2024-12-26 14:42:40“Don’t let Morow State’s prosperity fool you,” he said, his tone as calm as ever.
“Behind all the success lies dangers far greater than you can imagine.”
He stepped closer, his gaze locking onto Seraphina’s face, as if penetrating her soul.
“In Anoma County, tens of thousands live without proper compensation. Why? Because a giant factory was built illegally, leaving the people there without homes or a proper livelihood.”
Not waiting for her response, he continued.
“And Boxa County? A welcoming playground for gangs smuggling weapons and drugs. Their influence runs wild, controlling the streets and intimidating local authorities. They only stay in check because I’ve been holding them down.”
Max took a short breath, then spoke with a sharper edge to his voice.
“Then there’s Cexl County. Greedy businessmen ran Ponzi schemes, and now thousands have lost everything. Unemployment is skyrocketing, inflation is out of control. Without me? No one could stop it!”
“And don’t forget Debua County,” he added, his tone grim.
“It was just hit by a massive storm. While the rescue operations are over, they’re now facing post-disaster destruction that no one is ready to handle.”
He leaned closer.
“And then there’s the issue at the border—the ‘Lord of the Abyss’ trying to rebuild their illegal trade routes.”
“Everything is under control because I’ve been handling it! I’ve kept all these factions in line, ensuring chaos doesn’t spread.”
“Haha… Really? Oh, how scary!"
Seraphina let out a small, mocking laugh, her voice sharp with derision.
"Do you realize how shamelessly boastful you are?” she sneered.
“Don’t you think all of that just sounds like a bunch of self-aggrandizing stories to make yourself look important?”
She stepped closer, her lips curling into a subtle yet cutting smirk.
“Do you really believe that without you, everything would fall apart? You seem to think far too highly of yourself.”
Seraphina’s gaze remained icy as she continued, her voice sharp as a blade.
“You know what, Max,” she began, “don’t forget you’re just an orphan. All the comforts you enjoy now? They’re because of my family!”
“Even if you’ve achieved something, it’s only because my family supported you! Do you really think Morow State can’t function without you? What a joke!”
She stopped right in front of him, looking him up and down as if assessing something worthless.
“Without my father’s influence, you wouldn’t be anything! You wouldn’t even be standing here in this villa.”
Max remained silent, his jaw tightening as her words pierced through the air.
“And now,” Seraphina continued, her voice filled with conviction, “my father will take back his power.”
“He’ll take over Morow State, making it better and more prosperous. To me, you’re nothing more than a pawn.”
“The Lancaster family, the wealthiest in the capital, will soon form an alliance with my family. When that happens, my new fiancé, Dominic Lancaster, will take over the management of Morow State.”
“Do you know what will happen? In a year, Morow State’s GDP will easily exceed $30 trillion.”
She smiled cruelly, her eyes fixed on Max as if he had already lost.
“And you? You’ll spend the rest of your life in prison!”
Max stood motionless, his expression unreadable, though his eyes burned with a cold fire.
Seraphina folded her arms across her chest and added with a tone dripping in disdain.
“You should worry about yourself. The future of Morow State no longer requires your involvement.”
One of the officers stepped forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt.
Max knew his fiancée’s family must have long devised a grand scheme and he couldn’t escape or clear his name at this time.
However, he didn’t intent to resist.
Over the past four years, he had been constantly dedicating himself to a bring positive change to this state.
He was truly a bit exhausted.
Now, he might have finally got the chance to take a long nice break.
But before the officer could get any closer, Max shot him a cold glare.
That single look froze the officer in place, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
Even his colleague standing nearby hesitated to move.
Max spoke in a low, firm voice, “I’ll walk on my own.”
With calm, deliberate steps, Max began walking out of the villa.
The two officers stood in confusion for a moment, trying to process what had just happened.
After a few seconds, they snapped back to reality and rushed to catch up, panting as they tried to keep pace with Max.
But they no longer dared to cuff him like a common criminal.
The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension, making Max seem less like a suspect being taken in and more like a ruler issuing commands.
