The only solace Sebastian felt when answering the call was that it wasn't from his father—just an unknown number. He forced himself to remain calm and answered, "Hello, who is this?""Is this Sebastian Halton?" a cold and formal voice replied."Yes, it's me," Sebastian said cautiously."This is the Governmental Accountability Office of Aloport. We've received reports that you're involved in multiple instances of corruption and misconduct. You are hereby summoned for investigation. Where are you currently located?"The words hit Sebastian like a thunderbolt. His face turned pale, and his body trembled. No official could remain composed upon hearing from the Governmental Accountability Office—it was a bureaucratic nightmare capable of ending careers overnight."T-There must be some mistake," Sebastian stammered. "I'm—""No need for explanations. The office has issued an official summons. Where are you right now?" the voice interrupted."I-I'm in Goldspire, Verdura," he managed
Marion added, "I support this decision wholeheartedly. Whoever objects to it will make an enemy out of me and Elara!"Arnold was stunned, to say the least. Since both Marion and Elara had already stood their ground, he decided not to go against them."Can't we wait a little longer? Let's give Gideon some time. Perhaps he might be able to help the Snows rise back to their former glory.""Dad, do you even believe the things you just said?"Elara stared at Arnold in the eye. The latter fell silent after hearing her words.Times were different now.The Snows' situation was already bad from the start. To make things worse, Gideon had gone missing for five years, meaning that he was alienated from society during that period. One could say that he was completely severed from the current business trends. If he truly wanted to bring glory back to the Snows, the chances of him succeeding were a lot lower than him winning a jackpot."Dad, I'm your only daughter. My happiness is the mos
Kyla wanted nothing more than to witness Elara and Gideon getting a divorce right away. That way, she'd stand a chance in getting together with Gideon.Elara replied, "Alright. I'll call him right away.""Ella!" Arnold called out to her.Before he could continue speaking, Elara cut him off irritatedly, "Dad, you already gave me your word! Don't tell me you're going to stop me again! You're an elder now—don't change your mind on a whim!"Arnold was rendered speechless by Elara's words.Elara was about to call Gideon when she realized she didn't even have his phone number. "Dad, I don't have Gideon's phone number. I need you to call him and tell him to go to the courthouse. Let's go, Kyla."After that, both ladies left the house without looking back.Marion quickly urged, "What are you sitting around for? Hurry up and place the call!"Arnold could only sigh. Finally, he got in contact with Gideon."Gideon, where are you right now?""I'm at my family's company.""Um… I need to
Gideon and Elara were forced into marriage anyway. Since they didn't have feelings for each other, divorce meant nothing to them. If anything, they'd feel relieved once they were free from their marital bond.It was just that Gideon had always been cold and aloof when it came to romantic relationships. He didn't have any urges at all.Waverly was a good example. Back then, Gideon had almost gotten engaged to Waverly. But now, he merely viewed her as his younger sister. He didn't like her romantically at all.Gideon gave Waverly and Qyra physical checkups. It turned out that both of them were recovering nicely. At least, color was restored to their faces, and their eyes were brimming with life once again."Gideon, we're sick and tired of staying on Beaker Island. Is it okay for us to go out and have fun?" Qyra asked pitifully.Waverly added, "My thoughts exactly!"Gideon replied with a smile, "Since you two asked nicely, why would I turn you down? Let's go. I'll take you out for a
"What's your name, young lady?" Lavinia asked."I'm Anna Sullivan.""Here. Take this." Lavinia gave her own bangle to Anna. "This is my private token. Should you land yourself in trouble of any form, you can visit the Mosley family in Drammore with this bangle. You'll receive the help you need there."Anna was shocked. "Ms. Mosley, this token is too precious! I—""It's just an accessory. Just take it. Think of it as my gift to you for our first meeting." Lavinia then smiled at Anna. "Anna, can you contact the Warrior King right now? We're running out of time because of the dire situation at the border.""Okay. I'll give it a try."Anna stowed the bangle away carefully before calling Gideon on the phone.Unfortunately, Gideon had set his phone on airplane mode because he wanted to focus on enjoying the day with Waverly and Qyra. The call didn't go through at all."I'm sorry, Ms. Mosley. I can't reach him at the moment. I think Mr. Snow will be back soon. Why don't you stay i
"You're a bunch of shameless pervs!"Waverly didn't spare the men's pride at all. She warned, "Please leave us alone! Otherwise, we'll call the cops on you!"The men cackled."What are they talking about? Calling the cops on us? Cutie, I guess you don't know who we are, eh?" a bald man crowed haughtily. "This beach resort belongs to me! Not only that, but I also own a few entertainment establishments here! My net worth is 300 million dollars, you know!"He continued, "This right here is the CEO of Lighthart Group! His net worth is a billion dollars! As for that man, he's…"The bald man introduced his companions one by one. All of them were billionaires.Qyra just huffed coldly. "So what? You're nothing to me! I'm going to warn you one more time—get out of my sight right now!""Oh? You're a feisty one, aren't you?"The bald man licked his lips while grinning lecherously. "I've seen too many women like you. You pretend to be innocent when you're secretly a whore on the inside.
