2025-11-17 15:06:38Meanwhile, at the Anthony Mansion—a luxurious Victorian-style mansion that once belonged to the Ashford family—the atmosphere was full of festivities.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled on the ceiling of the spacious ballroom. Classical music flowed softly from an orchestra in the corner of the room. Dozens of formally dressed guests gathered, holding champagne glasses, laughing and chatting in low voices that sounded elegant. Tonight was Richard Anthony's 52nd birthday celebration. And not just any celebration—this was a party attended by the elite of Corholt City. Businessmen, politicians, high officials, and various influential figures. In the middle of the crowd, Richard Anthony stood in an expensive black suit, a satisfied smile plastered on his face. Beside him, Victoria wore an elegant red dress, looking like the queen of the night. Her arm was linked with a handsome man in his thirties—her boyfriend. The man was Charles Whitmore, heir to a wealthy family that owned a property business in Corholt City. He smiled broadly while raising his glass. "Mr. Richard," Charles said in a respectful tone. "Happy birthday. May Anthony Corp continue to grow rapidly. We hope to establish closer cooperation in the future." Richard smiled with satisfaction, patting Charles's shoulder. "Thank you, Charles. You'll make a good son-in-law." Victoria smiled sweetly—a fake smile she had perfected over the years. Margaret stood in the corner, greeting guests warmly. Meanwhile, Edmund Anthony sat in a luxurious armchair, like an old king observing his kingdom with satisfaction. Other guests joined in praising. "The honorable Mr. Anthony is truly visionary!" "One of the Four Great Families of Corholt City! It's truly an honor to be here!" "We hope to cooperate with Anthony Corp!" Everyone was trying to flatter. Everyone wanted to make a good impression on the Anthony family. Because now, the Anthony family had become tycoons—economic rulers of Corholt City. Richard enjoyed all the praise. He raised his glass, ready to give a speech, when— A large-bodied security guard approached him quickly, bowed, then whispered softly in his ear. "Mr. Anthony, sorry to disturb. There's someone outside who wants to see you." Richard frowned. "Who?" The guard hesitated. "A... young man, Sir. But his appearance... is very shabby. Worn shirt, torn jeans, carrying an old bag. He doesn't look like an upper-class person at all." Richard almost laughed. A beggar? At his party? But his mood was good tonight. Very good. He had just signed a 500 million contract with one of the largest property companies. His life was perfect. His wealth was overflowing. Why not share a little? He waved his hand casually. "Let that beggar in. As long as he gives me good wishes, give him some food then tell him to leave. Consider it charity on my birthday." The guests around him laughed softly, praising Richard's "kindness." The guard nodded respectfully. "Yes, Sir." He turned around, ready to return to the entrance. But before he took three steps— BANG! The large ballroom door opened violently, slamming into the wall with a loud sound that echoed throughout the room. The music stopped. Everyone fell silent. All heads turned toward the door. There, stood a twenty-six-year-old young man. Wrinkled long-sleeved shirt, worn jeans, old bag on his back. His hair was slightly messy. But his eyes... His eyes were sharp, cold, and full of blazing fire. Lein stepped inside with firm steps. Each of his steps sounded loud on the silent marble floor. Then, his voice thundered—loud, clear, and full of terrifying authority: "RICHARD! VICTORIA! COME OUT!" Total silence enveloped the ballroom. Everyone was frozen. Their mouths open. Their eyes widened in disbelief. Daring to call the honorable Mr. Anthony by his name?! Moreover, asking him to come out?! How bold! Was he looking for death?! Richard, who was holding a champagne glass, instantly his face turned dark. His smile disappeared. Victoria, standing beside him, frowned. Her eyes narrowed at the shabby man. Wait... That face... It couldn't be... Charles Whitmore, standing next to Victoria, immediately stepped forward with a red face. "How dare you—" But before he finished speaking, another security guard had already moved. A muscular man nearly two meters tall stepped quickly from the corner of the room. His name was Marcus—a former soldier, martial arts expert, and one of the Anthony family's best bodyguards. His muscles were clearly visible beneath his black uniform. "Enough!" Marcus shouted in a booming voice. "How dare you come in and shout like that in front of Mr. Anthony?!" He stepped quickly toward Lein, his hands already clenched into fists. "Get out now, or I'll make you leave by force!" Lein didn't move. Didn't even glance at Marcus. His eyes were fixed on Richard and Victoria. Marcus got angrier. He felt insulted. Ignored like dust! "You're looking for death!" Marcus threw a hard punch at Lein's face—a punch that had knocked down dozens of people, a punch honed over years on the battlefield. But— WHOOSH! Lein moved. Fast. Very fast. His hand caught Marcus's wrist in mid-air, like an eagle catching a snake. Marcus was shocked. His eyes widened. Strong! This man's grip... was so strong! He tried to pull his hand away, but couldn't—it was like being trapped in iron. Then, Lein twisted Marcus's wrist with a smooth but brutal movement. CRACK! The sound of breaking bone was heard clearly throughout the ballroom. "AAAHHH!" Marcus screamed in pain, his knees immediately hitting the floor. But Lein wasn't finished. With one quick movement, he pulled Marcus, then threw him aside—like throwing an empty sack. CRASH! Marcus's body, weighing over 100 kilograms, slammed hard onto the marble floor. His head hit the floor, his eyes rolled back, then he lost consciousness. Silence. The entire ballroom was completely silent. Everyone stared with their mouths wide open. Their eyes bulging in disbelief. Marcus—one of the Anthony family's best bodyguards, a former soldier who had defeated hundreds of people—was taken down in an instant. Not even three seconds. Who... who was this man?! Lein stood upright again, as if nothing had happened. He casually brushed off his hands, then looked back at Richard and Victoria. "Richard, Victoria," he said in a cold voice that froze blood. "Long time no see."
