivera growled, "Is he mad? He gave that woman a billion-dollar diamond? That woman is a harlot."Gold was quiet, but there was hatred and jealousy in his eyes. That diamond alone was worth the whole of Centersea, but Alexander gave it away just like that. Of course Gold would be green with envy.Silas' gaze was dripping with venom. "You bitch. Just you wait."Finally, with Alexander giving out the diamond, the ball began. Music started to play, and the guests went back to drinking and chatting.Queenie was a nobody moments ago, but now all the guests couldn't wait to get to know her."Hello, Ms. Sanders. I work at IntegrityEstate. Pleased to meet you.""Hey, I'm from Still Good Inc. Pleased to meet you.""I raise a toast to you on behalf of Rivertonian's Company. Please, put in a good word with Mr. Weeks, Ms. San
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