2026-09-03 07:00:11Gordon Ashbourne watched Nick Crane sit there with such unassuming composure, and his favorable impression of the young man doubled. Young people with this kind of steady temperament were far too rare these days.
He warmly guided Nick to the seat of honor. Nick declined several times, protesting the arrangement, but eventually settled into the chair. He'd initially suspected the Ashbourne family harbored some ulterior motive, some test they wanted to spring on him. Now, thinking it over,
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"Get out of the way!"Elder Corbin kicked Everett Goldwyn, who stood frozen in shock, sending him tumbling several meters away. The strike came just in time to save him from being devoured whole by the monstrous creature."Ahhh!" Everett scrambled on all fours toward one of the Warlord Saints, half crawling, half running. "Monster! It's a monster!"The massive beast opened its jaws and roared. The sound shook the entire cavern, causing rocks and debris to rain down from above. A horrible gurgling noise echoed through the chamber as several Warlord Saints stood paralyzed with fear, completely at a loss."What... what is this thing?" one Warlord Saint gasped, his face drained of all color. Terror gripped every fiber of his being.Before anyone could react, the creature's massive tail swept toward them in a vicious arc."Watch out!"Iris Ashbourne was directly in the path of the strike. Without thinking, Nick Crane lunged forward and threw a punch to
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"Nick Crane, are you holding up all right?"Elder Benedict glanced at the other Warlord Saints, noting the wounds marking their bodies. Some bore shallow cuts, others deep gashes that still oozed blood despite their efforts to staunch the flow.Roderick Lawson appeared uninjured, though the clothes he'd worn into the wilderness had been shredded by magical beast fangs, hanging from his frame in tattered strips.Nick shook his head and vaulted down from the cave's rocky ledge in a single fluid motion, landing with barely a sound. "I'm fine. Nothing serious."Elder Benedict nodded, his weathered face showing relief. "Good. Everyone take a moment here to treat your wounds and catch your breath. We'll need to push deeper into the Thousand Arrows Forest soon enough."Elder Corbin surveyed the Goldwyn family contingent, taking stock of their condition before giving a curt nod. "Rest while you can. Recover your strength."The supplies they'd hauled through the
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Everyone's hearts filled with both shock and fury. What kind of cursed place was this Thousand Arrows Forest? They had just barely survived the thunderstorm, dodged the violent impact of wind and rain, and now another beast horde was upon them.Hearts pounding wildly, no one dared venture outside. Lightning still tore through the sky beyond the cave entrance, and the wild beasts had gone absolutely mad. Who knew if stepping out there would end with them crushed into paste?"They're breaking through!""Get back!"A Warlord Saint bellowed in alarm. The wild beasts outside surged forward in a chaotic stampede, attacking anyone in sight without hesitation."Stay back!" Nick Crane barked sharply, immediately gesturing for Iris Ashbourne to retreat to a corner. These Warlord Saints could defend themselves, but Iris was only a Warlord. In the chaos of battle, it would be impossible to protect her properly. One moment of distraction could prove fatal.Iris nodd
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Fortunately, everyone who had come this time was at the Warlord Saint tier. Apart from the Goldwyn family's Warlord Saint, who had been struck by lightning, the others had only sustained minor surface wounds. Nothing too serious.Nick Crane noticed that Iris Ashbourne had several bleeding gashes across her head. He pulled out the bottle of wound salve she had prepared for him that morning."Use this first," he said.Iris nodded slowly, slipping off her down jacket and wringing out the water. None of them had anticipated that the Thousand Arrows Forest would erupt with such a terrifying lightning storm. The moment they had all stepped outside the cave, deafening thunder had exploded overhead. The booming cracks were enough to shake anyone's nerve. If they had still been outside when it struck, none of them would have escaped.The violent storm raged beyond the cave entrance. Lightning crackled and struck trees with relentless fury, each impact echoing through the
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The fog rolled in without warning, leaving everyone bewildered and disoriented.Iris Ashbourne immediately covered her nose and mouth, gripping Nick Crane's hand so tightly her knuckles went white. Everett Goldwyn looked ready to jump out of his own skin, panic written across every inch of his face."What do we do?!" someone shouted."Which way should we go?""I can't see anything over here!"Elder Corbin heard the chaos spreading through the group and barked out a command that cut through the noise. "Everyone calm down!"Elder Benedict scanned their surroundings with practiced vigilance. Both elders had reached the Warlord Ascendant tier, after all. Compared to these younger disciples, they had the experience to keep their heads in a crisis."When something like this happens, panicking is the worst thing you can do," Elder Benedict instructed firmly, gesturing for the Ashbourne family members to cover their faces. "This mist appeared out of nowher
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"You fucking dare hit me!"Everett Goldwyn erupted, his entire body shaking with rage.Nick Crane hadn't even used his full strength. He'd simply taught the man a lesson. But to strike the young master of the Goldwyn family in front of everyone? That was a direct slap to the family's face.Iris Ashbourne hadn't expected Nick to step in so suddenly on her behalf. Her heart soared with excitement as she rushed forward and threw herself in front of him."Nick! You're amazing!""Well done! Beat that fat pig to death!"Nick let out a cold laugh, his gaze sliding over the furious Everett standing before him."If you can't speak properly, someone will teach you manners."The Goldwyn entourage exploded with rage."These Ashbourne fools have a death wish!""How dare they lay hands on our young master? You'll pay for this!"They ground their teeth in fury, completely blindsided by the appearance of this Warlord Saint from the Ashbourne fa
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