*****
Ironclad Prison, located in the most uninhabitable and unwelcoming region of Elaria. As implied by its name, this prison was constructed entirely from solid iron, with no hint of other materials and It was the most frightening prison ever created, holding not common criminals but formidable and ruthless ones such as warlords, high-level cultivators, mafia leaders, and those who had caused widespread devastation. The main reason this prison was feared around the globe wasn't merely its solid iron structure; rather, its location in the coldest place on Earth. Each day in this prison was a frozen hell, so unbearable that many warlords had died within its confines, while those who survived faced relentless and terrifying torture daily. In one word, this prison represented the ultimate terror for every power on Earth, and no matter how strong you were, escape was impossible without being released. … “Have you guys heard? That demon will finally be released today!" an ex-terrorist whose face was glowing with excitement suddenly whispered in a gossipy tone inside a hall where thousands of prisoners were eating their breakfast of rock-hard bread and frozen congee. As soon as the inmates around this person heard him, their eyes widened with astonishment, and they trembled with disbelief before gaping. “How— how true is that?" asked a legendary scientist, who had once used an entire city for his research, his beard trembling with excitement and anxiety from the news. “100%.” The ex-terrorist replied with confidence. “I got this information from a reliable source.” He added. “This…” the breathing of everyone around the ex-terrorist quickened and a rare excitement began to fill them. It was as if the most terrifying demon haunting their lives was finally going to be removed. Astonishingly enough, it wasn't only this group that was excitedly discussing this topic, but rather, every single person in the vast hall. Just at that moment, a calm, distinct footstep echoed, and as though the arrival of a scary entity, the massive space fell into pin-drop silence. Everyone quickly lowered their heads with terror and focused their entire attention on biting into their frozen solid rock bread. One might expect a fearsome figure to be behind such a terrifying footstep. However, it turned out to be a tall, 26-year-old man who appeared lean and harmless. He was very handsome and elegant, with a gentle demeanor, yet, what stood out most about him was his delicate appearance, which gave the impression that he wouldn't be able to handle a common chicken. Aside from that, the young man appeared very lazy, but his eyes were brimming with wisdom and power. … Noting the terrified expressions on everyone’s faces, as if a death angel had arrived, the young man smiled wryly. “Aren’t you guys celebrating a second ago that this father is finally leaving?” the young man, Xavier Wilson asked speechlessly. “This…” the hearts of all the inmates, who appeared menacing and each at least three times the size of Xavier, all muscularly built, trembled upon hearing him. “Master Xavier!” They shouted in unison, as they jumped to their feet, appearing like soldiers facing their commander. “We—we definitely aren’t celebrating,” they cried with apprehension and Xavier studied their faces emotionlessly for a moment before snorting. “Whatever,” he said calmly before crossing his hands behind his back, then like a sage who had transcended mortality, he walked unhurriedly through the hall, each step making the inmates’ heart thump louder in their chests as though scared that Xavier would attack them. Soon after, his presence vanished from the hall, after which all the inmates collapsed nd began to breathe heavily, recalling the weight of Xavier’s presence. “Ah!!! Finally!!!” the former kingpin of the prison, who had led all the prisoners before Xavier arrived abruptly sobbed. “I can now get back my role,” he jubilated and was about to laugh excitedly when, without warning, a calm voice echoed through the hall, saying... “If any of you dared to cause even the slightest trouble after I’m gone… hmph!” Although the voice did not complete its threat, everyone broke out in a cold sweat from the power it held, especially the former leader and those who had begun to entertain their plans. “Why won’t this demon free us even after leaving!” the inmates finally sobbed. .... Meanwhile, at the entrance of the grim prison, a high-ranking prison guard, who had been waiting respectfully suddenly bowed deeply. “I didn’t do it for you,” Xavier said calmly, dousing the guard’s fiery excitement with cold water and causing his mouth to twitch. Unsure whether to smile or cry, the man eventually sighed. “Overall, thank you for putting those troublesome bastards in their place,” he said with an awkward smile, and with that, respectfully opened the massive gate for Xavier. “You are free from now on,” he said emotionally. However, as soon as he finished speaking, Xavier’s gaze turned blank, causing the man to shiver slightly. “Have—have I said something wrong?” he asked nervously and Xavier rolled his eyes. “Do you really think I wasn’t free all this time?” he asked ironically, then not waiting for a response, he stepped forward and walked out of the prison that had held him for the past five years. The prison guard wasn’t able to respond for a moment after hearing Xavier’s arrogant words, but then, he smiled wryly, unable to refute him. He sighed after a moment and although Xavier had left, the warden couldn’t help but bow his head again, recalling all of Xavier’s achievements during his time in the prison. “Take care,” he said with emotion before pressing the remote control in his hand again, sealing the massive gate once more until who knows when. ….. Meanwhile, Xavier stood outside the prison, looking somewhat helpless. He had initially planned to welcome the sight of freedom, not expecting to be