The Protector (The Return of God Of War)

CHAPTER 1​

In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.
At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.
The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.
Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.
Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.
He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.
Once, he’d inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.
He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.
…
Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.
Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.
However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.
His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.
As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.
But he didn’t care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.
At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton’s business community.
With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.
However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.
No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family’s eyes.
Eventually, on Levi’s wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law’s bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.
That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.
Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn’t commit.
From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.
And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.
He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.
More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey’s face.
He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.
Yet, they treated him like trash.
It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.
How he hated the Garrison family!
But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?
In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.
Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.
“How’s it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.
Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I’m afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o’clock tonight!”
Ever since Zoey’s husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.
Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.
And right now, the person Levi couldn’t wait to see the most was Zoey.
After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn’t accept nor refuse directly.”
“What time?” Levi asked tersely.
“Eight o’clock, Sir.”
“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”
Since the time for the two events didn’t clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.
The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton’s Crystal Palace Hotel.
With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.
The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.
“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”
Joseph’s three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.
The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.
Most of the guests who attended today’s banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.
“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.
“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”
“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he’s not qualified enough!”
“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”
“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”
No one believed it.
In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.
“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He’s on the way!”
“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”
Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.
The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.
Levi’s brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi’s imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today…”
“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today’s the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.
“Really? Isn’t that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”
“Please, please, please don’t come back! He’s the Garrison family’s biggest disgrace!”
Victoria’s lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family’s status today.”
“That’s what he’s supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he’s just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”
Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been interested in Levi’s wife for a long time now. She’s still widowed, and I’m so going to marry her!”
The man’s remark caused gales of laughter.
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.
A thunderous applause was heard.
But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.
The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.
On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.
His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.
“It’s Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.
Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.
“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi’s adoptive parents spoke in unison.
Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.
“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”
Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.
“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph’s fury sprang to life.
“Who let him in? Didn’t you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”
Bryan rose to his feet. “What the hell are you doing here, Levi?”
Levi sized him up. “Why can’t I be here?”
“Well, for starters, you’re an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You’d even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”
“You’ve lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

 

[indra]

Chapter 1210​

It was a day of desolation and grief.

The time had finally come for Erudia’s God of War to be exiled.

Levi smirked. “Tell Winsor Campbell to watch his back. He’d better work hard to fulfill his duties to Erudia. If he proves to be unworthy of that seal, I’ll be back to pull him off his throne!”

Zar broke into laughter. “You? Of all people?”

“Look who’s blabbering. Nothing more than a mere loser defeated in the hands of my Master, just like every other opponent… Just hurry up and get your ass out of here!”

Zar thought what he had just heard must have been the world’s biggest joke ever.

You’re barely even a worthy opponent for Master even in your prime.

How dare you even speak of bringing him down now that you’re crippled?

That’s just impossible!

Levi retained his smile. He signaled for the fleet to carry on.

“Hold it right there!”

A loud voice hollered from above. A few jets were descending from the sky in an enormous roar.

Those private jets were recognizable. Just as they landed in a piercing screech, all the airstairs were pulled out in a simultaneous beat. A handful of men descended onto the ground in swift but almost unison steps.

One of them was seated in a wheelchair pushed by another man.

It was none other than Tyrone Garrison.

A few men followed closely behind as he approached closer and stopped in front of the troop escorting Levi.

“Levi Garrison! To think that this day would befall you! Where’s all that glamourous air of authority you once had?”

Tyrone bellowed with laughter.

“I’ll soon be able to stand on my feet, but look at you – bedridden for the rest of your life! Or should I say… You probably won’t even have much time to lay crippled in bed like this! The moment you land a foot outside the border, there’ll be people coming for you right away!”

The rest of the Garrison clan laughed along. “It’s retribution indeed!”

Tyrone saw the Lehman family’s elite fighters behind Levi. He beckoned to them. “You guys over there!”

“Aren’t you all from the Lehman family? Here to accompany him on this trip? Forget it, just go home!” He chided.

“No. We shall obey the orders of Ms. Lopez.” They answered.

“Not a very obedient bunch, are you? How about this… If you go back as I say, every single one of you gets ten million from me! Otherwise, each of your precious little family will fall into my hands once I return.”

He threatened and lured at the same time.

There were over 10 men from the Lehman family. They glanced at each other with a hint of hesitation. One by one, they began to retreat.

“Hahaha…”

The Garrison clan burst into laughter.

The Lehman elites weren’t as steadfast and loyal as expected. Levi was seemingly left all alone…

Save for Hades who remained unshaken by his side.

“One more over there! Aren’t you going back with the rest? What’s the point of sticking together with a cripple who’s being banished from Erudia?” Tyrone looked at Hades in amusement.

“If you leave as well, I’ll reward you a hundred million!” He tempted.

No man should be able to resist a tenfold of what he offered earlier to those guys from the Lehmans.

Hades remained silent.

“One billion!” He offered again.

“Three billion!”

“Five billion!”

Tyrone was willing to offer any price just to force Levi into a dead corner.

Hades was unmoved.

Vrooom!

Tyrone’s offers were answered by nothing but a rumble of the car engine.

Hades sped past the Garrison troupe. In the blink of an eye, the car disappeared into the horizon as it crossed over the borders of Erudia.

He had already vowed to protect Levi even at the cost of his life. At this point, a monetary reward meant nothing.

“Hahaha… This is interesting!”

Tyrone laughed out loud.

The Garrison clan joined in his laughter as they watched Levi’s defeat.

With danger lurking all around, they could only imagine how disastrous his journey would be with only one guard by his side.

“Levi Garrison… What a pity! Even a stray dog lives a better life than you on this day!”

Tyrone felt a gush of euphoria from the bottom of his heart.

This was the best day ever. It felt so much better than killing Levi Garrison himself.

Zar shook his head helplessly as he observed.

What a downfall for a hero who was once hailed as the God of War.

Levi laid quietly in the car as he looked out the window. The Erudian borders shrank further into the distance.

Lost in thoughts, he continued to stare without a blink.

“The God of War shouldn’t be worrying so much! I understand that feeling of not being able to return home.”

Hades chuckled bitterly as he drove on.

“It’s not that bad, you know… At least your family will be coming along. It’ll eventually get better once we’ve settled down.” He added, seeing how sober Levi remained the whole time.

He didn’t know what else to say that could possibly make the exiled God of War feel better.

“Settled down, you say?” Levi let out a mocking laugh. “Danger is literally all around us from here on out.”

Just as he finished speaking, Hades’ expression changed.

He sensed a presence ahead of them.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1211​

A large group of people came into view from the distance.

Amidst a flurry of dust and ashes, Hades could sense a dominating presence as the group approached them at a steady pace.

Anxiety filled him immediately. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you no matter what!” He exclaimed.

Levi smiled and replied calmly, “It’s probably not what you’re thinking.”

They had just left the borders of Erudia.

It would be too early for the enemy to make a move.

Soon, the group of numerous men marched close enough that each of their faces could be seen clearly. They halted and stood a few arm’s lengths away in front of the car.

Levi smiled at the sight of these familiar faces.

“Jonah Garrison, at your service! These nineteen men with me are from the Tang Sect. We’re here to escort the God of War on his journey!”

Jonah declared in a loud voice as he and the Tang Sect fighters knelt before them.

“Four Kings of the Southern Union and the Six Slaves, at your service!”

One by one, each man introduced themselves in a similar manner as they too fell onto their knees. There were Johnny Lawrence, Jael Ellison, Yadriel Larson, Connor Hill, and the Six Slaves of Grover Cooke.

“Osborn St-Jacques of South Hampton and The Three Musketeers, at your service!”

“The Dual-Serrated Monks, at your service!”

These were the people Levi had known.

There were some new faces among the group as well.

“Drakon, Boreas, Tigris and Leon from the Northrush Clan, at your service!”

“Forty Brothers of the East, at your service!”

“Anonymous Eighty of the West, at your service!”

“Heavenly Guardians of the North, at your service!”

“Dragon Warriors of the South, at your service!”

“Twenty-eight members of the Stuart family, on our Master’s orders, at your service!”

“Thirty of us from the Meyers family, on our Lady’s orders, at your service!”

“Nineteen members of the Preston family, on our Young Master’s orders, at your service!”

“We have heard about the enemy’s attempt to overthrow your position. The God of War has been the great savior and guardian of Erudia! We offer ourselves as a shield for you on this perilous journey!”

“We’re just a handful of rough men. Ruffians like us aren’t good with our words, but we’ve always had the utmost regards for you!”

“Our country wouldn’t have been as safe and prosperous as it is today without you! You are the only true God of War in our hearts!”

The men cried out one by one.

Amused and somewhat relieved, Levi smiled.

Who could’ve predicted the way things had turned out? In the end, these “rough men” were the ones who had really come to escort and protect him.

“You should know that the journey ahead is extremely dangerous. It’s highly possible that none of us may survive.” He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

“We came on our own accord. None of us are afraid of death!”

“We have faith that the God of War will one day regain his health and reclaim his throne! The evil ones shall not prevail! Long live Erudia!”

The men roared with their fists held high in the air.

“Very well, then. You have my gratitude!” Levi was pleased with their courageous pledge.

He gazed upon the group which had gathered before him. “Arise, men! I’ll be fine once I reach the arranged destination.”

His voice rang with authority.

“We shall escort the God of War to safety at all costs!”

A unison cry erupted from the group of fighters as they threw their fists towards the sky. Their voices beamed with full spirit.

The cheer went on for a while. As it died down, Jonah Garrison spoke, “Sir, do you think it’ll be too eye-catching if all of us were to set out together?”

Levi shook his head. “No. It’s pointless to break into smaller groups or change our route now. Our enemies would’ve already set their eyes on every one of us from the very start.”

“Alright then. Let’s fight them head-on when they come at us! We pledge our lives to the God of War until our very last breaths!”

Jonah proclaimed loudly as shouts of agreement rose from the crowd.

Levi’s speculation was right.

Tenichi had been observing every move they made.

One way or another, confrontation from the enemy would be inevitable.

They would have no choice but to face Tenichi upfront when the time comes.

Meanwhile, a tense discussion ensued in the enemy’s camp.

“Well… Looks like Levi Garrison has finally departed!” Tenichi announced. His face turned grim as he continued, “Everyone gets ready! It’s time to let that person out and do his thing.”

Everyone present drew a sharp breath. All of them stifled at the mention of ‘that person’.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1212​

“Let’s go! Follow me to the Northgale Prison!”

Tenichi commanded as he stood up.

At this moment, they were in Northgale. It was a region right across Erudia’s borders.

It was the exact place where Levi was heading to.

Deep beneath the ground stood a desolate and mysterious dungeon.

It was a place for the most heinous and murderous captives from Bayview and Northgale.

Every single prisoner locked up here had at least killed a thousand lives.

Tenichi was looking for the strongest of them all.

That person was known as the strongest captive of Northgale Prison, who had single-handedly massacred tens of thousands. No other prisoner had ever outstripped his records.

A truly demonic murderer.

Legend had it that he had originated from an extremely wild and violent tribe.

Secluded far away from the eyes of the world, the tribe was said to hunt all sorts of animals and eat them alive. There had also been reports about human intruders who were cannibalized.

Nobody knew his name. He had always been known as the “Harbinger of Death.”

Back then, it took dozens of nations including Raysonia, Keerea, and Northgale to devise a cross-border operation to capture him. Thousands of elite fighters were involved, yet they went through countless failures and revised strategies before he was finally taken down.

He was a terrifying villain whose fighting prowess was that of an Ultimate class.

It was rare to even come across a God-class warrior, let alone one who ranked Ultimate.

Soon, Tenichi and his men arrived at the prison.

The place was heavily guarded with tens of thousands of warriors stationed throughout the compound. Heavy weapons were installed everywhere. The entire prison seemed like an arsenal of firearms on its own.

They descended lower and lower into the depths as they headed towards the cell where the Harbinger of Death was held.

A pair of gigantic metal doors stood before them. It was specially customized with a thickness of almost two meters and weighed over a hundred tons.

This was the deepest part of the dungeon, completely devoid of sunlight and warmth from above. The atmosphere was filled with an eerie air. The temperature had dropped significantly as well. Many of Tenichi’s men shuddered.

They did not even dare take a step closer.

At the thought of seeing the Harbinger of Death right behind the doors, all of them eventually stopped in their tracks.

Tenichi shot them a scornful glare. “Useless pieces of trash!” He rebuked.

He proceeded towards the cell alone and unlocked the doors. With a forceful thrust, the doors gradually swung open with a ghastly creak, followed by a heavy grunt.

