2026-01-16 18:13:11Marcus dragged his gaze across the sea of faces staring back at him, waiting for someone, anyone, to believe the words that had just left his mouth.
"How can you fire someone that owns this place?"
The silence lasted exactly three seconds before Derek's laughter shattered it. Sharp, cruel, and loud enough to echo down the corridor.
"Own this place?" Derek doubled over, gripping his stomach like Marcus had just told the funniest joke he'd ever heard. "You? YOU own Langford Technologies?"
Mark and David joined in, their laughter mixing with Derek's until it became a chorus. The crowd picked it up, rippling through the hallway like a disease. Some laughed nervously, others openly, but they all laughed.
"He's lost his mind," someone whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"The betrayal broke him," another voice added.
"This is just sad," a third one chimed in.
Marcus's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He'd expected this. Expected the disbelief, the mockery, the doubt. What he hadn't expected was the figure that stepped forward from the crowd.
Jessica.
Her face was soft with concern, not belief. Not even a hint of it. She looked at him the way someone might look at a wounded animal, like she wanted to help but didn't know how.
"Marcus," she said gently, her voice cutting through the laughter. "Stop this. You're just hurting yourself."
The laughter died down, people wanting to hear what she had to say.
"I know Derek's been terrible to you. I know he deserves to be called out." She glanced at Derek, then back at Marcus. "But making up stories won't help. You're trying to get back at him, I understand, but this isn't the way."
She turned to Derek, her expression hardening. "Just leave him alone. He's been through enough."
Derek's smirk widened. He didn't say a word, just stood there soaking in the moment like it was sunshine.
Marcus felt something crack inside his chest. Not anger. Not even disappointment. Just a quiet, cold acceptance.
Even her.
Even the one person who'd shown him kindness didn't believe him.
The crowd murmured in agreement with Jessica. A few nodded. Someone said, "Yeah, man, just let it go." Another voice: "It's over, Marcus."
Marcus looked at Jessica for a long moment, then let his gaze drift across the faces around him. Strangers. Coworkers. People he'd worked beside for years who didn't know him at all.
He took a breath, steadied himself, and spoke.
"It's your cup of tea to believe or not."
His voice was calm. Too calm. Like he'd already made peace with their disbelief and didn't need their validation.
He turned his back on the crowd and started walking.
Derek's smirk stretched into a full grin. He glanced at Mark and David, who were already whispering to each other. "That was pathetic," one of them muttered.
The crowd began to disperse. The show was over. Nothing left to see.
Jessica stood frozen, watching Marcus's retreating figure. Something about the way he walked didn't sit right with her. No anger. No shame. Just quiet, unshakable certainty.
Marcus took three more steps before a hand clamped down on his shoulder like a vice.
He was yanked backward, spun around with enough force to make him stumble.
Derek's face was inches from his, twisted with rage and something else. Triumph.
"Have you lost your mind, Marcus?"
The crowd stopped. Turned. Phones came back out.
Derek's grip tightened, fingers digging into Marcus's shoulder hard enough to bruise. His breath was hot, sour, furious.
"Seems you've grown some balls overnight."
He leaned in closer, invading every inch of Marcus's space.
"Did you really think you could embarrass me? Make up lies about owning this company? Walk away like you have dignity?"
Mark and David moved in, flanking Derek like bodyguards. The corridor was silent again, but this time it was charged. Dangerous.
"Derek, let him go!" Jessica's voice cut through the tension, but Derek didn't even glance her way.
Marcus stood perfectly still. Didn't flinch. Didn't pull away. His eyes locked onto Derek's with a calm that felt wrong, unnatural for someone in his position.
Derek released his shoulder and stepped back, but only to make room.
"You need to be put back in your place."
His hand came up fast, arcing toward Marcus's face in a wide, open palmed swing meant to humiliate, not just hurt.
The slap never landed.
Marcus's hand shot up and caught Derek's wrist mid swing. The impact echoed with a dull smack of skin on skin.
Derek's eyes went wide.
The crowd gasped.
Marcus's grip tightened, his fingers like iron around Derek's wrist. Derek tried to pull free. Couldn't. His face twisted in pain as Marcus's hand squeezed harder.
Then Marcus tossed Derek's hand back at him with enough force to send him stumbling backward.
Derek caught himself against the wall, staring at his reddened wrist like it belonged to someone else.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Mark and David stood frozen, mouths hanging open. The crowd was a wall of wide eyes and held breaths. Phones trembled in hands that had forgotten to record.
Marcus, the doormat, the punching bag, the man who took every insult without a word, had just fought back.
Derek's shock lasted three seconds before it twisted into something darker. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging at his temples. His breathing came in short, ragged bursts.
"You... you DARED to touch me?"
His voice was shaking. Not with fear. With humiliation.
He looked around at the crowd, saw their faces, saw the shock and the pity and the disbelief. They'd witnessed it. Witnessed him being overpowered by Marcus Hayes.
His jaw clenched so hard it looked like his teeth might crack.
He needed to destroy him. Needed to crush whatever spark of defiance Marcus had found. Needed everyone to see Marcus broken, begging, bleeding if necessary.
His eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Jessica.
A slow, cruel smile spread across his face.
"Let's see how you protect your little crush."
Jessica's eyes widened as Derek pivoted toward her, his hand already rising.
The crowd screamed.
"No!"
"Stop!"
Derek's hand swung toward her face in a vicious arc, faster than before, meaner.
Marcus moved like lightning.
His hand caught Derek's wrist inches from Jessica's cheek. The grip was tighter this time, harder. Derek cried out, a sharp, involuntary yelp of pain.
But Marcus didn't just stop him.