greeted by people who instantly knelt before him. Undoubtedly, the world would be thrown into chaos if it were to witness the scene Xavier was observing. Describing the identity of the people kneeling to him right now as terrifying was in fact an understatement. At the forefront was Elaria’s president, flanked by the four gods of war who protect the entire country, Elaria’s divine physician, and the wealthiest person in the nation. These seven were like gods to the entire Elaria citizen, yet they were currently kneeling to an ex-convict. .... “Didn’t I warn you guys not to come see me off?” Xavier finally grumbled unhappily and the instant the seven heard him, they did not become mad instead smiled wryly. "How could we not come to see you off, Master, on such an important day when you finally decided to leave for the main world?" the president replied with bright eyes. Xavier was silent for a second before eventually shaking his head helplessly, unable to understand why the seven people were always adamant. “You have seen me now, off you go,” he said after a second, trying to shoo the seven away, something only he dared to do in the entire world. The seven exchanged gazes and smiled yet again, already expecting this. “Master, we would have loved to escort you to the outside world and perhaps announce your esteemed identity, but since you’ve expressed a desire to return to your parents and fiancée for a quiet life, we can only see you this far,” the president said with a heartbroken tone as the seven of them stood up. Xavier immediately rolled his eyes once more but remained silent. Suddenly, the South God of War stepped forward, presenting a token while bowing. “Perhaps, you might need the army someday, so, the four of us decided to prepare this command token which you could use to deploy the army at will.” Xavier, “_” He stared blankly, but before he could react, the wealthiest person in the country also stepped toward him. “Master, this is an Opal Card for the World Bank. It should be able to provide you with a slight financial assistance in the outside world.” “Master, I’ve already informed the prime minister of your city that someone important will be arriving soon. You can call him anytime if you need anything,” the president added. Looking at the people before him, Xavier, was silent for a second, then sighed after a moment of hesitation “I will accept your gifts, then,” he said calmly as he accepted the presents. Although he showed no outward signs of appreciation, the seven people in before him were instantly thrilled, having already thought Xavier would reject their presents. Without a second thought, Xavier slipped the two items that could have caused a storm in the outside world into his pockets and then walked away and without looking back, boarded the chopper that had been waiting for him. “Master Xavier.” The pilot bowed his head respectfully, and Xavier nodded calmly. “I wish to keep a low profile, so you should just drop me at the outskirts of Riverton city.” “This...” the pilot, who had been given a different directive by the president, hesitated for a moment before nodding respectfully. “Yes, Master Xavier.” Upon hearing the pilot's response, Xavier gazed out of the window, and instantly, a look of longing appeared on his face. “Jenifer, Mother, Father, I’m finally free after five years of missing you guys nonstop," he murmured to himself, his eyes abruptly welling up with tears. … At the same time, the seven people Xavier left behind continued staring at his chopper until it disappeared into horizon. “Although the master said he was going to retire and lead a quiet life, why do I have this sudden feeling that his return to the outside world will only bring about storm?" the only woman in the group, one of the four gods of war abruptly muttered to herself. “It obviously would,” the others responded matter-of-factly, their eyes suddenly shining with excitement for the soon to come future.***** “Hehehehe. Do you know, I learned from a very trusted source last night that a powerful, erudite, and prominent Grandmaster is coming to our city today.” “Huh? A powerful, erudite, and prominent Grandmaster?” “You—you hadn’t heard the news?” “Seems so.” "Ugh! Whatever. According to the news, the prime minister, all the First-rank family leaders, and other major figures in our city have been at the airport since last night, waiting to welcome this god disguised as a man." “Huh- Wow!” ***** “Are they talking about me?” Xavier, who had just entered the city and was appreciating the massive changes around him abruptly mumbled as he came to a stop, staring at the two men in suits walking before him. He frowned intently the following second before subconsciously looking at the crowded walkway opposite him, which contained people going to work. Xavier quickly joined and blended into the crowd to listen to their chatter and as it turned out, everyone was animatedly discus
***** Of all the things Xavier had visualized his first meeting with his fiancée would be after five years, this definitely was never one of them. He remained dumbstruck for a long time, gaping, with his head pounding hysterically in disbelief as he stared at the couple who wouldn’t tear from each other even after his intrusion, only stopping after they finished having their climax. They finally glanced toward the door, wondering about the person who had dared to intrude on their room. “Which motherf*cking bastard are you?” Victor, a short man with an unremarkable appearance, demanded with rage while Jennifer’s eyes grew cold, unable to believe that someone had dared to barge into her room while she and her partner were together. Infuriated, Jennifer quickly rolled herself into the duvet on the bed and leaped to her feet, pointing aggressively at Xavier. “You!!!” She barked, wanting to curse but then she went into a daze the next second, unable to believe her eyes.