Grrrrrr… Thud!

A sinister and deadly aura gushed out and engulfed the whole room.

Within the narrow cell, several metal chains were securely fastened onto a single man.

Or rather…

A beast. The aura exuding from the person was far from that of a human.

The prisoner lifted his head slowly. Beneath a messy shroud of long hair, his eyes emitted an icy, merciless flash.

For a brief second, Tenichi felt as if somebody had gripped his neck.

“What do you want from me?” The prisoner sneered.

His voice was extremely hoarse.

It sounded like the deep growl of a vicious beast.

“I’m here to give you a chance to freedom.” Tenichi answered as he regained his composure.

“Hm?”

The Harbinger of Death glared at him suspiciously.

He had been held in this cold, dark place for four years.

An offer of freedom at a time like this?

“I’ll set you free on one condition – kill somebody for me.”

Tenichi returned his stare calmly.

The Harbinger of Death let out a raucous chuckle. “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll bring you all another disaster?”

An Ultimate-class demon would never be controllable once he’s freed.

It would be an almost impossible feat to recapture him.

And of course, someone like him wouldn’t obey anyone’s instructions.

“Fret not. Firstly, I’ll have you drink a special poison before letting you out of here. Secondly, the person I want you to kill…” Tenichi paused and gave a teasing smirk.

“… Is none other than Erudia’s God of War, Levi Garrison!”

The Harbinger of Death’s eyes lit up at that name.

“Agreed!” He exclaimed immediately with a wide grin, revealing his horribly jagged and crooked teeth that were as sharp as a beast’s fangs.

Knowing well who the target was, there’s no need for him to hesitate.

Tenichi ordered his men to bring the poison and watched as the demon gulped it down.

The Harbinger of Death wasn’t the only one given the poison.

It had been distributed to every other prisoner, whom Tenichi had set free under the same condition.

“Go! Bring me the head of Erudia’s God of War! Hahahaha…”

Tenichi’s laughter echoed throughout the dungeon.

Hundreds of vicious killers rushed out of Northgale Prison in an instance as the Harbinger of Death led them.

Evil laughter and frenzied screams filled the air as the freed prisoners poured out of the gate.

Very soon, destruction would once again strike the world above them.

In order to annihilate Levi Garrison, Tenichi would go to any lengths.

His hatred towards Levi was beyond measure.

Even his men shivered at the sight of the crazy mob scrambling out towards the ground above. As much as they had obeyed Tenichi, they could never fathom such an act of cold-blooded tyranny by their leader.

It was sheer terror!

 

[indra]

Chapter 1213​

On the other side…

Levi and his group drove across the desert land at full speed.

They had to make it to the designated town as fast as possible.

The God of War would be safe once they sent him there.

The journey was unexpectedly smooth.

It seems like no one is coming after all. Jonah and the others thought to themselves.

Came to think of it, who would want to go after a man who was crippled and exiled?

He wouldn’t pose a threat in any way.

Even a five-year-old child could kill him with ease.

What’s the point of wasting a few countries’ resources just to get rid of him?

Everyone began to feel relieved.

At last, their objective would be fulfilled without much trouble.

Levi would be safe.

“God of War, we’ll be entering a small town soon. It’s barely thirty kilometers from your destined location! We should be safe once we make it past this town!”

Hades said.

“Alright… Tell everyone to be on guard. Something feels off to me.” Levi warned.

His right eyelid had been throbbing the whole time.

The town ahead seemed oddly quiet and lifeless. There weren’t any signs of a single civilian on the streets at all. In fact, the atmosphere felt sinister.

Much to his dismay, he couldn’t move an inch at this moment.

How he wished it were just a pretense.

Alas, it’s undeniable that he’s disabled for real.

He began to worry.

He didn’t wish for any of the men escorting him to be harmed.

Before he could worry longer, the group arrived at the town.

It wasn’t a large settlement. Only one main street could be seen, spanning an estimated length of three kilometers.

Screeeech!

The car jolted into an abrupt halt as Hades braked suddenly.

They were greeted by a morbid sight as they neared the town center. A sickening stench filled the air as dead bodies were piled up across the main street. Fresh blood was splattered in every corner.

These were the bodies of the town’s residents! The old and young; Women and children.

None of them were spared.

“God of War… It seems like this whole town was massacred just a while ago!”

Hades drew a sharp breath.

“Son of a b*tch…” Levi cursed bitterly.

He was angered.

The last thing he had ever wanted would be to see innocent civilians killed like this.

Even if they weren’t the people of Erudia.

“Be careful! Let’s move these bodies aside quickly! We have to get past this town as fast as we can!”

Jonah ordered the group as he took the lead.

There was no time to waste. They had to make an opening out of the mountain of corpses obstructing their way.

“Hahahaha…”

Just then, a series of savage laughter and shrieks echoed from their surroundings.

One shadow followed after another as they emerged from every corner.

The figures approaching them were dressed in worn-out clothing and untamed hair. They looked like primitive cavemen.

The escort group frantically readied their weapons. They sensed an intense bloodthirst.

The enemies gave off an extremely powerful vibe. There were indeed a few God-class fighters among the berserk mob.

They fixed their bloodshot eyes at Levi’s fleet.

“We’re in deep trouble!” Someone exclaimed.

The group gasped in horror as they made sense of the situation.

With one clear look at the enemy, they could tell these people weren’t just a bunch of deranged barbarians. They were lunatics with frightening power.

“Take the head of the God of War!” A maniacal shriek pierced through the heavy air.

Exhilarated at their newfound freedom out of Northgale Prison, the convicts charged towards Levi at lightning speed.

“Brothers! We shall fight for the God of War until the very end!” Jonah roared. A series of battle cries echoed after him as the crowd prepared to engage the enemies.

“Erudia’s God of War will not fall like this!”

“For Erudia! For the God of War!”

“Charge!”

In the blink of an eye, both parties clashed in a violent rampage.

“Darn it!”

Levi shouted with rage.

Everybody was fighting for his sake.

On the other hand, he couldn’t even move a limb!

He hated every second that had passed.

Panic filled him as he struggled in vain.

He didn’t want to see any of the men die before his eyes.

The man hated every bit of himself.

God knew how much had he wanted to get up.

He wanted to fight alongside everyone.

But what good was he now?

He had never felt so desperate throughout his entire life.

Meanwhile, at the top floor of a nearby building…

The Harbinger of Death stood alone, his keen eyes scanning through the battlefield.

His mouth was drenched in a grimy splatter of red. He observed the scene as wet blood dripped from a chunk of meat clutched in his hand. It was a piece of raw flesh; nobody would’ve known which animal–or who–was it from.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1214​

“Sigh… Levi Garrison, why should I waste my time on you now that you’ve become a piece of trash?”

The Harbinger of Death lost interest as soon as he spotted the crippled Levi sheltered in the car.

Like Winsor Campbell, he too had wanted to kill the God of War in his prime sovereignty.

But the person he saw now was a weak, defenseless Levi. Anyone could’ve finished him off at his fingertips.

He was no longer a worthy opponent.

The Harbinger of Death withdrew his attention from the battlefield.

He tore another bite off the meat with his sharp teeth. More blood trickled and dripped onto the ground as he feasted.

In the center of the town, sparks and explosions filled the air.

The prisoners had frightening strength. Like a disoriented pack of wild beasts released from captivity, their ecstatic craze of being freed earlier had elevated their brutal power.

Levi’s group of escorts were no less potent.

Each side fought for a different goal. The enemies sought to murder and destroy; the Erudians aimed to protect their pride and virtue.

Tears swirled in his eyes as Levi watched Jonah charge into the midst of the enemies with a blade in one hand.

That man was someone who had one foot in the grave. Yet he was there, fiercely fighting on for his sake along with the others.

Most of the men didn’t even know each other.

But all of them united and fought valiantly.

If they were to forsake their own lives in return, so be it.

It would be a worthy sacrifice for the justice they shared.

For the land of Erudia they shared!

Levi’s face twitched in despair.

I hate this!

He despised his current self who wasn’t able to lift his blade and protect the people of Erudia.

“Charge! Kill them!”

Jonah was leading on the front line. The Tang Sect elites followed closely as they attacked, like a pack of ferocious tigers.

The Four Kings soon charged forward in a split second. Drakon and the trio followed suit in tacit understanding. They wouldn’t let the pride of the Northrush Clan crumble without a fight alongside the other warriors. They quickly invaded the enemies’ horde and took down a mass.

All the other men too, fought to the best of their abilities.

Whatever it took, they wouldn’t let a single enemy move a step closer to the car where Levi was inside.

Hades kept on driving forward as much as he could. As a handful of men dragged and rolled the dead bodies aside, the car inched forward slowly.

Every single fighter had his hands full with making an opening for the car and defending against the enemies’ onslaught at the same time.

Whoosh!

Thud!

Bang!

Before long, bodies were flung into the air one by one. Each landed with a heavy thud as they dropped dead on the bloodstained ground.

Those were the elites from the Preston family!

Boom!

Thump!

Blood spilled and splattered in all directions. More bodies collapsed as time went on.

Both sides suffered a huge loss as the wild battle raged on.

The mountain of dead civilian bodies that had clogged up the street earlier had been cleared apart. Nevertheless, the car transporting Levi had only managed to advance over a mere ten meters.

Hundreds of killers still stood in the way ahead of them.

There was no other option to leave this town unharmed. Bloodshed was inevitable.

“Let’s go, brothers!”

It was the Forty Brothers of the East. They roared as they rushed towards the barrier of enemies.

The forty men were soon overwhelmed as arrows rained down from the sky. One by one, they fell…

Within a minute, no one was left standing.

How tragic!

Yet how gallant they were!

Their sacrifice had made an opening for the rest.

“It’s our turn now! Charge!”

This time it was the Anonymous Eighty of the West.

The league comprised men from various walks of life. Among them were retired military officers, hunters, martial art coaches, and members of other professions.

To put it simply, they were but a group of commoners.

Regular civilians who established a combat guild in order to aid Levi.

They charged into the swarm of enemies.

“Kill them!”

“Fight! We’re not going down until we pave a way for the God of War!”

They were eighty commoners, yet they were as valiant as eighty fearless beasts.

Whoosh!

Clang!

Gush!

More blood were spilled. More bodies were strewn.

They braved the battle with wounded bodies. No one was wasting the opportunity that the Forty Brothers had set up for them at the cost of their lives.

The enemies were surprised.

Their opponents clearly lacked in fighting strategies and combat skills. Despite that, they stubbornly clawed and tore at their defense like ravenous animals. As if they weren’t afflicted by their wounds and injuries at all!

This was unimaginable!

What’s wrong with these commoners?

These men were crazier than themselves!

Thump!

Thud!

Crash!

“Get the God of War out of here!”

The difference in strength proved far too large after all. In the end, the Anonymous Eighty of the West was completely defeated and laid lifeless in a pool of blood.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1215​

Another eighty men thus drew their last breaths on a foreign battlefield.

Tears finally trickled down Levi’s face.

Exemplary men of Erudia!

You are a true hero! Every one of you!

More guilt and hatred seized his entire self.

Why did it have to become like this?

Protected at the cost of multiple lives while not being able to do anything himself?

He was increasingly tormented at the awareness that he was incapable to fight.

He didn’t want more lives to be lost.

Warriors from both the West and the East had fallen.

At long last, an opening had become more visible across the street.

The sacrifice of the fallen warriors had paid off.

Not a single one of them died without a smile on his face.

“Attack!”

“Avenge our brothers from the East and the West!”

The Dragon Warriors of the South and the Heavenly Guardians of the North dashed forward. They continued to breach into the enemies’ turf and expand the passage opened up by the fallen heroes.

The tables had begun to turn. It’s as if the deaths of the warriors were a sacred sacrifice that had been received by the gods above. Levi’s men started to gain the upper hand. Perhaps the gods’ blessings had descended on them. Little by little, the remaining killers from Northgale Prison were forced backward as they pushed on.

In a split second, the fleet had advanced another hundred meters.

The sudden commotion had caught the attention of the Harbinger of Death once again.

“Bunch of trash!” He berated in anger.

He continued gnawing and chewing on the piece of raw meat brutishly.

Meanwhile, the bloody war continued on the street.

The Northgale Prisoners were taken aback at the sudden reversal of the situation.

What happened to these measly peasants? Weren’t they already on the losing end since the beginning?

They were throwing their lives away like crazy beasts!

Such frightening zeal!

The prisoners were still in shock and amazement.

Why’re they doing this?

All for a cripple?

A traitor?

All for a now useless Levi Garrison?

Was he really worth it?

