Chapter 2: Forceful Move

Words : 1807 Updated : Oct 9th, 2024

"Blake, do you think Monica will obediently bring the money over?" Six or seven thugs chatted and drank in the warehouse. The young man called Blake held a cigarette between his lips and a deck of cards in his hand. Hearing the question, he let out a cold chuckle. "It'd be best if she comes with the cash. If not, we'll just make her precious daughter disappear. Either way, we're getting paid. It's a win-win." "The men you arranged—are they ready?" Blake asked the burly man sitting to his right. "Rest assured, Blake. I got four guys, all experts with crossbows, and four custom military-grade crossbows. It's guaranteed to kill within 20 meters," the burly man replied, casting a glance up toward the warehouse rafters and chuckling. "Remember, we're only taking out the woman with Monica. We shouldn't harm Monica," Blake said in a lowered voice. Boom! A loud crash interrupted their conversation. They turned toward the sound, only to see the heavy iron door fly off its frame and land several meters away. A tall figure stepped inside through the open doorway. For a moment, the group was stunned. Blake was the first to react, kicking the table over and standing up, while the others quickly grabbed nearby weapons. Blake eyed the lone man who had entered. He was a young guy, nothing remarkable. "Kid, you lost or something?" Blake sneered, cocking his head and staring down the man who had stopped a few meters away. Ethan stood there, his gaze sweeping over the thugs before looking up at the rafters before snorting disdainfully. The group was just ordinary mortals with no cultivation at all. He wouldn't have even spared them a glance if they were in space now. Seeing the disdain on Ethan's face, Blake's eyes narrowed, and a cold glint flashed. He shot a look at one of his men, who nodded in understanding. The thug gripped an iron rod and, with two sudden steps, swung it hard at Ethan's head. If he'd been an ordinary person, he wouldn't have been able to react. The iron rod was inches from his head when Blake's lips curved into a sinister smile—but that smile froze in place. In the blink of an eye, the rod had stopped mid-air. Looking closely, Blake saw that Ethan had grabbed it with one hand. Bang! With a thud, the thug gripping the rod was flung several meters, crashing into the back wall before slumping to the ground unconscious. The event had happened so quickly that none of the others, including Blake, could even react. The warehouse fell silent. "Take him out!" Blake shouted, breaking the silence. From the rafters, four men leaned out, each holding a crossbow loaded with bolts. Ethan didn't even look up; he flicked his fingers a few times, sending several pebbles flying. Four muffled thuds echoed as the four men fell from the rafters, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Then, they stopped moving. The rest of Blake's group stared, dumbfounded. Even Blake, who had seen his share of danger, was in shock. Ethan had only flicked his fingers, and his hidden archers had all been taken down. Was this man one of those legendary martial masters? "Sir, maybe we got off on the wrong foot here…" Blake forced a grin, swallowing hard as he tried to recover his composure. Ethan gave Blake a disgusted look. He'd been through the grind at the bottom, understood hardship, and lived by a simple code: hold onto your pride, no matter the cost. Perhaps that very pride had been the force that propelled him through the dog-eat-dog world, all the way to becoming Lord Stellar, a sovereign of the Northon Starfield. "Break an arm and a leg, and you can live. Otherwise, you die." Ethan's cold, emotionless voice filled the warehouse. The frigid tone sent a shiver down Blake and his men's spines; they felt as though they had fallen into an icy abyss. After a moment of trembling, Blake finally shook off the chill, the forced smile slipping from his face as he glared at Ethan with renewed fury. "You're not—" He'd barely begun his retort when a shadow flashed before his eyes. The next thing he knew, an iron-strong grip clamped onto his jaw, silencing him. Crack! The sound of breaking bones rang through the warehouse, followed by agonized screams. One by one, Blake and his men collapsed, clutching broken limbs and howling in pain. Ethan didn't spare them a glance as he stepped past, moving toward the corner of the warehouse where a little girl was huddled. The girl, who had been crying moments ago, was now silent. She blinked her large, bright eyes at Ethan as he approached. As Lord Stellar, Ethan's bloodline carried unmatched power. Even though this little girl was born before his ascension, his return to Earth triggered ancestral tracing, connecting them. With this bond, they felt an instinctive closeness to each other even though they had never met. The powerful bloodline Ethan had passed down meant her future would never be ordinary. Without a word, Ethan reached out his hand, and after a brief hesitation, the little girl obediently stepped into his embrace.

Chapter 2: Forceful Move

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