Austin was standing still on the ring with a calm expression.He stared at the opponent lying on the ground who had a twisted left foot.Barette's intel had proved useful. The opponent's carelessness and arrogance had allowed Austin to secure his victory in just a few minutes."You… How did you know? You couldn't have possibly known!"The muscular man on the ground seemed to be under immense pain as sweat dripped down his face. The severe pain coming from his broken left foot caused him to grit his teeth.The pain, however, was less than that of the amount of shock his heart was going through at the moment.The injury on his left foot had originally developed from all the battles he had fought within the prison.Any injury could be fatal as he fought for his life within the Grave Prison.Everyone would try their best to hide their shortcomings in order to appear tougher than they really were.It was the same concept as how animals showing signs of fatigue in the wild would imm
The surveillance room felt as if it had frozen over.Everyone, including Brian, seemed extremely stern in the presence of the sudden visitor.In front of Brian was a man dressed in a black robe.A huge hood covered his face, revealing only his chin with a bit of stubble.Noticing the silence, the robed man prompted an answer. "Hmm?"Brian immediately responded, "I'm afraid it would be difficult for him to make it."He had lowered his head out of respect as he spoke.Brian could tell that Austin went into the fight with the 8th district's leader with the knowledge of his opponent's weaknesses beforehand.Austin had only won two matches at this moment, and defeating the rest of his seven opponents would not be as easy as simply learning about their weaknesses—let alone the final opponent who was standing in front of Brian right now.The first two deathmatches had been favorable for Austin after he realized his opponents' weaknesses.As the deathmatches went on, the rest of the
Austin's eyes were brightly burning with his fighting spirit as he shouted, "I'll fight on!"Barette helplessly let out a sigh, while Nashville and the other inmates stared at Austin in awe.Everyone had to fight to survive in The Grave Prison, where the weak were the prey of the strong.The inmates were all in awe of Austin's attitude toward his deathmatches after living a prolonged period of just surviving day by day.From their perspective, Austin seemed as if he was gleaming with hope.…The passage from day to night was unobservable from within The Grave Prison.With the prison surrounded by towering walls, the concept of time gradually became something the inmates had forgotten about.However, Austin counted every single second he was staying in the prison ever since he asked Brian for the time.He had no extra time to waste rotting inside the prison.To finish ten matches within ten days was the optimal rhythm that he had planned.Any longer, and his entire existence
Austin looked up at Brian with astonishment.He wondered why Brian would help him make it out of The Grave Prison.Brian smiled as he could tell what Austin was thinking about. "Don't be surprised. I just owe Aldus one, now we're even."Austin pursed his lips, still confused about the sudden interaction. He had always been curious about the relationship between Aldus and Brian.He could only wonder why Brian had complete knowledge about how Aldus fought, as well as why Brian had decided to help him cheat in the deathmatch."Thank you," Austin decided to think about such questions another day as he headed toward the 7th district.He took a look at the gift from Brian as he walked.He immediately frowned when he realized that Brian had given him a mirror.Austin was utterly confused as he stared at the mirror in his hand.It was something that was not allowed within the prison because it could easily be used as a lethal weapon."Is Brian telling me to kill Anaconda with this?"
As Austin snapped back to his senses, he realized that Anaconda was already rushing toward him as fast as lightning.He also noticed that Anaconda was sticking out his tongue as he made the hissing sounds.For an instant, Austin had the illusion that he was being targeted by a python.The next moment, Anaconda had already made his way toward Austin. He raised his right arm and aimed to stab Austin in the throat.The strike was visibly intended to kill its target in one move.Austin's eyes widened as he immediately raised his right hand to block the fatal blow from Anaconda.Anaconda's eyes were brimming with light. Both of his arms seemed to have taken the form of vipers as they launched attacks repeatedly at their target.Austin's expression sank as he tried his best to block all of his opponent's attacks.The fight had just begun, and he was already at a disadvantage.All of the inmates were reveling in the excitement of the fierce fighting happening in the ring.They were
Anaconda laughed at Austin. "Are you implying that I'm stupid enough to look up at the lights to blind myself?"Austin smiled as he realized why Brian had given him a small mirror.He took a few deep breaths as he slowly took on a fighting stance while enduring the severe pain from his broken ribs.Anaconda seemed to be already bored of the fight as he let out a sigh before sticking out his tongue once more. "How pointless. I thought you would have been a challenge when I heard that you defeated Barette. I guess I overestimated both of you."At the same time, Austin used up all of his strength to rush toward Anaconda.Anaconda was taken by surprise as he never expected Austin to make such a proactive move."Now die!" He raised his arms as he rushed toward Austin to launch another barrage of attacks.Even though Austin was already guarding himself, two powerful strikes from Anaconda had still managed to make him stagger.The slight pause in his movements had caused him to lose a