They could never understand the men’s devotion to their leader and their beloved nation.

This was something outcasts and murderers like them could never comprehend.

“Onward!”

“Kill them all! We’ll soon make it through!”

Jonah continued waving and slashing his blade. His eyes were bloodshot.

The Tang Sect kept the enemies busy as they launched their strikes in all forms – secret weapons, poisoned ammunition, and explosive firearms.

The Northrush Clan were equally unrelenting. Their blows and kicks cascaded down on their foes in a swift, continuous stream, like a raging torrent.

The Three Musketeers and the Dual-Serrated Monks too, were unfaltering.

They all knew how great their loss had been.

The numbers of those who had fallen kept rising.

There were constantly fellow men who were severely injured.

In spite of those, they had finally gained the advantage. They wouldn’t let themselves back down or waver at any moment.

Boom!

Pow!

Wham!

The rampage continued. More blood was shed.

Jonah had over ten slash wounds across his body. The vivid red that had covered him along with dust and debris, had made his aged white crown appear even brighter.

All nineteen men from the Tang Sect were just as wounded if no less, albeit there wasn’t a single death amongst them.

One of them had both his arms broken while another lost a leg. Neither of them moaned; each continued to fight with maximum strength.

This was the first time Levi could only observe the battlefield as a complete spectator. He quietly swore to never forget this sight – the dead and the critically wounded, all who had fallen on the earth for his sake.

These people were the pride of Erudia!

Men who fought with relentless honor.

Brave warriors with iron blood.

Their sacrifices were not in vain. The enemies’ forces were diminishing.

Dead bodies from both sides littered all over the ground.

The Northgale Prisoners had only been treating this battle like a game of eagles hunting chicks.

But who would’ve known that these “hunted chicks” turned out to be such a fearful force? Even their fellow God-class prisoners were killed!

“Come on! Come at us if you dare!” Jonah roared at the enemies, waving his blade at them.

His physical strength was about to give away. He staggered for a second and nearly stumbled.

Nonetheless, his will to fight was unyielding.

“I will kill every single one of you who comes!”

Not far from him stood Johnny and Yadriel of the Four Kings, with a few others. Their bloodshot eyes fumed with rage.

Their spear guns and blades were drenched in red. The blood of those who were killed at the tip of their weapons continued to drip and trickle.

“Ahhh! Run!”

Fear began to consume the remaining dozens of prisoners. They staggered backward and prepared to turn and run.

A scene like this was unimaginable.

Who would’ve believed if this news were to spread out?

Who would’ve believed if they were told that thousands of murderous criminals from the Northgale Prison were scared away by regular men?

“Utter trash! You’re all useless!” A raging demonic voice roared from behind them.

The Harbinger of Death appeared just as they started running away.

Boom!

Just as one of the prisoners ran past him, he landed a slap on his head.

The prisoner’s skull burst into a flurry of flesh and bones in that instant.

Boom!

“Arrghh!” Another slap followed and one more skull exploded.

One after another, the Harbinger of Death dealt a fatal blow to every prisoner who tried to escape.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1216​

Meanwhile…

Jonah Garrison and his men burst into laughter at their survival.

“We did it, everyone! Thank you for your hard work!” Levi yelled.

Suddenly, his intuition told him that something dangerous was coming, and it made him frown.

Boom!

A huge gust of wind swept through the streets, bringing with it a strong bloody stench and an avalanche of dead leaves.

Jonah Garrison and his men’s smiles melted off their faces immediately as fear got the better of them.

All the hairs on their bodies stood on end, and their hands turned clammy with cold sweat. They could almost feel their blood curdling in their veins.

The person they feared was not even at the scene yet, but his aura could make anyone’s legs turn to jelly.

He was like a feral beast that just woke up from a century-long nap.

A few moments later, a shadow emerged from the other end of the street, and it had an eerie resemblance to the one they met before.

However, the person before them was gnawing on a piece of raw meat, with the bone still attached and blood dripping onto the streets.

From the looks of it, he looked like a cannibal!

“It’s him!” someone shouted, and Levi turned pale in the face.

I know this person…

It took the combined effort of many countries to catch the Harbinger of Death and throw him into Northgale Prison for life, and now he’s back to finish us off…

They really want me dead, huh?

“He’s the Harbinger of Death from the Ultimate class! He’s targeting me, so leave while you still have the chance!” Levi commanded frantically.

The last thing he wanted to see was more unnecessary bloodshed.

He’s way too strong!

Thousands of top-class fighters have fallen in the international operation to capture him…he’s way out of anyone’s league!

“Leave! Just leave!” he shouted, but no one budged.

No one wanted to give up just yet, especially since they were barely thirty kilometers from safety.

Just a while more, and Levi would be able to plan for the next part of their journey.

“No way!”

“I can’t bear to leave you, God of War!”

Jonah smirked. “We’ll suffer even more if we left you at this juncture!”

“I’m not scared of death! Heck, I’ll even bring a piece of him down to hell with me!”

“We must fight and send the God of War to the designated location! There’s no way we can’t overwhelm that guy with our strength in numbers!”

Levi had wanted to chase the others away, but his words only made them even more confident.

Everyone refused to retreat, and Levi bit his lip in reluctance.

I don’t want to see anyone die in vain anymore…

I hate this!

I wish I could at least stand up and lead the charge, even if I were to die in the process!

But why can’t I even move my fingers?

“Die, Levi Garrison!” the Harbinger of Death growled, tossing the meat in his mouth aside and advancing towards Levi.

“Everyone! Kill him!”

“Hahaha! It’ll be such an honor to be able to kill someone from the Ultimate class!”

Jonah and his men chuckled loudly, their confidence at an all-time high.

“Listen to me! Leave this place at once!” Levi yelled desperately.

No… no more deaths… please…

Nevertheless, everyone exchanged glances and grinned. “Apologies, this is an order we cannot execute!”

Before Levi could say another word, several people have already rushed forward.

“The Meyers of Oakland shall lead the charge!”

“Don’t forget the Stuarts of Oakland!”

Both families only had around twenty members left standing, but they charged forward nonetheless.

Forty longswords glinted under the sunlight as they descended upon the Harbinger of Death’s body.

Clank!

Clank!

To everyone’s horror, the blades simply bounced off his skin with a loud metallic clink, and the Harbinger of Death emerged from their onslaught completely unscathed.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1217​

Boom!

A chilling shockwave shook the ground beneath them, followed by a deafening explosion.

A person flew out of the mess with a giant, bloody hole in his torso and landed on the ground in a lifeless heap.

Boom!

The Harbinger of Death landed another punch, and it shattered everything in the poor victim’s chest on impact.

Boom!

“Argghhhhh!”

Another person slumped onto the ground with his spine snapped into two.

Boom!

A severed head landed on the ground not too far away, its eyes still wide open and frozen in fear.

Every one of his moves could kill, as though he was the Grim Reaper himself.

Boom!

Yet another person’s organs shattered into a bloody mess inside his body as the Harbinger of Death rammed his foot into his torso.

In just thirty seconds, all that was left of the forty fighters were marred bodies and broken forms.

Everyone else gaped at the Harbinger of Death, shivering in fear.

He’s strong…

He’s way too strong!

No wonder he’s from the Ultimate class!

We’ve underestimated him…

“Leave!” Levi hollered, his eyes brimming with tears.

People were giving up their lives for him, and he would never forgive himself for allowing that to happen.

“Hades, take the God of War away from this place with your men! This guy is too dangerous!” Johnny Lawrence commanded.

After a while, Levi left the scene together with Jonah, Osborn, the Dual-Serrated Monks, the Three Musketeers, as well as a bunch of other capable fighters, leaving the rest behind to keep the Harbinger of Death occupied.

“No! We can’t leave them there!” Levi screamed, knowing full well what their fate was.

However, his men refused to retreat.

“You’re in big trouble, Harbinger!” Johnny Lawrence yelled with a smirk on his face.

At that moment, the Four Kings surrounded the Harbinger of Death and yelled, “Kill him!”

With that, the rest of the crowd charged towards the Harbinger of Death in an attempt to kill or at least overwhelm him.

“Die!” the Harbinger of Death yelled, snapping the neck of the person closest to him.

Boom!

Crash!

Splat!

However, none of their attacks worked.

It was as though they were attacking a metal mannequin.

Everyone knew that the Harbinger of Death had a bulletproof body of steel, and that was precisely why it took a dozen countries and a thousand fighters to capture him and throw him in jail.

But that was the best they could do since he was impossible to kill.

His mere presence could make anyone break out in cold sweat.

Crack!

Crash!

Boom!

Every move the Harbinger of Death made was lethal.

Within minutes, the ground near his feet was littered with bodies, and two entire factions have fallen.

He could kill a person with one strike, and no one was ever able to survive his attacks.

“You’re going down, Harbinger!”

“We’re buying time for the God of War!”

Johnny and the rest of the fighters went all out against the Harbinger of Death, but they were fighting a losing battle.

Splat!

Crash!

Snap!

Unfortunately for them, the Harbinger of Death was immune to all their attacks.

Even the Tang Sect’s discreet weapons and poisons did not even come close to making a scratch on his body.

In fact, most of their members were already lying in heaps on the ground, some of them broken into several pieces.

The Six Slaves were gone as well, with holes and bruises all over their dead bodies.

“Keep him occupied even if it costs you your life!” the rest of them yelled.

However, that did not make the fight any easier.

No one would be able to win a fight against someone from the Ultimate class, and asking for one would be a surefire way to die.

Soon, more and more fighters dropped dead like flies as the fight went on.

Drakon, Boreas, Tigris, and Leon from the Northrush Clan, Johnny, Jael, Yadriel, Connor…

The street was eerily quiet, and there was not a soul to be seen.

Alas, the fierce fight had ended.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1218​

In just a few short minutes, all that was left of the brave bunch was a heap of mangled bodies.

Not even a single person survived the ordeal.

However, none of them backed out of the fight or wavered in their stance.

All of them were willing to die for Erudia.

“What a bunch of pests!” the Harbinger of Death scoffed.

The fighters have held him back for a mere twelve minutes, and Levi would not have gotten far in just twelve minutes.

However, he quickly realized that something was wrong the moment he tried to lift his leg.

Why can’t I move?

He looked down and was horrified to find the dead bodies of Johnny Lawrence and everyone else clinging onto his legs tightly.

Now that rigor mortis was setting in, their hardened bodies held him down like a deadweight.

Their collective strength managed to hold him down, making it impossible for him to even make a single step.

It was their last-ditch effort as brave Erudian men to keep the enemy occupied.

They refused to admit defeat, even after death had befallen them.

“Get out of my way!” the Harbinger of Death bellowed, shaking the dead bodies off him. “You will never get away from me, Levi Garrison!”

With that, the Harbinger of Death was on his way again.

The Erudian warriors have held him up for a mere fifteen minutes, but their efforts have not gone to waste.

Those fifteen minutes had cost them their lives, and that made it priceless.

Meanwhile, Jonah and the others rushed towards the designated town at full speed with Levi in tow.

Time was ticking, and they could almost visualize the fates of Johnny Lawrence and the rest who chose to stay behind.

The Harbinger of Death was practically undefeatable, after all.

“Three more kilometers!” Hades yelled.

Everyone’s eyes brightened up at his statement.

No one knew what the town they were heading towards looked like, but they trusted Levi when he said that they would be safe once they arrived.

It was a huge source of motivation for them.

Boom!

However, before they could rejoice, a giant rock crashed into the side of the car.

If not for Hades’ quick reflexes, they would have toppled over on impact.

By the time everyone wrapped their head around the situation, another person had appeared before their eyes.

It was the Harbinger of Death!

His supersonic speed allowed him to catch up with Levi before he could get to his destination.

Boom!

An explosion went off in everyone’s heads at the sight of him.

All of them are dead…

None of them survived!

“Nice! Well done!” Jonah yelled. “That’s how Erudian men should be!”

“Thank you! We will avenge you!” everyone chorused.

“I owe you one!” Levi said, gritting his teeth and holding back tears. “When I get better, I’ll paint the sky red with those scumbags’ blood!”

He hated how things turned out.

For all his life, he had spent years fighting to keep Erudians safe from threats, and yet there were still people dying for the sake of his own life.

I can’t allow this! I won’t!

“You won’t have a chance to do that! Time to die!” the Harbinger of Death bellowed with a cold smirk.

“Hades! Send the God of War to the town! We’ll buy time for you!” Jonah said as he trained his eyes on the Harbinger of Death.

Everyone was ready to battle to the death.

However, just as Hades was about to drive off, the Harbinger of Death lifted his foot and brought it down upon the hood of the car.

