“Your time is up.”Then, Fred placed both arms behind his back and slowly made his way to the door.Leroy froze for a second and stood with his back straightened. He could not move from his spot at all as he watched Fred slowly walk out of the hall.Boom!With a loud explosion, the ceiling came falling down.The entire Chavezs’ residence fell three feet under the ground and its roof collapsed in itself. Leroy was also flattened by the rubble.Outside the residence, Fred could be seen slowly walking out of the ruins that once was a grandiose mansion owned by the Chavezs.Prince’s eyes were filled with reverence.Ever since he saw the fierce glint in Neal’s eyes at the coffee shop that day, he knew that the younger was going to dig his own grave.Still, he did not expect this day to come so quickly and for Fred’s method to be so intense. The Chavezs who have put down their roots in San Hanna for decades were gone.“As expected of the revered Great One.” Prince sighed but felt
‘Opal’s father, Tobias Payne?‘Speak of the devil.’Fred frowned slightly at the commanding tone and demanding attitude of the other man as the elder continued to speak.“I hope you’re on time because I do not like waiting for people. You should know that you are not worth me waiting for anyway.”Then, without waiting for Fred’s response, Tobias ended the call.As if he was confident that Fred would not dare to decline.‘Great One, is that Tobias Payne?”Prince seemed to guess the tone he was using after taking a look at Fred’s frown, and quickly explained, “Tobias has only just returned yesterday. His knowledge of you is as far as what happened at the gathering Neal and Serena held, Great One. He knows nothing about Fantastic Group or that my family has sworn its loyalty to you, let alone your identity as the Great One.”‘Knows nothing?’ Fred scoffed.If he knew nothing, what about his daughter Serena?Had she not been taught enough of a lesson last time, or did she not sa
This was why Tobias reacted so drastically when he found out that Fred was the one who sent Opal home.Still, Serena could not help but recall what happened that night when she thought about Fred.“Dad! Fred isn’t just any ordinary person. I…”“You mean how the hotel shook just because he stomped his foot? Ridiculous!”Tobias scoffed in disdain. “Who do you think he is, some martial god? He’s just some random brat. Not even those trust-fund children you’re friends with know about him. How powerful can he be?”“But Opal felt it too,” Serena quickly said.“Opal? Haven’t you heard that love makes one blind?”Tobias scoffed. “She has never been intimate with any other man. This is the first time she’s fallen in love, who says she can’t lie for that brat? And as for what you felt, he just managed to scare you!“And so what if he’s not ordinary? Could he be more powerful than the Halwarts?”‘More powerful than the Halwarts?’ Serena did not know what to say.So, while Fred’s stomp
‘How presumptuous!‘How insolent!’Tobias, who was still boastful moments ago, felt fury rage within him instantly at Fred’s question. His gaze turned cold.Slowly, Tobias got to his feet and scoffed at Fred. “You truly are an ignorant brat.”“I just told you that overconfident and ignorant people tend to die young. Is that what you want to be?”Fred asked calmly, “Are you threatening me?”“Threaten? Haha! No.”Tobias smirked. “You aren’t important enough to deserve my threats. I am warning you.“I don’t care who gave you your confidence, and I don’t care what methods you have. You only need to know that you need to get lost from Opal’s life and never show yourself to her again. Perhaps then, I could leave you alive. Otherwise, I hope you’re ready to pay a painful price!”Tobias’ expression turned frosty and was filled with murderous intent by the time he was finished. As if he would skin Fred alive if the man dared to protest.Yet, Fred remained unfazed. “Not many can make m
“Dad, you’re here.”The Supreme Hall was on the second floor of the Paynes Hotel. Tobias walked out of the elevator and reconvened with Serena who had been waiting for him.“Where’s Mr. Cullen?” Tobias nodded and asked.“I’ve already arranged for him to wait in the Supreme Hall. We’re waiting for you.”Despite talking about Mr. Cullen, Serena was thinking about Fred.The only reason Tobias arrived late was to deal with Fred. Now that he was here and calm, it must mean that Fred had been dealt with.Serena exhaled in relief and smiled internally.‘Looks like I did fall for his tricks that day. But even if Fred is a successful man, how could he compare to us? After all, this is a capitalistic world. People like Fred who become boastful just because he has some skill are not worth our time.’Creak.Just as Serena’s thoughts flew wildly, Tobias’ subordinate opened the door and Tobias entered the Supreme Hall.Inside sat Peter, sipping on tea under the bright lights and lavish dec
‘The chairman of Fantastic Group is here, and he wants to see me?’Tobias thought Peter was about to reject him, but after hearing the rest of his sentence, Tobias was stunned.After the shock passed, Tobias felt excited and overjoyed.This was the chairman of Fantastic Group, Somerland’s wealthiest man with a net worth of hundreds of billions!Yet this man had come to his hotel to meet him?How could Tobias remain calm?‘R-really?” Tobias asked.“Mhmm.”Peter smiled. “He’s actually met both you and Miss Payne before.”“Me?”Serena was stunned. She immediately tried to recall if she had met anyone with an extraordinary aura before.Tobias’ thoughts began to stray.It was no secret among the commercial circle that the chairman of Fantastic Group was a wealthy young man.Did this mysterious chairman set his eyes on Serena?If that is the case, the Paynes would flourish!Instantly, Tobias tapped Serena’s shoulder and said solemnly, “Freshen up and come with me to meet the c
