Vera then added, "The Flood Dragon Fate is the closest fate to the Dragon Fate and the only one capable of transforming into a Dragon Fate. This means that when your mother was pregnant with you, before your fate was established, your father had already split his Dragon Fate into two Flood Dragon Fates and given one of them to you." "Afterward, your father underwent the transformation alongside you, and both of you became Dragon Fates together." "This is how your father ensured that you possessed the Dragon Fate." Charlie's eyes reddened as he murmured, "Raymond told me that Fate Extraction is excruciatingly painful. He said it was the most agonizing thing he had ever witnessed. Although this 'splitting one dragon into two flood dragons' is not a complete extraction, it still involves dividing one's fate in half. That must also be incredibly painful... Dad... He endured such extraordinary pain for me not just once, but twice..." Vera nodded gently and, pursing her lips in agony
As Charlie was overwhelmed with guilt toward his parents, Vera, sitting beside him, was also filled with complex emotions. She continued flipping through the content in the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book and became increasingly astonished the more she read. Picking up one particular sheet of paper, she said, "Look here. This section records the method of locating Mount Tason. It seems that your parents back then must have used this information to find the secret of longevity hidden within Mount Tason and brought back the Apocalyptic Book from there." Charlie nodded and said, "Mr. Chardon mentioned the secret to longevity during our battle back then, and all the clues lined up with your speculations." Vera's expression changed abruptly as she gasped, "Huh... Why do I feel like Master Marcius might have started planning a massive conspiracy over 300 years ago?" Charlie asked, "Are you saying that everything I am experiencing today was orchestrated by him centuries ago?" Vera
Vera then continued, "So, regarding this trap, I think there are two possibilities. One is that the trap has a time-sensitive trigger, meaning it must be activated while Master Marcius is still alive for it to work. However, the Master himself might not have expected the trap to be delayed for so long. By the time he died, he still hadn't found anyone to trigger it, and it only activated when your father discovered the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book. If this is the case, Mount Tason shouldn't pose any real threat to you." She paused, her tone growing more serious as she added, "The other possibility is that the Master knew the trap could be triggered at any time, and it didn't matter when—just as long as it was triggered. If that's the case, Master Marcius... is most likely still alive!" "Still alive?" Charlie frowned and asked, "If he's still alive, he must have found a way to extend his lifespan beyond a thousand years. And if he's still alive, he should be many times stronger t
Charlie exhaled heavily and suggested, "So... what he needs is a body of the Ascended Dragon Fate, right?" "That's right!" Vera nodded swiftly. "I believe this logic is very reasonable, and it also aligns with what the fake nun said. She mentioned that anyone could go to Mount Tason except for you, and she also said that the person there is far more terrifying than Fleur. Now, it seems that the person she was referring to is Master Marcius, and he has been waiting for you in Mount Tason!" Charlie accepted this speculation, gritting his teeth and saying, "Good old Marcius! I've seen people use black magic before, but using a drifting bottle as a black magic vessel? This is the first time I've heard of it!" He then added, "Since we've figured out his plan, does that mean that as long as we never go to Mount Tason, he'll have to wait there indefinitely?" "I think so too!" Vera agreed and said. "Alright, then." Charlie heaved a sigh of relief and said, "From now on, I won't go an
At this time, Charlie looked at the photocopied contents of the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book and sighed. "If our hunch is correct, then the fake nun saved my life."Vera nodded gently, then held her chin and muttered, "I think the fake nun should be following someone's orders, and the one who helped you should be the person behind her." Charlie fully agreed with her point but was somewhat puzzled. "This person can see through Master Marcius's meticulous plot, and they were able to stop me at a critical moment. Their background must be extraordinary. But I can't understand it. If this person is willing to help me and knows all about me, why are they unwilling to show their true face? If we meet face-to-face, perhaps we could cooperate and fight against the Qing Eliminating Society together." Vera said with a smile, "Perhaps everyone has their own secrets to protect, just like me. If you hadn't saved my life and if my father's ring hadn't brought me here, I would never have revea
Vera nodded knowingly and asked, "What do we do with these photocopies?" Charlie thought for a moment and said, "I'll leave them to you. You can put them away or burn them." "Alright." Vera nodded. "I'll take care of it." Vera saw Charlie out and asked Logan to arrange for Marilyn to drive Charlie to Champs Elys. She then went back to the top-floor courtyard and sorted out all the photocopies of the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book. Initially, she planned to throw these papers into the stove and burn them. However, after meditating for a few minutes, she suddenly stood up determinedly, grabbed her backpack, stuffed all the papers in the bag, and then walked out of the courtyard with the bag on her back. After going down the stone stairs, she said to Decan, who was standing guard, "Ask Logan to prepare a car for me. There's a place I need to go now." "Alright, Miss." Decan asked hastily, "Would you like me to accompany you?" "No." Vera waved him off firmly. "I'll go by my
