Meanwhile, Gideon was at the lakefront, looking at the figure in black with keen interest. He chuckled and asked, "You seem strong, but I don't recognize you. Where are you from, or rather, who sent you?" "Tom," the man replied flatly. "Ah, I see. That fat pig's got some nerve to be still causing trouble," Gideon remarked.Reaper's gaze turned ice-cold. He stated, "Tom is my friend. Insulting him is insulting me, and doing so is a death sentence. "Take ten seconds to savor the sun and this world one last time because I'm sending you to meet your maker soon." Gideon laughed, genuinely entertained. "At least tell me who you are, so I don't die clueless.""Reaper—Ninth on the Hitman Guild's Shadow Ranking!""Hitman Guild?" Gideon pondered thoughtfully. He suddenly remembered the self-proclaimed King of Hitmen, Jeremy Boisclair, who ranked first in the Hitman Guild's Shadow Ranking. Jeremy had been caught and brought to Oasis Vale years ago, initially defiant but eventually b
"Staying in Goldspire was the right choice," Lavinia thought, her mood significantly improving. She even believed Dominic would change his mind in time and agree to help her deal with Tylland. She looked at Reaper's body again, her expression turning cold. "Take photos and send them through Cipher. Let the entire Hitman Guild know that Shadow Ranking's Number Nine, Reaper, has died." "Yes, Ms. Mosley!" her guards immediately complied.Poor Tom was still waiting for good news at his mansion, unaware that Reaper had already crossed to the other side.…Elsewhere, Gideon casually strolled into Snow Corporation, completely unbothered by his earlier encounter. Killing Reaper had been such an insignificant matter to him that he had not given it a second thought."Mr. Snow!" Fred greeted him as soon as he entered the building. Fred, now appointed as the company's CEO by Gideon, wielded considerable power and was immensely grateful for the promotion. The company had been on the brink
Gideon arrived with his entourage and surveyed the scene. Besides Eric, there were five other young men, all dressed in designer brands and wearing watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They were clearly spoiled heirs from wealthy families. Fred leaned in and whispered, "We might have a problem. Those are the heirs from the Mackenzie, Winston, Campbell, Lane, and Torres families—all second-tier families with close ties to the Gross family."Gideon nodded slightly, understanding the situation.Meanwhile, Eric's laughter dripped with mockery. "Gideon, you finally decided to show yourself. I was starting to think you would hide like a coward." Gideon smirked. "After yesterday's beating, you should know better by now. Look at you. Your face is still swollen and bruised. Do you really think I'd back down?"Eric's face turned ashen, unable to respond. At that moment, Ivan Mackenzie stepped forward with a sneer. "Gideon, long time no see! I heard you've been farming for the
"Are you done laughing?" Gideon asked, causing Eric and his group to fall silent immediately. "If you're done, get out of my sight," Gideon continued. "And Eric, don't forget about the acquisition—tell your father to prepare the contract."Eric's face twisted in fury. "You've got some nerve, Gideon! Talking like you actually can do it. Well, I came here for two things today—first, to buy this worthless company, and second... to settle the score for what you did to me."At that moment, about 60 intimidating men burst into the lobby. Fred and the others paled instantly. They could tell at a glance that these men were clearly dangerous criminals and were far more than their 20 security guards could handle.Eric sneered, his tone dripping with malice as he said, "Since you're such a tough guy, Gideon, we brought some friends for you. These 58 gentlemen are hardened criminals with blood on their hands. I hope you don't disappoint them." In seconds, the thugs encircled Gideon, makin
At the same time, the young heirs of the Torres, Campbell, and other families received similar harsh scoldings from their fathers. The five men exchanged bewildered looks, uncertain of what was happening."What's going on, guys?" Eric asked in confusion, but they could only offer apologetic looks. "I'm sorry, Eric. There's an emergency at home. I need to go right away," Ivan said hurriedly. "Same here..."The others echoed similar excuses and quickly bolted out of the building with their hired muscle. What had been a crowd of 58 thugs now dwindled to just eight."Surround them!" Fred commanded quickly, and their 20 security guards encircled Eric and his remaining thugs. The tables had turned, bringing relief to the Snows, while Eric stood there dumbfounded, unable to understand why his allies had suddenly abandoned him."Fred, I'll let you handle this," Gideon said casually. "No problem," Fred replied with a cold smile. Though he did not know exactly how, he was certain Gid