‘From the Supreme Hall on the twenty-second floor to the Rhododendron Hall on the second floor?‘Within one minute?‘And he doesn’t like waiting?‘What’s that supposed to mean? Is he doing this on purpose?’Tobias walked out of the Supreme Hall with a huge frown on his face. He felt most uncomfortable about the last sentence, about not liking to wait. For some reason, it sounded familiar.Serena was still caught up in her excitement and turned to her dad when she saw him stand outside the door. “Come on, Dad! The chairman of Fantastic Group only gave us one minute!”“That’s not enough time if we want to take the elevator,” Tobias frowned.Serena did not take it to heart. “This is the chairman of Fantastic Group! He is the wealthiest man in Somerland, of course, his time would be precious!”Tobias felt enlightened.Indeed. For the chairman of Fantastic Group and Somerland’s wealthiest man, so what if he had a temper?He nodded. “You’re right, we don’t have much time! We have t
‘F-F-Fred Hoffman!’Tobias was stunned and Serena gasped in shock. Both their eyes were filled with disbelief when they saw Fred’s face.‘Weren’t they supposed to meet Fantastic Group’s chairman?‘Why is Fred here?’“What are you doing here, you brat?” Tobias roared, infuriated.He felt like he had been played.His respect and courtesy had been for the chairman of Fantastic Group, not Fred!Tobias said wretchedly, “Didn’t I call someone to keep a good eye on you? How did you get out?”“You mean them?” Fred asked calmly, pointing at the floor a short distance away.Tobias glanced over and his expression darkened at what he saw. Only now did he see that two men were lying unconscious on the ground. Specifically, they were the subordinates he had demanded to keep watch on Fred.“You brat…” Tobias shouted.Edwin scoffed, interrupting him. “How dare you! Who the h*ll do you think you are? How dare you scold our chairman? Are you asking to have your restaurant and hotel closed d
Marciella walking away did not bode well with the giant snake. Marciella was its food! How could it accept that its food had escaped?Marciella had not moved far yet. She reluctantly looked back at Fred.She did not know how Fred would handle the River God. She could only hope Fred would be okay!When Fred saw that she had left, he geared up, rubbing his palms in glee. He had an eager look on his face, which confused the giant snake.It was the snake’s first time meeting a man like Fred!How strange indeed!At this time!Suddenly, Fred said with hostility etched on his face, "Hey, Big Snake, what are you going to do now?"The snake's attention was entirely focused on him, which seemed off to Fred."What I’m going to do?"The giant snake fixated its eyes on Fred. It felt that it could handle a human like Fred easily.“I’m going to kill you with one bite! How dare you look down on me like this!"The giant snake rushed toward Fred fiercely at a speed so fast that no one could
Fred was annoyed by the giant snake's arrogant tone. Fred squinted his eyes at the snake and asked in confusion, "Why are you making that face?"“Huh?"The giant snake was shocked. He thought that Fred would submit to him, but to his surprise, Fred was not shaken at all.The snake was about to lose his temper.“Dirty snake, haven't I made myself clear enough? I think you are probably sleep-talking if you want me to hand over my people to you..." Fred said impatiently.At this moment…Feeling that it was being ridiculed, the snake said suddenly, "You punk, this is the first time anyone spoke to me this way. What is your name?"“Me?"Fred was stunned subconsciously, not knowing what the snake wanted. Suddenly, he understood.“Did you want to know my name so you can remember me, bow down before me, and become my follower? Sure, I’ll give you that chance!"He was adding fuel to the fire. The giant snake almost spat out blood in anger!"What? You want me to follow an immature bei
Huh!?Putting aside Marciella, even Fred could not hide his shock as a giant snake appeared from under the water!A giant snake!How could it be!?Fred's eyes widened at the sheer size of the snake. "A Giant Snake… Is this the so-called River God?"Moreover, the size was humongous. The snake must be at least ten stories high!What a huge snake!Fred finally understood why he felt a powerful force under the water!There was a sharp glint in the giant snake’s eyes! That was the blinking light from time to time!"Who comes here? Are you from the village? Who do you plan to sacrifice to me this time?" As soon as the giant snake spoke, Fred realized that this was not the first time it had done this.The snake seemed familiar with the ritual process. Obviously, the villagers had witnessed this giant snake before. This was the meeting between the two sides! Fred felt uncomfortable at this. As for the giant snake, it felt bemused when it saw Fred. The snake had never seen Fred befo