Boom!

Crack!

The hood of the car was shattered into pieces immediately.

His powerful stomp had destroyed the car completely and even Hades was injured from the sudden attack.

“Don’t you dare leave!” the Harbinger of Death scoffed.

All of you are dead meat to me!

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1219​

“Kill him!”

Jonah and the others rushed forward and surrounded the Harbinger of Death.

“Hades! Carry the God of War to the designated location!” Jonah yelled.

Hades obeyed his instructions immediately.

Seeing all this, the Harbinger of Death merely grinned.

Anyone below the Ultimate class is nothing but a mere pest.

Hah! You won’t be able to stop me!

Boom!

Crash!

Splat!

Clank!

The Harbinger of Death crushed each person who came forward with nothing but his palms, and there was already a pile of bodies forming by his feet after just thirty seconds.

Levi watched in horror as more and more of his men fell to the ground before the Harbinger of Death.

“You’re not getting away today!” Jonah yelled, raising his longsword and bringing it down upon the Harbinger of Death’s head.

Boom!

Before anyone could react, the Harbinger of Death had already grabbed his neck and snapped it into two.

Crack!

The Harbinger of Death tossed Jonah’s body into the air and punched a hole through his torso.

Jonah was thrown onto the street about ten meters away from the Harbinger of Death, and he managed to mutter, “I must protect the God of…” before taking his final breath.

Crash!

“Take this, you murderer!” The Three Musketeers and Osborn yelled as they rushed forwards to challenge the Harbinger of Death.

In the end…

Osborn was crushed under the Harbinger of Death’s foot.

The Three Musketeers were tossed into a pile on the ground, their blood cascading down onto the ground like a fountain.

Even as their souls left their bodies, they refused to let go of their longswords.

Boom!

Crash!

After a while, all that was left were the Dual-Serrated Monks, who were the strongest ones in the bunch.

In fact, they were the only ones strong enough to pose a challenge to the Harbinger of Death.

Crash!

Clank!

They brought their metal sticks upon the Harbinger of Death’s head over and over again, which managed to make him stagger backward for a few seconds.

“Die!” he yelled after a while, his eyes glinting dangerously.

Crack!

Snap!

He somehow managed to break the Monks’ sticks into several pieces with his bare hands.

Splat!

Crash!

He flung the Monks onto the street after punching a hole through their torsos.

With that, everyone who accompanied Levi on this mission had sacrificed themselves in the race towards safety.

All of them were brave heroes, no matter what their backgrounds were.

Those scheming aristocrats would never compare to them, for they had the courage to stand up for what was right.

“We’re going to be there soon!” Hades yelled as the town came into view.

They were only around a hundred meters away from the entrance of the town, and Hades broke into a sprint.

Levi, on the other hand, was horrified to see the Harbinger of Death catching up to them from behind.

After just a few seconds, he managed to narrow the gap to just ten meters.

Hades gritted his teeth. Just a few more meters…

“Aren’t you from L Nation? Why are you protecting your enemy?” the Harbinger of Death asked.

“You don’t understand! The God of War is my hero!” Hades yelled.

Without warning, he tossed Levi in the direction of the town’s entrance, and he landed squarely at the gates.

“You’re asking for it!” the Harbinger of Death yelled, barreling towards Levi at top speed.

Boom!

However, before he could get close to Levi, Hades grabbed his waist and held on tight.

“Die!”

Boom!

Crash!

Clash!

The Harbinger of Death landed several punches on Hades’ back, and blood gushed out of the latter’s eyes.

Even so, Hades had a large grin on his face.

“I’ve done it, everyone!” he yelled.

The Harbinger of Death continued to pound his fists onto Hades’ body, turning him into an unrecognizable heap of minced meat.

There was nothing Levi could do but watch in desperation.

“So what if you’ve arrived at the town?” the Harbinger of Death bellowed at Levi, shooting him a menacing glare.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1220​

“What’s the point of all this? Why are you protecting this piece of trash?” the Harbinger of Death snickered. “What a bunch of dimwits!”

Killing Levi would not be hard for him even in Erudia, let alone a tiny town in Northgale.

How stupid of them to protect him!

It’s absolutely worthless!

They’re just sacrificing themselves for no good reason!

Meanwhile, Levi could only stare at Hades’ dead body on the ground from where he lay sprawled just outside the gates.

He had been overcome with helplessness as he watched his men give up their lives for his sake.

However, there was nothing he could do.

I hate this…

He wanted to scream, but his throat was too dry for it.

Not only that, but he wanted to kill the murderer standing before him, yet his legs would not listen to his brain’s commands.

Strangers and friends alike admired him, and he owed them the world for it.

I need to avenge them! I must!

After all that, the Harbinger of Death fixed his gaze on Levi and started to walk towards him.

With each blink of his eyes, the Harbinger of Death came ten meters closer.

He chuckled as he stared at Levi. “What’s the point of that battle? It’s absolutely useless!”

Unfazed, Levi glared at him. “Watch it! You’re going to die soon!”

“Hahaha! Me? Dying? No way!”

He was not exactly boasting – after all, it took a thousand fighters just to restrain him back then.

It would take a million more to kill him.

“Die, Levi Garrison!” the Harbinger of Death bellowed, raising his palm and bringing it down upon Levi’s head.

Boom!

However, before he could flatten Levi into a pancake, a huge explosion rang through the air.

Crash!

A powerful force rammed into the Harbinger of Death’s chest, and it sent him flying backward with blood spewing out of his mouth.

Hiss…

He staggered backward for a good ten meters before slowing to a halt.

When he looked down, he was horrified to see several cracks appearing on the ground beneath him.

His shirt was tattered and torn at the chest area, and a large, bloody palm print was slowly appearing on his chest.

The Harbinger of Death was supposed to be immune to all kinds of weapons, and not even the sharpest blade could come close to making a scratch on his skin.

That was why the surprise attack and the mark shocked him.

Without giving him a chance to recover, a shadow rushed forward and landed another punch on his chest.

Boom!

The pain that followed was like a nuclear explosion.

“How dare you!” he bellowed, swinging his fist at the shadow.

Crash!

The moment their fists connected, a huge shockwave shook the ground as though an air raid had occurred.

Crack!

The Harbinger of Death’s arm burst open the very next second, spewing blood and gore everywhere. It came as a shock to him.

What the…

How could this happen?

What kind of monster could I be facing against?

Boom!

Crash!

Snap!

“Argh! Ouch! ARGH!”

The shadow landed a few more punches without even giving the Harbinger of Death a chance to breathe.

As time went on, his chest began to cave in, and blood continued to spill out of his mouth in alarming amounts.

His shoulders sagged, but it was not the end of the ordeal yet.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The shadow continued to throw punch after punch onto the Harbinger of Death’s body, tearing open his flesh and exposing everything inside.

After a while, his body was nothing but a mangled piece of meat.

Then, he fell to the ground, dead from the pain.

Even as he took his last breath, he struggled to understand why he was defeated so easily.

Nothing posed a challenge to him, and no one in Northgale had ever won in a fight against him.

It took the combined effort of a dozen countries to catch him and throw him into prison, and little did he expect to meet his end in the hands of a person whose face he could not even see.

The person was dressed entirely in black, complete with a half-devil, half-angel mask.

As the Harbinger of Death fell to the ground in defeat, several people in similar getups walked out of the gates of the town.

Boom!

The crowd fell to their knees before Levi.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1221​

“Greetings, Master!” a thousand cloaked men and women chorused, shaking every rock and ruffling every blade of grass around them.

“Please give your orders, Master! We will kill whoever dares to lay their hands on you!” the man who killed the Harbinger of Death said as he stepped forward.

They had known what Levi went through over the past few months, but they were just as helpless as he was.

Without Levi’s orders, they could not do anything but stay in the shadows.

“Your orders, Master!” the crowd roared.

These cloaked people were none other than Levi’s own secret troops.

They had no connections to Erudia whatsoever on the surface, for they have been hidden overseas ever since Levi established the organization, known as “The Calamity.”

The purpose of their existence was to provide aid in times of crisis and protect Erudia from any threats.

Thus, they spend most of their time in hiding, only emerging from the shadows when an emergency occurred.

By right, The Calamity belonged to the Erudian state and not Levi, but no one knew about that connection.

Only Levi and a certain other person knew the truth about The Calamity, and even someone like the Azure Dragon was ignorant about its existence.

Every member of The Calamity had one thing in common, and that was their lack of identity. While information about Levi remained top secret, the members of The Calamity did not exist in any kind of Erudian records.

In other words, it was almost like they never existed, to begin with.

In fact, it would have stayed that way if not for Levi.

Mobilizing The Calamity would be a massive chore, for it required two “keys.”

Levi was one, while another person held on to the other “key.” Both of them must give the green light before The Calamity could be mobilized.

However, with Levi missing in action and the other person nowhere to be found, the members of The Calamity had no choice but to stay hidden.

The only other way to mobilize them would be for Levi to seek them out personally, but everyone knew that that was nearly impossible to achieve.

Hades would not have been able to send Levi to Northgale by himself, and Levi was about to give up hope when the Harbinger of Death caught up to them.

That was where the brave souls from Erudia appeared and sacrificed their lives just to buy time for Hades and Levi.

“I won’t let any one of you die in vain!” Levi growled.

I must seek Mr. Finch out and slice them into pieces with my own two hands!

Suddenly, two other men and one woman stepped forward and kneeled before Levi.

“East Sky Lord, West Sky Lord, and South Sky Lord of The Calamity at your service, Master!” they chorused.

The man who had pounded the Harbinger of Death into a pile of mess earlier on had been the North Sky Lord.

The Master and the Four Lords were the highest forms of authority in The Calamity, while the rest of the members were split into factions led by the Four Lords.

The East Sky Lord was in charge of expanding their influence, and The Calamity had since taken over several organizations.

The West Sky Lord came up with plans for operations and had access to every source of information and intelligence networks.

Meanwhile, the South Sky Lord managed the finances, and The Calamity lived comfortably under the South Sky Lord’s careful planning.

Lastly, The North Sky Lord oversaw training operations, shaping The Calamity into an undefeatable force.

As a result, The Calamity had seen a massive development since its conception under the leadership of the Four Lords.

The Calamity had since grown into something even more powerful than the Blood King Palace.

“Shall we mobilize The Calamity, Master?” the Four Lords asked in unison.

“Yes!” Levi answered decisively with a blank expression on his face.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1222​

Once The Calamity was mobilized, they would come out of hiding, which would change the world drastically.

Unless the situation was dire, Levi never mobilized them.

However, now was the time to summon them into the light.

Every member of The Calamity beamed brightly at Levi’s order.

We can finally emerge from the shadows and see the light of day…

“The Calamity has officially been mobilized, Master! We await your orders!” The Four Lords chorused out loud.

“Alright. I’ll follow up with you soon,” Levi said, nodding.

“Master…I’ve heard that the Blood King Palace had poisoned you with the product of one of their decade-long projects… is that true?” the West Sky Lord asked tentatively.

As the only female Lord, she was the most attentive to detail, and that was why she was in charge of their intelligence networks.

“Yes, but it’s gone now,” Levi said.

“What?” the West Sky Lord exclaimed, surprised.

From the intel she had gathered, she knew that the poisons developed by the Blood King Palace spelled certain doom for their victims once injected into their bodies.

Not even the strongest cleansers could save them.

Levi sighed. “I got lucky and ran into the gathering of the Octa-Medic. One of them, in particular, was adept in using poisons to cleanse a poison victim’s body, and that was how I was saved from certain doom.”

At that time, Levi had spent a whole night discussing those matters with the Octa-Medic, and it took a while before Benny Quinton finally realized that Levi had been cured of the poison.

However, despite the doctor’s best efforts, Levi could no longer move on his own accord.

The poison had destroyed all his nerves, and the hardships he went through did not make it any better.

He was lucky to still be alive, for being able to survive was in itself the best possible scenario, even if he could not move.

“Erudian doctors are the best!”

“I knew I was right to trust the work of our ancestors!”

The crowd chattered away happily as the North Sky Lord studied Levi from head to toe.

He shook his head with a sigh. “Looks like it’s going to stay this way forever…”

The North Sky Lord was the best fighter in The Calamity, and killing someone like the Harbinger of Death was like a stroll on the streets to him.

If he said that Levi would never recover fully, he meant that Levi would actually be crippled for the rest of his life.

“Huh?” everyone chorused in shock.

Our master… is he going to be bedridden for the rest of his life?

However, Levi simply smirked.

