After one minute, the metal doors of the pressure machine opened, and Dustin walked out calmly. He seemed so relaxed no one could have guessed that he had withstood such high pressure. "Sir, I get to advance to the next level, right?" Dustin asked."O—of course!" Getting over his shock, the staff nodded frantically. He couldn't believe that Dustin could withstand level-100 pressure for a minute. Was Dustin made of darksteel? This was unbelievable!"Damn, he's a monster." Georgia was in awe as well. Dustin excelled in all four tests—strength, speed, internal energy, and defense. It was like he was perfect. Usually, people would struggle to pass even a single test. Yet, Dustin managed to pass them with flying colors.Was he a monster?"I knew Dustin was strong." A rare smile appeared on Scarlet's face, who was proud of Dustin's achievements. "I guess Terry Doyle lost for a reason," Patrick mumbled. He had known that Dustin was strong, but he never expected Dustin to be so
"Um …" The invigilators shared a look and shook their heads. "You can advance to the next level without taking the test.""I can?" Dustin was surprised. "We saw your earlier performance. Honestly, we're no match for you. You can just continue to the next level." One of the invigilators grimaced. "You have potential. I'm sure you'll become a dark horse in the Knighthood Society Tournament." The other invigilator praised Dustin. Dustin had broken the records for the first four tests. They were ashamed to admit they were far weaker than him. "Thank you for going easy on me," Dustin thanked them with a smile and walked off the platform. It was good that the invigilators avoided confronting him, or they'd have been beaten into a pulp by now. "What the hell? It's unfair that he can advance to the next level without taking the test!" "What else can they do? He's so strong even the invigilators are afraid of him.""If it were me, I wouldn't fight him either. There's no way I
Dustin and the others left the martial arts alliance branch after the test. Scarlet suddenly received a call that darkened her face on their way back. "Got it. I'll return as soon as possible." Scarlet hung up after the brief conversation. "What's wrong, kid?" Dustin was curious. "The call was from Oakvale. Someone accused me of gathering troops and planning a rebellion. They are demanding an explanation," Scarlet replied calmly. "A rebellion? What a load of crap!" Georgia was pissed. "Madam, you suffered so much to protect our country at the borders while those trash at Oakvale did nothing. How dare they accuse you!""Those little shits! They deserve to die!" Even the usually quiet Bridget couldn't help cursing. Being accused of rebelling was a major crime. Even if they were innocent, others would still make assumptions. "Given your status, many eyes will be on you, and everything you do will be watched. Others will distort and exaggerate the truth if you make sudden mo
"We're short on talented individuals, so let them stay if they want to. Establish a subsidiary guild named Darklaws and let Mr. Adler be the leader." Dustin decided. "Got it." Nelson nodded."Oh, right. It isn't good that our guild is expanding so quickly. We need to slow things down and cut down on the recruitment. We need to move our headquarters to accommodate our growing numbers. I'll leave this to you," Dustin instructed."I've already considered the issue about our headquarters and picked out a location, but I'm not sure if it's to your liking," Nelson replied."Really? Where did you pick?" Dustin raised an eyebrow. "It's called Zephyr Lodge. It's located on the city's outskirts." Seeing Dustin's confusion, Nelson elaborated. "It used to be the estate of a count, so it's spacious and has good scenery. Transportation there is smooth as well. I searched high and low. This place seemed like the best option.""Not bad. You must have put in a lot of thought for this. Well, l
"Azalea Larson?" Abigail was puzzled. Abigail knew the woman's surname was Larson, but her name was Mandy Larson. "Are you going to deny it? Do I have to tear off your mask?" Dustin asked. "Your eyes are getting better. I spent so much time dressing up, but it wasn't enough to fool you." Azalea giggled flirtatiously. "Is your name really Azalea?" Abigail frowned. She felt like she was tricked. "I'm Azalea, but I'm also Mandy. I never lied to you," Azalea explained with a smile. "What are you doing here?" Dustin demanded. He was always on high alert whenever he was near this crazy woman. After all, it was difficult to believe someone who murdered their mentor and offered their mentor's head to the Harmon family. "Aww, aren't we friends by now? Can't you treat me more warmly?" Azalea circled Dustin like a snake eyeing a mouse. "What happened between us can only be considered a business partnership, definitely not friendship." Dustin was unfazed. "That makes me sad.
Dustin frowned and stepped back to put some space between their bodies. "I won't expose your identity, but you better behave yourself. I'll be watching you.""You'll be watching me?" Azalea bit her bottom lip invitingly. "I'll be showering later. Will you also watch me?""You're crazy!" Dustin ignored her and walked past her to go upstairs. He was certain she wasn't up to anything for now, but he was still wary of witches like her. The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Dustin was out with Abigail for their morning practice when a black sedan pulled up at their entrance. The car door opened, and Patrick stepped out with a smile. "Congratulations, Dustin." Patrick congratulated Dustin. "The results for yesterday's tests are out. You passed the test and have been chosen to lead four other martial artists to represent the Glenstead martial arts alliance!""Really? That's great." Dustin smiled softly, not surprised by the news.It would be more surprising if someo
"What?" The sudden accusation took Dustin aback. "Dominic is dead?""That's right. It's all your fault, you murderer!" Gianna shouted angrily. "Don't be stupid. What does his death have to do with me? Don't pin the blame on me," Dustin replied. "Stop lying! Dominic wouldn't have died if it weren't for your tricks!" Gianna shouted. "Did you think we won't discover that you intentionally kept the lever at the max so you could trick Dominic into entering the pressure machine. The moment the door closed, Dominic exploded!" Devon growled. Dustin was speechless by their stupid accusations. He had merely forgotten to return the lever to its initial position. How could he have known that someone would be stupid enough to start the machine without looking at the lever?He had never met such a dumb bunch. It was ridiculous that he was blamed for such an ignorant incident. "First of all, I didn't plan anything, so I had nothing to do with Dominic's death. He died because of his act
Ginna burst into tears as she watched the venom spread further, terrified. Her arrogant attitude from earlier disappeared. Without a word, Jared swung his sword and sliced Gianna's arm off. Flustered, Gianna stared at her arm lying on the floor and looked at her shoulder. After she realized what had happened, she cried before passing out. "Once the tournament ends, I'll make you pay for your actions!" Jared spat before leading his men away. "Dustin, Jared isn't someone you want as your enemy. You should be careful." Patrick warned. "He should be the one who's careful," Dustin replied. If it weren't for Patrick, he would have killed Jared. "It's almost time. Let's go and find Grandpa." Patrick gestured and led them into a luxurious lakeside villa. The spacious villa had a rustic charm and a huge courtyard where everyone was resting. Meanwhile, Paul was chatting comfortably in the villa's living room with a middle-aged man. It was none other than the leader of Balerno m