## Liam''s Perspective


    The Veridia City Martial Guild''s grand hall buzzed with tension. I wasn''t there to witness it, of course, but I could imagine the scene perfectly—stern faces of Guild masters gathered around an ornate table, their expressions darkening at the mention of my name.


    Julian Radford, the silver-haired Sixth Rank Military Marquis I''d narrowly avoided, would''vemanded attention the moment he strode in. His reputation preceded him—a ruthless executioner who never failed a mission.


    Meanwhile, I leaned against a tree in Crimson Leaf Park, three miles from the Guild headquarters. My body ached from the energy beams that had struck me during my escape attempt. The wounds weren''t healing properly, suggesting some kind of corrosive effect in the attack.


    But physical pain was nothingpared to the agony in my chest.


    "Isabelle..." I whispered her name like a prayer.


    I''d found her only to leave her behind, trapped in that hellish cage. The image of her pale face haunted me. The sound of her voice ordering me to flee echoed in my ears.


    My fist mmed against the tree trunk, splitting the bark.


    "I should have stayed. Should have found a way." Self-loathing coated every word.


    But what good would my death have aplished? The Guild''s security systems would have overwhelmed me eventually. At least now, I lived to fight another day.


    My phone buzzed in my pocket. Mariana Valerius was calling—again. I''d ignored her previous three attempts. What could I say to her? That I''d failed? That I''de so close to rescuing Isabelle only to retreat like a coward?


    I finally answered, my voice rough. "What?"


    "Where are you?" Mariana demanded.


    "Does it matter?"


    "It matters when the entire Guild is hunting you," she snapped. "Julian Radford himself has been tasked with your elimination."


    Iughed bitterly. "Let him try."


    "This isn''t a joke, Liam. The Guild hasbeled you their top priority target. They''re mobilizing resources they haven''t used in decades."


    "Good," I said, standing straighter despite the pain. "Let them focus on me. It might give Isabelle some respite."


    A heavy sigh came through the line. "You found her, didn''t you?"


    The question struck like a physical blow. "Yes."


    "And?"


    "And I couldn''t get her out." The admission tasted like ash. "Their barrier technology... I''ve never seen anything like it. Nothing I did could break through."


    Silence stretched between us for several seconds.


    "Come to the safe house," Mariana finally said. "We need to regroup and form a new n."


    "I don''t have time for nning. Isabelle is suffering right now."


    "And rushing back in will get you killed," she countered sharply. "Is that what she wants? Is that what you promised her?"


    Her words hit home. I closed my eyes, remembering Isabelle''s final plea.


    "Fine," I conceded. "I''ll be there in an hour."


    I ended the call and pushed away from the tree, wincing as my injuries protested the movement. As I began walking toward the safe house, my thoughts drifted to the Ashworth family.


    They were as responsible as the Guild for Isabelle''s situation. Had they stood against the Guild instead of bowing to them, perhaps she wouldn''t be imprisoned now.


    My path suddenly changed. Before meeting Mariana, there was somewhere else I needed to go. Someone else who needed to answer for their actions.


    ---


    The Ashworth family estate stood as a monument to wealth and power, its marble facade gleaming in the afternoon sun. Security was tight—armed guards patrolled the perimeter, and I could sense defensive formations embedded in the walls.


    None of it mattered. I''d infiltrated the Guild itself; this ce was child''s y byparison.


    I scaled the eastern wall where the trees provided cover, avoiding the motion sensors with techniques I''d learned from the Man with the Mustache. Within minutes, I was inside the mansion, moving silently through ornate hallways decorated with priceless art.


    Voices drifted from behind double doors at the end of the corridor. I approached cautiously, extending my divine sense to identify those present.


    Corbin Ashworth''s distinctive aura pulsed with arrogance and barely contained rage. His son, Dominic, sat nearby, radiating cruel satisfaction. Several elders of the family were also present, their energies muted with age but still formidable.


    And there was Harrison Ashworth, Isabelle''s father. His aura flickered with something unexpected—concern, perhaps even regret.


    I pressed my ear to the door, listening.


    "...situation has be untenable," Corbin was saying. "This Liam Knight has made fools of us all. First, he disrupts Isabelle''s engagement, and now he brazenly invades the Guild itself!"


    "He did manage to reach her," an elderly voice noted. "No small feat, considering the Guild''s security."


    "Are you actually impressed?" Corbin snarled. "The man is nothing but a nuisance! A bug to be squashed!"


    "A bug that keeps avoiding the swatter," someone else remarked dryly.


    "He cares for my daughter," Harrison Ashworth''s voice was quieter than the others but carried no less authority. "Perhaps we should consider—"


    "Consider what?" Corbin interrupted. "Handing Isabelle over to him? Have you lost your mind, brother?"


    "I''m simply stating that his persistence suggests genuine feeling, not mere ambition," Harrison replied. "And Isabelle clearly returns his affections."


    Silence fell over the room.


    "You''re suggesting we ept this... nobody... into our family?" Dominic finally asked, his tone incredulous.


    "I''m suggesting that my daughter''s happiness might be worth more than our pride," Harrison countered.


