The old man paused in mid-sentence, a surprised expression on his face.How did that stranger find out about his formidable True Martial Ascendant abilities? Had he been snooping around for information before showing up? Maybe he had a plan in the works. If that were the case, he had to be careful. It would be hilarious if he ended up face-planting in a situation he could have handled easily."Oh, you think the strength of a True Martial Ascendant is insignificant? How powerful are you?" the old man asked, his face calm but with a mocking smile."You don't deserve to know.""Want to keep breathing? Then beat it." Ashton's finger pointed toward the exit, his face an icy mask."Full of yourself, aren't you? Let's see what you've got!"Aled Torres, who was in the lead, was quick to react. He was a former disciple of the Hard Diamond Sect who had gone off on his own 40 years before. He had risen from obscurity to grandmaster, even securing the number two spot with the powerful Jeniso

The suffocating terror that gripped the room seemed to vanish at Ashton's mere gesture."You've wiped them all out. Who am I supposed to ask for the treasure now?" Ashton's voice was distant and detached."Lorcan, it's about time you hand over what's due, don't you think?"Lorcan finally snapped out of his daze, his laughter echoing mournfully."This must be fate! This must be the Jenison family's destiny!"His laughter died, and silence took its place. After a long pause, he faced Ashton and said, "If I surrender the treasure, can you assure me that the Jenison family will be spared?"If not, what's the point in giving it up?"Ashton's brow furrowed. "You think you're in a position to negotiate with me?""I'm just trying to save the Jenison family." Lorcan exhaled heavily."Why do it if you fear the consequences? You should've known that a day of reckoning would come when you stole my grandmother's treasure. Why can't you face it with grace now that it's here?" Ashton's laugh

Avelora considered calling Ashton back to fill him in, but she decided against it. The task had been assigned, and it had to be done right. Otherwise, she would lose favor with the higher-ups.After some thought, she decided to bring the matter to the Navy King of the North Sea and have him contact Douglas. The Norcisco war zone was Douglas's turf, and if he got involved, that snooty woman, Nixey, would not dare to turn him down.However, that hinged on getting a hold of the elusive Navy King of the North Sea.The guy was a ghost, always abroad on some top-secret mission, and catching him on the line required some good luck.She dialed, only to be met with that vexing busy tone. Avelora's eye twitched involuntarily.Seriously? Out of reach? What was she supposed to do then?Trying Ashton again was futile because his phone was dead.By then, Ashton was flying high above Norcisco; his phone signal was gone.The journey to the border was a half-day marathon, and Ashton had no one

A hush fell over the room.Soon after, Frederick's phone buzzed with a new message.Silence claimed Frederick as he quickly returned the call."Jay, are you for real?""Real? How long have you been holed up training? You're in Lindorm and you haven't heard the buzz? Do you even count as a warrior anymore? That has been the talk of the town.""Yeah, I've been out of the loop, training solo for the last few months." Frederick admitted, a bit sheepish."That explains it..." Jay said.There was a moment of silence before Jay said, "Look, as far as Lindorm is concerned, Mister Levin is the guy at the top of the food chain right now. He's the king of the Chart of Supremes, and nobody in the country is comparable to him. Even Aarrowsmith's dark web folks had to whip up a special leaderboard just for him. The legendary Chart of Legends is back in the game after a hundred years.""That's some serious clout!"After a few more exchanges, the phone call ended.Frederick swallowed, his ey

When Jessica saw the woman, her jaw dropped.How had she never met the formidable Nixey despite being a star student at Norcisco for five years?Nixey's image was a fixture on screens across the region as the celebrated guardian of the Norcisco border zone, more recognizable than many celebrities.She was astonished and thrilled to see such an illustrious and revered figure so unexpectedly.Was she there for Ashton? What did he do to deserve that? How could a mere war zone instructor summon the top commander from another zone?Before Jessica could wrap her head around it, Ashton and Nixey were already stepping into the car.Jessica's nerves went into overdrive as a general sat inside her car.That was no ordinary international friend or wealthy heir—she was a genuine Norcisco superstar, a titan of power whose mere words could change the lives of countless people.She sat in Jessica's car, making the entire scene seem surreal."You manage to walk out with a woman in tow? That's