Dave's heart pounded like a drum as he blurted out, "This can't be real. How can this be?""Ah, but anything is possible," Barett replied, his voice laced with a mocking chill. "You're in the stronghold of the legendary Milo Steinbach, the former world-renowned second-strongest being, the Holy Lord of the Black Dragon mercenaries. Did you think that you, a mere low-tier Ability user, could interfere?""Let me spell it out for you. The second you and that fool Fred set foot in here, you signed your death warrants."Dave's hopes shattered instantly. Consumed by dread and the primal desire to live, he turned to Barett and pleaded, "I don't want to die! Especially not without Deanna! Please, spare me!""Spare you?" Barett laughed. "I might consider it. All you have to do is kneel and swear your undying loyalty to me. Be my dog, and I might let you see another day."The notion tangled Dave's thoughts. Normally, he would never bend to Barett, a mere mortal, but normalcy had left the bui

'The moment Fred neuters our powers, we'll be dead men—no better than corpses in a gutter by dawn,‘ Ulric and Greywulf shared a moment of horrifying realization. Fred looked indifferent to their horror. His face was like a sheet of ice. When you swore loyalty to Fred, any slip-up was not as simple as a mistake—it was a betrayal. A betrayal that had nearly endangered the people he considered family. If Stellar had not intervened, the consequences would have been severe. As such, Fred raised his hand, and for a moment, the air shimmered gold. "God damn it!" Greywulf's teeth nearly shattered from the pressure. He lunged into a defensive stance. "Ulric, snap out of it! Are you just going to let him maim us?" Ulric let out a desolate laugh. What was the point of resisting when facing an apex predator like Fred? Then, almost as if on cue, the air was filled with applause—a mocking soundtrack to their plight. Morgan had materialized beside them, his face twisted in a mocking grin.

Though Morgan outwardly scoffed at the idea, the weight of Fred's aura left him utterly broken. Minutes before, he had been struggling to maintain a kneeling posture. Now, he was sprawled out on the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Ulric and Greywulf were no better off—they were in a state of utter despair. What made this more harrowing was that Fred had only wielded his intimidating aura. He had not even bothered to lay a finger on them. How could they not feel like they were standing at the edge of an abyss, staring into the black void of hopelessness? Barett was experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions—from euphoria to anguish, back to elation, and plummeting again to despair. His very core beliefs wavered like a fragile house of cards in a storm. "How? How can this be?" Barett bellowed, staring at Morgan, who lay defeated on the cold earth. "You are a powerhouse of The Ability Alliance! How can you be so..." At the mention of The Ability Alliance, a glimmer

Ruth Tilbury?Getting into trouble?Fred frowned slightly at Director Cooper's phone conversation, but he kept quiet.It was not until Director Cooper hung up the phone that Fred asked, "Is Ruth in school now?""Yes!" Director Cooper nodded slightly and sighed. "Well, the school just called and said she got into trouble again...""Can I go take a look? I could help if you need anything!" Fred immediately asked.‘Take a look?’ Director Cooper thought to herself and hesitated.However, she had read the information that Fred handed her. Fred seemed quite well prepared and nothing was amiss.With that in mind, Director Cooper nodded slightly and said, "I didn't expect this girl to actually find her relatives. That's great news! Let’s talk about the specifics when we come back later. Follow me!"With that, Director Cooper collected the information and walked out with Fred and his entourage.…Despite being an orphan, Ruth was fairly decent in both character and academics when she

"Shall I handle this?"At this moment, Fred slowly stepped forward while giving Gustav some instructions before asking him to leave. Then, he smiled at Director Cooper.“You can?"Director Cooper was stunned but decided to trust Fred since he took the initiative to stand up in this situation.She nodded and said, "Okay! I'll leave it to you!"With that, Director Cooper continued to comfort Ruth, while Fred slowly stepped forward."Who are you?" Mr. Naimon frowned slightly as he looked at Fred.Fred responded casually and glanced at Mr. Naimon. "Strictly speaking, I’m considered Ruth Tilbury's guardian in the future! So, state your number!""W-what did you say?" Mr. Naimon's frown immediately deepened.Fred continued indifferently, "Since I’ve stepped forward, I would want to solve the problem! State your number!"Before Mr. Naimon could speak, Mrs. Naimon snorted disdainfully. "Who do you think you are to ask for a number?! Do you think my precious son's injuries be measured