Ashley suddenly remembered something, her expression turning slightly anxious, and she said, "There's a chance that Vera might come here to see you. To be cautious, I'll leave Aurous Hill and head to Mount Pantro for a few days later today. You should stay here for one more day. If Vera hasn't come by this time tomorrow, meet me at Mount Pantro. If she does come and is alone, find an opportunity to meet her. Confirm whether Charlie has any intention of cultivating the Apocalyptic Heart Formula. Also, inquire about what agreements Charlie reached with the Rothschild family during his trip to America." "This morning, I received news that several Silicon Valley companies waiting for Nvidia to supply GPUs have had their deliveries inexplicably delayed. I can't shake the feeling that this is somehow connected to Charlie." With a puzzled expression, Suzanne asked, "Why do you suddenly feel that Vera is coming here to see me?" Ashley replied, "Last time, when you intercepted her in Moun
Meanwhile, Vera, as Ashley had predicted, drove her car onto the elevated road leading to Qi Temple. Her thoughts aligned closely with Ashley's reasoning. She believed that since the fake nun had been constantly monitoring Charlie and even stepping in to protect him at critical moments, it was likely that these individuals were still keeping an eye on him. There was a possibility that they were currently in Aurous Hill. If that were the case, they would surely be tracking her actions as well. By suddenly heading to Qi Temple alone, she expected that they would interpret this move as her desire to meet with them. Of course, Vera was also aware that the situation might not be as she had guessed. It was entirely possible that all of this was just her wishful thinking and that the other party wasn't monitoring her at all. However, Vera didn't mind. After all, trying this approach wouldn't cost her much. If nothing came of it, she could simply drive back home. The traffic at n
Ares LLP was the biggest law firm in the States, and only the best of the best were recruited as associates.If Jimmy got to pick ten of their partners, he was basically taking a huge chunk out of their human resources.Moreover, the partners' salaries would be very expensive. With Jimmy included, eleven of them meant over a hundred million US dollars at minimum. Ares would definitely be maimed if they had to pay that much money while losing ten of their elites! Naturally, Jimmy didn't feel confident about achieving that, and he asked Charlie, "Mr. Wade… Don't you think it's too much? Would Nate even agree to that?"Charlie shrugged. "Of course he won't agree if you're the one asking, but he would definitely say yes if it were Julien."Julien almost rolled his eyes.The man was truly ruthless, ready to inflict so much damage at the drop of a hat.Worst of all, he was going to play the villain for Charlie.Still, he said confidently, "Don't worry, Mr. Wade! I will pressure him
However, Jimmy realized something important even as he sighed in relief. "Wait, Mr. Wade… I know I should settle things in the family Stateside, but won't I be arrested upon arrival?""That's Julien's department," Charlie chuckled and turned toward the man. "Tell your butler not to send the evidence to the feds. If it has reached them already, ask to have it back and tell the feds they saw nothing."Julien promptly nodded. "I'll text him right now. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Wade."Jimmy remained worried. "But sir, I think Nate's not going to let this slide. The man is cunning—he deliberately dug a pit so we'd fall into it, and he gathered all the dirt he could on us to be used as leverage when necessary."Charlie shook his head. "That's no big deal. Julien can make sure that you're fine even if the feds get the evidence."Julien nodded nearby. "Don't worry, Mr. Wade. The decision remains in your hands, either way. Just say the word, and it's 25 to life… otherwise, not e
The fact that Jimmy was a partner in Ares LLP already meant he had skill, while Matilda had herself been retired for years and definitely had lost her touch a little. So, having someone like Jimmy who had stayed on the frontlines all this while would definitely be no issue.And in turn, it was a good thing for Jimmy as it was better than the kennels either way.Charlie then asked Jimmy pointedly, "You say you're interested, but are you sincere about it?"Jimmy nodded without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!""No regrets? We're talking about ten years here.""None, absolutely none!""Do you know what to say if anyone asks?""Yes, of course! I chose to further my career here in Oskia, and it was absolutely voluntary! That's what I'd say even if my family asked!"Charlie nodded. "Good. Then, you will have two weeks. Go home and set your affairs in order and report in for work afterward.""No problem!" Jimmy nodded repeatedly, actually surprised and grateful that Charlie would let hi
