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RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 50
Emily sat at the dining table, staring at the ornate letter in front of her. The wax seal had been broken, but the weight of the invitation still hung in the air. An invitation from the matriarch. She reread the words carefully, her fingers grazing the edges of the parchment. Why now? Why after everything? She pursed her lips and exhaled sharply. "I don’t like this." Sylvester, leaning against the doorway, arms folded across his chest, studied her reaction. "I figured as much." Emily lifted her eyes to him. "So, what do you think?" She knew Sylvester would encourage her for it. He had always been a man of peace, despite everything her family had put him through. The only thing he didn’t stand for was disrespect. "I think you should go." She let out a dry laugh. She called it. "Why do I feel like that’s exactly what they want?" "Probably is," he admitted. "But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t find out why." Emily looked down at the letter again, then back up at her husband. "A
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 51
Emily sat in her car, staring out of the window as the darkened streets blurred past. The night was quiet, but her mind was anything but that. Her thoughts kept circling back to the dinner, to the way the matriarch had so easily cast Cullen aside. It wasn’t just the rejection itself that disturbed her, but the immense betrayal behind it. Cullen was a prick, and an insolent little brat that deserved to be tossed aside, but he was theirs. For years, he had done no bidding but theirs. He was useless and spoiled, but he was their useless, spoiled Cullen.Her pocket buzzed, pulling her from her reverie. She fished out her communication device and glanced at the name flashing on the screen.“Mother”Of course, she’d call.With a resigned sigh, she accepted the call.“Oh, Emily!” her mother’s joy felt baseless. “You heard what your grandmother said, right? I know you’re still angry, but…you just have to give this proper thought. It’s wonderful news! You’re never going to have to worry abou
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 52
Cullen slumped over the bar counter, his fingers gripping the sweating glass of whiskey like it was his last tether to reality. And indeed, it was.The dark circles around his bloodshot eyes were only further emphasized by the dim light of the bar that cast at his face from a menacing angle. His tie was loosened, his blazer crumpled in a heap beside him, and the bitter stench of alcohol clung to his clothes. The bartender was used to these kinds of people, so he just gave Cullen space instead of trying to make the usual small talk that he usually did for customers who lingered too long."Emily... Sylvester..." Cullen slurred, his voice barely rising over the soft hum of jazz playing from the speakers. He let out a hollow laugh before taking another swig. "They think they’ve won. Think they can just...just ruin me. Take everything. I built my name from the ground up. As a man! Emily got to that top by whoring herself. And Sylvester? I’ll kill him. I’ll kill them all..."A chuckle c
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 53
Sylvester moved through the streets of the city with intent. It had been a while since he was in through these parts – the market. The wealthier suburbs did a great job at shielding them from the disparity between the rich and the poor. Here, the poor reigned supreme, and Sylvester wasn’t sure he liked that. He was a super-wealthy man himself – perhaps one of the richest in his country, and he would have given all his wealth away if it would have helped. But he knew the truth. It just wouldn’t. He was here on a mission, though, the harsh runes of poverty aside. He was looking for people to join his army. People with a strong sense of justice. Greed had blinded the rich, and want had blinded the poor. There wasn’t exactly a middle ground to these things, but Sly was determined. He knew there were still people out there that shared his sense of justice. He wasn’t looking for just anyone. He needed people with fire, with hunger, with something to prove. That’s why the boy caug
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 54
Sylvester stared at the dot on his screen, blinking against the coordinates and lines.It was the tracker he had put on the boy, and the boy had already started moving, having finished his end of day sales, perhaps.Now, Sly just needed to find where he lived, so that he could begin paying the boy regular, more constructed visits, not like the cold standoffish conversation they had in the alleyway. He needed to make the boy see that he could fight for a better life, not just for himself, but for whatever was keeping him on the streets.The dot stopped moving.Not completely, just…around a particular point."An abandoned construction site?" he muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes.This couldn’t be the boy’s final destination. It was either he was remitting money to his suppliers, or taking stock for the next day’s sales. Or he was being jumped.There was the excuse that this could have been his home, since he did look like a runaway, but most runaways would have taken shelter in mor
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 55