"Oh, shit!""I didn't expect the security team to react this quickly. There are so many of them, too. I think there are at least 100 guards at this point.""That guy's toast! Those two beautiful ladies most likely won't be able to escape from their fate, too!"The onlookers began muttering among themselves.The leader of the security guards roared ferociously, "How dare you beat up our boss, you punk! You really have the balls of steel, huh? I won't be able to rest easy unless I cripple you and torture you to the point you wish you'd have died!"As for you two slutty bitches… Heh! I'll make sure to imprint the ways of true ecstasy on your bodies later!"Waverly and Qyra looked terrified. They knew that Gideon was strong, but they had no idea how strong he actually was. Of course, they wouldn't assume that Gideon was strong enough to face hundreds of security guards on his own. That was practically impossible!What should they do?Waverly and Qyra hid behind Gideon in fright.
The trio chose to dine at a restaurant that specialized in stews. Soon, they took their seats at a table.Waverly was still in awe and shock of what happened at the beach. "Gideon, you were so cool! I can't believe you actually defeated 100 people on your own!""It was nothing.""Gideon, what have you been doing in the past five years? Did you get yourself a mentor and learn how to fight?" Waverly asked curiously.Gideon nodded. "In a way, yeah. I picked up many skills on the way. They're all necessary to my plans.""Gideon, why don't you give us a sneak peek? Where on earth were you over the past five years?" Qyra looked very curious.Waverly was eager to hear his answer, too.Gideon smiled at them. He was about to respond to them when a middle-aged woman appeared next to his table."Hello, sir.""Hmm?"Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?""Hello, sir. Who I am isn't important. What's important is that my mistress is very interested in you. You're a very skilled fighter
When Gideon left Drammore, Ronan and Noel followed. They entered Tyrant Sea, too, but didn't get close to the floating palace.It wasn't until Gideon blasted his way out of the floating palace, using the Doombringer Knuckle to shatter the killing formation, that Ronan recognized who he really was, leaving him completely stunned."Noel, you and Gideon both inherited my Doombringer Knuckle. Maybe this is just fate. You two are destined to clash one day." Ronan sighed."I'm looking forward to it," Noel said calmly, though the fighting spirit in his eyes was unmistakable.Ronan was surprised. "I thought you'd try to intercept Gideon and take the netherflame for yourself. I didn't expect you to help him by stopping the ones that were chasing him. Are you confident you've got this?"You should know that once Gideon fuses with the netherflame, his power will spike. I know a thing or two about the Solar Titan Physique. Every time it absorbs a new heavenly flame, it evolves."Once he has
"Marshal Snow, are you alright?" Jessica asked with concern as they burst out of Tyrant Sea and made it to shore. Gideon didn't look too good at the moment."Let's get moving. We have to find a safe place." Gideon could sense powerful members of Nethercult were already on their tail.The three of them rushed into the aircraft.Just as they lifted off, Chaim and the other four appeared right behind and struck without hesitation. "Nethervoid Hands!"A howling wind filled the sky as a swarm of black handprints and claw marks materialized, echoing with ghostly wails and eerie cries. The sinister energy pressed in from all sides, trying to engulf the aircraft."Solar Fist!"The two words echoed like thunder.Blazing light exploded outward, scorching and brilliant, spreading in every direction. The mass of black handprints and claws instantly disintegrated into nothing.The aircraft tore through the sky and vanished."After them!"Chaim's group leaped onto their own aircraft and to
The netherflame, as if it had a will of its own, seized the moment and flared up again with wild, unruly energy.Brantley screamed in pain.The sudden turn of events left Harmoni completely flustered. She shrieked, "Nethercult, you bunch of scumbags! It's bad enough that you used us as bait, but now, you're intercepting at the last second? You've got a death wish!"She instinctively assumed it was Nethercult pulling a bait-and-switch."Nethercult!" Brantley's eyes were bloodshot with rage.Gideon didn't say a word. He struck again, slashing open Brantley's abdomen.The netherflame burst out immediately.Inside Gideon, his Earthcore Flame trembled, and the core of his Solar Titan Physique pulsed with anticipation. Sure enough, it drew the netherflame in like a magnet. With Gideon guiding it, the netherflame turned into a stream of ghostly green light that surged into his body."No!" Brantley roared.He had paid such a heavy price. Just as he was about to seal the netherflame,