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Chapter 323
The spiritual energy from the stone began to flow into him.Lein had absorbed more than a hundred spirit stones since arriving in Xollos, from the lowest grade to the highest, and through that experience, he had become intimately familiar with the sensation.He knew how the energy entered through his meridians, like water finding a channel and flowing along paths that already existed, filling the narrowest passages before spreading into the widest, calm and predictable.But this one was different.It did not feel like flowing water.It felt like crashing waves.The first surge of energy from the Auranveil's spirit stone slammed into his primary meridian with such force that every energy channel within his body instantly tensed—not because they were being damaged, but because they were suddenly forced to contain a volume they had never been designed to hold.Like a river that suddenly receives the combined flood of ten other rivers at once, and within seconds must decide whether to ove
Chapter 322
The first thing to emerge from the Auranveil's chest cavity was not the stone.It was light.A brilliant gold, a shade entirely different from the warmer, deeper gold of the Auranveil's fur. This was purer, sharper—a radiance that did not exist because it reflected light, but because it generated its own. The moment it emerged from the darkness within the beast's chest, its glow illuminated the entire clearing in a way even the sun never could, for sunlight could never reach this place, but this light could.Then the stone itself emerged completely.Lein stood.Both hands were raised beneath it, supporting the massive stone from below, and only now, with it fully revealed between his hands, could its true size be appreciated.It was as tall as a doorway.This was not a stone that could be held in one hand, slipped into a pocket, or hidden beneath a robe. It stood the height of a doorway, with a thickness greater than the full arm span of a grown man.Its weight made itself known the i
Chapter 321
One Auranveil remained.The last one.The one that had stood at the edge of the clearing from the very beginning, the first to detect Lein from afar, the one that had watched its three companions fall one after another, and now stood with its wings half-folded, its legs no longer completely steady, and golden eyes that no longer held anything resembling hunger or rage.Lein looked at it and asked calmly, “Do you still want to continue?”The Auranveil did not move.“If you still want to live, you may leave.”Lein had sensed it from the moment he first stepped into the depths of Vrethkaar. In this part of the forest, far beyond the reach of ordinary humans, the number of Auranveil could be counted on one hand. Not because they were weak, but because creatures this powerful did not reproduce quickly, and every death was a loss that could not be replaced in a short time.Three were enough, especially considering one had already been a corpse before he arrived.Four were more than enough.
Chapter 320
The Auranveil that had slammed into the Ironcrown tree had already turned around and charged back.It was even angrier than before. Its head still throbbed from the impact, but its body had already processed the pain. All that remained now was rage, with only one target left for it—a lone man standing in the middle of the clearing who, by all rights, should no longer exist.Its foreclaws rose.Not one.Both.Two gigantic claws descended simultaneously from different heights, one from the left and one from the right, crossing in a pattern that sealed off every possible path of escape to either side.Lein raised his sword.White energy surged into the blade, this time not fed gradually but poured into it all at once, dense and concentrated until the black sword disappeared beneath the brilliant radiance engulfing it.Claws and blade met at the midpoint.For one second, nothing moved.Then—BOOM.It was not the sound of impact.It was an explosion.The energies colliding at that single p
Chapter 319
Vrethkaar's Forest.Lein looked at the three remaining Auranveil.“How much longer are the three of you going to cower over there?” His voice carried no mockery, no forced provocation. It was simply a statement. “Come. Face me.”Three seconds passed.Perhaps they did not understand the human language. Or perhaps they understood far more than any beast should, because what could be read from the way the three Auranveil moved afterward was not an instinctive response.It was rage.RRAAUUGH!All three roared in unison, and the sound that erupted from three chests the size of massive halls echoed far beyond this clearing. Deep within the sunless depths of Vrethkaar, creatures that had never feared anything fell silent all at once.Then the three of them charged.The first moved the fastest.Its enormous body tore across the distance between them so quickly that the forest floor had no time to react to each impact of its claws. Its half-spread wings drove it forward from behind, and its ja
Chapter 318
The first Aurenveil moved.Not like a lion running. Not like a bird flying. Something in between, moving with a speed that gave the forest floor no time to respond each time its claws touched the ground, its half-unfurled wings driving its massive body forward far faster than its size should have allowed.Its mouth opened.Wide.Far too wide for any creature that should have existed. Its lower jaw dropped until it seemed the hinges of its own bones had surrendered to gravity, revealing rows of fangs whose sizes varied wildly. The foremost ones were as large as the body of a grown man, while those deeper inside were smaller but no less razor-sharp. Beyond them lay a wet, steaming darkness that reeked of blood left to stagnate for far too long.Large enough to swallow ten human bodies in a single bite.Lein tilted his body.Not by much. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to move the left side of his body out of the upper jaw's path, and in the same motion, his black sword swept horizontally.
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