Victor Halden stopped three steps away from Alex. His gaze sharpened, sweeping over the young man before him—from the tip of his hair down to the soles of his shoes—as if weighing something invisible.“You struck my son,” Victor repeated slowly. “In front of the guests. At the banquet hosted by the ruler of Draken City, meant to welcome the mysterious masked man.”Abel stood beside his father, half his body hiding behind Victor’s expensive suit. Yet his eyes still glared at Alex with undisguised hatred.“Father,” he said quickly, his voice trembling between anger and fear, “he’s a savage! He’s always been like that! Not just today!”Alex glanced briefly at Abel. That single look made Abel clench his fists reflexively.“Do you remember campus?” Abel suddenly shouted, his voice cracking. “Do you remember what you did to me there?!”Several guests exchanged glances. The word campus felt out of place in the middle of such an elite banquet.Abel stepped forward, pointing at Alex with a tre

The room rumbled again.But this time, it wasn’t from laughter. It was from doubt—doubt that had begun to crack.Several of the city ruler’s guards exchanged glances. Alex’s words earlier were too precise. Too dangerous to ignore. Because that very message had indeed been emphasized by the ruler of Draken City himself.Victor Halden saw the opening.And like a seasoned predator, he struck before doubt could turn into conviction.“Nonsense!” he suddenly roared, his voice rising sharply. “Empty threats from a cornered young man!”He stepped forward, positioning himself directly in front of the guards.“Since when,” he continued coldly, “can every troublesome youth halt a city event with nothing but dramatic words? Or do you truly want to gamble the city ruler’s reputation for someone who can’t even prove who he is?”One of the guards frowned. “Mr. Victor, you—”“I speak as a noble of Draken City!” Victor cut in harshly. “As a father seeking justice for his son!”His tone shifted—more cu

At Alex’s residence, the morning atmosphere was still calm. The workers had begun their tasks, and the front yard stood empty without any guards. Alex stood near the living room window, gazing at the ruins of the buildings slowly being restored, his expression flat.A soft knock sounded at the door.Knock. Knock.Alex glanced over briefly. If it were Candra, he would have entered directly. Because of that, Alex walked over himself and opened the door without asking.Two figures stood outside.Clara—and beside her, the Ruler of Draken City.There were no guards. No entourage. No symbols of authority belonging to a city ruler.Only a middle-aged man in simple clothing, his face stern yet clearly suppressing something heavy within his chest.“Is there a problem that brings you here?” Alex asked calmly.The Ruler of Draken City swallowed hard. He knew he was at fault. He then glanced at Clara, hoping she could ease the oppressive atmosphere.“Alex, I came here… to apologize,” Clara began

That voice shattered across the courtyard, now filled with bodies sprawled on the ground.Alex did not respond. He continued walking forward.One step.Two steps.With every firm footstep he took, the remaining guards instinctively retreated. There were no more shouts. No more false bravado. What remained was nothing but survival instinct.One of the guards tried to raise his weapon, but his hand trembled.Alex merely turned his head slightly, his sharp gaze piercing through.That brief glance from behind the golden mask was enough to make the man drop his iron baton with an embarrassing clang.Claaang!No one else dared to block his path. Snorting coldly, Alex walked past them as if they did not exist.When he reached the door, he pushed it open casually.Inside, the atmosphere was entirely different.The marble floor was spotless. Tall pillars towered upward. Yet the calmness felt fragile, like thin glass ready to shatter at any moment.Alex’s footsteps echoed through the main hall.

Silence shattered with the harsh scrape of a chair being dragged across the floor.“Kill him!”The Head of the Benz Family shouted, his voice cracking, veins bulging in his neck. “Don’t give him another chance to move!”The second command sounded even more panicked than the first.“I want him dead!”All twenty-four elite guards moved at once.Not a reckless charge. They immediately formed three layers.Six in the front, wielding short blades and steel batons.Eight in the middle, spinning iron rods.Ten in the back, close-quarters killers trained in encirclement tactics.In a single breath, their formation tightened.The six in the front shifted into a half circle, not attacking immediately. Their short blades spun in their palms, reflecting the light. Steel batons struck the floor, creating a rhythm meant to crush the mind.Tok. Tok. Tok.The eight in the middle layer began spinning their iron rods at high speed. The air whistled, generating pressure that would make anyone in the cen