“East, go and take care of this for me…”

“West, I need to you find out about…”

After Levi gave his orders to the Lords, he proceeded to settle down.

The tiny town in the outskirts of Northgale was pretty much deserted, and he would be able to live under the radar for a while if he stayed there.

Taking out his phone, Levi gave Zoey a call, who almost broke down upon hearing his voice.

“I’m fine, Levi! I’ll personally escort you back once I settle down!” she said.

Levi smiled to hide how reluctant he felt. “Alright. Great to hear that you’re doing well. Stay vigilant from now on, and don’t tell anyone about our conversations.”

Meanwhile, in a castle somewhere in Northgale…

Tenichi was in a meeting with a group of people.

“Hm? Shouldn’t Levi be dead by now?” Tenichi asked.

He had entrusted the Harbinger of Death and his other goons with the task of killing Levi. However, he had heard nothing but radio silence from them for the past few hours.

“Did something happen?” someone asked.

“I have a bad feeling about this. One of you should go and check on the Harbinger,” Tenichi said, his face paling.

Suddenly, someone ran over yelling, “I have something to report!”

 

[indra]

Chapter 1223​

“What is it? Just say it!” Tenichi ordered impatiently.

“It’s about Levi Garrison! His entire army fell in the battle against the Harbinger, and he’s dead as well!” the person reported. “We’ve suffered a great loss as well… the only person who survived was the Harbinger himself!”

“Where’s the Harbinger of Death now?” Tenichi asked.

“He’s… gone!”

“Looks like he’s just a feral beast that can’t be tamed!” Tenichi said, smirking. “Whatever. We’ll just capture him again when we need him.”

After a while, he gathered enough evidence to prove that Levi was dead, and so was his entire party.

“Hahaha! You’re finally dead, Levi Garrison! Don’t you know how much of an annoying gnat you were when you were alive?” Tenichi scoffed. “You there! Announce to the world that Levi Garrison is dead!”

“As for us… let’s have a three-day-long party!”

When news got out that the former God of War of Erudia had met his end in Northgale, it created a huge shock across the world.

The leaders of several powerful organizations welcomed the news with open arms.

Their oppressor was gone, and they were free to do whatever they desired. Gone were the days they lived in constant fear and anxiety.

Everyone else in Erudia was in a state of shock as well.

When rumors of his betrayal first appeared, some people began to berate and belittle him, while the others tried their best to protect his reputation.

“No! This can’t be true! The God of War wouldn’t die!”

“Can’t you tell that someone’s behind all this?”

As they prayed for his safe return, malicious comments began to surface as well.

“I’m so glad he’s dead!”

“That’s what a traitor deserves!”

“I can’t wait to celebrate his death!”

The rich families of South Hampton and Oakland City were delighted to hear of the news, for they could finally be freed from Levi’s suffocating iron grip.

In particular, the Garrison family cheered the moment they heard of the news.

As the laughter continued, Tyrone looked at his family members proudly and said, “I was right! He’s dead to me the moment he left Erudia! He’s no match for me!”

Olivia grinned. “Did you see that, Damien? Levi is dead! We’ve avenged you!”

Over at the Garcias, people were jumping up and down in excitement.

“Look how the tables have turned, Levi Garrison! You ripped my limbs off my body and lost your life because of it! Hahaha!” Conrad guffawed.

Meanwhile, at a base camp…

“Levi Garrison is dead!” Zar reported.

Winsor simply huffed and said, “Whatever. He’s just a failure.”

When Zoey and Emma heard of Levi’s “death,” they were shocked as well.

Zoey could feel a sheen of cold sweat forming on her forehead as Levi’s words rang in her head.

I mustn’t tell anyone about our conversation…

“Mom, it’s time we begin the act,” she told Emma.

“Yeah. I’m glad he told us about the plan earlier, or else I would have thrown myself off this building!” Emma said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Zoey grinned. “I’m sure he has his reasons for this. He’ll come back soon, and we’ll wait for him in Erudia!”

She had been feeling anxious for a long time, but when news of his “death” finally came around, she somehow found herself calmer than before.

Levi’s a careful guy… he definitely has his reasons for doing this!

“Everyone thinks my husband is dead, so we’re the only ones who know that he’s still alive. We must keep that a secret!” Zoey declared. “When he comes back, he’ll conquer the world and bring peace to everyone once more!”

At that, Zoey and Emma exchanged confident looks.

It feels great to have hope!

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1224​

What no one knew was that the East Sky Lord of The Calamity had been the one fabricating the news of Levi’s untimely “death.”

The East Sky Lord had covered it up so thoroughly that even someone like Watanabe Tenichi overlooked it.

That night, the North and South Sky Lord silently began their operation.

The dozens of corporations that the South Sky Lord had acquired over the past, as well as the enormous business empire that he had built, emerged from the shadows. Under his management, organizations were pouring millions upon millions into The Calamity’s bank account.

As for the North Sky Lord, he singlehandedly destroyed a dozen underground forces and ruled over the entirety of The Dark World with an iron fist.

Not only that, countless families, conglomerates, and organizations have pledged their loyalty to The Calamity, giving them all the resources they needed to emerge from the shadows and begin their operations as the most powerful organization in the world.

In fact, they were several times stronger than the Blood King Palace at their peak.

The Calamity spent years building up their power behind the scenes, and the effort they put in was immeasurable.

The world was still reeling in shock from the news of Levi’s “death” when news of The Calamity’s sudden appearance materialized out of nowhere.

Everyone’s attention turned to The Calamity in an instant.

“It’s not a coincidence! They’ve been secretly building up their power since years ago!”

“This was all part of the plan all along!”

More and more people started to dig into The Calamity’s past after the news broke out.

Tenichi and his men were no exception.

“What do you think of The Calamity’s return, Mr. Watanabe?” someone asked.

Tenichi pondered over it for a moment before answering, “It must have been because of Levi’s death!”

“That’s right! If Levi had been alive, The Calamity would have stayed hidden! Levi had the power to hold anyone’s head underwater!” someone yelled, and everyone else nodded in agreement.

They were convinced that The Calamity had emerged because of Levi’s “death.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean that we can stop collecting intel about them. We must establish some kind of relationship with them, in the event that we fail to acquire them.” Tenichi said with a confident smirk.

Just you wait! You’ll be mine soon, just like that Blood King Palace!

Meanwhile, news of The Calamity’s resurgence spread to Erudia as well.

When Winsor heard of the news, his eyes widened in shock. “What? It’s scarier than the Blood King Palace?”

“That’s right. They’re much better than the Blood King Palace in terms of strength,” Bolgun said.

Winsor smirked. “Would I become even better of a hero than Levi Garrison if I got rid of The Calamity?”

“Of course!” Bolgun and the others chorused. “I’m sure more people would be willing to recognize your current status as the God of War once you cleared out The Calamity!”

Winsor scoffed. “While it’s true that Levi defeated the Blood King Palace twice in a row, he didn’t do it by himself, did he?” The answer was a sound “no.” It had been his subordinates who did all the dirty work.

Besides the Five Great Wars Regiment, there were also the Cavalry Regiment, the Specter Army, as well as the Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, and Topaz Armies.

They deserved most of the credit, for Levi would not have been able to win the battles without them.

With that, the three disciples nodded. “Of course. He’s nothing but a failure!”

“He’s destined to suffer! He’s a useless piece of trash!” Winsor growled.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1225​

Their last fight had proved to Winsor that Levi’s strength came from his subordinates, not Levi alone.

Levi had highly capable fighters like White Tiger by his side, and it made Winsor jealous.

Previously, Winsor had wanted to convince those fighters to join his ranks, but he knew that their loyalty to Levi was no laughing matter.

Although he hated it, there was nothing he could do to change it.

He even suggested merging the Iron Brigade and Levi’s other armies into the Asura Army, only to be rejected on the spot.

“It’s going to be pretty difficult to convince White Tiger and the others to join you, Master,” Zar said.

“Just like how we’ll refuse to join Levi’s army no matter what happens,” Bolgun added.

Winsor shook his head. “I don’t care. They’ll know just how powerful I am once they joined the Asura Army!”

Hearing that, Talon grinned. “Master’s right. Levi’s nothing compared to Master. He’s just the son of a great Erudian family!”

Just then, Zar and Bolgun chuckled, and Talon raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Hm?”

“Are you saying that our Master doesn’t have a powerful background? That’s not true! So what if Levi’s the son of a great family?” Zar scoffed.

“Huh? What could be scarier than an ancient family?” Talon asked, bewildered.

Since he hailed from the mountains, he knew very little about Erudia’s aristocracy.

“That’s right. The truly powerful ones stay hidden while the show-offs flaunt their wealth. The Garrison clan wouldn’t even dare to offend Master’s family!” Bolgun explained.

Talon nodded slowly with wide eyes.

It all made sense to him.

The more powerful something was, the further it would be from the layman’s reach.

Everyone was under the illusion that the Garrison clan was the most powerful family in Oakland city, but what they failed to realize was that there were plenty of organizations out there that could outperform the Garrison clan in every way possible.

To spot a billionaire among the common folk would be like spotting a rare species. However, the same billionaire would pale in comparison to the people Winsor came into contact with.

In fact, in their social circles, being a billionaire was nothing to brag about.

One would not know about the existence of a certain matter if it was way out of their league, but that was not an excuse to deny its existence.

Talon trembled as he thought about the other two disciples’ words.

Looks like Master’s the true nobleman!

Rumble…

Suddenly, the sound of an army closing in on their base camp shook the ground beneath them.

It was as though an earthquake had occurred, and everyone struggled to stay upright.

“What’s going on?” Winsor asked, his face paling. “Is it an earthquake?”

His three disciples rushed outside to take a look, and Winsor followed them closely.

The soldiers of the Asura Army stood at attention.

“Master! It’s not an earthquake!” Zar yelled. “We’re under attack!”

A few minutes later, the Five Great Wars Regiment, the Cavalry Regiment, the Specter Army, the Dragon Warriors as well as the Iron Brigade slowed to a halt before Winsor, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

Winsor frowned and stared at the crowd before him. “What are you trying to do, Azure Dragon?”

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1226​

“How dare you act so rashly before me? Are you out of your mind?” Winsor crossed his hands behind his back and stared intensely at Azure Dragon and the others.

White Tiger returned his glance and said, “Winsor Campbell, we are here for only one thing. We want to rectify my boss’s name!”

“Indeed! Our boss didn’t betray Erudia!”

“Clear his name!” The crowd shouted in unison.

“These are pieces of evidence to prove his innocence!” Phoenix handed Winsor a copy of the audio and visual recordings.

It was a video recording of the battle against the Blood King Palace – a solid proof that Levi Garrison was innocent.

When they were at Oakland City, Levi had ordered Azure Dragon to wait for his further instructions. Hence, both Azure Dragon and White Tiger were patiently waiting for Levi’s command.

However, they received the shocking news of his death instead. Thus, they could no longer remain calm.

Earlier, when Levi was still alive, they could not do much for him. Unfortunately, he was gone before they could serve him wholeheartedly. Hence, the least they could do now was to help rectify his name.

Winsor’s expression dropped after he watched the video recording.

“It seems that Levi Garrison was framed! I didn’t realize this from the start!” Winsor responded.

He wondered to himself. How did a cripple man like Levi cause such a tremendous threat that even his enemies were frightened?

“I’m afraid you wouldn’t understand, Asura. In the eyes of the foreign enemies, my boss poses a greater danger than you! He is a huge threat as long if he has one single breath left.” White Tiger sneered.

Winsor’s expression dulled at his words.

Why is everyone comparing me against Levi even though I had defeated him? Why? Is it impossible for the strong to be approved? How could the people turn a blind eye to me?

I am indeed better than Levi, and it was proven with thousands of people as witnesses! Besides, Levi Garrison had admitted to his loss.

I don’t get it. Why does everyone still think he’s stronger than I am?

For some reason, he had defeated Levi, yet failed to win the hearts of the people.

Thus, he felt particularly uneasy about the time when he lured Levi into a trap and killed him. He wished Levi were alive instead. That way, he could have had a rematch to prove that his victory was not a coincidence and that he was indeed stronger.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible now.

There’s no chance now that he’s dead.

In the meantime, I have to destroy The Calamity to conquer people’s hearts.

“Asura, we hope you may restore the God of War’s identity and revoke all previous punishments!”

Suddenly, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and the others knelt to the ground.

Winsor was taken back by their actions.

He knew the group of unruly men very well, and they would not simply kneel for anyone or anything.

Based on his knowledge, they would only kneel for the heavens, the earth, and Erudia – no one else.