***** Xavier, with no background nor support whatsoever, had withstood the rain, blood, and hunger alone to create his company from scratch seven years ago and in a matter of two years, managed to turn it into a slightly successful company, with more than twenty employees. He had handed it over to Jennifer after he was sentenced to prison five years ago, hoping that she’d manage it and from the profit made, take care of his parents. Never in his life had he imagined that not only would she not take care of his parents, but would also team together with his oppressor and sell off his properties, a lie he obviously did not believe. Xavier began to fume frantically, but eventually, clenched his fists to calm the rage that was on the verge of bursting out. Meanwhile, seeing Xavier in this state, the adulterous pair before him had wide grins on their faces. Jennifer felt not even the slightest trace of pity nor remorse for him and for betraying betraying him. She was even more pl
***** “Huh?” Xavier went into a daze and couldn’t react after hearing how he was addressed. ‘Let’s assume Jennifer’s love somehow disappeared after years of him being away, what about them?’ He thought blankly. Although Xavier was from a poor background before starting his company, Jennifer’s background had been worse than his. They were homeless when Xavier met Jennifer, and Xavier, in his little, had gotten an apartment for the family, furnishing it. He also enrolled Michael, who had dropped out of high school into college, paying all his tuition in advance. That did not still end there. Xavier even placed the entire family on a payroll, giving them the exact amount he was giving his parents every month, yet they still addressed him as a prisoner despite knowing the reason behind his time. This was what Xavier was busy thinking when; “Who release this prisoner?” Michael suddenly laughed, breaking Xavier’s dumbstruck state. “Weren’t you supposed to rot in jail?” “And what
***** Although Xavier tried appearing strong as he walked away from the house he had bought through his blood and sweat, he was very vulnerable. His mind was in complete disarray, and he felt like a wreck, recalling the memory he did not know if he would ever forget in his life. He was deeply pained, realizing he had wasted his love and emotions on someone who did not deserve them. In addition to his pain, Xavier felt a deep sense of guilt, knowing that he had also punished his parents, which weighed heavily on him. Although he knew his parents couldn’t have managed his company on their own, Xavier felt pained that he should have entrusted everything to them instead of the ungrateful woman. For this reason, Xavier did not immediately look for his parents after leaving Jennifer—He had one idea how he would face them after five years of denying them the right to see and be protected by their son. Xavier began to walk aimlessly around, various memories running through his head
***** The entire bar fell silent, with everyone staring blankly at the lean person holding a hand that was twice the size of his own. No one could react for a moment, but eventually, the eyes of the Lion King, whose hand Xavier was holding, darkened with wrath. “Brat! Weren’t you the one I warned earlier to mind your business?” He snapped, his voice brimming with unhidden killing intent. Xavier, however, wasn’t bothered. Instead, continued maintaining his composed demeanor. “This lady here does not want to follow you, why are you forcing her?” He inquired calmly making everyone instant exchange stunned gazes. “This—this fool!” The bartender, whose gaze hadn’t left Xavier since the beginning scoffed with frustration and then hurriedly left what she was doing to rush over. “Lion King, hahahah. Please don’t mind this friend of mine. He appears to be too drunk to know what he was doing,” she stated with a smile, tearing Xavier’s hand away from the lion king. The Lion King qu
***** Bars are known for their constant noise, especially at night during operating hours, but right now, the entire bar is eerily silent with everyone within staring blankly as though they were seeing the most disbelieving thing in history, particularly the ones who knew the reputation of the two Lion Kings. This silence lasted for a long time before eventually, the Lion King, whose leg was being held by Xavier returned to his senses and became deeply embarrassed which promptly changed to an incredible rage. “Bastard! Let go of my leg!” He snapped ferociously, trying to force away his leg from Xavier’s lazy grasp. Yet, for some reason, he wasn’t able to move it an inch—It was as though the leg was being held by the large hand of a deity and not the seemingly weak Xavier. “Are you deaf? I say let go of my leg!” He barked and Xavier instantly smiled slightly before nodding his head. “Sure,” he responded before continuing just as the Lion King was about to heave a sigh of relief.
