Richard, who had become everyone's target, could only laugh as more and more people gathered.

He wondered if there were still others.

After all, a Ruler could be hiding in a distant location, watching.

Those who were hiding were actually more dangerous because they could attack when they felt he was already planning to leave.

Richard began to feel that way.

The faction he was warier of than anyone else was the Order of the Crimson Veil.

They were the strongest faction here—but was Charles truly the strongest figure sent?

Charles was still at the Grimoire Realm, so that was impossible.

'Ehm…' Richard cleared his throat, cutting into the conversations of several people so that all gazes returned to him.

"It seems all of you aren't giving me any other choice," Richard said.

"Brat, there is indeed no choice for you," replied the old man from the Thundervale Clan.

"In that case…" Richard nodded.

A stone emitting golden light appeared above his palm.

Its mere appearance made the air feel as if it froze, and all eyes widened.

Richard was already somewhat fed up with everyone here. He wasn't just going to threaten them anymore.

After taking out the stone, he immediately sent his Aether into it to activate it.

The golden light of the stone shone brighter. In just an instant, it was already brighter than the entire mine, swallowing everyone and spreading far beyond the limits of Richard's sight.

Richard dropped it and then entered the Dragon Hall, knowing only there could he hide.

It was an artifact created by the Dragon Knight, one of the strongest Grand Sovereigns. There was no way it couldn't withstand the remnant power of a Grand Sovereign stored inside an object.

It should be unaffected.

When he arrived inside the Dragon Hall, Richard saw the people he had captured earlier.

He had no intention of taking them with him, so he immediately sent them out.

Boom!

Inside the Dragon Hall, Richard still heard an explosion so loud that his ears felt like they were tearing apart.

He couldn't see outside.

With his eyes, he saw only golden light. When he sent out his waves or his Sixth Sense, they were instantly annihilated.

But one thing was clear—the tremors were strong even inside the Dragon Hall.

It must have been flung far away.

"What did you do, Richard?" Grace asked.

She couldn't guess what it was either, but she felt an enormous danger outside.

"The power of a Grand Sovereign…" Richard answered briefly, and that was enough for Grace to understand.

She froze slightly before asking, "You… really used it?"

"I had two. Think of this as my way of destroying the enemy," Richard replied.

"What do you think—can they survive?"

"The Rulers should be able to survive using their own power, though the result would be extremely severe injuries. And those from major factions should have something to protect them. But overall, survival without terrible injuries is impossible." Grace answered.

Richard chuckled, not really caring if any survived.

What mattered was giving them the most unforgettable lesson.

Once again, he peeked outside, still seeing golden light—but it was no longer from the explosion zone, rather light radiating from afar.

Based on Richard's estimate, the explosion's range was enormous—far beyond his vision.

Perhaps because it was too strong, the Dragon Hall was flung that far away.

Richard did not rush to go out. He waited for the golden light to fade.

He concluded that the Dragon Hall had landed on top of a mountain.

Though the explosion did not reach that mountain, the shockwaves seemed to have pushed down the trees until the mountaintop was left barren.

Richard waited for an hour before the golden light vanished. The sun had already risen.

Only then did he leave the Dragon Hall with Grace.

Richard expected a shocking sight—but the reality was far beyond shocking.

It didn't merely stun him.

In the distance, the vast land that used to be filled with gigantic forests and towering mountains reaching the clouds was now completely flattened.

And there was a colossal crater so ridiculously vast it was hard to imagine. It might be wider than five provinces of the Sacred Star Kingdom combined.

For Richard, who came from Earth, it was the size of a continent.

Such terrifying destruction—from only a small remnant of a Grand Sovereign's power.

Even though Grace said a few people might survive, most were undoubtedly dead.

Who knew about Gray and Elise? But Gray's status in the Order of the Peak World was extremely high, and Elise was the young lady of a strong clan. They should have been given something to protect their lives.

Unfortunately, their presence there made it unavoidable.