However, to his surprise, they knelt before him on this very day. Seeing that, it was evident that Levi was someone very close to their hearts.

Albeit being jealous of Levi, Winsor still did the right thing.

“Alright, I shall revoke all punishments against Levi and crown him as a martyr!” After a short while, Winsor announced.

“Thank you, Asura!” The Iron Brigade cried out.

Azure Dragon then stepped forward and said, “Asura, I plan to organize a funeral for my boss once his body’s transported back!”

“Alright, go head!” Winsor turned and left after that.

After two weeks of searching, Azure Dragon finally managed to transport “Levi’s body” back to Erudia.

He had also informed Zoey and Emma about his passing. However, he did not encourage them to come.

On a cold day in the North, a simple yet grand funeral was conducted.

The Iron Brigade escorted the “God of War” on his last journey on earth with the highest honor.

At the same time, several figures were looking down from a mountain top.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1227​

“Master, how does it feel to witness your own funeral?” North Sky King asked with a smile.

The person next to him was none other than Levi Garrison.

In fact, Levi was standing. He looked relaxed, with his hands on his back.

He was in a healthy state as his body had recovered completely.

It would cause many jaw-drops if the others knew about it.

That was because the poison from the Blood King Palace he had in his body was cured by the Octa-Medic.

Surprisingly, his body had fully recovered despite the poison.

Outsiders aside, even the Four Lords of The Calamity were shocked to see Levi walking around after a month of recovery.

This is unbelievable…

It’s a miracle! It can only be a miracle! How could I have recovered so fast?

It reminded him of the incident when he was framed into prison eight years ago.

He was beaten up so severely until he was crippled and unable to move.

Due to his condition, he knew he had no chance of being selected by the special task force.

However, he had an opportunity during his time in prison that gave him a chance to live today.

And, of course, it was his biggest secret of all times. It was the key to his recovery this time around!

When his body was completely destroyed, he needed time to recover.

Yet, the situation was too dangerous in the past, so he didn’t have the time to heal.

Levi glanced at the funeral below and said plainly, “Perhaps dying could also be a way of relief? Yet, I cannot die. I have to stay alive! Erudia, Mother, Evie Zoey, and all my friends wouldn’t let me die! Besides, I have sworn to avenge my dead brothers as long as I live! They shall not die in vain!”

The Four Lords agreed, “If you fall, Master, the world would be in chaos!”

West Sky Lord responded, “Master, I have some news regarding the incident you wanted me to investigate! I believe there would be results very soon!”

“Excellent, I have to return to Erudia first. North Sky Lord, you’re with me!” Levi said.

Meanwhile, Azure Dragon and the rest were the ones who held the funeral, which had confirmed the news of Levi Garrison’s death.

From that day onwards, Levi Garrison had disappeared from the world.

Just like The Calamity.

They were like ghosts – every piece of information about them was wiped clean as if they never existed in the world.

On this day, the Eighteen-Nation Alliance was having a grand celebration.

After all, their biggest threat was dead.

Tenichi smiled, “We may start to take action anytime now!”

When Levi was alive, he was a hindrance to everyone’s plan. Hence, everyone wanted to eliminate him.

On the other hand, Winsor was ready to strike The Calamity. However, he had received orders from the Dragonites to stop whatever he was doing, saying that he could not attack The Calamity unless they had caused trouble that would threaten Erudia.

Although he was eager to prove himself, he had to abort his plans for now.

Meanwhile, the people of North Hampton had heard about the death of Levi.

However, Zoey and her family did not know how to react to the news.

At this moment, someone appeared at the manor, and it was Jerry.

For some reason, a smile was plastered across his face.

“Why’re you here?” Zoey asked in surprise.

“Huh? Ms. Lopez, have you completely forgotten about Mr. Garrison? I heard it’s his funeral today. I thought you would be very upset, but instead, you haven’t shed a tear!”

“Ms. Jones, too, she seems perfectly fine. Did you all think Levi was a traitor – who turned his back on Erudia? That’s why you’re ashamed of him?” Jerry joked.

It was true; both Zoey and Emma did not react any differently. It was as if Levi was still alive.

“But that’s probably for the better anyway. I’m willing to take care of you for the rest of my life, only if you agree, Ms. Lopez!” Jerry continued.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1228​

The only reason Jerry had approached Zoey was simple.

He desired the business empire that Zoey had owned as well as the power of the Lehman family.

Unfortunately, Jerry could no longer count on the Lehman family anymore.

He had received news that The Dark World had sent out an assassination order to eliminate Levi Garrison’s child – Forlevia Lopez.

After all, Levi was dead. So, his offspring couldn’t live either, and Zoey would be in danger next.

Because of that, Dale Lehman was forced to give up his god-daughter, Zoey.

It was no surprise that he took the approach of giving up Zoey to protect the Lehman family. Ultimately, he knew the enemies were extremely powerful, and the Lehmans wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

However, Zoey would have to face huge challenges ahead of her.

The business empire she had built on her own would be divided sooner or later. Hence, Jerry took the initiative to get to it first.

In reality, Jerry was nothing like a gentleman. He was a scheming man who would do whatever it takes to achieve his motives.

He merely put on a gentleman act to fool others.

“I initially thought you’d be drowning in sadness because of Levi Garrison’s death. It’s great to know that it doesn’t seem to bother you at all!” Jerry grinned.

Upon hearing that, Zoey glared at him fiercely, “It’s none of your business whether if we shed tears or not! Besides, I can take care of myself! I don’t need you!”

Yet, Jerry’s smile remained on his face as he said, “Zoey, you’ll need someone to take care of you eventually. Think about it from different aspects; it’s better to have a man to take care of you.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. So please excuse yourself!” Zoey said.

However, instead of leaving, Jerry sat on the sofa.

“Ms. Lopez, in case you don’t understand your situation, your child is being targeted as a remnant of a traitor! Even Mr. Lehman has decided to cut ties with you because of this!” Jerry mocked.

“What? How could that be true?” Zoey was surprised.

As she said those words, she received a call from Dale Lehman himself.

Zoey’s expression instantly dropped.

Dale had told her that he was forced to cut ties with her to protect the Lehman family. He also warned her to be careful and protect the child.

With that, he hung up.

Zoey paled immediately and dropped her phone to the ground when she heard about The Dark World and its assassination order against her daughter.

For all this while, her godfather was a man who hates evil and does not fear power.

In other words, he feared nothing.

Yet, he gave in this time…

He gave up on her to protect his family.

It could only mean that whoever was trying to eliminate Evie had incredible powers.

To the point that Dale didn’t dare to get involved…

If even Dale was afraid of this force, it could mean terrible things were up against them.

“How could they? She’s just a child!” Emma said anxiously.

“Of course, how could they let a traitor’s child live? What if this child grows up to avenge her father? Don’t think of her like a powerless child just because she’s a girl. For all we know, she could be a goddess of war! Who could stop her if that happens?” Jerry joked.

Zoey and Emma locked eyes as they exchanged panicked looks.

An idea suddenly hit Zoey as she asked, “Perhaps you have a way out of this mess?”

“Of course I do, or else I wouldn’t have come!” Jerry smirked.

“You? Even my godfather avoided getting involved!” Zoey asked questioningly.

However, Jerry flashed her a mysterious smile, “Like I said, I have my ways!”

The truth was, he did not have any ideas to help them. He only wanted to con Zoey’s business empire into becoming his own.

“Ms. Lopez, I hope you can make your decision as soon as possible! The assassination order has been issued, which means that the child is now in danger…”

The sole purpose that Jerry had said those words was to break through both Zoey and Emma’s psychological barriers.

Although they were aware that Levi was still alive, they knew that he was crippled, and he was definitely not in Erudia.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1229​

Danger is slowly approaching. Therefore, Evie’s safety depends on me.

However, there’s not much I can do.

Even an honorable man like my godfather had also given in in exchange to protect his family.

It further proves how powerful the mysterious force is!

And it won’t be a force that I can’t handle on my own…

It seems like Jerry’s right – he’s probably my only hope now.

Looking at her perplexed expression, Jerry smiled, “I’ll allow you some time to think about it, but don’t take too long! Actions will be taken soon enough once the assassination order has been announced. I have a flight at 11 p.m. tomorrow, and I’ll leave if you don’t give me an answer by then!”

Zoey and Emma’s heart sank as Jerry left.

It was all part of his plan, by asking Zoey not to give him an answer on the spot.

Instead, he gave her a time limit to consider his offer, which would defeat her psychological barrier even more.

It had indeed made Zoey even more nervous.

On the other hand, Levin was on his way back to Erudia when he received news from The Calamity.

“Master, The Dark World has released an assassination order to eliminate your child!”

“The mysterious force claims that your child cannot live!” West Sky Lord told Levi.

Levi’s eyes widened as he shot her a cold glance.

Who dares to touch my child?

“Besides, this assassination order was released from Erudia! Therefore, many assassination organizations in Erudia would be going after your child!”

Levi instantly knew the person who framed him was the same person who had released the assassination order when he heard those words.

It must be Mr. Finch!

I’m already “dead.” Yet, he intends to cut weeds and eliminate the roots and not let Evie live.

Well, it was about time I rake this person out! I would like to see the man who forbade my existence.

This was the reason why Levi had the East Sky Lord spread the news of his death. Levi planned to investigate the incident secretly.

He was determined to catch Mr. Finch and his henchmen once and for all!

At the same time, North Hampton was seemingly peaceful, yet a dark force was surging as countless assassination organizations had laid their eyes on the city.

The oppressing atmosphere was so intense that it was suffocating.

Zoey could sense the horror approaching the manor.

Although she had hired many bodyguards to enhance protection, her heart was not at peace.

After Jerry left, Zoey had also received news from Tiffany and the rest. They warned her to stay alert as people from the assassination organizations were going to approach Evie.

As time ticked on, Zoey became more worried.

I can’t care less about anything else except for Evie!

I must protect her even if it costs my life!

It was nearly 11 p.m.

As much as she did not trust Jerry, she was willing to take the risk for Evie’s sake.

Hence, she contacted Jerry.

“I’ll do whatever you say as long as you can guarantee Evie’s safety!” Zoey had compromised at last.

Soon after that, Jerry arrived and had the same smile plastered on his face, “Although the assassins are already here, there were only a few top-notch assassins like Bloodleaf, the Dark Lord, and Slayer. I could take care of them… but as for the second batch of assassins…”

After hearing Jerry’s word, Zoey believed him.

I think he really does know everything about the assassin organization.

After all, he spoke in a very convincing tone.

As a matter of fact, Jerry was the one who had arranged several groups of assassins to go after Evie. Once the time had come, he would pretend to be a hero to take care of things just as he planned.

It would deepen the trust between them when Zoey witnessed it before her eyes.

At the same time, Zoey and Emma had no choice but to go with Jerry’s plan out of desperation.

And that included handing over the authoritative rights to Zoey’s company.

Once he had power over the company, he immediately transferred the rights over to himself.

With that, Jerry had taken over the entire Morris Group in half an hour and disappeared in a flash.

When Zoey heard the news, it was like a lightning bolt had struck her, making her lost for words.

I can’t believe I was scammed!

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1230​

Jerry knew that both Zoey and Emma were eager to keep Evie safe. Hence, he leveraged that and put on a good show to convince them to go with his plan.

Besides, he was their last hope. Therefore, Zoey had no choice but to believe him.

She had her speculations that Jerry might be a liar, however, it was a risk she had to take.

Even if there was a slightest hope.

Yet, the reality was cruel.

Once Jerry had the Morris Group to himself, he immediately fired Iris and the other council members. The reason behind his actions was to gain complete control of the company in the shortest amount of time.

In the meantime, Zoey was left in a miserable state…

The Lehman family had publicly broken off their relationship with her, the business empire she built on her own was taken away from her, and her child was facing grave danger.

She felt hopeless.

The news of Jerry deceiving Zoey soon spread like wildfire.

Even so, the Lehman family could only watch as they were no longer related.

Everyone merely reprimanded Jerry regarding his actions but did nothing else.

As for Jerry, he was overjoyed that he had acquired Zoey’s business empire easily.

Consequently, the Gott family had become even more powerful than before.

Although it was not comparable to the standards of an ancient family, it was still on par with an imperial family.

“Hmph, did the Lehman family think that they could use me like that? How could they let me marry a woman who had a child? Are they trying to tarnish my reputation?”

“If it weren’t for Zoey’s empire and the Lehman family’s power, I would have never agreed to the marriage! Did she think that she’s that irresistible? Hah! How ridiculous!”

“Besides, how could you count on me to raise the child of a traitor? Is she even worth it? She’s just an illegitimate child that should have died along with her father instead of staying alive in this world!”