"Ms. Avila, please follow me," Fred said, leading Rachel to Gideon's office without asking questions.Rachel pushed the door open and walked right in, calling out, "Gideon!"Fred's eyes flickered. Rachel's tone and attitude suggested an unusual relationship between her and Gideon. If Gideon had managed to win over Rachel, the Snow family's fortunes were about to change dramatically.The other members of the Snow family were equally intrigued, and someone eagerly asked Fred, "What's the story?""From what I can tell, he and Ms. Avila have a special relationship. This means we'll likely get support from the Avila family. Our revival is within reach, so let's get back to work—and don't worry about the Gross family. They're nothing now!""All hail Mr. Snow!" they cheered. At that moment, Gideon had completely solidified his position as the backbone of the Snow family. Inside the office, Gideon looked surprised and asked, "What brings you here?""If I hadn't shown up, you'd be cri
"At this rate, in a few years, we'll end up like your family—fallen from grace," Rachel said.However, she quickly realized her insensitivity and added, "Gideon, you were once Goldspire's business prodigy. With your talent, I'm sure you can revive the Snow family." "So you want me to take on the Yovarian Guild?" Gideon asked.Rachel gave a bitter laugh. "The Yovarian Guild is a massive organization. I doubt you could handle them, but my grandpa's letter said you could help, so I wanted to try.""What a hassle," Gideon mumbled as he rubbed his temples. While Rachel saw the Yovarian Guild as an unstoppable force, they were small fry to Gideon. He could have world-class powers crush them within an hour, but that was not his way. Natural selection and survival of the fittest were laws of nature that applied to human society, too. Using his power to destroy the Yovarian Guild just because of his connection to Rachel would make him no better than a murderer.Besides, Titus taugh
Rachel and Gideon got into the Maserati, where Wilder was waiting behind the wheel. He asked with a smile, "Where to, Ms. Avila?""Home!" Rachel replied urgently. Wilder froze for a moment, his mind racing. He wondered if Rachel was bringing Gideon home to announce their relationship to the family, and he could not help but think they had progressed too quickly.Before he could overthink it, Rachel added sharply, "Mr. Morrick, step on it! Max from the Yovarian Guild has broken into our estate and threatened to burn it down if I don't show up in 20 minutes.""What?" Wilder's demeanor suddenly turned fierce.Gideon was surprised as he realized this elderly driver was clearly more than he appeared, which explained why he served as Rachel's driver and bodyguard."Hang on, both of you," Wilder warned, slamming the gas pedal.The Maserati sped down the streets, arriving at the Avila estate within 15 minutes. When they arrived, they were greeted by a tense standoff in the courtyard. T
At that moment, somewhere within Bandit's Hollow, eight figures surrounded a central altar, and the person lying in the center was none other than Elara.The eight people were, of course, the seven hooligans and Ivo.Ivo was strikingly handsome, clad in red, with an almost otherworldly charm. A genius by birth, he had already reached the sixth-tier peak transcendent at the age of 36.In the past few days, he had broken through once more to the seventh-tier peak transcendent with the help of the seven hooligans.Ivo's eyes were filled with greed as he stared at Elara on the altar. "Masters, have you decided on a method yet?"The seven hooligans consisted of four men and three women. Six appeared middle-aged, while one was an old man, Pacino Albe. He was the leader of the seven hooligans.Holding a snake-headed staff, he said grimly, "This woman's pure-essence core has already awakened. The pure-essence energy it's releasing is terrifying."If we weren't suppressing it, the energy
"We're already here. If we don't go in and take a look, wouldn't that be a waste?" Gideon was optimistic, grinning. "I'm like a cockroach. I'm hard to kill.""I'll go with you." Winter grabbed Gideon's hand, eyes blazing with determination. She was ready to live and die alongside him.Gideon kissed her forehead. "This might sound harsh, but honestly, Winter, if you come with me, you'll just be a burden.""Do you have to be that blunt?" She glared at him."Either way, don't get any ideas. You all stay behind. I'm going in alone."Gideon looked toward the deep, dark passage and took a deep breath.Umbra hesitated, but in the end, she said nothing.She and Gideon weren't at the point of life-and-death loyalty yet. Besides, even if she wanted to follow, Gideon probably wouldn't allow it."Stay safe. I'm off."Gideon descended the mountain, sprinting toward the eerie canyon. A gust of cold wind blew against him, chilling him to the bone.Winter bit her lip, watching as Gideon ente
At that critical moment, a black shadow slammed forward, shattering the claw imprint into pieces.It was the beast with a severed limb, Zephara's companion beast. It caught Zephara, whipped up a storm, and fled into the distance.At the same time, the fallen beasts gradually steadied themselves, stirring up fierce winds that obscured the sky.Gideon watched silently.Before long, everything settled, and the dust cleared.Orabella walked over and asked, "So, how does it feel?""Exhilarating!" He couldn't help but laugh. "A random tribe, under a single woman's leadership, could unleash such power. As expected of Asgard Plains, there's always someone stronger."Gideon sighed emotionally.Orabella chuckled. "The Windrunners aren't even the top tribe. The gap between them and the top-tier tribes is even bigger. So, don't get cocky. You've still got a long way to go!"Gideon glanced at her. "Why do you sound like an old sage all of a sudden, lecturing people?"She rolled her eyes.
