******Without realizing it, Dalton began to drift forward in a slow, unsteady walk, straight toward the object lying on the very spot Glenn had been shoved away from seconds earlier.At first, no one noticed. Why would they?The gang of thugs was far too busy savoring the moment, mocking Glenn with venom-laced insults, and trading jabs about his impending humiliation.A few had already even started betting on how many lashes the “pathetic nobody” could endure before crumpling like wet paper and losing consciousness. But then…Because the gangsters had shifted back to get a better view of the “punishment,” a large clearing had opened in the center of the hall. Dalton’s slow, trance-like approach became visible to all. Then one by one, the jeers faded, brows furrowed, and the loud conversations stalled.“What’s up with the Supreme Lord?” one thug finally muttered under his breath, his voice too low for anyone to properly hear.Even the brute, who had been busily securing Glenn

******Crimson Vow Syndicate was not a local gang like the Blood Fang Syndicate, and not even a national gang in the traditional sense… it was the shadowed spine of the entire underworld in the country, its shadow long enough to stretch into every alley, every boardroom, and every military base.It didn’t just rule… it defined the rules.In every major city, they had a branch. And in every branch, their influence trickled down into politics, trade, black markets, and crime families. Their word was law, and their silence could end a man’s career faster than bullets.This syndicate didn’t flaunt itself… and that was the terrifying part.They rarely moved, rarely showed themselves in public, and rarely raised their voice… because they didn’t need to. Its unspoken reputation made men kneel before they even knew why.And their members…Even the weakest recruit, the most junior errand runner, was treated with a level of respect most mafia bosses would ki

******At this moment, also on his knees like everyone else, Toad was without question the most horrified soul in the hall… second only to Dalton himself.Never… not even in the worst depths of his most nightmarish imagination, had he pictured the ending unfolding before him now.Of course, he had been confused since the previous day’s evening, still trying to wrap his head around how Glenn had, with a single casual flick of his finger, sent six able-bodied men sprawling through the air like rag dolls. But confusion wasn’t the same as belief.In Toad’s view, Glenn’s fate was already as good as sealed. After all, the Supreme Lord himself was stepping in personally, and to him, no matter how strong Glenn might be, he was nothing against the Supreme Lord’s might... and possibly hundreds of loyal minions at his command.That confidence and that arrogance were precisely why he hadn’t hesitated in the slightest when he had been given the mission to lead Glenn’s abduction. He had even t

******Recalling everything both he and his gang had done, Dalton couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming urge to slam his forehead into the ground until the world spun black and mercifully faded away, the redness in his eyes deepening with deep regret.No… that wasn’t enough. He wanted to keep going until he woke up in his bed, drenched in sweat, and realized that this… this hall of death had only been a nightmare.But the suffocating air pressing against his chest told him this was no dream.It wasn’t just that he had offended someone. He had spat in the face of someone before whom he should have been groveling… kissing boots, licking dust, and begging for the right to breathe the same air.He… ‘Oh, gods. Which demon has that useless son of mine managed to offend this time?!’ Dalton screamed inside his skull, the thought loud enough to make his inner ears ring.His eyes stung, reddening as though tears might spill at any second.‘I always knew that useless boy wasn’t worth t

******Every heart in the hall instantly lurched violently against its ribcage upon hearing Glenn’s remark.A few of the men instinctively sucked in air only to find their lungs refusing to expand. Their blood felt like it reversed its flow.They stared at him in frozen horror, uncertain of what, exactly, he meant with what he just uttered, because in their ears, that uncertainty was somehow worse than a direct threat.Glenn’s voice remained exactly the same... calm, lazy, and almost bored.“Although you didn’t actually harm me,” he went on, “I have suffered a mental blow today. You kidnapped and shoved me around, after all. I’m fairly certain this moment will leave me with a lifetime of trauma.”The statement hung there, absurd and yet undeniably menacing.Everyone: “…”‘Mental blow? Lifetime trauma?’ They blinked at Glenn, staring blankly at him and unsure whether to let out a shaky laugh or burst into tears, thinking, 'Sir, we’re the