“Anyway, I’ve heard the news about the assassination organizations going after the child. So I guess we’ll receive the news very soon!”

Jerry made the following series of remarks as soon as he had gotten everything he desired.

Meanwhile, Zoey was appalled at the sight of Jerry on TV.

“What a shameless, despicable animal!”

The more Zoey thought about it, the more she became furious as she dug her nails into her palms.

She was in a difficult situation, yet he had scammed her at this moment and made such vicious remarks!

A gentleman! Hah! He’s even worse than a villain!

Just you wait! When Levi’s back, I will take back everything that I’ve lost! Mark my words!

“Things are going to get out of hand now, by the looks of it. I’m afraid our people can’t keep Evie safe,” Emma said with a hoarse voice.

Even though the Jones family had sent an ace like Shadow to protect them, everyone knew that it wasn’t enough…

Little Evie seemed to know what was going on as she scrunched up her face in silence.

Judging from her stubborn temper, it reminded Zoey of Levi.

“We can only hide in the basement for now and pray that they won’t find us!”

Zoey and Emma carried Evie as they hid in the basement with Sylas, who had prepared sufficient food and water.

They had successfully avoided the assassins once when Levi hid them in the basement of the manor.

Meanwhile, the assassination organizations who had received the assassination order had arrived at North Hampton.

A total of ten assassination organizations had begun their assassination operation simultaneously.

They bypassed Shadow and the other guards who were stationed outside and infiltrated the manor without much difficulty.

However, the assassins were dumbfounded when they found the manor was empty.

“Where are they? Where did they go?”

“They were in the manor the entire time and had never left. How could they disappear in thin air?”

The assassins searched everywhere, but there were no signs of Zoey and the others.

“No, we’ve been watching them all this time. It’s impossible that they’ve left!”

“The only possibility is that there is a secret room situated somewhere in this manor. Spread out and do a search!”

In the meantime, Zoey and the others were observing the situation through the surveillance cameras in the basement.

“Damn it, they’ve figured it out!” Zoey gasped in shock as she stared at the surveillance cameras.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1231​

It was only a matter of time for the secret room to be discovered albeit being quite hidden.

As expected, the professional assassins located the secret room effortlessly within seconds.

Screech!

Suddenly, the footage from the surveillance camera turned blurry.

That means they’ve found the hidden cameras too.

With that, it defeats the purpose of having a secret room.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Hearing the noises coming from above, Zoey and the rest had ants in their pants.

We’re all doomed once they get in here.

“We’ve found it! All that’s left is to force it open.”

The assassins were all geared up to intrude into the place by force.

“Hey.”

Out of the blue, someone tapped the shoulder of an assassin.

The assassin turned around and saw two men staring back at him coldly.

Whoosh!

Before he could say anything, a harsh slap landed on his face and he died on the spot.

The other assassins snapped their bodies around and asked, “Who are you?”

“Levi Garrison.”

“What? Levi Garrison? You… you’re still alive? This is impossible! You’re supposed to be dead!” The assassins were stunned.

“North.” Levi called out softly.

“Yes!” North Sky Lord acknowledged.

“Kill them!” ordered Levi.

North Sky Lord struck everyone dead within moments.

He was too terrifying, simply a league above them all.

After cleaning up, they left.

Meanwhile, Zoey had been waiting in the secret room for ages, yet nobody came.

In the end, Sylas was sent to check on the situation outside of the room.

The assassins are gone and everything seems as normal as it can be.

“What.. What is going on here?”

They were flummoxed by the scene before them.

“Could it be Levi who did this?” Everyone suspected him at once.

But, isn’t he abroad right now? Not to mention he’s a cripple now…

How could he possibly be here to save us?

So, if it’s not him, who could it be then?

On their way out, Levi commanded, “We must find out who’s the mastermind behind all these.”

He wanted to find out who gave the assassination order.

North Sky King nodded in response.

“Master, I’ve received news that Jerry from Oakland City defrauded Zoey’s company.”

“Is that so?” Levi’s expression changed.

He quickly sought confirmation from the West Sky Lord and was furious to know that Jerry had indeed snatched away all of Zoey’s top-notch staff.

How could such a despicable person exist?

After reading Jerry’s published remarks on the matter, Levi blew a fuse.

“Jerry Gott must die!” He spat as a murderous glint flashed through his eyes.

Meanwhile, Jerry organized a grand banquet at the Lafite Manor in Oakland City.

The successful appropriation of Morris Group had elevated his family status and made them first among the imperial families.

As a consequence, he also emerged first in the Oakland City’s Heir Leaderboard.

Giddy with delight, he organized a special banquet to celebrate his proud achievements.

“Mr. Gott, we were shocked to the bone when we thought that you would really marry Zoey Lopez!”

“Turns out you’ve got some amazing tricks up your sleeve.”

“Hahaha…” Everyone cheered.

A satisfied sneer settled upon Jerry’s face. “I’m not foolish enough to marry the woman of Erudia’s greatest traitor and keep a surviving minion under my name. How preposterous would that be!”

“Haha, that’s right. They aren’t worthy to even lick your boots.”

Everyone chimed in and echoed their agreements.

Someone asked, “Mr. Gott, people have the perception that you’ve deceived Zoey and taken away all of her possessions. What would you say about that?”

“I would say that’s bulls***! Have you ever considered the reputational damage and loss incurred to me because of that b***h and the bastard? Morris Group was simply compensation. It’s supposed to be mine in the first place!” Jerry proclaimed brazenly.

Just then, a commanding voice yelled, “A despicable rat like you should die!”

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1232​

The voice thundered through the banquet hall and jolted everyone present.

“Who? Who is it?”

Everyone looked around to find the person that had just spoken.

“Who dares to call me despicable?” Jerry sneered.

Now that he had absolute power and authority, he stopped pretending to be chivalrous.

After all, his influence had further elevated after taking over Morris Group.

So what if others know my true colors? But who’s the one who dares call me despicable?

Does he have a death wish?

“It’s me!” A cold voice was heard.

At that moment, two figures emerged from the entrance.

One of them was unfamiliar to everyone as no one had seen him before.

As for the other…

“Y-you…”

“A ghost!”

“It’s a ghost!”

When the crowd saw the familiar face, they screamed in shock.

However, those that were sitting in front couldn’t see. They wondered what was going on when they saw everyone else running around aimlessly shrieking their heads off.

Jerry led the other guests to see what the commotion was about and was shocked by what he saw.

“L-Levi Garrison… How can it… Be you.”

“Why… Why are you still… Alive?”

Jerry staggered backwards and almost lost his balance.

Many in Oakland City had seen Levi before.

As such, they could feel panic started rising within them by the sight of him.

Isn’t Levi supposed to be dead?

Why is he still alive?

Not to mention his body has recovered?

How is this possible?

How can a dead person suddenly appear in Erudia?

After all, everyone knew that the news was true.

The Iron Brigade even organized a funeral for him on purpose where they cremated his body.

Furthermore, it was widely reported that Levi was dead.

Therefore, it was impossible for him to be alive.

Everyone was so frightened that their knees wobbled.

They had the urge to run but found that their legs wouldn’t budge as they stared at the supposedly dead man before them.

Levi approached Jerry step by step. “Who says I’m dead? Can’t you see I’m doing just fine?”

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Levi slapped Jerry’s cheeks.

“I…”

Jerry gulped and he fell on his knees, staring at Levi in horror.

Despite the burning sensation on his cheeks, he could still feel the warmth in Levi’s hands.

Levi is really alive!

“You… How can you still be alive?”

Despite his reluctance to believe, the reality of the situation was right before his eyes.

Jerry felt like having a heart attack.

“What?”

“Levi is still alive?”

The whole banquet was in an uproar.

It was considered earth-shattering news not just in Erudia but also in the world.

“You… Why are you here?”

Jerry’s face was filled with horror.

“For doing something so despicable while I’m away, It’s only natural that I am here to kill you!”

Levi’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.

“Kill me? You can’t kill me. Levi, so what if you’re still alive? You are a traitor to Erudia and have been exiled for it. If Winsor finds out that you’re here, do you know what the consequences for you are?”

“Not only will you lose your life, but even your family will also be exiled from Erudia.”

Although Azure Dragon and the others had cleared Levi’s name, only those within military circles knew about it.

The common folks were still unaware of Levi’s innocence.

Therefore, Levi was still a traitor in their eyes and for that reason, Jerry wasn’t afraid.

“Levi, why don’t I give you a chance? As long as you leave Erudia quietly, I will pretend that I didn’t see you. In fact, I won’t even report this to Winsor.”

Jerry scrutinized Levi in a condescending manner and was confident that he had the upper hand.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1233​

Levi laughed. “That’s a good idea. Why don’t you inform Winsor right this moment? Tell him that I have returned to Erudia in defiance of my exile. Get him to come here and kick me out.”

Levi’s confident demeanor shocked Jerry.

Isn’t he afraid?

“Levi, I have no idea why you’re still alive and why your body has fully recovered. But once Winsor finds out about this, you will be in a world of trouble. After all, he was the one that gave the order to banish you and to forbid you from ever returning to Erudia. The moment you return, you are in open defiance of Winsor and his orders,” Jerry cleared his throat and declared.

In response, Levi simply chuckled.

Why would I be afraid of Winsor? This is getting interesting.

“Levi, you are someone that has lost to Winsor, he’s your bane and you know it! If he can beat you once, he can definitely beat you again.”

“Once you are arrested by him for causing trouble in Erudia, do you think he will let you live?” Jerry sneered.

The exact same thought crossed everyone’s minds.

After all, many in Oakland City had seen with their own eyes how Winsor defeated Levi.

In their minds, Winsor was stronger than Levi and Levi’s appearance was considered an open provocation towards him.

Once Windsor found out Levi was here, the consequences would be dire.

“So get out of here now! I’ll let you off this one time,” Jerry scoffed.

“Beat him up.” Levi ordered.

Slap!

North Sky Lord approached and slapped Jerry forcefully, causing the latter’s flesh to split and blood to gush out.

“Argh!” Jerry screamed in agony.

Slap!

North Sky Lord slapped him again and his face turned into a bloody mess.

Screams of anguish reverberated through the hall as if a pig were being slaughtered inside.

Slap!

He was slapped again.

By now, Jerry was cringing on the ground in utter pain, his face an unrecognizable mess.

North Sky Lord pulled him up and rained punches down upon him.

The impact was so great that bloody holes appeared on Jerry’s body.

In the end, Jerry died from the overwhelming pain.

“How dare you bully my family? Hmph, for that you deserve death!”

Levi’s eyes flashed with anger.

When everyone heard his words, they held their breath in fear and broke into a cold sweat.

It was a terrifying sight.

No one expected that Levi would return in such a manner.

It was as if he had come back from hell itself.

The next day.

Zoey was filled with questions as Morris Group was once again back in her hands.

What wrong with Jerry? Has he gone nuts?

He just returned the company to me after spending so much effort in taking over it?

“It doesn’t make sense! Someone must have interfered.”

…

At North Hampton, everything was safe for the moment.

However, there was an uproar within The Dark World when they realized the assassins sent to kill Forlevia had all disappeared.

They were puzzled as to where the assassins could have gone.

After further investigations, they reconfirmed that there was no one at Zoey’s side to protect her.

How is it that the assassins disappeared? Is someone protecting her? But that’s impossible!

Soon, The Dark World sent out another assassination order with an increased reward from the original one billion to ten billion.

The tenfold reward increase was done in order to attract even more powerful assassins.

Just as expected, an ancient assassin organization emerged in response to the assassination order.

As the saying goes, money makes the world go round.

The handsome reward was enough to attract an ancient assassin organization that had been in hiding for decades to reemerged.

Also, it demonstrated the resolve of the employer to have Forlevia killed. They wanted to make sure Levi’s child was dead.

“Another assassination order has been issued. Check the source! I want to know who issued it.”

Levi, who had been watching from the shadows finally found his opportunity.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1234​

This time, too many people had sacrificed their lives for Levi.

He couldn’t allow them to die in vain, hence he had to have his revenge.

The one who gave the assassination order had to be ferreted out.

“it’s a pity that my recovery was too slow. If only I had recovered faster, they wouldn’t have to die.”

Thinking back to the gruesome scene, Levi clenched his fists subconsciously.

North Sky Lord couldn’t help but ask, “Master, I have always wanted to ask…”

“You want to ask how I recovered?” Levi surmised.

“That’s right. I was surprised when you recovered from that condition in less than a month. Furthermore, I feel that you are now stronger than before. I don’t understand what’s going on anymore.”