"Ms. Tempest, the target is just ahead. It's ten miles away on the mountain peak. It looks like they're waiting for us."Zephara Tempest's expression darkened. That was outright contempt!"They must be killed.""Got it!"The howling wind stirred the clouds above, creating a turbulent sky.Gideon stood proudly at the mountain's peak, gazing into the distance.Before long, a dark mass rushed toward him. The entire world was engulfed in a massive storm. Razor-sharp wind blades tore through the mountain, and trees turned to dust.Zephara perched atop her beast companion, looking down at Gideon with cold eyes. "So, you're the human who provoked my people?"Gideon's face remained blank. He said flatly, "No need for words. Let's see how strong you Windrunners really are.""You're courting death!" Zephara was furious.Gideon didn't even bother to explain. It wasn't just disrespect at that point. It was outright humiliation."Kill him!"In an instant, the storm descended. Winds from
"As for mud-blood Barbarians, they're artificially created. Typically, newborn babies have their blood replaced with beast blood or their organs swapped with those of beasts—brutal methods like that. Those who survive become mud-blood Barbarians."There aren't many pure-blooded Barbarians. Most of them are mud-blood Barbarians."Something crossed Gideon's mind. He asked, "Is The Light Council's genetic engineering project related to the creation of mud-blood Barbarians?"Orabella nodded. "Actually, the genetic engineering project was originally inspired by mud-blood Barbarians. But the process of creating mud-blood Barbarians is too cruel. They replace blood and organs indiscriminately, and the success rate is extremely low."But if the genetic engineering project succeeds, it will be much safer. Right now, though, it's still in its early stages."Suddenly, the aircraft shook.Lysander reported through the communicator, "Entering a high-wind zone! Hold on tight!"Orabella's expr
"Mr. Snow! We're approaching Asgard Plains!" Lysander's face lit up with joy.After five days of grueling travel, the exhaustion was stifling. Now that they were nearing their destination, it was a breath of fresh air.However, Orabella spoke up, "Not yet. We're headed for Bandit's Hollow, and there's still quite a distance to cover. If we run into any attacks along the way, it will delay us even more."Gideon had been to Asgard Plains a few times, but he had never gone deep inside. He wasn't very familiar with it.All he knew was that Asgard Plains was crawling with beasts. Countless powerful beasts roamed the land, which was why, despite its rich resources, no nations had ever attempted to take control of it. The risk of retaliation was too great.Those beasts couldn't be wiped out completely, and if they ever launched an attack on cities, it would be a catastrophe.While no country occupied Asgard Plains, they often came here to trade and gather resources. It was a common sigh
"Alright, then," Gideon said.He contacted Ian, instructing him to notify Rhett and the others that they could lead the champions to Asgard Plains tomorrow.Orabella's eyes flickered. She anticipated that this trip would set off a massive storm."No matter what happens, even if the Pope himself gets involved, I must ensure that Gideon survives," she thought to herself as she watched Gideon's back, lost in her own thoughts.…The next day, the group boarded the aircraft.Lysander remained the pilot. Accompanying Gideon to Asgard Plains were only four people—Orabella, Umbra, and Winter.In addition, they brought along Brightbane Sect's leader, Draven, who they had taken from the eastern plains earlier. He wasn't particularly useful, but leaving him behind on Beaker Island wasn't an option either, so he had to come along.Asgard Plains was incredibly far from Dasovia, located on the other side of the world. The journey required crossing vast oceans and countless mountain ranges.
Orabella was stunned when she heard Xena calling her "sis-in-law".Although she wasn't from here, she was fluent in multiple languages and naturally understood what that word meant."Hey, what's wrong?"Seeing Orabella staring blankly, Xena didn't quite understand but remained enthusiastic. "You're so beautiful and elegant. Your waist-length hair is so silky! What conditioner do you use? Can you recommend one to me?"Orabella snapped back to her senses. She coolly replied, "I'm not your sister-in-law. Don't go around making up family ties."Xena chuckled. In her eyes, Orabella was just being shy.Orabella quickly changed the subject. "Gideon is refining your fiancé's physique. In no time, his physical strength will skyrocket by several levels, far beyond that of ordinary people.""Really?""Of course. But I should warn you. You're in for some suffering.""Huh?" Xena didn't understand.But soon, something clicked in her mind, and her cheeks flushed red.Orabella's eyes gleame
15 minutes later, Gideon arrived."Mr. Seymour! Mrs. Seymour!"He and Elara had long been divorced, so naturally, he couldn't call them "Mom" and "Dad".Marion sprang to her feet, closing the distance in a few strides, and snapped, "Gideon! Where the hell have you been these past few days? What did you do to Ella?""Mrs. Seymour, please calm down and listen to me.""I don't want to hear it! I only have one demand. Let me see Ella! No one can talk me out of it!"Arnold pulled Marion back slightly and said in a deep voice, "Gideon, I trusted you, which is why I let Ella go with you. But with no news for days, it's hard for me to keep holding on. Where is Ella now?""Mr. and Mrs. Seymour, Ella is receiving treatment overseas.""Overseas?"The couple was stunned.Then, Marion exploded with rage, grabbing Gideon by the collar. "You bastard! You sent Ella abroad and came back here yourself?""Mrs. Seymour, I've been abroad taking care of her this whole time. You kept demanding to