He yanked Derek off balance, spun him around like a rag doll.
And then his hand came down.
CRACK.
The slap echoed through the corridor like a gunshot.
Derek's head snapped to the side. He staggered, crashed into the wall, and slid halfway down before catching himself.
The silence that followed wasn't just quiet.
It was absolute.
Nobody breathed. Nobody blinked. The world had stopped turning.
Derek's hand slowly rose to his cheek, trembling as it touched the red handprint already forming there.
Marcus stood over him, his hand still raised, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths.
Jessica was behind him, frozen, her hand over her mouth.
The crowd stared, phones finally remembering to record, capturing every second of the impossible.
Marcus Hayes had just slapped Derek.
And the shock waves of that single moment rippled through every person in that hallway, shattering everything they thought they knew.
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Chapter 216
The next day.Aldrian sat in his room, a cauldron placed in front of him. After returning from the Alchemist Association headquarters, he had delved deeper into his knowledge of alchemy. He purchased advanced books on alchemy, the most expensive cauldron available in their store, and ingredients for concocting pills. All of these purchases were but a drop of water in the ocean of his wealth, so he spared no expense.Just as he had done when learning blacksmithing, he was eager to practice his concoction skills. Inside his luxurious room, he had already created formations identical to those in the Alchemist Association’s concoction room. Anyone passing by his room would neither smell nor sense anything unusual.Aldrian seemed lost in his own world as he immersed himself in practice, already having produced several pills using new recipes. He resembled a child with a new toy, his enthusiasm for learning alchemy reaching new heights. After several hours, he finally stepped out of his roo
Chapter 215
The young man kept walking but glanced at the old man for a split second before saying,"Yes, elder brother is still on the frontlines. He is in Karak now, inspecting the remnants of the battle. The simultaneous appearance of the Wrath Devil and an Emperor-stage Hydra is no simple matter, so father has asked him to stay there for some time, just in case something happens."This young man was none other than Alderia Doria, the second prince of the Doria Empire."He is also there to investigate the sudden appearance of a golden light, which was revealed to be a technique—a powerful one at that. The problem is, we don’t know anything about the person who unleashed it. Is he a friend or a threat to the empire? We are still investigating whether this could also be one of the reasons the devils retreated. That said, with my elder brother’s instincts and sharp senses, I am confident he will uncover something," Alderia added."By the way, let’s put that aside for now, teacher. I must thank yo
Chapter 214
They emerged from the room under the watchful eyes of many onlookers. The three grandmaster alchemists had been inside the room for over three days, and this was the first time they had come out. Following them were a young man and a young woman, leaving the crowd wondering about their identities.The three grandmasters appeared to be escorting them as they made their way to the upper floor. Those who had previously seen Aldrian buying a beginner’s book felt as though they were dreaming. Who was this young man, that even the grandmasters of the association would personally escort him?Many people murmured among themselves, speculating about what had happened and questioning Aldrian’s identity to warrant the privilege of meeting with the three grandmasters of the Association. Ignoring the chatter, Aldrian and the others continued walking toward the topmost floor of the building. As Aldrian ascended, he observed the various sections on each floor, noticing that the higher floors held in
Chapter 213
After closing the door, Marco looked at Aldrian with a blank expression. He had just asked the receptionist who attended to Aldrian, and true to Aldrian’s words, he had indeed only purchased a cheap cauldron and a beginner’s book on alchemy. Marco had also contacted the registration department through a communication artifact, and they confirmed that there was no one named Aldrian Aster in their records.Did Aldrian come from another alchemist association? If they had someone like Aldrian, they would surely boast about it to the entire continent and make the Alchemist Association eat their dust. Aldrian’s mere appearance had already shifted the balance of power among the alchemist groups on the continent. But even if Aldrian truly belonged to another association, what purpose could he have in joining the Alchemist Association? To steal recipes? No, with Aldrian’s capabilities, there would be no need to steal anything.He couldn’t make sense of the situation. Did Aldrian really achieve
Chapter 2120
"How did you do it? This kind of pill is unheard of—the purity, the smell, the energy it exudes—there’s nothing like other pills," Marco said as he took the pill, gazing at it as though inspecting a treasure. He then looked at Aldrian."May I consume it?"Before Aldrian could answer, someone had already entered the room."Damn it, Marco got here before us.""That old man is really fast."Two people entered through the door—a man and a woman of the same age as Marco. They walked inside and immediately glanced at the pills in Marco’s and Aldrian’s hands. They wore the same robes and badges, each adorned with 10 stars, signifying that they held the same status as Marco."Aberin Louise and Maria Valentina."Aldrian glanced at their information before answering Marco."Of course, senior. You can consume it. It’s only a supplement pill—I can make more if you need," Aldrian replied.Hearing his answer, the three alchemists widened their eyes in disbelief."This is a supplement pill? Not some
Chapter 211
After waiting for a while, Aldrian thought to himself."Let’s see if my Eyes of Heaven can work here like it did in blacksmithing."With that thought, a screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, displaying numbers, steps, and instructions to achieve the most perfect result."Good," he smiled. He was not surprised that his Eyes of Heaven could do this much, as it wasn’t all that different from creating an artifact.The screen displayed complete information: the precise temperature of the cauldron, the sequence in which the herbs needed to be added, and the methods he needed to use.After the cauldron’s heat reached the temperature indicated on the screen, he immediately picked up one of the herbs and placed it inside.Elaine, watching from the side, quickly realized from Aldrian’s movements that he had never handled a cauldron or anything related to alchemy before. His actions seemed rigid, unlike the fluid motions of the alchemists she had observed at the Association long ago.She won
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