“Stop?” Lucas sneered coldly. “The Tomczak family headship should have been mine. You stole it from me with your schemes! Now that you’re here, I’ll kill you too, and reclaim what was always mine!”
With that, Lucas lunged at Liam.
Seeing Lucas unwilling to back down, Liam’s expression turned icy.
“Brother, if you’re so intent on courting death, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The two clashed fiercely.
Bang!
With a deafening sound, Lucas was sent flying backward.
Liam was a mid-Solstice powerhouse, while Lucas was only at the early-Solstice stage. The gap in their strength was insurmountable-Lucas stood no chance.
Liam looked at Lucas and said, “Brother, I won’t kill you. Come back with me and face the family law.”
“Family law? Dream on!” Lucas spat. “Even if I die, I won’t let you humiliate me!”
Before Liam could react, Lucas struck his forehead with his palm, collapsing to the ground lifelessly.
Liam sighed deeply, his expression complicated as he gazed at his brother’s body.
At that moment, Chris approached and said, “Thank you, Mr. Tomczak, for stepping in to save me!”
Had Liam not arrived just in time, Chris would have been killed by Lucas.
Liam smiled faintly. “No need to thank me, Chris. Truth be told, this all started because of my family’s issues…”
As it turned out, after Chris left the Tomczak family, Jolin had approached Liam. She was worried Lucas would retaliate against Chris for spoiling his plans at the auction. She pleaded with Liam to escort Chris and protect him in secret.
Liam agreed, and as feared, Lucas ambushed Chris on the road. However, Liam’s intervention forced Lucas to take his own life.
Upon learning the full story, Chris couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. Such was the reality of powerful families-fathers and sons, brothers, all willing to destroy each other for the sake of power and profit.
“Chris, if you ever have the chance, come visit Stormwatch. The Tomczak family doors are always open to you.”
With those parting words, Liam carried Lucas’s lifeless body and departed. After all, Lucas was still his elder brother-he couldn’t leave him to rot in the wilderness.
Once Liam was gone, Chris rested briefly before continuing his journey with Stripes.
In Aethelgard, bandits were everywhere, as common as weeds. Chris encountered several groups along the way. Fortunately, none were particularly strong, and he dispatched them with ease.
Suddenly, Chris came across a caravan being attacked by a band of bandits.
“Look, boys! There’s a pretty little thing here!”
Chris raised his head and saw about a dozen bandits surrounding a carriage. Inside sat a beautiful young woman, accompanied by an elderly man.
“What do we do now, Billy?” the girl asked, panic written across her face.
The old man gritted his teeth. “Miss, don’t worry. I’ll protect you with my life.”
“Don’t waste time!” one of the bandits barked. “Kill the old man and take the girl back to the mountain!”
At his command, several bandits brandished their blades and charged at the old man.
The elder let out a roar, fighting the bandits with all his might. But against so many foes, he was quickly overpowered and sent flying.
“Billy!” the girl cried out, her voice trembling with fear.
“Grab the girl!”
The bandits advanced, wicked grins on their faces.
“Stay away from me!” the girl screamed desperately.
“Ha! Where can you run to, little beauty?” one of the bandits taunted.
Bang!
Before the bandits could get closer, a figure appeared before them.
Chris, wielding Dragon Slayer, swung his weapon with lethal precision, cutting down several bandits in an instant. Their bodies were sent flying, lifeless.
“Kill him!” the remaining bandits roared, charging at Chris.
Chris smirked disdainfully.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
In mere moments, the remaining bandits lay dead on the ground.
The old man staggered forward, gratitude evident in his eyes. “Thank you for saving us!”
Chris replied, “I was just doing what anyone should. By the way, where are you headed?”
The old man answered, “We’re on our way to Pinkshire.”
“Pinkshire?” Chris repeated, pausing for a moment.
After a brief thought, he said, “I’m headed there too. How about we travel together?”
The old man’s face lit up with relief. “Thank you!”
And so, Chris joined the old man and the young woman on their journey to Pinkshire.
Through their conversations, Chris learned that the young woman was Mara Wainwright, a member of the Wainwright family in Pinkshire. However, as an illegitimate child, she was not well-regarded by her family.
The old man, Billy, was her loyal steward. Chris didn’t know Billy’s full name, so he simply called him by the name Mara used.
Originally, Mara and Billy had set out for Pinkshire, but they were attacked by bandits along the way. If not for Chris’s intervention, their fate would have been grim.
Even as they traveled together, they encountered more bandits, all of whom were easily dealt with by Chris. Without his help, Mara and Billy likely wouldn’t have survived.
“Quick, everyone! Hurry up! I heard the Black Dragon laid an egg!”
“What? The Black Dragon laid an egg?”
“Let’s go! Whoever gets that egg will strike it rich!”
As Chris and his companions journeyed onward, they suddenly heard a commotion ahead. Curious, Chris approached the crowd to learn more.
From what he gathered, a Black Dragon had appeared in the nearby Celestial Peaks.
The Black Dragon, a Sixth-Grade beast, was comparable in strength to a Solstice-level master. Normally, such a creature would reside deep within the Celestial Peaks.
But for some reason, this Black Dragon had ventured to the outskirts to lay its egg. For Aetherbinding practitioners, this was a rare opportunity.
During the egg-laying process, a Black Dragon’s strength would plummet to that of a Fifth-Grade beast at its peak.
If someone could kill the Black Dragon, its Heartstone alone would be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Beyond that, the dragon’s egg was an even greater prize. Signing a spiritual pet contract with an egg was much easier than with a fully grown beast.
If successful, the hatchling would become a loyal companion.