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0193
Max let go of Takeshi’s hand, then took one step forward. His voice, usually flat, now carried a cold fire that made the air in the arena feel sharp like ice."Enough with the formalities," he said firmly. "Now listen carefully. I did not come to Mount Alken to take positions or take your seniority." "I came for one reason to invite you to destroy the Demon Blood Cult that has ruled for far too long."Even the name alone changed the faces of the grandmasters. Some clenched their fists until their veins stood out."They kidnapped millions of civilians in the past year," Max continued, his voice even colder. "Children, women, even the elderly. Used as living sacrifices to summon high level demons." "The villages at the base of the mountain are empty. You who call yourselves grandmasters who protect the people, how long will you stay silent?"The respectful silence instantly turned into burning anger.An old grandmaster with a long white beard stood up, his face red. "We... we did n
0192
The arena was still frozen. Even the wind seemed afraid to move. Every eye was fixed on Max’s right hand that was calmly held out in the air, and on Takeshi’s hand that was still pressed against the dusty ground. Blood dripped slowly from the corner of the old man’s mouth, forming tiny red dots on the stone floor. His breath was shaky, but his eyes had not gone dim.The grandmasters under the stage held their breath at the same time. Some bit their lips, some were ready to shout if Takeshi refused that offered hand. After all, he was Takeshi the Iron Tiger, the oldest senior in the Alken Mountains, the man who never bowed to anyone except Lord Hades. To accept the hand of a city youth who was not even thirty? Impossible.They had already prepared words to protect Takeshi’s pride later. "It is only a polite gesture." "He will pull his hand back." "Do not worry, Senior Takeshi..."But the opposite happened. With a trembling hand, Takeshi lifted his dusty and bloody palm. His fi
0191
The arena suddenly turned cold.All the grandmasters lined up below the stone stage could only stare with their mouths open, as if they had just witnessed the god of thunder slap the earth. They stared at Takeshi, who was still lying face-down in the bushes with leaves stuck to his back, his body still shaking from the impact."W-what… just happened?""Senior… Senior Takeshi fell?""Impossible! He must have slipped!"One of the most stubborn grandmasters stepped forward, pointing at the bush-covered figure that used to be Takeshi. "Takeshi-sama was only distracted! That was an accident! Did you not see? The ground there is clearly uneven!"Yet everyone clearly saw Takeshi get thrown four meters after his punch was casually swatted aside by Max. But their denial was stronger than logic."Yes! Exactly!" another shouted. "There is no way Takeshi lost! He is a senior grandmaster!"But those ego-filled mouths slowly fell silent when Takeshi began to move.The old man groaned softly, pushin
0190
Takeshi steadied his breathing, trying to calm the heartbeat that had been racing wildly for the past few minutes. He looked at Max, who was still standing without any stance, as if his body was not even part of the duel.Slowly, Takeshi spoke. His voice carried a tremor he could not hide. “Young man, were you the one who moved the wind?”Max did not answer right away. He only looked at Takeshi with a calmness that did not fit someone facing death. Then he gave a small smile. “What do you think?”That simple answer sent chills from Takeshi's neck down to his back. If Max could move the wind to fight him, not with normal martial arts, but with pure power, then his level was far beyond human. Even beyond the grandmasters standing in a row below.Takeshi swallowed hard. His throat felt dry. But he still refused to believe that fear. He chose to deny it.“Nonsense!” he shouted suddenly, his voice echoing loud. “There is no way you can control the wind! It was only a coincidence! Yo
0189
Takeshi stepped forward with calm but commanding movements. The tip of his robe fluttered as he rotated his wrist, releasing a burst of aura that made the air around them tremble. He lowered his body a little, feet spread wide, both hands forming a fighting stance that he had trained for more than fifty years. The pressure from his body spread like waves, making the dust around the rocky platform spin slowly.In the distance, the other grandmasters cheered with confidence. “Senior Takeshi will win!” “That young man will regret it!”But Max only stood straight. Calm. Not taking any stance at all. One of his hands was even resting in his pocket, as if a life and death duel in front of martial arts legends was only a small practice that he did not need to think about.Max’s eyes were focused and calculating. He controlled his breathing. He held his inner power. He restrained the force flowing through his meridians so it would not rise too fast.“Do not go too hard,” Max whispered
0188
The grandmasters immediately seized Max’s offer before he even finished speaking.“Good! If you want to prove it, then prove it!” shouted the muscular grandmaster who had mocked him the loudest from the start.The others burst into laughter, their voices echoing off the stone cliffs.“Hey, boy! Don’t push your lies too far! Do you think you can fool us that easily?”“Be careful not to run away after this,” mocked the thin grandmaster whose aura pressure never stopped flaring.Their laughter grew louder.The cold mountain air was filled with a tone of mockery, as if Max was nothing more than a city clown showing cheap tricks to giants of the martial world.But in the middle of that noise, an old grandmaster with a long white beard who had been silently observing Max raised his hand slowly and cut through every sound in an instant.“Silence,” he said.A soft but commanding aura swept through the area, making the other grandmasters close their mouths reflexively.The old grandmaster step
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