"Brat, you've caused something huge. Unfortunately for you, this is still your end!"

Richard suddenly heard a voice behind him that made his skin crawl because he could feel a high-level threat approaching.

He instinctively turned around along with Grace and saw two men and ten black-winged wolves, each normal-sized yet overwhelmingly threatening.

One man—he recognized him. He looked in his twenties, with black hair and a rather thin body.

Clearly, he was Liam Hemsworth, the one Richard had tricked in Snow Sky City.

Naturally, his identity was unique—not only a member of the Crimson Veil, but also the disciple of Duke Ethan Holystar, now the Lord of the Crimson Veil.

The man beside him looked to be in his thirties, with dark blond hair and a dark red coat.

His face was handsome yet cold.

His wolf-like gaze was fierce and sharp.

The man was clearly the source of the terrifying pressure, because even ten years ago, Richard could have beaten Liam—so Liam could not possibly be the one giving him this overwhelming sense of danger.

The dark-blond-haired man was the one.

He might still be a Lord—but obviously one at the peak, with frightening power.

Richard would rather deal with a Ruler like the old man from Thundervale than this person.

How could Richard not guess his identity?

He must be Duke Ethan Holystar, the current Lord of the Crimson Veil.

The younger brother of the King of the Sacred Star Kingdom, the uncle of Lilith—yet, according to stories, he hated the Sacred Star Kingdom itself.

"Lord, allow me to handle this brat…" Richard suddenly heard a familiar voice.

Charles.

Impossible.

Richard turned again because he heard Charles's voice behind him.

Sure enough—he saw him.

His hair was messy, his clothes torn, but his aura remained stable.

He wasn't alone. Luke and the others stood behind him, trembling as if they had just walked through death itself.

Their eyes toward Richard held searing hatred.

The Order of the Crimson Veil.

Richard knew they could pose problems for him. But unexpectedly, Charles and Luke had survived the explosion without severe injuries.

Whatever protected them was incredibly strong.

After Charles spoke, Richard saw Ethan nod slightly, as if granting him permission to go first.

"Brat, fight me!" Charles drew a white sword that seemed to be made of light, stepping toward Richard.

He truly hated him—even though the reason was merely because Richard was engaged to Lilith.

"Grace, you need to get inside first," Richard said to Grace.

She gave him a look as if asking whether he was going to do that again.

Even so, she entered the Dragon Hall, knowing she couldn't help him.

After that, Richard gave Charles a faint smile.

"What's the point of fighting?" he said.

"Are you scared?" Charles replied.

"You've already lost to me. Why would I be afraid of you? I simply feel you're no longer worth fighting. Not because you're weak, but because this is only about Lilith, isn't it? Let me tell you—when I return, I will marry Lilith. Oh, that's right—I've actually already kissed her. She was shy when I tried, but after I kissed her, she ended up liking it."

Richard sounded as if he were spouting nonsense, but Charles's face twitched violently.

Even Liam, Luke, and the others were stunned.

They had all seen Lilith.

Maybe it was hard to compare her beauty to Grace's, but in terms of charm and personality, Lilith was far more captivating. A blonde woman, now even the Queen of an entire kingdom.

And this young brat dared claim he would marry her—and that he had already kissed her?

Of course it was unpleasant for them to hear.

If Grace were standing beside him, Richard would never have dared say something like that.

It took Charles some time to stabilize his emotions—but clearly, he was no longer composed.

"Forget the duel!" Ethan Holystar suddenly said.

And he immediately acted, raising his hand toward Richard.

It didn't enlarge, but it instantly reached toward Richard despite the distance.

In truth, it wasn't even fast—just an ordinary motion—yet its aura locked onto Richard so firmly that he could no longer move at all.

This man clearly didn't intend to give him any chance to use another trump card.

Of course, if he turned into the Void, he could escape, but there was no way he could stay in that mode long enough to reach an area beyond Ethan's perception.

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