And yet, Julien was suddenly clapping his hands, and exclaiming excitedly, "Yes, right! We should get his wife and son over too for a happy reunion!"He then paused and quickly corrected himself, "Wait, no! I mean, they should each be caged with one empty cage separating each of their cages. They can see each other and talk, but there will be no touching. How dare he flex on me—I gotta teach him a lesson to remember!"Jimmy dropped limply on his rump, and Matilda beckoned for Paul to help him up while turning toward Julien as she pursed her lips. "Please, Mr. Rothschild… Even if you don't accept his apology, don't bring his family into this. It's against Oskian tradition—you'd insult your family's name!"Julien shrugged, not hesitating to retort, "What do your traditions have to do with me? If I mean to hurt him, forget his family—I'll drag his dogs over too!"Seeing that Julien was so furious, Charlie decided to stop him, or he might actually go through with it."That's enough, J
Holding up a thumb at Charlie, Julien exclaimed in approval, "You're right, my friend! That's far more exciting than having him jailed!"Just hearing that he would be sent to a kennel, Jimmy knew nothing would come of it—even if he didn't know the details, it was so obvious that Julien was thrilled by the very idea!Turning nervously toward Charlie, he was sobbing as he asked, "Mr. Wade…? What's this about a kennel…?"Julien chuckled coolly even before Charlie said a word. "A kennel is where you keep dogs, of course. Though there are literal dogs and metaphorical dogs, and you are the latter."Oh, don't worry. It's a really nice place where you get your own cage, and you'll be fed every day. You don't even have to work, so just sit tight and keep eating until the day you die."Jimmy's soul left his body in that instant.He was going to be locked in a cage?! That was way worse than being locked up and sent to jail! Where was the humanity around here?!Even as the thought struck h
Matilda was actually caught off guard by Jimmy's pleas, and even Paul found it hard to watch.Turning to Charlie, he said, "Please, Mr. Wade—my uncle can be a little despicable, but he is my father's brother. Please, let him have a chance to turn over a new leaf, seeing that he's earnestly repenting."While Paul spoke with Charlie, Jimmy was still confused and wondered why Paul would plead his case with Charlie instead of Julien. If there was anyone Paul should ask, it was Yolden since he was Julien's friend. So, why would he ask some young man instead of Yolden?That was when Charlie asked in curiosity, "You want to let him off? After he tried to take away your parents' legacy?"Paul smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I know the guy. He made sure to travel all this way to make a scene because he had nothing legal that could help him claim Smith Group Corporate Law from us. Otherwise, he'd have already filed the lawsuit in the States. Sure, it's a dirty move, but that's basically a des
As Julien finished, he realized something was wrong and turned toward Charlie before he knew it.Charlie held his gaze in turn, his expression quizzical and amused.Julien cleared his throat right then. "See, there are people who can order me around, but they have my utmost respect. However, a third-rate lawyer like you? Who do you think you are?"That was when Julien's butler called, and he reported respectfully as soon as the call was answered, "Sir, I've spoken with Nate Ellis, the owner of Ares LLC. He has since agreed to fire Jimmy Smith right away as well as disbar him nationwide."Julien asked, "Good. Anything else?""Well, Mr. Ellis also delivered some documents that can be used as evidence against Jimmy Smith, which he claims is enough for a lifetime sentence. If you deem it necessary, we can have it sent to the FBI.""Yes, let's go with that!" Julien replied, his tone satisfied. "And ask the director to handle it personally—I want this prick to never set foot stateside
Jimmy was sweating profusely in fear, but he argued back before he knew it, "That's impossible! Everything you say is bullshit! Gaiman simply thought he had a fair chance of winning and didn't want to pay Ares that much, and I have no idea who he partnered with, and I'm certainly not involved. Don't you try to slander me!"Nate chuckled. "Come on, Jimmy. We're all adults here, so there are things we shouldn't have to be so direct about. Mills Gaiman and your old classmate met in private many times, not to mention the private conferences you three had in secret, discussing your overall strategy and decisive points. Just so you know, Gaiman recorded every conversation, and I have the tapes with me."Jimmy's heart was left pounding as he blurted, "B-Bullshit! That's impossible!""Grow up, Jimmy," Mr.Goodman chuckled. "Every partner in every law firm always strives to rise higher, so I'm going to need as much leverage as I can. Otherwise, I'm not about to let them advance any further, e
Although the ringtone and vibration frequency were the ones Jimmy always used, this call somehow felt more urgent, leaving him exceedingly uneasy.When it abruptly stopped and left a missed call on his log, Nate Ellis soon sent a text: [Answer your damn phone this instant!]Just seeing the text left Jimmy feeling like his throat had gone dry, and as he gulped, it felt like his throat was being ripped, leaving him hurting.Still, he couldn't care less as his boss called again.Having seen the text, Jimmy didn't hesitate this time and promptly answered, watching Julien's smug face as he started tentatively, "Y-Yes, boss...?"Nate immediately yelled at him hysterically, "What the hell did you do?! Why did the Rothschilds call to complain about you?! And the complaint was from their heir apparent, at that! I worked hard for them and always toed the line for years, and I still haven't gotten a chance to meet the man, so how the fuck did you upset him?!"Jimmy's heart sank to rock bott