    I hadn''t expected this from Harrison Ashworth. The man had never shown me anything but contempt before.


    Corbin''s next words shattered any warming sentiment I might have felt.


    "The Guild demands her blood for their experiments. The future of martial cultivation itself depends on it. Your daughter''s personal happiness is irrelevant in the face of such necessity."


    "She''s not just a resource to be harvested!" Harrison''s voice rose.


    "She is exactly that!" Corbin mmed something hard against a surface. "The Ashworth bloodline has always served the greater good. This is no different!"


    "This isn''t service—it''s sacrifice," Harrison argued. "They''re draining her life away!"


    "A noble sacrifice then," Corbin dismissed his concern. "As for this Liam Knight... he''s be too troublesome to ignore. I''m cing a bounty on his head. Ten billion, dead or alive."


    My eyebrows rose at the figure. Ten billion would attract every bounty hunter and assassin in the country.


    "Such a sum might appear desperate," one of the elders cautioned.


    "I don''t care how it appears," Corbin snapped. "I want him eliminated, and I want it done yesterday." <samp ss="phantom-imprint">T@hi#s co!n@te+n$t o%r!igi#na%tes fro*m M.1.VLEM&P$Y&R-,$ My Vi#r@tual! Li@b#r+a*ry E*mp+i.re.%</samp>


    I''d heard enough. It was time to make my presence known.


    I pushed the doors open with enough force to bang them against the walls. All heads turned toward me, expressions ranging from shock to horror to rage.


    "You don''t have to bother," I said, striding into the room with deliberate slowness. "I''m here if you want to kill me."


    Corbin Ashworth''s face turned an rming shade of crimson. "You!"


    Guards rushed into the room from side entrances, weapons drawn. I ignored them, focusing solely on the family gathered around the massive oak table.


    "Me," I agreed, stopping at the edge of their circle. "Surprised to see me? You shouldn''t be. I made a promise to Isabelle, and I intend to keep it."


    "How dare you enter this house!" Dominic sputtered, half-rising from his chair.


    I fixed him with a cold stare, and he slowly sank back down.


    "I''ve juste from seeing Isabelle," I announced, watching their reactions carefully. "Do you have any idea what they''re doing to her in that prison? How they''re bleeding her dry for their experiments?"


    Harrison Ashworth''s face paled. "Is she... how is she?"


    "Suffering," I answered bluntly. "While her family sits in luxury, discussing bounties instead of rescue attempts."


    "Guards! Seize him!" Corbin shouted.


    I didn''t even look at the approaching security personnel. A pulse of my energy sent them flying backward, crashing into walls and furniture.


    "Ten billion is an impressive bounty," I remarked conversationally, as though we were discussing the weather. "But here''s what you don''t understand, Corbin. There isn''t enough money in the world to keep me from freeing Isabelle."


    I ced both hands on the table, leaning forward.


    "I''m not here to fight—not yet. I''m here to give you a choice."


    "We don''t negotiate with intruders," Corbin spat.


    "This isn''t a negotiation," I corrected him. "It''s an ultimatum. Help me free Isabelle from the Guild, or be destroyed alongside them when I burn everything to the ground."


    The room fell deathly silent as my words hung in the air.


    "You can''t possibly stand against the Guild," one of the elders finally said. "Even with your... impressive abilities."


    "Watch me," I replied simply.


    Harrison Ashworth studied me intently. "You truly care for her, don''t you?"


    "More than my own life."


    "Enough of this nonsense!" Corbin mmed his fist on the table. "You are nothing, Liam Knight! A nobody who stumbled upon some power and now thinks himself invincible!"


    I smiled coldly. "Perhaps I am nothing. But I reached Isabelle when all of you—her precious family—didn''t even try. What does that make you?"


    The question struck home. Several family members looked away, unable to meet my gaze.


    "You have one week," I announced, straightening up. "One week to decide whether you stand with me or against me. After that..."


    I let my energy re briefly, the golden light of my cultivation illuminating the room and cracking the marble floor beneath my feet.


    "After that, I stop being so polite."


    I turned to leave, but Corbin''s voice stopped me.


    "You won''t leave this house alive," he snarled, his own energy rising to sh with mine. "Julian Radford has been tasked with your elimination, but I see no reason to wait for him."


    I nced over my shoulder, measuring him. "Are you sure you want to try this, Corbin? Absolutely sure?"


    His answer came in the form of a devastating attack, energyncing toward me like a spear. I pivoted, caught the energy with my bare hand, andpressed it into a tiny ball.


    "My turn," I said, flicking the condensed energy back at him.


    The explosion rocked the entire room, sending furniture flying and people diving for cover. When the dust cleared, I stood untouched while Corbiny sprawled against the far wall, blood trickling from his mouth.


    "One week," I repeated, meeting each pair of eyes around the room. "Choose wisely."


    I walked out through the doors I''d entered, leaving chaos in my wake. No one tried to stop me.


    Outside, I paused on the mansion''s front steps, looking up at the afternoon sky. The Martial Guild''s headquarters loomed in the distance, a dark silhouette against the horizon.


    "I''ming for you, Isabelle," I whispered. "Whatever it takes."