Brantley truly lived up to his reputation. As soon as the netherflame entered his body, he immediately sat down cross-legged and began channeling his energy. His Martial God Physique reawakened, and he tried to forcefully suppress the netherflame.His body would turn blazing red one moment, as if it were about to melt, and then be covered in frost and ice shards the next.The alternating waves of fire and ice quickly tore through the internal structure of Brantley's Martial God Physique, and his condition kept worsening."No!"Harmoni was terrified. She quickly spat out an inner core—a treasure her father had given her. It was said to be the inner core of a half apex overbeast. However, it was badly damaged and no longer contained the full power of its original level.She instantly sent the inner core into Brantley's body. It exploded instantly, releasing a surge of energy that began to repair his damaged body.But it still wasn't enough. The netherflame was far too powerful. It
"Once you get the netherflame, your Martial God Physique will fully awaken in no time. When that happens, even Gideon won't be a threat."We can track Gideon down, crush him, and strip his Solar Titan Physique at the source. We'll also get the Beast Supreme Bone! Everything will be yours!" Harmoni shouted, cheering Brantley on.Gideon sneered. So, that was their plan.At this moment, Gideon couldn't help but admire the power of the Pharaoh's Shroud. They were just 100 yards away, yet neither Brantley nor Harmoni noticed them.Of course, it might have been because their attention was fully locked on breaking through to the third floor that they let their guards down."Open!" Brantley roared.His energy surged, and behind him, a phantom slowly took shape, radiating a fierce warrior-like energy. That phantom looked like a war god.Brantley kept swinging his fists, perfectly synchronized with the movements of the war god phantom behind him. Each strike made the floating palace tremb
Sure enough, floating in the deep sea ahead was a palace. It was pitch-black, and in the darkness of the deep sea, it was genuinely hard to spot.The glowing fish darted into the floating palace. Thanks to its golden light, Gideon was finally able to see that the palace gates were open.Strangely enough, the entrance seemed to carry some sort of mysterious power that blocked out the seawater completely. Not a single drop made it inside the palace."Marshal Snow, someone beat us to it.""It's fine. That just means they'll go and clear the way for us," Gideon said calmly.It didn't matter who got the heavenly flame first. As long as they weren't peak Supremes, he was confident he could take them on."Now that we've found our destination, do you two want to head back to shore first?" Gideon asked.Elara shook her head. "No. I'm not some helpless little thing. I've learned all the secret techniques you taught me. I can handle myself."Jessica chimed in proudly, "Marshal Snow, don't
Nethercult's outfits were nearly identical across the board, making them easy to recognize.As a major power in the northern region of the Wasteland, Nethercult kept a low profile. Tristan Neblanc, the leader, was as elusive as a ghost. He was heard of but rarely seen."Mr. Ballard, Harmoni and Brantley have started moving. Do you think they can get their hands on the heavenly flame?"Three people turned toward the eldest man among them—Nethercult's grand elder, Chaim Ballard.With Tristan absent, Chaim was in charge of the cult's operations.He pondered for a moment. "There's a decent chance. Brantley's working on forming the Martial God Physique. Though he's only at the half-step stage, his powerful body will attract the netherflame.""Mr. Ballard, are we waiting for the netherflame to enter Brantley's body before we suppress him?""Exactly.""That could tick off Talonclaw. And Harmoni said Brantley's from Martialgarde, the biggest faction in the eastern plains.""So what? I
Even though Gideon was locked in place and restrained, Gideon didn't sense any hostility from the giant fish. He met its gaze without flinching or acting humble.After a moment, he said, "I used your blood and triggered your phantom once, which helped me out of a tight spot. Thank you."The giant fish didn't move. It shut its eyes, clearly not interested in responding to Gideon."Mighty One, I came this time just to express my gratitude. I'll be on my way. If I get the chance, I'll come see you again."With that, Gideon bowed and turned to leave.Suddenly, a beam of golden light shot out like a sword and pierced into his body."Marshal Snow!" Jessica cried out in alarm.Gideon's body trembled, nearly losing his breath, but the sensation quickly faded.He touched his body and checked himself over. Nothing felt out of place.When he looked back, he saw the giant fish's eyes slowly closing. Clearly, that beam of light had come from its eyes just moments ago."Thank you." Gideon
"The Heavenly Sovereign is the ultimate trump card. As long as Chase doesn't have it, Attwell will always have a shot at pushing back against him."Of course, we're not expecting Attwell to actually beat Chase. We just need him to stir up some trouble and pull Chase's attention. That way, Chase won't have time to focus on the power grab," Jandial explained.Edric nodded to himself. "What you're saying makes sense, but why would Attwell even listen to you?"Jandial paused, looked around the room, and said in a low voice, "I'm only telling you all because we're brothers. Listen closely. When Attwell lost and fled to the Wasteland, his whole family was wiped out. But in reality, I secretly saved one.""What?" Everyone was shocked.Jandial said, "Attwell's only son has been living in my estate. I gave him a name—Alfsee… Alfsee Cook!"The princes around the table started murmuring, "Now that you mentioned it, I've seen that boy at your estate a few times. So that's Attwell's son? Unbe