Austin's fist landed on Alexander's face.The force was so powerful that half of Alexander's face was deformed by the impact.And yet, there was no sign of pain on his face.He was smiling gently instead.Austin was left utterly confused. He stared at Alexander in disbelief as he no longer felt any murderous intent coming from his opponent.There was no longer even the slightest hint of opposition coming from Alexander. It was replaced with a gentle and approachable demeanor."Why… Why didn't you dodge that?" Austin's voice was trembling after using up all of his energy for his final punch.It was a punch that was thrown with extremely sloppy technique as a last resort. Alexander could have evaded such an attack very easily if he wanted to do so."Why would I?" Alexander smiled and replied, "Is your father doing alright?"Austin was extremely confused by the question as he stumbled backward. "He's… Doing fine."He wondered what were the implications of Alexander personally kn
Alexander's arrival caused the entire surveillance room to quiet down.Erwin turned around and smiled. "You came just in time… What would you like to say for yourself about the consequences of such a match?""It's simple!" replied Alexander as he walked toward the monitors.He picked up a microphone and motioned for one of the officers to broadcast his words to the entirety of The Grave Prison.Alexander then smiled and announced, "I understand that everyone is very dissatisfied with the results of the fight… But I did so because I have chosen to let Austin leave this prison, simple as that. If any of you would like to try your luck in getting out of this prison just as Austin did by convincing me of your resolve, just let me know."I'm not saying this as a response to anyone in particular… The rules are all the same. You may go through the gauntlet to regain your freedom, or you may challenge me to remake the rules to your liking."His announcement was nothing short of making a
As Brian brought Austin into the surveillance room, Alexander was lazily leaning on the couch while enjoying his cigar.Erwin, who was sitting at the side, stood up and greeted Austin with a warm smile. "Have a seat, Austin."Brian then introduced Austin to Erwin. "This is Mr. Erwin Danvers. The chief warden of The Grave Prison."Austin was rather surprised to be meeting with the man with the highest authority within the prison, but he quickly realized that it was only to be expected after he had won his deathmatches.He felt that he did not really play by the rules in achieving his ten consecutive victories.If not for Alexander's "abrupt behavior", he probably would have never even had the chance to make it to Alexander alive.Austin quickly realized that the chief warden may be involved in all of this.He was rather nervous about meeting the man who would decide if he could be allowed his freedom or not.Alexander reassured him. "Take a seat, boy. And relax, you're already q
Alexander waved his hand and continued, "We've talked more than enough. It's about time for you to leave this place."A few minutes of conversation had just revealed so much information.Austin was still too shocked to take in everything that he just learned.Brian on the side was also similarly flabbergasted.He was still in a state of confusion until Austin stood up and snapped him back to his senses.Who would have thought that a newcomer to The Grave Prison would have such a relationship with someone hailed as "The Strongest" who had dominated the prison for 20 years?All of Alexander's actions made perfect sense after learning about their relationship.Erwin suddenly stood up. "Austin…""What is it, Mr. Danvers?" Austin was no longer nervous as he realized that Erwin was not going to pester him about the deathmatches.All of his worries were blown away like the wind.Erwin smiled more like a loving grandfather rather than the chief warden of a prison. "You can just call
It would be factual to say that Austin learned how to fight from Aldus.In fact, it was Aldus who had developed and optimized the fighting techniques that most of the Campbells would learn. He could be considered a well-respected family friend to the Campbells.It was also apparent that Brian's mastery of Aldus' fighting style was even better than Austin's.Austin could not help but be intrigued.Brian's eyes flickered from the question, a mild hint of hesitation could be seen on his bearded face.He eventually smiled and replied, "We're… just teacher and student. And friends, I guess."Austin just nodded in response to Brian's simple explanation. "Thank you for looking after me all this while.""You're one of Aldus' students, after all. You're as much of a friend to me as Aldus is. To be honest, you should be thanking Aldus for all of this."Brian then waved his hand and pointed at the fighter jet. "You should get going."As Austin got into the fighter jet, it would immediate
Cecily could feel her heart racing as though it was jumping out of her chest. Her whole body felt slightly warmer than usual. However, she remained sensible and gently pushed Austin away."Austin, shall we check out the decor of our bedroom?" With a smile, Cecily held Austin's hand and headed downstairs. In the meantime, Dahlia, Ezra, and the others were chattering happily in the master bedroom. Edward and Rachel had arrived earlier as well. Aldus, Wolf, Vincent, and Yannis were present too. Even Jennie traveled overnight from Kandor City.All of them worked together and gave the couple's bedroom a makeover. "Mr. Lockwood, What time will Walter arrive tomorrow?" Dahlia was exhilarated. A wide smile appeared on her radiant face. Austin's previous three-year marriage broke her heart. Back then, she was on her deathbed and was a burden to her son. However, everything was over. Dahlia had finally gone through the hard part. Now, she saw the light at the end of the
Night fell. Vincent ran out of Heavensgate Residence and waited by the mountain road. When the headlights of a car shone from afar, he quickly marched to the middle of the road. Screech! The Mercedes G-Class came to a sudden halt. The car door was opened. Cecily was bewildered as she got out of the car. "Vincent, what's the matter?"Vincent glared at Cecily with a long face. It made Cecily feel a little uneasy. Edwards and Rachel, who were in the car, furrowed their brows. They were slightly displeased. "Come over, Cecily. I have a question for you."Vincent glanced at the Mercedes G-Class before his eyes landed on Cecily again. Cecily sauntered over to Vincent. "Are… Are you really sure that the Austin with us now is the real Austin?" Vincent asked in a low voice.Cecily's body trembled. Doubt flickered across her gaze. "Vincent, You and Austin are buddies. Why did you ask such a question?" "Answer me!" "Do you think he would risk his life to save mine if
At the same time, the phone in Vincent's hand fell into the pool of blood as well. "Vincent, where are you? What happened to you?" Yannis' concerned voice sounded on the phone. Lying in the pool of blood, Vincent gazed at his phone. He started drifting into unconsciousness. He felt as if two pieces of iron were weighing on his eyelids. They became heavier and started closing gradually. Meanwhile, Yannis, who was in the villa, panicked and shouted into the phone a few times. She became apprehensive when there was no response from the other side of the phone. Her eyes turned red and were brimming with tears. Dahlia and the others saw the scene when they returned to the villa. "Yannis, what's wrong?" Dahlia asked anxiously. "Madam Emerson, Vincent is in trouble." "What? Wasn't he here just now? Where is he?" Dahlia's expression changed. Everyone in the villa was shocked. Tomorrow was the wedding day. Why did Vincent get into trouble now?"He went out just now. Madam
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