Chapter 24 - Hidden Meaning

While Haize was returning to Lightwood Townhouse, he happened to hear Ethan and his subordinates talking. He was slightly speechless, 'Isn't that Ethan? I remember his voice, he wants to capture me and Ziam?'

He had always known that the man wasn't loyal but certainly didn't expect that Ethan would try to capture both him and Ziam alive. Then, Haize couldn't help but sigh in disappointment, 'It doesn't matter your talent... If you make the wrong decisions, it won't matter.'

Taking out the phone of his Storage, Haize entered his forum before typing out, ''I'll give the Sova Faction thirty minutes to consider whether they submit. If within thirty minutes, they don't submit, all will be exterminated.''

As soon as this statement came out, many powerful faction leaders took a deep breath. They felt how domineering and decisive Haize was, there weren't any other choices like an alliance. Some more deep-rooted ones couldn't help but sigh, wondering how the Sova Faction offended Haize.

In the underworld, there was a saying, ''You can provoke presidents, or even small leaders of the underworld, but never the Emperor.''

People who were there for a long time deeply understood that, because that man was truly dangerous. Forget about using a team, he dared to fight an entire underworld faction all by himself. He annihilated that faction with just a pistol and a knife.

It was a pity... Ethan was a talented newcomer, so he didn't understand these truths in the time he passed with Haize. The golden-eyed man was very good to his subordinates, so he didn't know his true side. And his lack of understanding would pay him a high price.

Looking up, Haize noticed that it was raining heavily as if the skies were sad. He slowly dragged his Katana along with him, and its curved blade was scratching the ground. As he walked, a clean line was left on the ground he passed.

Meanwhile, Ethan was going crazy after seeing Haize's statement. Feeling mad, he wanted to immediately go to Lightwood Townhouse and kill all of the Covering Sun Faction. However, one of his subordinates hesitantly said, ''Boss, I think we could also send a message like that, and assert dominance over the other factions!''

Ethan's eyes shone after hearing the suggestion, and so he did. The deep-rooted factions couldn't help but admire his way of declaring he wanted to die. It was not an exaggeration, but rather that they truly feared the man.

Even a fool would understand that the new Covering Sun Faction wouldn't follow Haize just because he was once their leader. Rather, the fact he also became a Mana User was evident to all. If he could do such insane things when he was an ordinary person, they truly feared the current him.

And they understood the hidden meaning within his message... Haize was making the Sova Faction an example as if to say, ''Those who don't submit to me will only have one result: Extermination.''

An old man within a deep-rooted faction couldn't help but sigh, ''That kiddo surely likes to make trouble? Goddamit, I can't even rest and wait quietly till I die?''

''...'' A young woman beside him looked at him blankly before saying, ''Grandfather, you shouldn't wait quietly to die. Where would my feelings go if you died? Did you already abandon this granddaughter you have?''

''Ah? N-No!'' The old man stuttered, while secretly cursing that his granddaughter knew his only soft spot was her. Then, he brought a cigarette from his pocket, and with the tip of his finger, a small flame lighted it.

Just as he was going to smoke, a metal blade cut the cigarette in half. While the old man looked speechlessly towards the young woman, she stared back with a dangerous expression, ''Hm? Forgot you can't smoke, my dear grandfather?''

''...''

...

Above the clouds, an old man in tattered clothes sat in the middle of the air. He looked like a beggar, but a powerful aura surrounded him. He took out a smartphone out of thin air before scratching the back of his head, ''How is it that those native humans use these strange things? Ah... Let's just learn slowly.''

''Hm... There is only this thing to do? Earth's Forum? What is that?'' The old man mumbled to himself continuously while learning those functions. Then, he happened to open the Covering Sun Forum, and saw the message Haize sent.

''Damn, that brat is almost as domineering as me!'' The old man shouted after seeing such domineering words, and suddenly the words 'Administration Permissions given' appeared on the phone. Unsure about what that meant, he just tried to open Haize's profile and it worked.

Then, things clicked, 'So I'm like a King in this thing? Aiya, even the creator of this recognizes the great me!'

His expression then became serious after seeing Haize's profile, it showed the golden-eyed man's name, age, stage, and abilities. The old man was shocked after seeing that in just a week, Haize advanced from an ordinary person to Peak 0-Star.

'Also an extremely rare dual-ability genius...'

Then, he saw the location that Haize sent for the Covering Sun Faction members to reunite. Scratching the back of his head, the old man muttered, ''Anyway, I'll take a look at his personality. If he's good, I'll take him as an apprentice, isn't this what the creator of this thing wants?''

The old man wasn't stupid, and he clearly felt that whatever gave him such permissions was trying to manipulate him to either kill or help Haize. But he didn't really care, at his age, he was already happy to find someone suitable to become his successor.

''It seems I'm already too old, eh?'' The old man muttered while feeling a bit cheerful. In front of him, a portal suddenly appeared and he stepped on it. In an instant, he went from one side of Ottawa to the other. His speed couldn't be calculated in a simple manner, because it depended on many things.

Then, he quietly waited for Haize to return as he noticed that his possible successor wasn't in his so-called base.

At the same time, thirty minutes quietly passed ever since the two factions declared war on each other. It was a pity, but one of them just didn't take the other seriously.

To Haize, the Sova Faction was just a clown meant to die, and to Ethan, the Covering Sun Faction was his strongest enemy.

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