Knowing Natasha's temper, eloping did sound like something she might do. With the family gathering right around the corner, Mrs. Davys couldn't let something like that happen. "Fine. You can stay." Natasha wasn't in the mood to argue, so she dragged Dustin over to the gazebo over the pond. Mrs. Davys was just about to follow them when Ruth stopped her. "My dad only said to keep an eye on them, not stalk them! Why would you impede on a couple's private conversation?" Mrs. Davys thought about it for a moment and decided to wait where she was. After all, the two of them were still within her sights, and she could see every move they made."How did you get in here, Dear? My father isn't the type of person who would give in easily." Natasha asked, pouring two cups of tea."I saved his life, so I asked to meet you in return." Dustin gave her a run-down of everything that had happened.After hearing the story, Natasha grumbled. "What a reckless old man!""That's why I came to talk
Dustin did not leave right after meeting Natasha. Instead, he stayed in the Harmon estate under the pretense of treating Hector's illness.Naturally, to prevent the two of them from eloping, Mrs. Davys kept a close eye on them the entire time, separating them every time their actions became intimate. During the night, the two were forbidden from seeing each other, which Dustin obeyed begrudgingly.With that, the night passed uneventfully. The next morning, the Harmons' annual family gathering had officially begun. Countless people began pouring into the estate, luxury cars casually clustering the plaza.As one of the Fabulous Five, the Harmon family was incredibly prosperous, consisting of hundreds of family members. Besides those from the Harmon family, loyal company staff and other important family guests had all been invited as well, making the place much livelier. Hector, the head of the family, looked much better after receiving another round of treatment from Dustin.
"What's going on? Who did this?"Natasha's brow furrowed tightly as she studied the people on the floor, her face turning cold. Things would still be fine if only a few people were poisoned. Now, however, hundreds of people had been poisoned simultaneously. The consequences would be detrimental. The person who did this clearly only had one aim–to get rid of the Harmon family, once and for all!"Dad! Mom! Uncles!"Ruth panicked after seeing her family fall to the floor consecutively and darted toward them, but before she could reach them, she also spat out blood before crashing to the floor."Ruth!" Natasha paled. She was about to rush forward, but Dustin pulled her back. "Don't go there. It's the air that's poisonous, not the wine!""Then, what should we do? We have to save them!" Natasha cried worriedly, struggling to keep calm when faced with her poisoned family members."Take this pill first." Dustin drew out a white pill and put it into Natasha's mouth. It was a Curax, wh
After struggling for half an hour, everyone finally managed to drink the antidote. Although they were still weak and pale, their lives were no longer in danger.By the time they were finished, Natasha collapsed on the floor, worn out, and Dustin heaved a sigh of relief.It was fortunate that he had so many drugs on hand, or there'd be no way he could deal with so many poisoned patients. "Thank God you're here, Dustin, or our family would have been done for." Hector pulled himself up, his face full of gratitude. The Harmon family had nearly been wiped out."You're welcome, Mr. Harmon. I just did what I had to." Dustin replied, waving his arm."Uncle Hector, don't you find this suspicious?" Quentin suddenly asked. "Why does this guy have the antidote?""What are you implying?" Hector frowned."Everyone who joined the gathering is either from our family or our esteemed guests. Everyone knows each other very well, while this guy is merely a stranger," Quentin said, looking suspicio
Looking at all the hostile faces around him, Dustin smiled an imperceptible cold smile. They really didn't know what was good for them. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have saved anyone. Now, he not only ended up failing to get into anyone's good books but even brought trouble unto himself. How unlucky!"Why so quiet, Dustin? Is it because you're feeling too guilty, so you don't dare to speak a word?" Quentin said aggressively. He looked as if he wanted to get to the bottom of things. "You've already said everything there is to be said. What else can I say?" Dustin snorted and continued, "I saved your lives, but you keep insisting that I poisoned you and speaking so self-righteously. I've never met anyone as ungrateful as you bunch.""Humph! How dare you still defend yourself?!" Quentin's gaze was icy as he said, "If you didn't poison us, then why don't you explain why you have the antidote?""That's right! Why would you have the antidote?!" Everyone started demanding loudly.
