NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48 48: Joshua’s Humble Reply!
Joshua, however, was unfazed by the threatening aura Caelum exuded.
His stern gaze met Caelum's icy stare with a steadfast defiance.
"Strouds? I couldn't care less about them. Their name isn't enough to threaten me," he retorted nonchalantly. "Not to mention, if they dare find faults with us Whitemore for this matter, they'll experience the wrath of a high-ranked Bloodline Warrior. And you should be worrying about yourself than others." Joshua's voice was filled with the unyielding resolve characteristic of the Whitemore clan, an outer region noble family of warriors. "A mere servant thinking he has the right to harm the son of a noble. This is a transgression worthy of death."
Joshua turned towards the crowd and asked, "Isn't that right?"
His words were followed by a silence, one that beckoned a response.
All eyes turned to the Queen's guard who had been observing the spectacle in stunned silence.
"Huh? You are talking to me?
He blinked, seemingly taken aback by the fact that Joshua's direct question was meant for him.
"Who else do you think can verify my claim?" Joshua said.
Immediately, the Queen's guard became a mess of thoughts, internal turmoil, and dread.
'Motherfucker, Why are you dragging your father into this? Did I offend you in my past life, you fucker!' his mind screamed, but he knew he had to play the role of a willful sacrifice.
After all, it's not like he could stay silent. He was a Queen's guard, a person who representated the Queen's authority. If he stayed silence, he would be undermining the Queen's authority, and that might cost him his job or maybe even his life!
Basically, silence, in this situation, was not an option for him!
Clearing his throat, he straightened up, meeting Joshua's gaze with newfound resolve. "Indeed, Lord Joshua. According to the ancient laws of our kingdom, a servant attacking the child of a noble, regardless of the region they hail from, is a grave crime punishable by death. The Queen, the high council, and I stand by your actions if you decide to execute him."
Joshua turned to Seraphim's servant and grinned, "Time to meet out your punishment."
Caelum was taken aback, barely having time to register the forthcoming danger before the tables turned on him.
A surge of formidable strength erupted from Joshua, resulting in a sickening snap.
Crack~
Caelum gasped in pain, nearly pissing his pants. His claw-like hand... It was shattered!
The spectators flinched at the gut-wrenching sound of bones breaking.
But Joshua wasn't done.
"No one threatens my son in my presence!" His voice echoed like thunder, a father's fury incarnate.
In a display of overwhelming might, he flung Caelum into the air. He followed up with a powerful punch, striking Caelum's midsection.
The impact was so colossal that Caelum exploded into a shower of blood and flesh.
The gruesome spectacle was accompanied by shockwaves that rippled through the air.
The spectators shielded their eyes from the resulting dust and debris, the raw display of power leaving them in shock and awe.
The punch was so damn powerful that it dispersed the ominous clouds that had gathered in the sky, the eerie Eldritch phenomena vanishing as the sun made its appearance. The brilliance of the sun spilled onto the stronghold, casting long shadows that seemed to mark the end of the troubled times haunting the Whitemores.
"Was he always so powerful?"
"He had been hiding his true strength from the world all this tims. He had really fooled us all into believing he was an intermediate-rank warrior when in actuality, he was a high-ranked warrior, capable of pulling off stunts akin to a miracle!"
The onlookers stood in awestruck silence, eyes wide as the reality of what just happened sunk in.
The level of strength the Ruler of the IronSpire Stronghold had displayed was beyond anything they could have ever imagined. Joshua had just displayed a level of power that could alter the very environment itself. The mere force of his punch had scattered the ominous clouds and brought the sunlight back. That was simply... unreal!
Only a high-ranked warrior can pull off a stunt like that!!!!
Meanwhile, Val watched in awe as his father's strength unfolded before his eyes.
'So, this is what a high-rank bloodline user is capable of? It's as if they can manipulate the environment around them just by exerting their power. How incredible is that!'
His heart throbbed with an intense desire to achieve this level of power.
There hasn't been a lot of things that have managed to interest him in his previous life, and in this life, although he was curious about a lot of things, they weren't exciting enough to make his unfeeling heart beat like crazy.
It felt as if he have found a reason to live.
Joshua had always been reserved about his true strength. Val and everyone else knew him as a rank-5 Bloodline User, yet the display of power he'd just witnessed surpassed what he had imagined was possible for someone of that rank.
It became clear, not only to him but also to the entire crowd, that Joshua wasn't bullshitting when he revealed his greatness to the sinful servant. He had indeed attained the status of a high-rank warrior!
Each class of Bloodline Users was split into four ranks: low-rank (levels 1-3), intermediate-rank (levels 4-6), high-rank (levels 7-9), and unrivaled rank (level 10).
From what Val and the others had witnessed, Joshua must at least be a high-rank warrior, a rank 7 or above!
No sane person would want to offend a high-rank warriors.
While the Strouds might've several high-rank bloodline users, even they would have to think twice before seeking trouble with the Whitemores.
After all, killing was easier than saving!
A high rank warrior could decimate an entire family with just a punch.
If Joshua escaped their onslaught, then they would have to constantly worry about his retaliation and their lives would become hell.
Unless they had a plan to kill him that would 100% work, it was unlikely that they would trouble him over this matter.