Duncan was the name of the security head that Richard had manhandled at the airport and was also a spy working for the Malcolm family.He'd been the one to inform the Malcolm family member of Richard's arrival and now had just gotten a directive from his contact.'Kill him’Though he couldn't help but smile as he hated Richard for what he'd done to him at the airport, even he knew that Richard Smith was above his league.Going as far as to kill him?... He didn't think it was possible.Then another directive came in and he finally let out a relieved sigh.He was well aware of who the Hounds were.They were terrifying members of the Malcolm family who dedicated their lives to cultivating endlessly.Each one was strong enough to take on 20 men alone.Knowing that such people would be the ones to handle the killing, Duncan was finally able to relax.What hero of Intercity?... He was just a fool that didn't know his place.All because the real powers had stayed quiet, he'd been acting like
Richard had always wondered about the mystery behind the origin of the black phone.It had magically entered his life and made him the powerhouse he is today, yet it never once explained where it came from or why it chose him to gift the Trillion Dollar System.He'd always thought to get to solving the mysteries at some point but due to one reason or the other, he'd always ended up pushing it aside for some reason.It got to a point where he began to wonder if all the distractions were intentionally done so he wouldn't investigate the black phone's origin.However, now, an opponent was letting him know he was familiar with it and Richard could hardly contain his curiosity to learn more about it.Rufus smirked as he replied. “You don't expect me to just tell you, right?”Richard's expression turned cold as he remarked. “It would be best to tell me now. I'd like to avoid utilizing other means to get the answer from you.”“Heh and here you were saying that you had nothing planned. You spe
Duncan hadn't expected to be met with such strong opposition when he'd arrived.He expected to find Richard already chained and battered by the Hounds so he'd get a chance to mock him for thinking he could go against the Malcolm family.Alas, how wrong he was.Not only was Richard not alone but his subordinates were enough to deal with the Hounds with terrifying efficiency.Faced with such strength, what was he, a weak security guard supposed to do?Gritting his teeth, he regretted daring to come here unfortunately there was no medicine for regret and now, all he could hope for was that Richard wouldn't end his life immediately.“Who do we have here?... You've got balls of steel…” Richard trailed off as he checked the name tag on his uniform before adding. “Duncan.”“Look, I know it looks bad but I can fix this, just give me a chance to explain myself.” Duncan began frantically, worried that wasting a single second would be the death of him. “The Malcolms threatened me, okay?... They t
Rudiger stood at the manor entrance, grinning wickedly as he stared at Richard.He didn't even consider Richard a man, instead seeing him as a prize to be had.The Hero of Intercity was right there and it was his destiny to bring him down!Just imagining how he would be rewarded left him trembling with excitement.Seeing him react so strangely, Richard addressed Andre. “Check and see if there are any other stragglers. I'll deal with this one.”“Understood.” Though skeptical, Andre turned and left with the guardsmen while Richard remained.“Smart move, wouldn't want mundanes getting in the way of our glorious battle,” Rudiger muttered as he approached with eagerness.Then without warning, he charged forward like a raging bull, intent on bringing down Richard with one move.Unfortunately for him, Richard had dealt with someone even stronger than him rather easily.Richard calmly redirected the blow and made it slam into Rudiger instead, knocking him out instantly.Shaking his head, he
Melinda sat in her room, terrified to leave as she knew what awaited her outside.The Malcolms had cordoned off the entirety of the Dawson family to ensure there was no way to escape which meant she had no choice but to marry that dastardly Malcolm heir.What made it worse were her family members who seemed happy to be rid of her.She'd always known that they disliked her being the heir but to be shameless enough to side with the enemy?... It was unbelievable, to say the least.Her grandfather who was always her pillar of support was also under house arrest, living like a prisoner in his own house.He'd have done something but he knew he couldn't defeat Luther in a battle and so could only stay still to avoid his family getting wiped out as a result of his stubbornness.She wept at her helplessness with the whole situation, asking why she didn't have the strength to do something.Of course, her tears brought no respite as she found herself thinking about Richard.Usually, she'd have c
“You have become quite bold since I last saw you, tell me, what gives you the audacity to stand before me so casually?” Luther inquired as he stood beside the groom with Melinda on his right.Richard remained calm despite the invisible pressure being sent his way as he replied. “Is there a reason to be scared of you?... You not only unfairly captured and tortured my friend, but you tried to marry another friend and even confiscated my property. I didn't know this was how things are done in the Empire now.”“The law of the Empire is simple, Mr. Smith, it is he who has the biggest fists that gets to make the rules. It doesn't matter how much money you have, without the power to ensure it, you are nothing but a fancy glass cannon. No amount of money can save you when a powerhouse comes knocking.”“So that's why you did this?... To teach me a lesson?... Well then, lesson learned, let them go and we can start over on a clean slate.”Luther scoffed as he remarked. “You are aware of the trut
The Malcolm family was one with a history spanning more than a hundred years.They had wealth, power, and connections, both within and outside Zion, ensuring that they remained powerhouses that few dared to go against.Any that had dared to always found themselves unable to withstand the might of the Malcolms, inadvertently leading to defeat, destruction, or in some cases indoctrination.Their immensity also meant that even if one had the strength to defeat them, it would make it difficult to do so.This was why Richard didn't plan on any acts that could lead to the complete extermination of the Malcolm family.No matter how angry he was, killing so many people didn't just sit well with him even though they did deserve it after everything they'd done.But he didn't necessarily have to pay back evil with evil and he had already decided on how to handle this tyrannical family to ensure that they would never rise after their defeat today.With that in mind, he took the groom's life befor
Luther stared at Richard realizing once again why he had considered him a real threat to his rule.Very few people had caused Luther to feel fear of any sort, one of them being the Emperor on the only occasion Luther was privileged to be in his presence.The same feeling he felt back then, the feeling of no matter what I do, I won't be able to reach that level, rushed through him as he stared at Richard solidifying his belief that Richard had a connection to the Imperial Legacy.Richard remained calm as he remarked. “Before you head over to jail where you'll be spending a long time behind bars, I have a few questions, one of which involves the specifics of the dealings you had with the Imperial family.”Luther froze as he realized what Richard was talking about.Then a sick smile adorned his lips. “So that's how it, I'm such a fool, why didn't I see it back then?... Haha, this is so hilarious.”“What are you talking about?” Richard inquired.Ignoring him, Luther calmly intoned. “You c