*****Although the old man had already witnessed how Xavier was respectfully regarded by the soldiers and had seen his sudden change in aura—assuming an entirely different presence in the blink of an eye, like a savant—he had never really expected that Xavier would actually really be a visitor of the Blackwoods.The Blackwoods—one of the most influential and powerful families in Riverton City, the very family he had rushed to Riverton City for, which he had been yearning all year to encounter, knowing that meeting them would be the breakthrough he needed to finally return to his village and reunite with his daughter. Yet, he had carried someone esteemed enough to be a friend of this family without knowing.If only he had realized who Xavier truly was from the start, he would have never dared to be so brash or dismissive, even cautioning him against meeting his guests.Dang! Would he even have dared to call someone powerful and important enough to become a friend of such a gigantic
*****For a long time after Xavier and the soldiers departed, God’s Time continued to stay in a daze, constantly reflecting on all the stories and sincere advice he had shared with Xavier—even urging him to go back to his village, believing that the city wasn’t suitable for someone like him.‘I had even considered taking someone as important as that back to the town and suggested that he could spend the night at his home before heading back to his village the next day.’ He also thought.It was only after about twenty minutes that the old man finally came back to his senses, and as soon as he did, a pained, embarrassed smile crossed his face as he released a long, heavy, and deep sigh.“Why did I even decide to assume he was like me, stereotyping him to be a poor person so quickly?” he muttered, feeling an intense urge to find a rabbit hole to crawl into, especially after recalling his opinions about the Blackwoods that he had shared with Xavier.Once again, the old man sighed dee
***** Although it was already late in the night, the interior of the Blackwoods’ estate was still brightly illuminated as if it were midday. The entire place was so well-lit to the extent that even the slightest hint of shadow could not be seen. One might even easily mistake it for daytime without a glimpse of the sky. ‘No wonder he easily gave out that villa without as much as a single hesitation,’ Xavier, taking in the estate’s grandeur couldn’t help but thought to himself as he sat in the car. He finally understood why the old man would willingly part with his prized villa in Oceanview. The Blackwoods’ estate was not just breathtakingly beautiful; even though Oceanview looked like something plucked straight from a painting, it seemed to lack the ethereal charm of this place—as if the Blackwoods’ estate belonged in paradise itself. Unfortunately, however, apart from this aesthetic part of the estate, the divine presence it contains, and the natural formation of heaven
***** By the time Xavier was deep inside the old man’s villa, the sense of danger had escalated to a level he could no longer ignore. Unable to pinpoint the source, however, he had no option but to keep following, all the while wondering where the threat might be coming from. Though the old man radiated immense power, his strength being the strongest Xavier had encountered since returning to Riverton City—there wasn’t even the slightest trace of malice directed toward himself, and the danger wasn't even coming from him to begin with. The old man’s three sons were a different story. Unlike their father, they constantly looked at him with cold, hostile stares that filled the air with an unspoken but clear threat, however, like their father, the sense of danger being felt by Xavier wasn’t from them, and with all this, Xavier became incredibly perplexed. “So, what’s going on?” Feeling the sense of danger that had now begun to make his pulse race and a chill running down his spi
*****“You…” Aldric, hearing his second brother’s low grow and knowing he would definitely do what he just said became so terrified that he quickly grabbed his arm, holding it tightly.“Don’t be a fool,” he chastised furiously, his face a mask of warning while his voice heavily tinged with fear and panic. “You act now, and we lose the only chance of ever being able to save Father from his control!”******Meanwhile, unaware of what had just happened between his sons, the Blackwood patriarch wore a prideful smile that he couldn't quite hide right now. “Don’t mock my family’s little strength, young friend. This small amount of strength we possess could barely harm a chicken, let alone level the city,” he replied awkwardly to Xavier’s question, attempting to sound modest but instead coming off as arrogant, and hearing him, Xavier couldn’t help but roll his eyes.Quite the boast,’ he thought before shaking his head, the earlier pressure he had felt fading away, thinking he had finall
*****Cassandra has always been widely known as the princess of the Blackwoods, being its only grandchild.Apart from her usually stern father, Cassandra had only ever known love, affection, and attention from everyone in her life, especially her grandfather, who had only ever spoiled her beyond what anyone could imagine.He had always gone to the very extreme to ensure her happiness and according to several analyses, it was even said that the old man would rather face the world as an enemy and get chased to the furthest reaches than let the tiniest harm, even the smallest ant touch his cherished and beloved granddaughterThis is the extent to which the old man loves Cassandra and how deeply he cares for her, and she has always known it—which is why he has been her favorite person since childhood. But now…“Grand… grandfather…” After what finally felt like ages spent reeling from the reality of the question that the old man had just inquired, Cassandra, who had initially expected
*****While the three brothers could do nothing other than eagerly wait for him to take a bite of the poisoned meal set before him, the unsuspecting Xavier remained stunned by the old man’s question.If only Xavier had known that in the three brothers' eyes, he was nothing more than a malicious demon who had turned their father into a lifeless puppet while aiming to use Cassandra as a means to enter and claim their family, he would have been too stunned to the core and wouldn't be able to react for a long time. The idea that he’d go to such lengths to control the Blackwood patriarch would have been incredibly laughable to him, a ridiculous notion, as he’d never held the family in any regard whatsoeverHad he also understood their true intentions toward him, he would have been incredibly furious—so much so that he’d first laugh in mockery, amused that they wanted him dead based merely on such a flimsy assumption before finally succumbing to anger.Unfortunately, however, Xavier was
*****“Why on earth did I even think this devious bastard would waste time on formalities, first pretending he wasn’t interested all in the name of thinking we are still clueless about his plans?” Darius, after a long period of shock like everyone else, couldn’t help but grit his teeth, his fury reaching its peak.“Can’t we just get rid of him already?” Roland, who had never experienced such intense frustration in his life before acting, muttered through clenched teeth, heat practically steaming from his nostrils as he exhaled sharply from rage and madness.The two brothers, along with Aldric, began to tremble with rage, their fists clenching and unclenching as Xavier’s words struck a nerve.Meanwhile, just a few feet away from the three, the elderly head of the Blackwood family remained oblivious to his sons’ reactions, instead sitting in stunned silence, his gaze fixed on Xavier with a dumbstruck expression on his face from his response to his question.He had initially anticip