"Why don't you trouble yourself? I don't care, but nobody touches Dustin today!" Natasha didn't give in at all. In her eyes, no one was more important than her man. Even if he was guilty, she would still defend him till the end, much less when he was being wronged right then. "Nonsense!" Jacob's temper flared, and he shouted, "How can a junior like you meddle with such an important family matter? Someone take Miss Harmon back to her room!""Yes, sir!" Mrs. Davys and the others dared not show any hesitation. They half dragged, and half persuaded Natasha out of the banquet hall. Witnessing this scene, Dustin frowned. He had wanted to take action a few times already, but he had controlled himself. The Harmon family's ways already ignited his anger. "No one's going to help you now, Rhys." Quentin took two steps forward and gave a low laugh. "I already asked you to leave earlier, but you just didn't want to listen to me. Look where it's gotten you now. You regret it, don't you?""I'
Seeing Quentin die such a sudden death, the crowd was frozen with fright. Their eyes protruded, and disbelief was written across their faces. They could never have imagined Dustin to be so daring as to kill someone over a mere misunderstanding. He was swift, brutal, and very vicious. He never even gave Quentin a chance to negotiate. Shouldn't every hostage be given a chance to negotiate first? Where was the reason for killing someone straight away without saying anything first? He was so unpredictable."It's over. It's really over this time." Ruth smacked her forehead and shut her eyes. If Dustin was just a suspect before this, he was now a murderer, no matter what the truth was. From that moment on, Dustin was the Harmon family's public enemy! After a short moment of silence, the crowd launched into uproar."How dare you kill someone with all of us watching! Today will be your last day!" "Fuck! Is that idiot crazy? How could he be so bold as to kill a member of the Harmon family o
"Everybody, I know that all of you hate me, but please let me say a few words." Dustin looked around and said loudly, "As long as you let me finish speaking, you can kill me or do anything you please. I will not resist!" "Hmmph! Are you still trying to make excuses till the very end?" Jacob demanded with a glare."I must say this regardless of whether you'll believe me, but Quentin deserved to die. That's because he is the real culprit who poisoned you!" Dustin dropped a bombshell. "Bullshit!" Jacob snorted coldly. "Quentin is a Harmon. How could he poison members of his own family? I think you're just framing him!""That's right! If you're going to make up a story, then at least make it believable. Who would believe you saying Quentin was the culprit?" Everyone scoffed and looked at Dustin with hostile gazes. If it wasn't because Natasha was shielding him, they would have attacked him long ago. "You say that Quentin is the culprit, but do you have evidence?" Hector, who had be
The crowd murmured among themselves as they looked at the broken broadsword and the stunned expression on Lycas' face."That strike was insanely fast and dead-on too," someone commented."I never expected General Derin's secret move to be defeated like that. It's unbelievable," another said."I thought General Derin could turn things around for us, but he still lost," a third added.Everyone knew how strong Lycas was. As a fully developed grandmaster with a broadsword, he was supposed to be unstoppable. However, at the critical moment, Dustin's strike shattered his broadsword.Lycas' loss was sudden and almost unbelievable. Some blamed bad luck and thought he could have won if things had gone differently. But those who truly understood what happened knew better.Even with Dustin's movement restricted and Lycas unleashing his strongest technique, he still pierced through the opening with near-impossible timing. That strike wasn't just lucky but masterful. It was a brutal display
Lycas gripped his broadsword with both hands and roared. The sound cracked through the air like a thunderclap.He sidestepped sharply and charged straight at Dustin like a raging bull.The heavy broadsword moved like it weighed nothing in his hands. He swung it with brutal speed. Each arc cut through the air with a sharp, whistling howl, as if it could slice through anything in its path.The broadsword came crashing down on Dustin with bone-crushing force, like a mountain falling from the sky.Lycas threw his full weight into the swing. As the sword descended, the force of the strike stirred up dust from the ground. It sent plumes of dirt in every direction.He knew Dustin was no ordinary opponent. If he wanted a chance to win, he had to make the first move and seize the initiative."Nice form," Dustin said.As Lycas launched a powerful, aggressive attack, Dustin remained calm and unruffled. With effortless grace, he sidestepped without the slightest rush. The broadsword whizz