Fred was going to risk it all to open this girl's eyes!The force from the punch was extraordinary! As soon as the tree was hit by the seismic fist, it fell immediately and the whole tree split neatly in two!Marciella was dumbfounded!Although she knew how powerful Fred was, to witness his power was a different thing entirely!"Master Fred, your power is insane!"Marciella could not help but applaud.Fred seemed indifferent, as though he had no feeling at all about this."Is it? Why do you think so?"He looked so indifferent.For Ancient Martial Arts, things did not get any simpler than this!"You’re so strong. Anyway, I don’t doubt you anymore..." Marciella sighed, suddenly feeling very sad. "This is the reward of being educated. If we were more knowledgeable, we wouldn’t be so clueless.”"Haha, if you can't solve your issues, your descendants can work harder," Fred said with a wink.Marciella said, "Mr. Fred, I needed to ask you something! What if our luck was changed ju
What Fred said aroused her curiosity."What does it look like when you offer a sacrifice?"Fred knew he could not speak of this matter. Sure enough, Marciella felt a little downcast after Fred said the words. She did not know why Fred would say such a thing. Suddenly, Fred felt bad about it.He coughed and said, "Don't think too much about it... I just want to find a clue. Maybe we could find a solution. Why does it never rain in your village?""Huh?"Marciella's eyes, which were still a little dejected, suddenly realized what was important and asked hurriedly, "Mr. Fred, are you saying that the reason why it never rains in our village is because someone is behind it?"Although Fred was unwilling to admit it, he could not help but nod. "Yes, this is exactly what you thought!""For real?!"Marciella felt hopeful again when she heard this. She said hastily, "The thing you asked about is pretty simple. You can just check out that place!""That place?"Fred turned around to see w
Marciella found herself nodding in agreement with Fred's harsh assessment. "You're spot on," she said. "That woman is nothing but vile!"Seeing Marciella's reaction, a rare smile crossed Fred's face as he nodded back. "Glad you see it my way," he said.What caught Fred off guard was the villagers' reaction. One by one, their faces turned ashen with despair.It seemed to them that nothing could be worse than the predicament they were facing. The absence of the witch spelled doom for the village—it was like their last shred of hope had vanished. They had all put their faith in her to charm the River God into blessing them with rain, which would have brought some peace to their troubled lives. However, now their chances seemed to have dried up just like their fields. Fred stood there, his face a mask of serenity amidst the chaos.In the moments that followed, the village chief was a picture of despair, his only option was to send everyone home while he racked his brain for a backup pl
"What?"Fred did not even have time to blink before the witch suddenly made a move.It was like a bomb went off.Kaboom!Then, she was dead!Fred dusted off his hands, even surprising himself with his lack of tolerance for the witch.Now, though, he had a real headache. He had planned to clear the air with the witch and lay out the past so everyone would know the full picture.He thought that might just turn things around.The situation changed when she vanished, and Fred's plans were completely derailed. Then again, changing the villagers' minds was not going to be a walk in the park anyway. They were pretty set in their ways, thanks to all the stuff they had been fed.As such, just talking it out might not cut it. Heck, it could even mess with history!With the witch out of the equation, Fred figured he might as well try a different tactic. Maybe if he took out the guy in the cloak and worked his own magic to bring some rain, it could save a lot of hassle. The more he thoug
"No way!"The witch bristled with defiance. She could not accept that she was no match for Fred.As she noticed Fred's focus was locked on her, a sly idea popped up in her mind.Before she could act on it, though, she found herself pinned against the wall by Fred in a flash...Her face contorted in disbelief. She was pinned so tightly that she could not even move!The witch was completely overpowered, her heart racing with panic.How could he be so much stronger than her?Fred, on the other hand, seemed unfazed."What's going through your head? You don't seriously think you can take me on, do you?" Fred asked, his voice laced with skepticism.The witch felt utterly trapped, as if at any second, Fred might just finish her off."Look, I messed up, okay? Can we not do this? I'm old, just a pile of brittle bones—I can't take this kind of rough treatment!" the witch pleaded with Fred, trying a new tactic to get through to him.Fred was not falling for it. He looked at her with a
"Heh, I caught on to you a while back, you know. You've been tailing me, and I'm pretty sure you're here for me. Plus, you don't have the look of someone from our village. That means you are an outsider, and I'm your target, right? Listen, man, we don't have any beef with each other, so why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"The witch had sensed the raw power rolling off Fred, and it was enough to send shivers down her spine!At that moment, she knew that challenging Fred was not going to be a walk in the park! If she had spotted him earlier in the forest, it would not have been good news for her. For starters, she had no clue how many tricks Fred had up his sleeve, and if he took her down, she and her buddy would be toast.However, the witch was not about to let Fred take her out without a fight! She racked her brain and finally settled on one strategy!She would try to sweet-talk him, hoping Fred would fall for her words just like everyone else, and fall into he