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***** “I*… ignorantly poi—poisoned him?” The frail Blackwood patriarch stood trembling, his once-commanding presence having faded to a ghostly shadow, weak and visibly terrified as he stuttered in absolute disbelief, swallowing hard as Darius’s words sank in. “We…” The three brothers stood frozen there, their faces deathly pale and eyes wide with shock as they stared at Xavier’s unmoving body on the floor. Like the old man, their minds were also paralyzed with disbelief right now, having forgotten what they had done due to the recent turn of events. It was as if their very souls had abandoned them at this moment, leaving them hollow for what felt like an eternity before finally, they comprehended the magnitude of what they had done—the plotting, the poison, and the twisted thrill they’d initially felt about Xavier’s downfall. Before long, a heavy silence blanketed the room, the brothers unsure how to react for a moment until finally; “You fools!” The old man roared in rage, thick
*****The Blackwoods hadn’t just assumed Xavier had died when he had slumped to the floor a moment ago. They had come to this conclusion after feeling every trace of vitality slip away from his body, leaving behind only a lifeless shell that seemed far beyond salvation which was why they had not bothered seeking treatment for him. Now… now, however…'How… how is this possible? Aldric, who had supplied the poison that Xavier had ingested, thought in absolute shock after a long time had passed, feeling as if his senses were betraying him.He had gone to extraordinary lengths to obtain the deadliest toxin he could find, a venom rumored to be unstoppable in all of Riverton. Yet here was Xavier, not in any way looking like someone who had just eaten a whole lot of it.Like Aldric, everyone else remained lost in their thoughts, still dumbstruck by the sight of the emotionless eyes fixed upon them. And just like that, the enormous dining hall remained shrouded in breathless silence, with
***** Moments ago, the three brothers had been filled with questions about how Xavier had managed to survive such a potent poison, but now, none dared to ask. They clenched their fists, frustration, embarrassment, and regret bubbling beneath their skin after hearing his spiteful words, something no one had dared to utter before to them. The tension lingered in the air, thick and suffocating for a long time. But then suddenly; “Thud!” An unexpected, resounding thud echoed through the hall, jolting everyone from their silence. Upon tracing the sound, they realized it came from Darius who had fallen to his knees before Xavier, his expression a mixture of desperation and anguish as he pleaded. “Young master,” he began, his voice trembling and thick with remorse, “I know forgiveness is too much to ask, especially after we had nearly taken your life without hesitation. But… but please, could you in your mercy put all the blame on me. I misjudged the truth due to checking the wron
*****“If luck and fate are truly on your side,” a calm, detached voice resonated through the eerily silent dining hall, where the pile of dishes on the large dining table lay untouched. Every gaze, every flicker, and ounce of focus, riveted on the speaker—a lean, tall, and incredibly man of unwavering composure, Xavier."Reaching the final stage of this technique is remarkably simple," he continued, his tone devoid of warmth as ever. "The benefits are twofold. First, the practitioner would gain unparalleled spiritual and physical strength, able to surpass ranks and defeat opponents far above them. And second..." Xavier's words floated out with the authority of a grandmaster imparting ancient wisdom rather than someone facing people whom he currently felt an unprecedented level of disgust for. He paused, his expression impassive, before resuming."The second benefit is that the practitioner would essentially become immune to aging and death." His words hung in the air, deepening th
*****As soon as everyone in the huge dining hall heard this emotionlessly cold voice, they instinctively turned their gazes toward the source of the sound, and upon seeing the speaker: Xavier, their hearts skipped a beat, and it felt as though they had been doused in cold water, each of them trembling for a moment as they subconsciously recalled what they had done to their savior.If before Xavier had given them this technique, they had felt guilty and apologetic, that was merely because of misunderstanding and betraying him. Now, however, feeling the insane level of the technique given to them by him and knowing how priceless it was, they felt a massive level of shame, remorse, and regret.'Aish, why didn’t we even give him a moment of doubt? Would someone with such a valuable resource that could bring all the first-rank powers in the city to their knees even need any reason to turn my father into a puppet and seize the family’s resources?' The three brothers couldn’t help but th
*****‘I really wish it wouldn’t come to this level and you’d be a friend, but I—I’m sorry, I can’t take the risk of leaving fire on my roof,’ the old man, staring at Xavier with such a stare that hides a level of killing intent which no one could believe thought and then an item appeared in his hand, which he was going to invoke, to summon all the hidden strength hiding in the mansion when suddenly, without any forewarning—“Would you really judge an entire family for the actions of just three of its members?” A soft, pleading voice cut through the tension in the room, catching everyone off guard, especially the elderly man.As soon as they turned to look at the owner, they saw Cassandra, her gaze locked unwaveringly on Xavier’s back, her expression both defiant and determined, unaware that her grandfather had just condemned Xavier to death.Meanwhile, hearing her question, Xavier, having just reached the doorway and about to exit, paused, making a tense silence once again fill t
*****As mentioned before, Cassandra had always been treated like a princess by everyone in her family, practically indulged, and as a result, she had developed an innate pride from childhood, even without realizing it.This haughtiness had also led her to subconsciously look down on others, never truly valuing anybody apart from her family, because, first, her family was among the most influential in the city, and second, she was the sole third-generation descendant, unlike the third-generation descendants from the other prominent families who had to compete and share resources.Initially, everybody apart from her father hadn’t minded, but in recent years, their concern for her had grown significantly, fearing that with her inflated standards—so far above anything Riverton or nearby cities could offer—she might never find anyone suitable for marriage, yet… yet, right now…For what seemed like an eternity after Cassandra’s proposal, no one could react, instead, disbelief and shock
*****“This…” Even after a long time had passed after hearing Xavier’s shocking and never-expected question, none of the Blackwood would return to their senses.They continued standing in an absolute stupor, gaping at him as if they had just discovered he was an alien and not the human they had originally thought him to be.His words continued to reverberate over and over again in their minds, and they continued refusing to believe their ears, not wanting to accept that Xavier had really said what they had heard.This was especially true for Cassandra, whose faint respect and sense of apology toward Xavier had shattered the moment she assumed he had been so easily won over by a woman.She continued standing there, numb and dumb, replaying his question in disbelief until finally…“You…” she raised a trembling finger toward Xavier, her voice choking with anger and confusion. “You… you clearly said that when… when…” she tried to recall any moment when Xavier had explicitly agreed t