***** Inside a quiet, peaceful, and rough bedroom that has the appearance of a war aftermath, a sudden vibration sounded and the next second, two bloodshot eyes snapped open. Very lazy to the peak and still sleepy, Grace, not seeing her present appearance twitched, wanting to pick up the phone ringing. Just then, she felt a warm body against her skin, scaring her badly. She jumped back and stared with full alert, preparing to engage in case someone had intruded on her bedroom. The following second, however, she saw probably the most handsome body she’d seen in her life. Although the body was lean, it was well-built with no excess muscles or fat. Just as she liked it. Though her heart skipped a bit at the sight of this body, Grace was able to ignore it, instead, her gaze slowly turned cold in an instant and she was about to yell when; everything that happened the previous night came crashing into her brain. Her face paled the next second and she appeared to have don
*****The atmosphere in the conference room was so stifling at this moment, the tension so thick it was almost tangible, as every eye remained locked on Lucius. “He… he is really young master Lucius?” one of the representatives stuttered.“What’s he doing here?” Another murmured in a daze.“Wasn’t he the one who ordered our various companies to pressure Sky Group?”“Or… could he be here to finish them off?”Murmurs spread among the representatives, their confusion evident in their wary glances at Lucius, trying to decipher the reason behind Lucius’s presence.Grace, however, remained outwardly indifferent, though her heart churned with a mix of nervousness, confusion, and suspicion.‘What’s he doing here again?’ she wondered, her cold gaze on him. ‘Didn’t I already make it clear to him yesterday that I would never have anything to do with him again?’Finally, Mason.He still appeared utterly dumbfounded right now. His earlier fury completely vanished, replaced by an overwhe
*****The atmosphere in the conference room was so stifling at this moment, the tension so thick it was almost tangible, as every eye remained locked on Lucius. “He… he is really young master Lucius?” one of the representatives stuttered.“What’s he doing here?” Another murmured in a daze.“Wasn’t he the one who ordered our various companies to pressure Sky Group?”“Or… could he be here to finish them off?”Murmurs spread among the representatives, their confusion evident in their wary glances at Lucius, trying to decipher the reason behind Lucius’s presence.Grace, however, remained outwardly indifferent, though her heart churned with a mix of nervousness, confusion, and suspicion.‘What’s he doing here again?’ she wondered, her cold gaze on him. ‘Didn’t I already make it clear to him yesterday that I would never have anything to do with him again?’Finally, Mason.He still appeared utterly dumbfounded right now. His earlier fury completely vanished, replaced by an overwhe
*****The tension in the conference room was suffocating at this moment, a taut silence following Xavier's nonchalant words. “Again?” one of the representatives whispered, their astonishment breaking the stillness.Suppose the representatives had initially dismissed Xavier’s earlier remarks as a slip of the tongue or some misunderstanding, his repeated references to Grace as his wife left no room for doubt, the weight of this revelation, striking them like a tidal wave.Their eyes instinctively turned to Grace, knowing that if she had failed to hear Xavier before, she must have heard him clearly now. To their shock, however, her expression remained composed—eerily calm.This lack of denial instantly deepened the representatives’ confusion, and they exchanged dumbstruck glances, as though they’d just stumbled upon a secret capable of shaking the very foundations of the world.‘Grace is married?’ all thought in unison, their hearts pounding at this revelation.Mason, Honey, and
*****The conference room was still as death right now, the air heavy with tension.All eyes continued darting between Mason, who currently stood in stunned silence, acting as though he had just eaten a bunch of flies, and the handsome newcomer, who had just casually stridden in, exuding confidence, his easy demeanor somehow commanding attention.Different thoughts went through the representatives’ minds and their confusion cackled like static in the silence.This continued for what felt like an eternity until finally;“Hmph!” Honey broke the spell with a derisive snort.“What’s a nobody like you doing here?” Her voice dripped with disdain, fury, darkness, and coldness.“Huh…” The representatives blinked, stunned.