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 277
The knock on Krul Ashgor's door did not sound like a normal knock.It was rapid and uneven—the kind of knocking from someone who had forgotten how to be polite because their mind was entirely occupied elsewhere.Krul, who was still seated on his sofa, rose to his feet with an expression already prepared for anger before the door had even opened.He opened it himself.The man standing outside, one of the fifty he had dispatched the previous night, was pale, his breathing unsteady."Boss." His words came out in a rush, too hurried to be properly organized. "Everyone... everyone lost. That explorer is here now, at the headquarters!"Krul stood still for a second."Everyone... lost?"The fifty men he had sent out the previous night—he could have accepted it if they had returned empty-handed. They were not the core strength of the Demon Fang.But Dren Skarr. Vera Khal. Dovan Reck.The Three Elites who had spent years building the reputation that made the name Demon Fang feared throughout t
Chapter 276
Lein sensed them before he saw them.Forty aura signatures moving through the Varkaan Forest from the west. Not particularly fast—the pace of people traveling in a large group, unable to completely conceal the presence of so many individuals gathered in one place.He ran toward them.There was no reason to wait for them to come.They met between two massive Ironcrown trees, in a clearing wide enough for forty people to stand, but not spacious enough for all of them to move freely.They saw Lein approaching from the front.Several of those at the front instinctively slowed down, the natural reaction of people carried forward by the momentum of a group suddenly encountering something they had not expected.Lein did not slow down.He plunged straight into the first line.No spiritual energy radiated from him. Only his body, momentum, and reflexes sharpened for far too long to be called mere training.His right elbow smashed upward into the jaw of the man at the front. The man's head snap
Chapter 275
Vera did not come at him with a single attack.She came with everything she had.Her axe swept from left to right in a horizontal arc powerful enough to split two ordinary trees in half if they had stood in its path. Lein took a single step backward, and the blade passed across his chest close enough for him to feel the pressure of it, yet it never touched the fabric of his shirt.Vera spun, using the momentum of the previous swing to transition immediately into a diagonal strike from above.Lein tilted his head to the right.The blade sliced past his left ear and crashed into a tree root behind him, cutting through a third of its thickness in a single blow.Vera did not stop.The axe rose again, this time from below, carrying soil and fragments of the shattered root upward in a motion that left no time to breathe between attacks.Lein jumped.He passed over the axe, landed on a higher root beside him, and steadied himself.Vera followed.One strike after another.And another.And ano
Chapter 274
Dovan shot forward at the speed of a Peak Star Realm cultivator.His dagger was already in a thrusting position, aimed directly at the center of Lein’s chest. The distance between the tip of the blade and its target left almost no room for error.Then suddenly, Lein took a single step backward.Dovan passed right by him.He came to a stop three meters ahead, turned around, and stared at the empty space where his target should have been.One step. Just one step backward. And an attack launched at full speed had struck nothing but air.Dovan did not move immediately. Calculations were already running through his mind.The speed of that single step was equal to—or perhaps even greater than—his own. It was not a forced reaction. It was not a lucky guess. It was a precise read and an economical response. This man had seen the attack clearly enough to choose not to block, not to counterattack, but simply to evade with the minimum possible effort.That meant only one thing: if speed alone wa
Chapter 273
Lein landed on the branch beside their treehouse and let Ryn and Sael climb down.“Go inside.” His voice was not loud, but it left no room for negotiation. “Don’t come out until I return. Understood?”The two nodded at the same time.But before Lein could step toward the edge of the branch to jump away, someone tugged at the hem of his shirt.Sael.The girl looked up at him with the expression of a child who wanted to say something but was not entirely sure she was allowed to.“Be careful, Uncle.” Her voice did not tremble, but there was something behind it that felt heavier than her years. “Come back safely. To me... you’re already like a second big brother.”Lein looked at her for a moment, and then one corner of his lips curved upward.“Don’t worry.” He glanced at Sael, then at Ryn. “I’ve never lost before. And the Demon Fang won’t be the ones to change that.”The worry on Sael’s face did not disappear completely, but it lessened enough for her to release the edge of his shirt.Sta
Chapter 272
Eight of the nine moved toward Lein's table immediately, drawing their swords in unison. The blades leaving their sheaths produced a uniform metallic sound.The ninth man took two steps back and threw something into the air.The small object burst silently overhead, releasing a cloud of green smoke that spread across the sky—a signal that needed no explanation.Lein rose from his chair.Not hurriedly.He stood the way someone might leave a table after finishing a meal, not like someone facing eight armed men charging toward him.Then he disappeared.The eight men had not even taken three full steps before they lost sight of the target that had been standing before them.Lein was already behind the first one.His left fist slammed into the side of the man's jaw from an angle that offered no opportunity to block. The force twisted the man's head in a direction necks were never meant to turn.Three teeth flew through the air.The man skidded across the ground on the far side of the table
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