The randomized attacks were much easier to avoid.Austin stepped up and started to punch and kick at Anaconda while dodging his flailing arms.Anaconda started to cough out blood after being pummeled by Austin for a few seconds.Austin ended his attacks with a solid kick that sent his blinded opponent out of the ring and onto the floor.He then shouted, "Surrender now… Or I'll kill you myself!"Anaconda gritted his teeth with anger. He knew that he would surely be killed if he did not surrender while he was still blinded.He had no choice but to beg for mercy even though he was furious after being tricked. "I… I surrender!"Austin smiled as he shattered the mirror in his hand before shoving all of the pieces back into his pocket without leaving any traces on the floor.He then turned around and left the ring.The entire prison fell dead silent as the inmates were still shocked by Austin's comeback against Anaconda.The instant comeback had completely exceeded all of the spect
Austin's original plan was to have his deathmatch with Fallen Angel be the sixth fight.He wanted to have an extra day of rest after finishing two deathmatches to recover his strength.But things didn't go as planned.Moreover, he was not an indecisive man by any means.Given Austin's current state, going ahead with another deathmatch tomorrow as scheduled would prove fatal.The wisest choice now would be to 'fight' Fallen Angel tomorrow and utilize the extra day to rest up."I'm on it," replied Barette as he left in a hurry.Nashville and the other inmates helped bring Austin to his bed.Austin's face was horrifyingly pale after he had cleaned up the blood on the corner of his mouth.His chest heaved up and down heavily, and with every breath, he felt as if countless needles were pricking his chest.It was extremely difficult for him to just breathe.Austin took off his shirt so that he would be more comfortable.Nashville's voice started to tremble. "Austin, your chest…"
Austin never expected that Nancy would come back.As he returned to the Tetra Club, he remained sullen, his eyes dark with unresolved anger.Seeing Austin like this, Cecily felt a pang of sadness.She gently tried to comfort him, "It's all in the past now, isn't it? I'm here with you, and we have our baby on the way.""I can't just let it go," Austin shook his head."The best I can do is not seek revenge against them, but to truly forgive and forget—I can't do that."The actions of Nancy's family were still fresh in his memory.Austin wasn't someone who sought revenge for every slight, but he was far from the kind of person who could simply forgive and forget, moving on with a carefree "Hallelujah."Dahlia's despair as she lay in bed, the arrogance and cruelty of the Welch family…In the eyes of the Welch family, Dahlia's life wasn't worth as much as Harvey's wedding.Even when the time had passed and he was about to finally be happy with Cecily, the Welch family not only dem
After leaving this city, Nancy put in a tremendous amount of effort to "rebirth" herself.Meeting Ethan had shown her a different side of life.While he wasn't part of the uppermost echelons of wealth and power, he had enough. Most importantly, he treated her with the utmost respect.She understood Ethan's background, which made that respect all the more valuable.A man of his stature could have any woman he wanted in his bed the same night.Yet Ethan had shown her incredible patience, making her question whether the rumors about him were true.Tonight, returning to this city was her way of bidding farewell to the past and embracing the future.After all, people need to look forward, don't they?Meanwhile, Ethan was feeling more dejected than he'd ever been.Lying in his luxurious bed in Brook Villa, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.He had hoped to establish a connection with Austin. A figure like him would be incredibly valuable to have on his side.He tho
The river breeze was cool, and the lights reflected on the water flickered softly.The figure in front of them wore a long black coat, standing quietly by the railing. Her fair, delicate profile, partially obscured by a few strands of windblown hair, carried a hint of melancholy."Sir, Mrs. Campbell, is something wrong?" Aldus noticed the change and quickly stepped forward to inquire."Let's go home," Austin suddenly said, his previously cheerful expression now somber, with a touch of disdain.Go home? They had just arrived.Aldus was surprised and quickly followed Austin's gaze. When he saw what Austin was looking at, he immediately understood.Without a word, he turned to leave with Austin.But a soft hand gently grabbed Austin's arm."It's been so many years, aren't you going to say hello?" Cecily asked."I have no desire to greet her," Austin said, his disdain clear and unhidden.Three years of marriage, filled with nothing but pain.Even when Dahlia was gravely ill, Nan