Cullen paced the darkened alley, his fingers twitching with impatience. The stranger had told him to come alone.That alone should have deterred him. He could be robbed here. Stabbed and killed. No one would ever find his body.Yet, here he was. Bravery fueled by the craving for power and revenge.Was this even healthy? He wasn’t sure. But one thing was certain. He was going to get his revenge. If this fell through the roof, he would look for an alternative.He had done underground deals before.But nothing like this.He had handed envelopes under tables, sent hush money, even done deals where he had to bury transactions and randomize his mail. But what he was seeing? This felt…strange. Truly, he was face to face with the black market.At first, it seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. Just a dark shady alley way.But the eyes of the people passing by…when they met his, had a certain knowing that he knew was not of the world he was used to.A shadow moved at the far end of the al
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 56
Sylvester leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, as he studied the young boy standing in front of him. Otto looked as wary as ever, even though they had just given him a nice meal and a set of new clothes that were more comfortable than the tattered pair that he was wearing before.One of the telltale signs of human trafficking is that the effects stick with you forever.Not for a long time…not for a very long time. Forever. And so Sylvester knew deep down, that Otto would never feel as great a sense of peace as the normal person ever again.And the fact that such a young boy had to experience horrors like these made his blood boil. It made him more determined to find these evil criminals and make them pay.Katherine, standing beside Sylvester, watched Otto with careful eyes. “So, these traffickers,” she started, “how many are they?”“Those aren’t productive questions,” Geral face-palms.“Well, we have got to start somewhere,” Katherine shrugged and looked back to the boy
RISE OF THE ALMIGHTY WARLORD GRANDMASTER Chapter 57
“So, this…Nine, you call him?” Sylvester asked Otto. He, so far, had tried to be as casual with the boy as possible. He didn’t want to do anything to force his back into a shell, knowing everything he had been through. “Yeah?” Otto picked at the breakfast that was given to him. It was the next day, and the people that had taken him looked like they were going to care enough for him, so he was at peace. “You think you can remember exactly what he looked like?” Sylvester prodded lightly. “Oh, yeah. Beat me for a while. Of course, I remember,” Otto chuckled, his eyes darting back and forth trying to shake a reminiscence too vivid. This was what Sylvester was avoiding. A recall that would send him back into his shell, but it was necessary. How was he going to remember the face of the man, if he didn’t relive his traumatic past? Otto was going to have to be strong here. Otto chewed slowly, eyes flickering with a distant memory. “Tall. Muscular. Scar on his left cheek. Wore a lot o
Latest Chapter
Chapter 77
Sylvester lay on the couch, his body heavy with exhaustion but his mind too sharp to rest. The trip had been refreshing, yet as soon as they returned home, the weight of his responsibilities came crashing back. He had too much on his plate—his health, the impending war, and now, his wife's growing business empire.His phone buzzed.He sighed, grabbing it lazily, but his expression changed when he saw the caller ID. Gladys.Straightening up, he answered. “Gladys, to what do I owe this honor?”A soft chuckle came from the other end. “Oh, don’t flatter me, Sylvester. I wanted to check on you first. How’s your health? Emily told me you needed rest.”Gladys wasn’t just a high profile connection to someone like Sylvester.While Sylvester was a businessman himself, at some point, especially when he delved into the world of cultivation, he began to have less and less time for his business.That was when he met Gladys.When he entrusted the full assets of his company to her, he concluded that
Chapter 76
The moment Emily stepped back into her home, she felt the same shift that Sylvester felt. She was just a lot more tame about it.Work started the moment she pulled her car into the driveway and she knew that if she was going to get the edge in the market she was in, she was going to apply herself to diligence.She wasn’t a cheat…a scummy business woman or one who was cutthroat and capitalized on large profit margins and paid staff peanuts. Hence, the race was rigged against her from the start.After freshening up, she made her way to her home office, checking her emails and catching up on pending work. That was when she saw it.An email from Gladys.Emily clicked it open, her eyes scanning through the document attached. A fully developed business strategy plot.It was detailed, efficient, and revolutionary.Her brows furrowed. Already?These types of strategies usually took months to put together, yet somehow, Gladys had managed to complete it in record time.“Damn,” Emily muttered, s
Chapter 75
The morning after their intimate night together, Sylvester lay awake, staring at the wooden ceiling of their cabin, listening to the rhythmic breathing of the woman beside him. Emily’s arm was draped over his chest, her body warm against his side, and for the first time in a long while, he felt…grounded.It had been three years. Three years of distance, of pain, of feeling like a broken man. And yet, last night had shattered that invisible wall between them. Sylvester, all his life, had never known what he was. He never thought about an identity, or doing something for someone or any real purpose.He had two motivations.His hungry belly, and the need for things to be done.As long as there was a need, his desire to help filled that need. Now, it was more. His life felt like more than just another reason to do something, because there was Emily in it.He turned his head slightly, looking at Emily. Her dark lashes rested against her cheeks, and her lips were slightly parted in sle
Chapter 74
