*****For what felt like an eternity, nobody moved, spoke, or even seemed willing to breathe too loudly.Yet inside every mind, absolute chaos erupted.'He... is backing them?''The A-rank fighter... is personally backing the Myrons?''How could that possibly happen?''This must be a joke.''No... this isn't funny at all.''I refuse to believe it!'Some silently screamed, some desperately searched for flaws in the Prime Minister's statement, and others tried to convince themselves they had misunderstood.Unfortunately...The Prime Minister had spoken so clearly that misunderstanding was impossible.The reality landed with merciless force.Suddenly, every one of them recalled how confidently they had accused the prime minister of overestimating the Myrons.In the following second, they wished they could crawl beneath the council table and stay there until everyone forgot today's meeting ever happened.One elder even lowered his head in embarrassment.'A frog at the bottom of a well? No

*****At that very moment, while the elders of every first-rank power sat in stunned silence inside the council chamber, still struggling to process the prime minister's words, the storm outside continued to rage unchecked.By now, every single establishment belonging to the Revercrest family was already under attack.There wasn't a single property spared.Whether it was mansions, businesses, warehouses, training grounds, auction houses, or commercial branches bearing the Revercrest name, furious crowds had descended upon it like a tidal wave.And with the open support of the other first-rank families, together with the forces they had dispatched, the once-unshakable Revercrest estate… The fortress, countless people had once believed could withstand anything short of an invading army, had already fallen.The towering walls that once symbolized absolute authority had become little more than cracked ruins.The mighty gates had been smashed open, the magnificent courtyards had been tramp

*****Unlike his father, Lucius was pacing back and forth across the enormous living room without stopping.Every step was hurried, uneven, and restless, as though standing still for even a single second would suffocate him.His face was as pale as death, every trace of confidence long gone, replaced by naked horror.Cold sweat drenched his forehead, while his trembling hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched at his sides.“No... no... no...” he muttered to himself over and over, his voice trembling uncontrollably, every word soaked in fear. “This can't be... this can't be happening...”His entire body shivered nonstop, despite the room being comfortably warm.It looked as though he had been thrown into an endless blizzard that no one else could feel.Looking at him now, not a single person would have recognized the arrogant, overbearing Lucius who strutted around Riverton City as though the world revolved around him.That man seemed to have vanished completely, leaving no trace behi

*****Meanwhile, Lucius remained rooted to the floor, neither blinking nor moving.For what felt like forever, he just stared at the marble floor beneath him, his mind completely blank.Then, very slowly... as though awakening from a nightmare, he lifted his head, and his gaze settled on Augustus.At first, there was no emotion on his face.Then confusion crept in, which slowly twisted into disbelief.Before long, however, that disbelief hardened into shock, which lingered just long enough before it gradually transformed into something darker and colder.Finally... his lips parted.“You...” His voice was barely louder than a whisper. “You're blaming me?”The disbelief within those four words was almost tangible.He continued staring at Augustus as though looking at someone he had never met before.For another long moment, neither of them spoke.Then Lucius laughed once. Not because anything was funny.It was the laugh of someone who had just heard the greatest joke in existence.“Were

*****Hunter hadn't anticipated the revolting question Augustus had suddenly thrown at him, and so, an icy chill swept across his eyes for the briefest instant, and the temperature inside the room seemed to plummet as an overwhelming killing intent threatened to leak out.Fortunately, his years of enduring humiliation had forged an astonishing level of self-control.Before that murderous coldness could fully surface, he forcefully suppressed it, taking a slow breath as he restrained the fury boiling within him.Unfortunately for him, however, although the change had lasted for only a fraction of a second, it hadn't escaped Augustus and Lucius' notice.Their sharp eyes caught every subtle twitch in his expression, and immediately, the father and son exchanged an almost imperceptible glance before turning back toward Hunter, their lips curling into identical, disgusting smiles.They had found exactly what they were looking for."I don't know how you found out already," Lucius continued