Bryce rushed into Nathaniel's quarter and stumbled as he went. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his face still wore the pallor of fear.At that moment, Nathaniel was seated at his desk. He stared into the dim glow of a single lamp, lost in thought. Upon hearing the sound of frantic footsteps, he frowned and looked up."Y-Your Highness! Something terrible has happened," Bryce stammered. He burst through the door and was too panicked to bother with formalities."What's wrong?" Nathaniel asked with a frown, and he looked annoyed.The mansion was so large that the explosion of the main gate earlier hadn't alerted him."Your Highness, Zeus and Hera, the royal gods from the Hall of Gods, just barged in and attacked us. General Derin tried to stop them, but Zeus raised his hand and struck him with a lightning bolt. General Derin… He was killed on the spot."Bryce forced himself to calm his nerves and quickly recounted what had happened earlier. He had seen his share of battles, s
That night, two figures hovered silently above Nathaniel's mansion. They looked down and took in every detail of the mansion below.It was none other than Zeus and Hera."This is the place." They exchanged a brief glance before turning into two streaks of light and slamming down in front of the gates. With a single strike, they knocked out the two guards.Zeus then casually raised his hand. The main gate exploded in a violent roar and crumbled to dust in an instant.Suddenly, a surge of immense energy flooded the entire mansion."Who dares break into Prince Nathaniel's mansion?" The noise drew the attention of Lycas and Bryce, two of Nathaniel's personal guards. They stormed out with a squad of soldiers and quickly surrounded Zeus and Hera, who had just entered the compound.But when they felt the crushing pressure radiating from the intruders, Lycas and Bryce felt a chill run down their spines. Their expressions grew darker by the second."Where's Logan Rhys?" Zeus demanded
"I was surprised I managed to bring the Dragon essence back so smoothly. I was ready to go head-to-head with Nathaniel if it came to that," Dustin said.Grace raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Oh? What happened?" He didn't hold back and recounted everything in detail—from Nathaniel's unexpected gesture of goodwill to Felicia covering up for him and her subsequent allegiance.He shook his head and asked, "So, what do you think Nathaniel is up to? He was suspicious of me before, and we nearly got into a fight. "But the next day, he was like a completely different person. He was warm and had an overly friendly demeanor. He even sent me a top beauty from the Beauty Ranking. It doesn't make sense at all.""I think this is likely connected to his mother, Lady Spanner," Grace replied. She paused for a thought, then added, "Lady Spanner is a shrewd and calculating woman. She probably realized Nathaniel can't take you head-on. Rather than continuing to oppose you, she's trying t
Dustin agreed with what Felicia had said.He had expected Nathaniel to use the situation as an excuse to make things difficult for him. Or perhaps put him under house arrest and keep him from leaving.But to his surprise, Nathaniel did nothing. He even offered Dustin one of the top beauties on the Beauty Ranking.It was clear that he was trying to establish a friendly relationship. Whether there were other motives behind this gesture didn't matter for now. As far as Dustin was concerned, this outcome worked in his favor."Forget it. Let's talk about it later," Dustin said.He didn't dwell on it and left the mansion with Felicia. Time was running out, and he couldn't afford any delays.He had to follow Grace's plan and use the Dracan essence to boost his cultivation before the two royal gods of the Hall of Gods arrived.…Dustin leaned against the plush seat of a sleek luxury car. His gaze was fixed on the blur of scenery outside the window with a tense expression.Felicia, dre
"But… I still can't accept this," Nathaniel said. He clenched his jaw, and his eyes burned with fury.He was only one step away from success, so why would Valon choose to interfere with his plan now of all times? Did this mean his father had never intended to name him crown prince? Had all that past favoritism been nothing but an act?"If you want to accomplish something great, you need patience. You can't afford to rush things," Cynthia said earnestly.She continued, "One setback doesn't mean the end, and a few lost treasures aren't worth worrying over. As long as you're still standing, there's always another chance. I'll be here for you, and so will the Spanner family."Nathaniel's expression finally softened.Even without the Dracan essence to strengthen his claim to the throne, he still had his mother, the backing of the Spanner family, and the network he'd carefully built over the years. With all that behind him, he had what it took to challenge Matthias and Tristan."What
When Nathaniel finally regained consciousness, it was already evening. Outside his room, Lycas and Bryce stood vigilantly with a team of elite guards. Nathaniel's mother, Cynthia Spanner, stood anxiously at his bedside alongside several imperial doctors. As soon as she heard that her son was unconscious, she rushed over with the doctors.Nathaniel was her only son. She had devoted herself entirely to raising him, giving him the best of everything. And fortunately, he had lived up to her expectations. He stood out among the other princes and had earned the right to compete for the throne.Cynthia had been making plans for Nathaniel's future recently. But just as everything seemed to finally come together, this sudden crisis left her shaken.Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious. He had only fainted from the stress."Nathaniel, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" Cynthia asked.When her son opened his eyes, she moved quickly to his side, concern written on her face."Mother
"I see," Dustin muttered as his gaze fixed on the chessboard.He nodded and said, "You've helped me tonight. That puts me in your debt. If you ever need anything, just say the word."Dustin lived by one rule—return what was given, whether kindness or vengeance. Felicia hadn't exposed him earlier. She had even covered for him. That was a debt he intended to repay."Mr. Rhys, you truly are a man of principle. I admire that," she said.She dipped her head with a playful smile, and that gesture carried an elegant charm."But I'm still curious about what brought you here tonight. Did you already suspect me?" Dustin asked."Anyone who wants to get close to Nathaniel usually wants one of three things—power, fame, or money. I can see it in their eyes, but you're different," Felicia said with a smile.She continued, "You came here and offered the Dracan essence, but didn't ask for a title or recognition. You even turned down the company of women, which only makes me suspect you have an
Dustin's expression darkened, and his voice came out sharper than before. If he stayed quiet and let Nathaniel search him without protest, it would only make him look suspicious."Logan, there's been a break-in. The whole mansion is on lockdown. For your safety, we need to search the place," Nathaniel said, his expression darkening.He was convinced Dustin was the thief. But without solid evidence, he couldn't make a direct accusation. If Dustin resisted, Nathaniel wouldn't hesitate to act."Break-in?" Dustin raised an eyebrow. "Really? Is that what the tremor earlier was about?""We'll go over the details later. Right now, we can't risk letting anyone slip away. So, I must search your place," Nathaniel said.He wasn't in the mood to explain further. Then, he waved a hand toward Lycas and Bryce and signaled them to act.The two exchanged a glance, then stormed into the inner room with a squad of guards behind them.Nathaniel gave Dustin one long, measured look before following t
Nathaniel anxiously urged the guards, "Hurry up! Pick up the pace."At that moment, he couldn't help but blame the mansion for being too large because they couldn't even reach the scene fast enough."Your Highness, what's going on?"Just then, Lycas and Bryce arrived with a squad of elite guards. Most of them rushed in without even having time to throw on a shirt. After all, this was the first time the alarm had ever sounded inside the mansion.Nathaniel didn't bother to explain and quickly ordered, "A thief sneaked into the mansion. Block every exit and don't let him escape.""Hurry up and seal the entire compound," Lycas shouted and quickly led the team into action.They'd been training for years. Now it was time to prove themselves."Quick! This way," Nathaniel said urgently.He didn't stop moving and led the squad of guards forward at full speed.But just then, a deafening boom erupted from the vault's direction. The ground shook like an earthquake, and rattled the entire