Emily waited for Sylvester to make his choice, but there was a smile on her face.She knew that when it came to things like these – matters of enjoyment, Sylvester sucked.He was all hard work and discipline.Ultimately, she expected him to leave the choice to her, and when he did, she took it personal, making sure to consider all available options as she scrolled. "Aha," she muttered to herself, clicking on a luxury resort tucked away in the mountains. She then turned the tablet to him. "What do you think? Good scenery, five-star service, and…oh, look! They have an all-you-can-eat buffet.” “Oh, nice? And you think this would get me the ‘relaxation’ you think I need?”“It’s going to be for two days at most, so I doubt you’ll be anywhere as rested as I really want you to be, but hey,” she shrugged innocently. “Baby steps.”Sylvester nodded in agreement.“But since it’s so short, I’m going to ask something of you,” Emily straightened her face.“Anything for you, love,”“No phone call
Chapter 73
The drive home bugged Emily with all kinds of possibilities.Everything that she and Gladys talked about were life changing, and in all her years of building a business, laboring tirelessly, both physically and mentally, she had never had this kind of insight.She almost felt like she didn’t deserve it.However, this was life.A door to opportunities had just been open to her, and she was going to dive through it like it was an Olympic sport, and there was the medal for going through it the fastest.As soon as she got home, she had a plethora of information to share with her husband.“Oh, honey!!” she called in a sing song voice.Sylvester, who was sitting on the couch looking like a child that lost his pet rabbit, immediately tried to cover up his disdain and plastered a smile on his face.But Emily was a smart woman, and she caught up to his act before he could get away with it.“Is something wrong?” she asked, her face pinching into a frown.“No, no, darling. Back from Gladys alrea
Chapter 72
“So this is what being a top business consultant gets you.” Emily let out a sigh.The estate she had just driven through was impressive, and the house she had just parked in front of, dwarfed anything she had ever hoped to own, even with her impressive financial portfolio.It was so big, it seemed unfair for a singular individual to have financed it.The modern architecture stood out, giving the house a boring, but intimidating presence and the architect involved definitely drew ideas from dystopian brutalism.She could do nothing but gasp.She had expected something impressive, but not this. Gladys Hopper’s reputation had always been formidable, but seeing the physical evidence of her success made it all the more real.Emily hesitated for a moment, drumming her fingers against the wheel. She had spent years avoiding cutthroat business strategies, but now, she was walking straight into the lair of a woman who had built an empire advising the world’s most ruthless CEOs. She was going
Chapter 71
Sylvester stepped out of the taxi and slammed the door shut a little harder than necessary."Next time, get your damn change ready before you get in," the driver grumbled before speeding off, leaving Sylvester standing there with his fists clenched.“Ridiculous,” he muttered, suppressing the anger that was building up inside of him. The man had the audacity to raise his voice over a fare dispute, acting as if Sylvester couldn’t pay. If he weren’t trying to live a civilized life, that man would be missing a few teeth right now.He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “I need a car.” Relying on taxis was starting to irritate him, and it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford one. He could quite literally buy half of the city if he wanted to. The only thing stopping him was his morality and the need for humility.Brushing the thought aside, he turned toward the towering glass building ahead. Emily’s company…the empire she had built with her own hands.As soon as he stepped inside, the receptionist
Chapter 70
Sylvester hated being idle.The moment he opened his eyes that morning, he could feel the boredom seep into his bones. The air in the house was still, the silence stretching longer than it should. Emily had already left for work, leaving him alone with his thoughts…a dangerous thing for a man who thrived on action.But since his defeating the human traffickers, the city had been relatively clam. There seemed to be nothing to do, besides the regular, everyday cases that the city police could definitely take care of.He sat up in bed, stretching his arms before running a hand through his hair. Weak. That was the only way to describe how he felt. It wasn’t exhaustion, not exactly, but a dull, lingering vulnerability that crept into his bones whenever he cultivated.His body was failing him.He had been pushing himself too hard. He knew it. The signs had been there for weeks. Sluggish movements, slower reaction times, a heaviness in his limbs after every session. And yet, the idea of
Chapter 69
Katherine had always trusted her instincts.She didn’t survive as long as she had by ignoring the warning prickle at the back of her neck or the way the air felt just a little too still before an attack. Tonight was no different.It started as a whisper of unease. She had just returned to her private quarters, a small yet elegantly furnished home tucked away from the heart of the city. The day was tense, and she was trying to ease it all off. Usually, on days like these, she would just calm herself down and try to unwind in the best ways she could.Watching a movie, playing some video games or binging a snack and doomscrolling social media.But this evening was different.The tension clung to her skin like wet linen, and it caused her to ditch every relaxation motif.Then she heard it.A shift in the air. A presence.She didn't hesitate.In one fluid motion, she spun around, snatching the dagger she had left on the table and flinging it toward the darkened doorway. The blade sliced