‘Was he really not the powerful backer that brat had been arrogant about?’They thought, the realization hitting them like a punch.In the next instant, all their attention swung back to Mason, whose face was now a shade of crimson—embarrassment, anger, and disbeli
*****“So, President Mason, you said we only needed to wait a minute. It’s been almost three hours now since then. What exactly are we waiting for?” One of the representatives asked without standing up, now showing his complete disregard for Mason and the entire Sky group as a whole.While the question sounded as polite as possible, it was tinged with simmering frustration and unhappiness.They had thought that having been made to return to his senses, Mason would at least try to address them now, but contrary to their thoughts;Mason, slouched arrogantly in the president’s chair, shot the speaker a venomous glare, his irritation still lingering from his earlier defeat in the video game.“Then get the hell out of my company if you can’t wait again!” he snapped, his tone as sharp as broken glass.“This…” Everyone flinched, following which a stunned silence fell over the room, the representatives staring at Mason, their jaws slack with disbelief.“P-President Mason…” one of them
*****Back in Sky Group.“President Mason, what exactly are we waiting for?”The voice of Praise, one of the representatives suddenly cut through the heavy silence that had settled over the conference room like an oppressive fog, her question echoing what everyone in the room had been thinking for the past hour as their patience eroded like sand in an unforgiving tide.As soon as her voice sounded, all eyes immediately darted toward Mason, who had returned over an hour ago only to slump lazily in the president’s chair, hunched over his cell phone, completely absorbed in a video game.That’s right.One would have thought he would have addressed the room after his return, but no. As though he wasn’t the one they were waiting for, he had been frantically playing the video game since his return, his thumbs clicking rapidly across the screen of his cell phone, sweat glistening on his brow, as though he were locked in a life-or-death struggle in the virtual world.….“Die! Just die
*****”Young… young master,” a trembling voice abruptly broke the silence inside a lavish hotel room.The speaker was a flushed, naked woman who was currently sprawled across a king-sized bed, gazing up with watery eyes, her breath shallow and uneven.Perched on the edge of the bed, Lucius—equally unclothed—was just setting down his phone.His sharp, cold eyes immediately flicked toward the naked lady, and in the next instant, his expression darkened with unrestrained disgust.“Snap out of it already, you whore!” he barked, his voice cutting through the intimate atmosphere like a whip.“This…” The lady jolted as though slapped, the haze in her eyes dissipating like the wind.She stared at Mason in bewilderment, unsure how the man who had just shared a heated moment with her—whom they were just planning another round together could transform so quickly.She couldn’t react for a moment, but then recalling that this was how Lucius always turned cold and dismissive after getting wh
*****For a brief moment after Mason shattered the palpable tension in the room, silence reigned, everyone staring dazedly at him, frozen in disbelief.This stillness stretched on, only to be broken by the nervous shuffling of the representatives, who hastily wiped the beads of sweat from their brows, their gazes flitting nervously toward Grace, her earlier icy demeanor still fresh in their minds.‘As expected of the Ice Goddess,’ they thought uneasily, recalling the sheer weight of the presence she had released from a mere question alone.‘No wonder no one else from the company dared come, no matter what bonuses were promised,’ some of them thought, swallowing hard.Grace, meanwhile, sat motionless, her gaze fixated on Mason with a mixture of confusion and incredulity.She had been moments away from taking control of the situation, fully prepared to salvage what she could—even when she knew perfectly well that she’d ultimately lose the company to Mason.‘Why would he do that?’ th
***** At first, Grace had been deeply shaken by the coordinated actions of the partner companies, whose perfectly timed decisions to cut ties and demand repayment of debts seemed almost too calculated. The coincidence had been heavily weighing on her mind, and this was what she had been trying to process when Mason's sudden accusation hit her like a bolt of lightning. His words left her momentarily stunned. But as she regained her composure, her gaze fixed on Mason, her eyes narrowing, and her expression turning cold and resolute. “You… seriously believe I’d sabotage the company I’ve spent my life building?” she asked, her voice sharp and frosty, cutting through the charged silence like a blade. “What will a desperate witch not do?” A derisive snort responded, drawing everyone’s attention to the speaker, Honey, who was currently glaring venomously at Grace, her lips curling with spite. Grace’s brows immediately knitted with dissatisfaction. “What do you mean?” She ask