Bryce knew Dustin was strong, but this was beyond anything he anticipated. Though he had gained the upper hand early on, Bryce still believed his skills matched Dustin's.From his observation, Dustin relied on martial arts techniques and hit-and-run tactics. Plus, he didn't dare to confront Bryce head-on.He had assumed that as long as he found an opening, he could exploit Dustin's weaknesses and defeat him. But when Dustin finally stopped holding back, Bryce realized how wrong he'd been.It turned out Dustin wasn't just playing hit-and-run tactics. Instead, he'd held back the entire time to spare Bryce from an embarrassing defeat.The moment Dustin stopped holding back, Bryce didn't stand a chance. Even without special techniques, Dustin's raw power, speed, and reflexes were enough to crush him.The difference in their abilities was staggering, so much so that no amount of skill could close the gap.And it wasn't just Bryce who was shocked. Except for Nathaniel, who had already
Bryce's request for a fight heated up the atmosphere.Soldiers around the training ground started murmuring among themselves."Lieutenant General Gantz is a legend in our ranks. His combat skills are no joke—he's taken down countless enemies on the battlefield. I haven't seen him in action in years," one young soldier said with awe."Yeah," a veteran agreed. "Lieutenant General Gantz has been through countless battles, and his strength is unmatched. If he steps in, Mr. Rhys might be in for a rough time."After the fight earlier, the soldiers knew firsthand that Dustin was no slouch. Otherwise, he wouldn't have easily defeated the five elite soldiers.But in their minds, no matter how skilled Dustin was, he stood no chance against Bryce.Bryce was a grandmaster not just in rank but in skill, physical strength, and battlefield experience. He was stronger than any expert from the martial world.Nathaniel had once recruited several grandmaster martial artists to spar with them, but
"Your Highness, the soldiers under me are trained solely in killing techniques. If they hurt your guest, things could get ugly," Lycas said.He didn't say it outright, but the message was clear. If Dustin wasn't strong enough, he'd better stay out of the way, or he was just asking for trouble.Bryce didn't say anything, but the look he gave Dustin was full of contempt. How could a pampered young man like Dustin measure up to soldiers who've been through the grind? He figured Dustin was probably some heir from a prominent family who knew Nathaniel and was trying to assert his relevance."You guys are blind to greatness when it's standing right in front of you." Nathaniel chuckled and shook his head. He added, "If any of you manage to land a hit on Mr. Rhys, I'll pay out a thousand gold. But honestly, I doubt any of you have what it takes."At the mention of rewards, the soldiers perked up. Their eyes lit up with excitement. They were practically itching to charge at Dustin and g
During the meal, Nathaniel arranged for two women to accompany Dustin.Throughout history, even the greatest heroes couldn't resist the allure of beautiful women. Sometimes, a woman of extraordinary beauty could be far more enticing than rare treasures or high status.Dustin remained composed. He neither showed any enthusiasm nor did he deliberately reject it.As for the women seated on either side of him, he treated them with polite respect. He enjoyed a drink and the easy conversation with them, but nothing beyond that.However, Nathaniel saw it differently. To him, it seemed that Dustin was unimpressed by the women at his side.Considering Dustin's background, it made sense. A woman of ordinary beauty would never catch his attention. Nathaniel realized he would need to pull out all the stops. Perhaps, it was time to bring out his most prized companion and see how Dustin responded.After the meal, he led Dustin to his mansion's training ground.The midday sun blazed overhead
"This…" Dustin began.He hesitated on purpose and didn't give an immediate answer.Upon seeing him deep in thought, Nathaniel was convinced that Dustin was weighing the pros and cons. He leaned in slightly, his smile widening with anticipation. "You should know how much the Dracan essence means to me," he said. "If I can gather all the essences, it’d be like fate is on my side. My path to the throne would be unstoppable—and when that time comes, your reward will be waiting."As he spoke, his gaze stayed on Dustin as he searched for any sign of hesitation in his expression.Dustin looked up and met his eyes. For a moment, something unreadable flickered in his gaze.He pressed his lips together and spoke slowly. "You're right, Your Highness. But it wasn't easy to find the Dracan essence. I went through quite a few twists and turns. Besides, if I give it to you, it might put me at odds with the other two princes."He paused deliberately and left the rest unsaid. Still, the concern
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the