Ethan groaned as he stirred, the scent of blood still thick in the air. His body no longer ached. Instead, a strange energy pulsed through him, as if a dam had burst open inside his veins. His fingers curled. The ring on his hand glowed faintly. “What the hell…” A flood of knowledge crashed into his mind—techniques, movements, abilities far beyond his understanding. His breath hitched. It was as if an ancient force had awakened within him. Before he could process it, a snarl echoed through the dimly lit cage. The dogs. Their once-aggressive stance wavered. One by one, they whimpered and backed away, their heads lowering. They’re… bowing? To me?Ethan’s heart pounded. He took a cautious step forward. The strongest of the pack—a monstrous black hound with piercing red eyes—let out a low growl, but it wasn’t threatening. It was submissive. A grin tugged at Ethan’s lips. Whatever had changed within him… it was real. A sharp gust of wind swept through the cage, car

Yvonne giggled, tilting her head. “He's just like a housefly buzzing around a feast, thinking it belongs to the table.” Ethan chuckled, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Funny. But remind me—when has a housefly ever walked away from the table uncrushed?” Blanche turned to the clerk with a huff. “You see how disrespectful he is? And you’re still considering letting him take the herb?” The clerk, desperate to please her, nodded quickly. “Yes, Madam. This establishment values its esteemed clientele above all." The clerk shifted his gaze to Ethan. "Sir, please be reasonable. You wouldn’t want to cause trouble, would you?” Ethan inhaled deeply,clenching his jaw. So that’s how it is? Just because these two draped themselves in gold and reeked of self-importance, they expected the world to bend to their will. He leveled the clerk with a cold stare. “First come, first served. That’s how business works. Or do you just make up the rules as you go?” Blanche rolled her eyes. . “O

Vanessa sat at her sleek vanity, her fingers drumming against the polished surface as she listened to her mother’s indignant huffing on the other end of the line. “You should have seen it, darling,” Blanche seethed. "That filthy stray acted like he was somebody important! If I hadn’t witnessed it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it!” Vanessa’s eyes remained cold as she adjusted her earrings. “That doesn’t matter,” Vanessa said flatly. “Tomorrow, at Aurelius Group's anniversary celebration, I’ll be attending with Damian. That's what matters for now. I’ll make sure he gets a proper lesson afterwards." Blanche gasped, excitement immediately replacing her anger. “Oh, you’re going with Damian?” Vanessa smirked slightly. “Yes. And trust me, Damian won’t let Ethan continue to act out. He’ll remind that stray dog of his place.” Yvonne practically squealed. “Oh, this is perfect! He’s just pretending to be rich. I can't wait to see how Damian will get him utterly humiliated!”

Ethan stood in the gleaming lobby of Aurelius Group’s headquarters, every nerve in his body thrumming with energy. The guard he’d slapped away was sprawled several feet back, groaning in pain. Nearby, Damian and Vanessa looked on with a mixture of shock and smug triumph, as if believing that, any second now, Ethan would be dragged out in disgrace.A small crowd of onlookers, many of them lower-level employees or visitors to Aurelius Group, began to gather around.Their hushed murmurs and curious glances only amplified the tension in the air.The fallen guard struggled to his feet, his voice hoarse with anger.“He… he attacked me! This guy’s got a fake black card, and he’s causing trouble!"Ethan merely rolled his shoulders, refusing to rise to the provocation. He couldn’t help but notice Vanessa’s derisive smirk and the condescending tilt of Damian’s head as they both seemed to savor the spectacle.“Fake card, huh?” Ethan said softly, holding the sleek, jet-black piece of plastic b

Vanessa’s and Damien’s mouths fell open in shock at the sight before them— Sir Chandler, apologizing to Ethan. Damien ignored Sir Chandler’s warnings and sneered. “Are you seriously apologizing to this worthless bastard?” He let out a scoff, his brows drawing together in disbelief. “Or wait… are you two in on this together?” His lips curled in disgust as he gestured at Ethan. “Did you set this up? Is this your doing?” Straightening his suit, he gave Sir Chandler a look of pure disdain. “Don’t worry, once the chairman signs that document, this will be your last day here. Scum like you, who will always be filth no matter where you go, don’t belong in a place like this. I’ll personally make sure you crawl back to the gutter where you came from—” The manager stepped closer to Damian and whispered something in his ear. "You clearly don't know who he is, Mr. Damiab. I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut—" "Or what?!" Damian snapped at the manager, his face twisted in fury. Van