The Illegitimate Heir Returns

“Who the hell let this rat in?”

“How dare you stain these sacred grounds by stepping foot into this hall without an invitation?”

“Are you tired of living?”

Chaos erupted outside the gates of Novak’s hall, one of the most dangerous places to be in all of Ashburne. A young man stood before the towering black iron gates, drenched to the bone as the relentless rain poured down around him.

He wore a tailored black suit that clung to his big, athletic frame, soaking through the storm. His wet hair fell over the left side of his face, completely concealing one eye. Despite the hostility surrounding him, his handsome, oval-shaped face remained completely expressionless.

This was Jake Frost.

He stood rooted to the spot, his two fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Tonight was a very special occasion across all of Ashburne, because today, Cassian, the youngest son of Lord Corvin, would be getting engaged to Hannah of the Wayde household.

Important figures from all across Ashbourne had gathered here to witness this grand celebration.

“Who are you?” One of the guards barked, his face twisting into a deep frown as he strode towards Jake.

Like the others, he was dressed in a tactical black gear, a baseball bat gripped tightly in one hand, ready to strike if necessary.

“Do you have any idea where you’re standing?” the guard sneered. “This is Novak’s hall. Owned by Lord Corvin. Trash like you has no business being here. Turn around and get lost.”

The others burst into mocking laughter around him.

There were seven of them in total. Two carried baseball bats, another two wielded machetes, while the remaining three rested a black iron pipe on their shoulders.

Jake didn’t respond.

He just stood there, hands inside his pocket, his lone visible eye fixed on the towering gates before him, studying them as though every inch of the place was etched into his memory.

Because once upon a time, this place had once been his home.

Fifteen years ago.

Before his mother was murdered and he had lost his sister.

Now, the entire estate had been claimed and transformed into a grand hall over the years. A place where all sorts of vile deeds took place.

Jake gritted his teeth.

They had tarnished this once peaceful home. Transformed it into something utterly disgusting and unrecognizable. The place that had once held his childhood memories now felt cold and corrupted.

He could barely recognize it.

“Are you deaf?” the guard roared, his voice cutting through the pounding rain as he tightened his grip on the baseball bat.

He charged towards Jake, his teeth clenching.

“I said scram!” He bellowed, swinging the bat at Jake with all his strength.

Jake didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. He just stood there.

BAM!

The baseball bat slammed into something that felt like an unbreakable wall, the impact leading to an aggressive release of air that sent his hair flying upward before falling back against his neck.

The man’s mouth fell open, disbelief and shock flashing across his face.

He had swung the bat with all his strength. Fast enough to send a grown man crashing to his knees. Yet the attack had been stopped by just one finger. Just one finger.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jake muttered, his voice as cold as ice.

Then he raised his hand. Just one finger.

That finger pressed against the man’s forehead.

Before he could even react, Jake flicked his finger.

BOOM!

A shockwave tore through the storm. The guard’s head exploded instantly, blood spraying into the air before splattering across the ground and mixing with the rain. A violent gust of wind blasted outward, rattling the iron gates before him.

For a moment, everywhere went still.

The remaining guards stood frozen. Not one of them dared to take a step.

Jake slowly glanced around, his visible eye locking onto each of the men before him.

“I wish to see Corvin,” He said softly, his voice calm yet deadly. “Is he here right now?”

The men remained frozen for another two seconds before they finally snapped out of it.

“You bastard! How dare you do that to Eric!” The second guard barked, shock snapping into rage as he pointed the machete at Jake.

“You will pay for that!” He roared, then he charged towards Jake.

He had barely taken three steps when the ground beneath his feet trembled.

The next second, Jake disappeared.

Then… Boom!

He appeared directly in front of the man. Before the guard could even react, Jake struck.

TOOM.

The sound was wrong for a punch. Too deep. Too fast. It connected with the guard’s head with surgical precision.

The guard’s head was severed from his neck, flying through the air before hitting the ground and rolling several feet away.

The rest of his body remained standing for another two seconds, as though it hadn’t yet realized what had happened. Then it collapsed heavily to the ground.

Jake stood firmly, blood dripping from his hand as he stared down at the body.

“You should have just answered my question.” He muttered, his voice eerily calm despite the chaos around him. Then he turned and locked eyes with the remaining men.

“What the fuck!” The remaining men yelled in unison.

“Kill him!” The biggest one among them barked, his voice cracking with rage.

And so they moved, charging toward Jake with iron pipes, machetes, and baseball bats raised in their hands.

But before they could even reach him… Jake was gone.

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

Before any of them could even get the chance to swing their weapons, four of the five men were already lying motionless on the ground, their heads completely severed from their bodies.

Jake turned towards the only man left standing.

The man felt fear grip his chest instantly. He staggered backwards, his legs trembling violently beneath him. Before long, he lost control of his bladder, urine slipping down his pants. The iron pipe slipped from his trembling fingers and fell to the ground. His earlier confidence dissolving into a state of fear.

“P-please,” he begged, tears falling from his eyes uncontrollably. “Please, spare me. I…I have a family.”

Jake stared down at him, his expression unreadable.

“What do you want? Information? Opportunity? I…I can find one for you!” The man's pleas echoed through the storm.

“Where’s Corvin?” Jake asked flatly.

“The Briarwoods? The…They are in the hall,” the guard stammered. “L-lord Corvin couldn’t make it to the event tonight… but his son is in there… p-please… spare me. I was only hired. I was just doing my job.”

Jake nodded once.

“Thanks for the information.” He said flatly, taking a step back. “I’ll spare you.”

Relief flooded the guard’s face instantly.

But the moment Jake turned, the guard straightened.

A cruel smirk spread across his face as he pulled a cuffed dagger from his waist and lunged forward, driving the blade toward Jake’s lower back with all his strength.

CLANG!

To his shock, the dagger made contact with Jake’s lower back but failed to penetrate.

Instead, the dagger shattered upon contact, the broken fragment catching the midnight light as it fell.

The guard’s smirk faded, replaced by fear.

He’d expected the dagger to go through flesh but it felt like he had hit a wall instead. The worse part was there was no reaction from Jake at all.

Jake’s voice echoed through the storm at that moment. “I shouldn’t have given you a chance,” his voice was quiet. Almost gentle.

Before the guard could react, Jake turned fully, his right hand already moving.

BOOM!

His fist struck the guard’s skull with enough force to unleash a violent shockwave.

The guard’s head exploded upon impact, disintegrating into a cloud of blood and debris and mixing with the rain.

Blood gushed from his neck endlessly like a fountain before his lifeless body collapsed on the ground in a heap.

Dead.

Unmoving.

Jake let out a deep breath before turning towards the black, towering gate. The steel bars loomed before him like a death sentence.

Lightning flashed across the stormy sky, mirroring the carnage below.

Jake took a step back, the ground beneath his feet trembling slightly. Then he leapt.

With a single powerful bound, he cleared the towering gate, soaring through the air before landing hard on the other side.

ThUD!

The ground shook beneath his feet as he landed, as though struggling to withstand the force of his weight.

Jake straightened his suit, brushing away the rain water clinging to the fabric before walking towards the hall where the loud music was coming from.