After a busy day, just as Austin was about to finish up, a new invitation appeared on his desk."Who delivered this?" Austin asked."Ethan," Wolf replied.Austin chuckled, didn't bother opening the invitation, and instead tossed it directly into the trash."I've got to get home to Cecily."When he returned to the Bamboo Parlor at Tetra Club, Raquel had already prepared a delicious dinner.The dishes were beautifully presented, with vibrant colors and enticing aromas.After dinner, Austin and Ezra stepped out into the courtyard."Mr. Lockwood, any news from the Campbells about my dad?" Austin asked, the text message from Walter still weighing heavily on his mind.Considering the Campbells' efforts to find Walter, and given their intelligence resources, they should have been some leads by now.But Ezra shook his head. "Nothing, Not a trace.""The Campbells' intelligence network has never been this weak, has it?" Austin frowned, speaking in a low tone.Ezra gave a wry smile. "
"Childhood?"Austin stopped his workout, wiped the sweat from his face, and smiled bitterly.His childhood had been bleak.Only Dahlia had brought some light into the darkness.Seeing Austin's pained smile, Aldus immediately realized his mistake.He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I spoke without thinking. You don't need to answer that.""It's fine," Austin replied, gesturing towards a nearby bench, and inviting Aldus to sit with him.Once they were seated, Austin slowly began to speak. "There's not much to tell about my childhood. It was mostly just being called an 'illegitimate child' and living day to day, never knowing where my next meal would come from."If it weren't for my mom fighting tooth and nail to raise me, I'd probably be dead by now."With just a few simple words, he conveyed a world of suffering.Aldus felt a wave of guilt. He had only been trying to find clues from Austin's past that might explain his exceptional combat instincts and incredible physical
Austin's gaze softened as warmth flooded his heart.Who hasn't longed for a light left on just for them in a sea of lights? But in reality, how many actually have that?Cecily did that for him.Given her background, the fact that she went to such lengths truly surprised Austin.In the three years he spent in the past, he had never experienced something like this.His nose tingled with emotion as he pulled Cecily into his arms, speaking softly, "Thank you. Marrying you is the greatest fortune of my life.""Alright, alright, I asked Raquel to prepare breakfast earlier this morning. You go to the dining room, and I'll have her bring it over," Cecily said as she gently slipped out of Austin's embrace, her graceful smile lighting up her eyes."Doesn't Bamboo Parlor have a kitchen?" Austin asked, curious.Cecily gave him a playful look. "The chairs in the living room are so hard, and you spent the whole night on one—how could you have slept well? If Raquel had been clattering around
The room fell into a heavy silence."Deactivating the phone number… was Dad trying to prevent me from tracking his location?" Austin murmured with a frown.Ezra pondered for a moment, his voice low and serious. "Perhaps he was more concerned about someone else tracking him."Austin's eyes widened in realization.Of course—if Walter could send him a message to let him know he was safe, he wouldn't be worried about Austin tracking himDeactivating the phone was likely to prevent others from tracing his location."But who is he trying to avoid?"Ezra shook his head, remaining silent.Having followed Walter for many years, he knew the man's temperament and habits. But this time, he was truly baffled.He couldn't even begin to piece together a clue.Taking a deep breath, Ezra forced a bitter smile. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss this time, sir. There's no sign of anything unusual from the Campbells either."This statement only deepened Austin's confusion.If there were anyone who cou
Austin knocked softly on the door.Almost immediately, he heard the sound of shuffling from inside.Ezra opened the door, his face full of curiosity. "Sir, what's going on?"Austin quickly made a shushing gesture, worried about disturbing Cecily.Then he gently pushed Ezra back into the room."Sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Lockwood," Austin said.Ezra smiled. "It's no trouble at all. The older you get, the less you need. I was just reading."Austin glanced at the book on Ezra's bedside table and couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.This old rascal!Ezra blushed and quickly shoved the book under his pillow.Austin sat on the bed and pulled up the text message from Walter, showing it to Ezra."I just received this message."When Ezra read the text, his eyes lit up with a sharp gleam, and he was overjoyed. "This is from Mr. Walter!"Austin nodded, his expression serious. "But I've sent several messages back, and there's been no reply. I called twice—once it was immedi
"The underground king of Eastbrook bows down."This news swept through Eastbrook like a storm.Ethan knew that by doing this, he would become the laughingstock of the entire city. But he also knew he had no choice—he had to do it!Even if he became a joke, he would remain the underground king. But if he refused to lower his head, he would end up a dead man.He understood the situation perfectly.In fact, that very night, a message was released from Brook Villa.No one is to compete for the land!This is a clear warning to all real estate companies in Eastbrook. It was also a gesture of goodwill toward Austin.But Austin didn't pay it much mind.If not for Derrick's involvement, he had no idea how Ethan would have responded—but Austin knew his response would have been much tougher.A mere city's underground king? He didn't even compare to the richest man in Basin City or the capital—he wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes!After leaving Brook Villa, Austin didn't linger