"Are you praising my looks?" Persephone asked.Morpheus remained silent and just ruffled her hair gently."But I'm your wife, right? How could she let a married woman...""These things are common here," Morpheus said casually. "Husbands accumulate gambling debts, and wives sell themselves to pay them off. It's a routine occurrence.""But didn't you say you'd protect me?""That was under the premise that I'm alive." His voice grew deeper, his expression more serious. "But in those lawless underground rings, anything can happen. Everyone signs a life-or-death contract. Even death in those fights is deemed deserved!"Persephone halted, staring at him blankly.Morpheus paused when he noticed the coldness and tremors in her hand. Her pretty face paled with fear, too.He frowned slightly and pulled her into his arms. He alertly scanned around, then led her to blend into the crowd swiftly with their heads down."Morpheus, I..." Persephone's voice trembled."I was talking about the w

Persephone's worries were almost flowing out of her eyes!Morpheus stood aside, straightening his back. The punch he had received wasn't much, but it surprisingly stung right now. Did she not remember that he also had injuries? Did she not realize these were a mix of old and new injuries?He assessed Seamus thoroughly. Seams was good-looking and refined. He appeared as a dashing young fellow. However, the viciousness in his punch moments ago contradicted his genteel appearance.Seamus was fairer, leaner, and had more delicate features, yet his muscles were as developed as his. Morpheus grunted and cleared his throat.Persephone finally remembered him and turned to look."This is...""He's Seamus Rutherford," Persephone introduced formally. "My... My good friend."She couldn't say Seamus was her bodyguard. After all, how could a regular girl have a bodyguard? In spite of it, the words "good friend" pricked Morpheus' heart.He glanced at her wrist and then at Seamus'. They bo

"Ms. Hamerton, please don't be angry. I'm just worried about you.""Enough!" Persephone was upset. "Worried? Where were you all when it mattered?! All of you are extraordinary experts, but the moment we arrived in Flinge, everyone went missing!"Seamus lowered his head, embarrassed by her scolding."If it weren't for Morpheus, I'd probably end up in the red-light district as a corpse!""Miss..."Persephone turned her back in annoyance. "And, I've said it before. Drop the address in front of Morpheus!""Alright."After a while, Persephone calmed down. She turned to him and asked, "You brought me out here. Was there something else you wanted to tell me?"Seamus regained his focus, cleared his throat, and whispered, "After we arrived in Flinge, we were targeted by some factions here... This is the reason we lost contact with you earlier."Persephone's expression changed. "Who are they?""Faction forces," Seamus explained briefly. "The factions here are complex, and Flinge is far

Morpheus took considerable time to shake off the impact of Persephone's final decision and comprehend that the individual he disliked encountering had departed. Persephone had dismissed him, after all.A foolish smile played on his lips. He had never anticipated that Persephone's ultimate selection would be him."Your boyfriend..." He wanted to ask if Seamus was upset, but it seemed silly, so he swallowed the words back.Persephone glanced at him and gently replied, "He's not my boyfriend."Morpheus was dumbfounded once more."I introduced him as my good friend. When did I ever say he was my boyfriend?""Oh..." Morpheus was still baffled.Persephone suddenly felt upset. She realized the urgency of leaving Flinge to ease her family's worries. With the absence of any news about Greta in Flinge, staying longer seemed pointless. Departing sooner might yield new leads.Yet, a voice persisted within her blank mind—Morpheus.She harbored numerous thoughts she wished to express but st

"I've taken photos of you during your matches before!" Matthew walked up cheerfully and gestured to his assistant, then led the two of them into the exclusive VIP photography studio. There, they had specialized stylists and makeup artists.This photography studio was a well-known establishment in Flinge, even attracting many celebrities who sought Matthew for photoshoots. Matthew was quite reputable in the industry. Whenever there wasn't a very famous star, he would hand the photography task to his assistant.Today, he was hands-on, setting up the scene, selecting outfits for both of them, considering the photography ambiance, and thoroughly enjoying himself."I particularly enjoy watching you throw punches!" Matthew grinned. "Your boxing technique is sharp and satisfying!"Morpheus recalled a time when he had faced off against a foreigner who was excessively arrogant before the match, boasting confidently, only to be soundly defeated in the ring by Morpheus.Patriotic souls like