Home / Fantasy / I TRADE DESIRES FOR POWER / 9

2026-09-06 22:46:11

The residue of Tamsin Rhys’s white rose oil still lingered on the edge of the counter. Gavin wiped the remaining gray fluid from the silver needle onto a dull cloth, then stacked fifty Sovereign gold coins stamped with the Division 9 seal onto the scratched mahogany surface.

Gideon sat on a wooden bench near the weapon rack. His calloused hands dragged an oily rag along the blade of the Greatsword of Radiance. Old rust and dried blood from Pendelton’s soldiers slowly peeled away, revealing a co

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19
Behind the wrought-iron door carved with a winged skull, a giant room with curved stone walls stood in the dim glow of red candles. At the end of the room, atop a platform of three black marble steps, stood a sacrificial altar of obsidian stone carved with the forbidden Blood-Sacrifice magic formation.Lady Arabella Vane stood alone beside the altar.Her thick blood-red velvet dress had been replaced by a thin ivory-white silk gown—special attire for blood sacrifice rituals that she usually used to sacrifice the lives of renegade mages. Her long blonde hair was left loose, covering her bare shoulders. There was no more diamond crown, no more mocking smile. The porcelain face of the Mayfair princess was deathly pale, her grayish-blue eyes radiating a deep sense of fear and shattered pride.Behind Gavin, Selene and Tamsin stood watching Arabella. Selene crossed her arms over her chest, a cold smile of satisfaction etched on her lips as she watched her former torturer and betrayer now tr
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Inside the curved glass-roofed room, hundreds of dark-red Blood-Rose petals bloomed under the moonlight. Small crystal lamps hung stiffly among the winding vine tendrils, emitting a dim, eye-pleasing yellowish light.The sound of high-heeled footsteps echoed softly from behind rows of white marble pillars."Shop No. 13, Blackfriars Lane..." a woman's voice glided like the stroke of expensive silk, laden with noble elegance accustomed to ruling. "I thought Soho's gutter filth would change your walking style, Gavin."Arabella Vane stepped out from among the lush red roses.Her evening gown was made of blood-red velvet fabric that tightly hugged her mature curves. A small diamond crown was pinned rigidly atop her golden blonde hair. A gold lace mask carved with peacock feathers covered the upper half of her face, but her lips, painted with bright red lipstick, smiled faintly—a smile full of immense contempt.Gavin stood calmly two meters in front of a giant marble pillar. His cold, gold-
17
The Main Estate of Clan Vane stood majestically like a crystal palace. Mana-powered gas lamps cast a golden glow, reflecting off gilded carriages and the silk gowns of the Kingdom’s elite aristocracy.Tonight, Lady Arabella Vane hosted the Masquerade Ball—the most lavish masked gala of the season. It was an event specifically orchestrated to silence rumors surrounding the Montgomery clan’s downfall while securing the support of the continent's rulers.From inside the colossal hall, the echoes of a string quartet blended with the clinking of crystal glasses and the crisp laughter of Mayfair’s nobility.CLACK. CLACK.Three figures stepped up the main marble staircase.In the center walked Gavin Calloway, maintaining an upright posture in a pitch-black tailcoat pinstriped with silver thread. A mask carved from pure silver in the likeness of a dragon covered the upper half of his face, revealing a sharp jawline and lips curved into a faint, cold smile. The Rank 3 High Archmage aura at his
16
"Please tell me this seizure document is just a piece of garbage, Pendelton!"Cassian Montgomery's scream shattered the roar of the rain inside the enclosed study in the Soho financial district. The nobleman gripped Inspector Pendelton's coat collar with both of his violently shaking hands. His bloodshot eyes stared wildly, glaring at the piles of parchment sheets stamped with the Royal seal scattered across the mahogany desk.Pendelton didn't move. The Inspector's face was rigidly pale, his eyes empty—fully bound by fear and the debt seal of Shop No. 13 fused beneath the skin of his neck."I can't do anything, Lord Montgomery," Pendelton's voice was flat, almost emotionless. "All the evidence of your clan's bribery, illegal mana crystal transactions in the Docklands, down to the Montgomery clan's arrears of blood debt to Shop No. 13... have been handed over to the Royal High Court. From this second onward, the Montgomery clan is officially bankrupt. All your assets have been seized b
15
Dim gray light broke through the velvet curtains of the upper-floor room of Shop No. 13, illuminating the remnants of last night's rain still lingering in the corners of the window glass.Tamsin Rhys slowly woke up. Her eyelids, fringed with long, curved lashes, opened gradually, adjusting to the dim room. The coldness of the stone room had vanished, replaced by a dense warmth coursing through all her blood vessels.Beside her, Gavin sat leaning against the headboard of the bed. The man's broad chest was bare, revealing rippling hard muscles and the remnants of silver magic vapor slowly shrinking back into his skin pores.Tamsin turned to her side, sweeping her smooth fingers across Gavin's sturdy stomach. The green velvet dress torn the previous night was now replaced by a thin strand of linen cloth that exposed her shoulders and half of her porcelain-smooth chest."My father and uncle..." Tamsin's voice was hoarse, a cold bitterness evident in her intonation. "They knew the Vane cla
14
On the ground floor of the shop, Gavin sat behind a thick mahogany desk. A gas lantern cast a dim yellowish light, reflecting the silvery glint of the Calloway Emerald Ring on his index finger. Beside the desk, Selene stood gracefully in an all-black evening gown, meticulously mapping the blueprint of the Vane clan's secret headquarters on old parchment paper.SWISH.The silver bell above the main door did not ring, but blades of black shadow suddenly bloomed from the cracks in the wooden floor.A cold venomous aura spread rapidly, freezing the steam of the tea on Gavin's desk. Ten dark-hooded figures broke in through the front window glass, which shattered into pieces.CRASH!Shards of glass flew through the air. The assassins from the Shadow Blade group—a secret slaughter unit hired by Cassian Montgomery—glided silently. The blades of their poisoned stilettos aimed straight for Gavin and Selene's necks."Shop wreckers..." Abraxas's blue blob echo drifted lazily from the ceiling. "Wh

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