North Sky Lord’s face was filled with surprise.

Levi recalled his memories, “Eight years ago, I was framed and sent to prison. Before they sent me in, they made sure my limbs were all broken as punishment. Just when I was at the lowest point of my life, I had a stroke of luck. I met my benefactor in prison whom I’m more than willing to address as Master.”

“He taught me an ancient technique which was perfect for me due to the disabilities I suffered then.”

North Sky Lord was puzzled. “Huh?”

“The technique required one’s body to be broken before it can be rebuilt. If I were of ordinary health then, it wouldn’t have worked at all.”

North Sky Lord understood immediately. “So you’re saying that with your limbs broken, you were in the perfect condition to practice that technique.”

“Exactly! Before long, my body quickly recovered in prison. Moreover, I made a name for myself fighting in prison and that was how I was drafted.”

Levi revealed a secret that he never told anyone before.

“So that means that this time, given the injuries you sustained were even worse, you would then be in a better position to practice that technique!”

North Sky Lord managed to link what Levi told him to his recent recovery.

Levi nodded, “Yep, that’s right.”

“Furthermore, I managed to get a better understanding of the technique this time. In fact, I fixed all the flaws that it previously had.”

“What?”

North Sky Lord’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

So that’s how Levi became the invincible God of War. It all came down to an ancient technique made for cripples.

Now that he has fixed the technique’s flaws, God knows how much stronger he is now.

It only goes to show how intelligent he is to be able to perfect such an ancient technique.

In fact, not every cripple can effectively practice it. One had to be intellectually gifted and equally tenacious.

North Sky Lord shifted the focus of the conversation. “Master, I’m curious as to who your Master is, given that he knows such a powerful technique.”

“He is indeed a mysterious man. It’s obvious that the prison can’t hold him, but he chose to stay there his entire life.”

Levi smiled. “He doesn’t want me to address him as ‘Master’ and forbids me from telling anyone else that I met him.”

“Huh? Why? Besides, how did someone as powerful as him landed himself in prison?”

North Sky Lord was confused.

“Beats me. Even in prison, he pretended not to know me and didn’t allow me to get close to him. His reason was that he had offended someone powerful and whoever is close to him will suffer a terrible tragedy,” Levi explained.

North Sky Lord was getting more puzzled as the conversation went on.

“Why does it sound so mysterious?”

Levi shook his head. “That was the first thing that came to my mind too. How is it possible to have a tragedy befall someone just for getting close? After that, I realized he was talking about his identity. All the members of his clan were labeled as criminals the day they were born. Anyone who came into contact with them was also punished.”

“Huh? How can that be?” North Sky Lord exclaimed.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1235​

North Sky Lord had always considered himself to be extremely knowledgeable.

For example, members of The Calamity were not known to exist in the world.

However, he was still surprised to hear about Levi’s master.

A whole clan labeled as criminals the moment they are born?

Even those that come into contact with them are punished?

What did they do to deserve such a harsh punishment?

“I have not told anyone about my secret in the prison. Thinking about it now, it seems my master has saved me twice already,” Levi lamented.

The world is still a beautiful place, where the good outnumbers the bad.

There are still many who are good to me including those that I hardly know.

For the sake of all those people, I have to live and get to the bottom of this.

“Don’t you plan on visiting him?” North Sky Lord asked.

“When I was drafted, he declared that our relationship ended there and then. Going forward, we were no longer supposed to know each other.”

Levi felt a sense of remorse over the matter. “That’s why I can only greet him ‘Master’ in my heart.”

“How strong are you now?” North Sky Lord inquired.

“In my current condition, the poison from the Blood King Palace will no longer affect me.”

Gasp!

North Sky Lord sucked in a breath.

The Blood King Palace poison was the culmination of decades of hard work and massive resources.

To think that it’s ineffective against Levi now…

How strong is Levi now, really?

Even Winsor may not be able to touch a hair on him, let alone defeat him.

It’s amusing how Winsor still thinks he is stronger and wants to fight Levi again.

The Levi of the past was already stronger than you, let alone Levi in his current state.

Do you even stand a chance?

Meanwhile, Winsor wasn’t resting on his laurels either as he had focused his attention on The Calamity.

Even though the Dragonites warned him to stay away from The Calamity, Winsor’s curiosity got the better of him.

He was fanatical about martial arts and was obsessed with looking for someone to fight. He would seek out the best warriors wherever he could find them.

When he heard that The Calamity had an invincible warrior in the form of North Sky Lord, he set his eyes on him.

“I want to defeat him and make him submit to me.”

Just then, Zar reported, “Asura, there’s a middle-aged man outside that wants to see you.”

“Alright, follow me.”

Winsor headed out immediately.

Outside, there was a middle-aged man in a white robe, he had exquisite features and exuded an elegant vibe.

In fact, he gave others a sense of otherworldliness.

“Master!”

When Winsor saw him, he stood at attention out of respect.

The middle-aged man patted Winsor on his back. “Congratulations, you’ve finally taken over the God of War’s position.”

“I hope I made you proud, Master,” Winsor remarked as he bowed.

His master nodded. “You did. You’ve done a good job, Winsor. Levi is a lowborn, how can he compare to someone as noble as you? If you had lost, you would have humiliated all the great families.”

“People say that a poor family has a better chance of producing a successful son, while noble families produce failures. However, I want to show them that there’s no way a humble family can produce anyone capable. A lowborn can never beat one who is born from a noble family,” his master declared haughtily as if he wanted to prove a point to the world.

“Therefore I was furious when the position of Erudia’s God of War was taken away by a lowborn. I had wanted you to challenge him many times and we finally got our opportunity.”

Winsor smiled, “That’s right. Everyone thinks that Levi was borne of Erudia’s top ancient family. But they didn’t know that an ancient family is nothing to us.”

The middle-aged man smiled smugly.

The most important detail of all was that his surname was Finch.

.

 

[Ash]

This story took a different dimension altogether .

Thank you master indra for the updates.

 

[Dean Winchester]

That Finch is really troublesome..

 

[indra]

Chapter 1236​

Winsor’s master was none other than the man that Levi was looking for – Mr. Finch.

His full name was Sampson Finch.

He was the one responsible for plotting to kill Levi.

He had Tenichi use the Blood King Palace to tempt Levi away and poisoned him.

He was also the one who ordered the assassination of Forlevia twice.

Everything was put in place by him from behind the scenes.

When Damien was fighting against Levi, the Garrison family cheated so that Damien wouldn’t lose.

However, what they did was nothing compared to Sampson.

To ensure Winsor’s victory, Sampson put in place many traps and even had the Four Warriors help him from the shadows.

They had to cheat in order to defeat Levi.

Sampson’s objective was simple. He felt that Levi didn’t deserve to be Erudia’s God of War and wanted his own disciple to take on the title.

The moment Levi was awarded the title of God of War, he was already in Winsor’s way.

Ever since Winsor was young, Sampson groomed him for the title only to have Levi stole it from them.

Therefore, it was a development that they hated to see.

The place where Winsor was born was extremely secluded. It wasn’t accessible for members of high society let alone ordinary folk.

It was considered home to a legendary great family.

A family that was a hundred years old was considered a prominent family while one that was a thousand years old an ancient family.

However, a great family had a longer and more illustrious history.

It wasn’t just comprised of a particular race or clan but a combination of very old groups.

A great family had usually existed for two to three thousand years and stood the test of time.

Therefore, they were more powerful than anyone could imagine.

For example, God class warriors were so rare that the Eighteen-Nation Alliance could only gather a hundred of them.

Ultimate class warriors were even harder to come by. The Harbinger of Death alone could defeat everyone before him.

However, a great family was filled with God class and Ultimate class warriors.

That was how much their skills differed.

Just by comparing strength alone, a great family within Erudia is more powerful than a single nation overseas.

Sampson and his companions had their own circle and their own rules.

They were above it all as if they were Gods themselves.

To them, the ordinary folk in the mundane world were just insects crawling about their daily lives.

They considered the life of an ordinary person the lowest of classes and view them with disdain.

Even the weakest member of a great family was someone extremely influential in the mundane world.

Winsor was the only one of Sampson’s disciples who stepped into the mundane world.

When he first arrived, he was like a wolf being unleashed on unsuspecting sheep.

He overwhelmed everyone else both in terms of power and fame.

The reason he was sent out into the world was that they wanted the world to fear them for being all-powerful.

Winsor was so terrifying that he single-handedly built the Asura Army and had the support of Zar and three other disciples.

His aim was to win the title of God of War but he didn’t expect Levi to beat him to it after coming out of nowhere.

Therefore, Sampson and Winsor resented the fact.

Winsor was a descendant of a great family, so he would never accept that he had lost to a nobody.

Ever since then, they had been looking for an opportunity but Levi had never lost a battle over the last few years.

It wasn’t until Levi left the army that the opportunity finally presented itself.

Just as how Damien couldn’t lose to Levi, it was the same for them as it was a matter of pride.

If a reclusive great family such as theirs was defeated, they would surely become a laughing stock.

Therefore, they had to do whatever it takes to guarantee Winsor’s victory over Levi.

Only then can they take over the title of God of War.

After putting in so much effort, they finally did it.

They even managed to kill Levi off in the process. And now, they wanted to kill Forlevia too just to prevent any eventualities.

.

 

[indra]

Chapter 1237​

However, it was ironic that Winsor thought he had beaten Levi fair and square.

He was oblivious to the fact that everything was arranged by his master and the fact that Levi decided to lose on purpose in the end.

In reality, Winsor’s own capabilities only made up one-third of the factors for his victory over Levi.

“Master, why are you here?” Winsor was curious.

The great families owned many ancient artifacts and technologies such as martial art techniques, medical knowledge, etc.

There was nothing in the mundane world that was interesting enough for them.

Therefore, Winsor couldn’t fathom why his master left their home.

Ever since he left home at fifteen, he never saw his master again.

Unbeknownst to him, however, his master had actually left their home in the beginning and was busy scheming against Levi.

“I am here to visit you. I can see that you’re doing well for yourself since you are now the one and only God of War of Erudia.”

Sampson patted Winsor on his shoulder.

Winsor sighed, “Unfortunately, it could never erase the fact that the first one was Levi.”

“No, he is already dead. You are the only one now!”

“Master, I have something to get off my chest. Despite beating Levi, many people still do not respect me. In fact, they still have faith in Levi.”

Winsor voiced out his concerns.

Many claimed that he had the advantage because Levi was already exhausted from battling consecutively.

Every time he heard a comment like that, it made his blood boil.

Sampson snorted, “Hmph! They’re just a bunch of ignorant scum. We live in a world where the fittest survive. The winner takes all while the loser doesn’t deserve to complain.”

“If they are unconvinced, you will have to demonstrate it with your power.”

Sampson’s whole body emanated a cold killing intent.

Winsor lamented, “If only Levi was still alive. I can battle him once more and shut everyone else up once and for all.”

“That’s no longer possible. He is already six feet under.”

Sampson had reconfirmed with Tenichi about Levi’s death.

“It’s such a pity or else I could defeat him once again.”

Winsor was extremely confident in his skills and cared a lot about how others saw him.

After visiting Winsor, Sampson wanted to check on whether Forlevia had been killed.

Meanwhile, Levi and his men were monitoring the assassin organizations. At that moment, West Sky Lord arrived with news.

She had masqueraded as an assassin to accept the assassination order and discovered who issued it.

It was Olivia Garcia!

Due to the pain she suffered for losing her son, Olivia wanted Levi and his whole family dead.

Mr. Finch realized the opportunity and seized it.

Despite the fact that he was the real mastermind, he was very careful in his methods. He made sure that everything he did was done by someone else’s hands.

Levi was also aware that Olivia was just the front and there was someone else instructing her.

Therefore, he wanted to ferret out the mastermind by going through Olivia.

After fending off a few waves of assassins that came for Forlevia, Levi and North Sky Lord returned to Oakland City.

However, Olivia wasn’t at the Garrison clan ancestral compound. Instead, she was in a luxury manor.

Inside the room, she was pacing around and was visibly troubled.

After all, the first assassination order had failed and all the assassin organizations involved had also disappeared.

Although the assassins she hired this time were even more terrifying, she still couldn’t rid herself of the sense of dread she felt.

“I must succeed this time. Damien, Mom will avenge you! Not only do I want Levi to be disposed of, but I also want his family to be massacred,” Olivia pleaded.

“Don’t worry, the assassins we sent this time are extremely deadly. Death awaits anyone who protects them.”

A voice rang out from behind her suddenly as Sampson entered the room.

.