The very first thing Magnus did once his new phone number was active was call Felix.As luck would have it, Felix was at a restaurant not far from Crownspire Mall. He said he’d head over so they could discuss the contract and other matters face-to-face.While waiting, Magnus made his way to the mall’s cafeteria on the 10th floor.Unlike the food courts of most malls, the one at Crownspire looked elite and fancy. Its interior carried an elegant classical style, accompanied by soft background music and the refreshing scent of high-grade air fresheners.Even the waiters there wore uniforms that resembled those at the banquets of the wealthy.Naturally, Magnus’s entrance—dressed in clothes far removed from anything remotely “classy”—earned him looks of disdain. One of the waiters even tried to stop him before he could go in.But Magnus quickly showed the waiter Felix’s last chat message, in which Felix confirmed a special reservation for the two of them, complete with table number, servic

Kauffman turned his head, ready to bark at the man gripping his shoulder. But when he saw it was Felix, his eyes widened in shock.“Sir? What are you doing here?” Kauffman asked.“It should be me asking that question, Mayor,” Felix replied evenly. “Now let go of my friend’s shirt.”Without a fight, Kauffman obeyed. Back in his military days, Felix had been his commanding officer. He still remembered Felix’s authority, the kind of presence that wasn’t just charismatic but legendary.Felix might have retired two years ago, but his name still carried weight. Few in the armed forces dared cross him, and Kauffman was not one of them.“You okay, buddy?” Felix asked Magnus with a faint smile.“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little pissed,” Magnus answered.Watching the casual exchange between them at such close range made Kauffman uneasy.Magnus and Felix… knew each other? How?“Sir, I don’t understand—”“Mayor Kauffman, this man is my friend. We’re here for a certain business matter,” Felix cut him

The operation leader was stunned by Magnus’s hand speed.Before he could even pull the knife from his side pocket, Magnus’s right foot slammed into his ribs.Whoop!“Argh!”The man flew back and smashed into the wall. He fainted.Of course, the earlier gunshot had already drawn the other soldiers’ attention.They rushed back into the living room, weapons raised—pistols and rifles aimed straight at Magnus.The second they saw him, they pulled their triggers.Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!Not a single shot landed. Magnus had already activated another magic in his library—this time, a bulletproof shield. An invisible barrier shimmered around him, rendering him untouchable.“What the hell!”The soldiers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. But Magnus gave them no chance to recover. He charged into them barehanded, striking and dismantling one after another.His speed was terrifying. In less than a minute, the living room floor was littered with unconscious soldiers.And yet, Magnus had shown

Without answering Frank’s question, Kauffman turned his back and walked away.Confused, Frank half-ran to catch up with him. “Mayor, what the hell is going on? Are you hiding something from me?”Kauffman stopped and turned. His eyes were burning with rage.“Our deal is off. And for the time being, don’t you dare try dragging me into your mess again,” he said.Frank froze. Stunned. Truly bewildered.In the end, he let Kauffman return to the armored vehicle, and the convoy drove away.The young police officer approached Frank. “Sir, should we inform this to the others?”Frank exhaled sharply, irritation written all over his face. Tonight was supposed to be his night of vengeance. Tonight, he was supposed to beat Magnus to a pulp before finishing him off.Magnus had broken Julius’s arm, openly defied the Barbosa family, and smashed Melvin’s face into a swollen mess.To Frank, all of it was unforgivable. And since he had already told Marco about his plan tonight, there was no way he could

Ever since Magnus returned to Merseyvale, this was the third time he’d come face-to-face with Marco, and the tension between them only kept escalating.Marco glared at him with burning rage, like he wanted to rip him apart. Magnus, in contrast, just stared back with that same cold, cutting gaze.“So you won’t give me your word—that you and your family will never mess with me and my family again?” Magnus asked. “Do you really understand the consequences?”His finger shifted toward Frank, but his eyes never left Marco.“He might never wake up,” Magnus said flatly. “Get used to seeing him like this—days, weeks, months, even years. Only I can bring him back.”Viona’s eyes went wide. She shot to her feet and confronted him. “Give me back my husband! Wake him up right now!”Magnus glanced at her and let out a low chuckle. “And why should I do that? You think you can order me around? No, you can’t. Listen carefully—I’ll wake him up only if Marco, the head of this precious Barbosa family, g