19: The Bet.
Author: Red Phoenix.
last update2025-04-04 23:27:08
Kai stepped into the lavish Alfred estate, escorted by two grim-faced servants. He kept his posture relaxed, dressed in a plain black shirt and sneakers, yet his calm energy filled the space before he even reached the main sitting room.

Abigail rushed to meet him halfway, her eyes betraying more nerves than she wanted to admit. She grabbed his arm, gripping tightly not too forcefully, but enough to say don’t mess this up.

The family seated in the spacious parlor looked up as one. Some eyes narrowed. Others lit with curiosity.

But as soon as they saw what Kai was wearing, the air chilled, they barely replied to Kai’s greeting.

“So this is the boyfriend?” Aunt Matilda scoffed, folding her arms and looking at Kai with hatred that could burn, “He looks like he just walked out of a student hostel.”

Conrad, clad in designer wear and reeking of smugness stood and gave Kai a disdainful once-over.

“Not much to look at. Abigail, are you really this desperate? What do you see in such
Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • 109: Who Wants To Wake It Up

    Hearing this, the two boys and the ladies turned sharply toward Kai. Their faces were taut with annoyance and disbelief, but beneath the surface, there was a flicker of unease. One of the boys stepped forward, arms crossed over his chest.“How the hell do you know all that?” he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.Kai didn’t even bother to look directly at him. Instead, he let out a low chuckle, smooth and deliberate, like someone who’d just been asked if the sky was blue.“How do I know?” he repeated, then finally looked at him with that cold, dissecting gaze that made even proud men forget how to stand tall. “Because I actually use my brain. You might try it sometime.”He swept an arm slowly around the cave, his voice rising just enough to make sure they all heard him. “Look around you. Properly, this time. Not with your nose in your stupid books, but with your goddamn senses. Do you see any grass? Any vines? Any moss? Hell, even fungi? No? That’s because this place isn’t just lif

  • 108: The Hunt Began

    The deeper they walked into the cave, the thicker the air grew—not with heat or cold, but with something unseen. Pressure. Weight. A strange silence that settled on their shoulders.Kai said nothing. He didn’t need to. His earlier words had taken root, festering quietly in each of their minds. No one admitted it, but every step they took now was slower, more calculated. Subconsciously, they were listening, watching, and expecting. But pride is a loud thing. And in the presence of ego, silence feels like weakness.So they mocked him instead.After thirty minutes of walking, and nothing showing up—no beast, no sound, not even a whisper of movement—the boys grew bold again. One spun on his heels, grinning like a clown. “Hey, rich boy,” he called, his voice bouncing off the cave walls. “You sure that ‘big scary beast’ didn’t get lost on the way? Maybe it smelled your perfume and took off?”Another snickered. “Maybe it took one look at him and died from boredom.”Even the two girls joined

  • 107: The Beast Ahead.

    The cave grew colder as they moved deeper in. Dampness clung to the air, the walls breathing with a strange, unsettling pulse. The torchlight from the enchanted flame cast eerie shadows across the rough stone, stretching shapes that looked too alive to be still. With each step, the silence thickened. The outside world felt like a distant dream—irrelevant, unreachable.None of them said a word, the gravity of the unknown weighing heavily on their steps.Then something skittered past, a quick blur of motion near Zora’s feet.She let out a sharp yelp and jumped back instinctively, nearly colliding into Kai. The sudden movement earned a loud, disdainful scoff from the two girls in the group.“Seriously?” one muttered, shaking her head. “It’s probably a rat.”The other rolled her eyes. “No wonder she clings to every man like she’ll faint if she breathes too hard.”But before anyone could comment further, the three boys sprang forward like valiant knights drunk on delusion.“Don’t worry, La

  • 106: Into The Cave.

    The tension in the air hadn't even settled when one of the younger men from the group turned sharply toward Kai, eyes narrowing.“Who are you calling children, Mr. man?” he snapped.Kai didn’t even spare him a glance. He was more focused on brushing a speck of dust off his coat than dignifying that bite with a response. The sheer arrogance in his silence sent another ripple of irritation through the group, but before more could be said, the swordsman from earlier stepped forward, voice calm but firm.“That man… he’s not just dangerous,” he began, eyes flicking briefly to the twitching corpse-like thing that had tried to ambush them moments ago. “He’s an evil cultivator—a parasitic one. He waits here, playing the role of the helpless old guard. Lures travelers in with false warnings about the cave, then kills them off the moment they drop their guard. It’s been happening for years.”Zora made a face, disgust curling her upper lip. “So he’s the reason no one ever comes back.”The speake

  • 105:Unmasking the Predator

    Kai turned just in time, his boot grinding lightly against the gravel as his gaze settled on the figure approaching from the shadows.An old man, stooped and slow-moving, walked toward them with deliberate care. He was dressed in dull gray robes that fluttered faintly with the wind, and he leaned on a wooden cane, each step measured as if his bones would snap from the weight of existence itself. His white beard hung to his chest, thin and unkempt, and his sunken eyes looked pale—too pale for someone with breath still in their lungs.“You shouldn’t go in,” the old man said, his voice aged and tremulous. “The cave swallows everything. Cultivators, warriors, even sect elders have entered over the years. None ever came back out. Not one.”Zora folded her arms with an audible scoff, already rolling her eyes. “Every cursed ruin has its old storyteller,” she muttered under her breath. “Let me guess. He’s going to beg us not to awaken the vengeful spirit inside.”Kai didn’t move. He didn’t ev

  • 104: A Beating Worth Remembering

    The atmosphere in the hotel lobby remained tense even after Kai’s first warning. The guard, despite clearly shaken, straightened his back, clenched his fists, and stubbornly stepped forward again. His hesitation lasted only a moment—but under the piercing glare of his young master, it was enough.“You’re not going anywhere,” the guard said firmly, although the tremble in his voice betrayed him.Kai didn’t react at first. He stared blankly at the man, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he let out a tired sigh—long and dry, like someone bored of dealing with toddlers.“I was hoping to walk away tonight,” he muttered. “Guess that was asking too much.”He took a step closer, eyes narrowing slightly.“Get the fuck out of my face,” he said, calmly. The guard flinched. But before he could even weigh his options, the young master barked from behind him, “What are you waiting for? Restrain him!”That was the last straw.Kai didn’t wait.With a speed that seemed to blur the edges of the

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App