An Arm and Five Million Gold Coins

"Your brother came back in a hurry this time and didn't bring you anything to eat."

Moke took out several silver coins and stuffed them into Wharton's arms. "Take this money. Buy yourself something whenever you're craving a snack."

"Silver coins!"

Wharton's mouth fell open in delight. Then he furtively stuffed the silver coins into his pocket, grinning from ear to ear. "Hehe, now I can buy things from Auntie Deli!"

As he spoke, he cautiously glanced at Hogg.

Only when he saw that Hogg did not seem to be paying attention did he relax and pat his pocket.

Wharton's appearance reminded Moke of children from his past life secretly buying spicy strips behind their parents' backs, and he could not help but smile.

Who would have thought that this little fellow would become a Saint Realm Dragonblood Warrior twenty-odd years later?

"Young Master Moke,"

While the two were fooling around, the butler Hiri approached with a platter of roast lamb.

There was surprise and gratification in the way he looked at Moke.

Seeing Moke's transformed state yesterday had kept old Hiri awake all night.

He had served the Baruch Clan for three generations. Now that he could finally witness the Baruch Clan reclaim its former glory, old Hiri was filled with excitement.

After the meal, Hillman arrived as well and could not resist looking Moke up and down.

"Uncle Hillman, is there something on my face?" Moke touched his face.

Hillman looked utterly astonished. "I really can't connect you with that golden-scaled monster. The Dragonblood Warrior clan truly lives up to its name!"

His face was full of amazement. It was hard to imagine that the monster which had effortlessly crushed a Seventh-Level Warrior yesterday was actually Moke. The contrast was simply too great.

"Hillman, I'll have to trouble you to take Moke back to the Ernst Institute..."

Hogg, who was clearly much more relaxed today, stopped halfway through his sentence.

Because Moke was countless times stronger than Hillman now.

Moke chuckled. "Father, Uncle Hillman doesn't need to escort me anymore."

Hillman laughed as well. "If we really run into bandits, I'm afraid I'd only hold you back."

"Haha, true enough." Hogg laughed heartily.

Before leaving, Moke said to Hogg, "Father, don't sell the things at home for now. I'll find a way to cover Wharton's tuition at O'Brien Academy."

"In a few days, have Uncle Hillman come find me. I'll give him the gold coins."

After transforming, he was a peak Ninth-Level Warrior. A casual trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range could net him hundreds of thousands of gold coins. There was no need to sell the family's belongings.

Besides, in reality, he did not even need to hunt magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Why exchange magicite crystals for gold when robbing people was so much faster?

"Mm, all right."

Hogg was rather calm now. "Whatever you plan to do, be careful."

"Also, don't tell Linley about your mother yet."

"Don't worry, Father. I know what I'm doing." Moke nodded solemnly.

"Big Brother, you went home yesterday?"

On the back mountain of the Ernst Institute, Linley found Moke, his big eyes widened round. "Why didn't you tell me? I wanted to go home too."

"It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Moke waved casually, and the soil before him rose up, forming a smooth stone stool. "Sit down. I have good news for you this time."

"Good news? What good news?" Linley was quickly drawn in by Moke's words.

Casting a second-level earth-style spell instantly so easily... his spiritual force has definitely reached, or even surpassed, the fifth level. The translucent Doering Cowart beside Linley noticed the remarkable nature of Moke's casual move.

He has strength, yet he hides it. What secrets does this boy have?

Doering Cowart had been observing him all along and was extremely interested in Moke.

He always felt as though this youth was shrouded in a hazy mist. Even he, a former Saint Realm expert, could not see through him.

"Wharton awakened the Dragonblood Warrior Bloodline. Father has decided to send him to O'Brien Academy. In a few years, our Baruch Clan will probably become famous through Wharton."

"Ah? Really? Doesn't that mean we won't see little Wharton for a long time?"

Linley was delighted at first, but then his little face furrowed. "And O'Brien Academy's tuition is very expensive. Father will probably have to put in a lot of effort."

"Don't worry. I'll find a way to handle the tuition." Moke smiled.

"You?"

Linley stared at him. "Big Brother, how are you going to make money?"

"Secret!"

"Big Brother, you won't even tell me?" Linley's eyes widened.

Fenlai City

As King Clayde's younger brother and a duke who wielded real power in the Fenlai Kingdom, Duke Patterson's Mansion was extravagantly luxurious.

Recently, however, the number of guards in that luxurious mansion had clearly increased.

"Still no news of Luke?" In a secret underground chamber, Duke Patterson stared at his subordinate with a dark expression.

"No, my lord." His subordinate shook his head fearfully.

"Useless trash!"

Duke Patterson gritted his teeth. "First Hall, then Luke. Two Seventh-Level Warriors died under such strange circumstances, yet you people have no information at all!"

"Please forgive me, my lord!"

The Sixth-Level Warrior immediately dropped to his knees, trembling with fear. "I've already sent more men. It shouldn't be long before we hear something about Lord Luke."

"Hmph!"

Duke Patterson snorted coldly, then casually waved the subordinate out of the chamber.

Several days had passed, yet there was still no news of Luke.

No sign of him alive, no body if he was dead.

Duke Patterson knew that Luke had most likely died just like Hall.

Who is attacking my men from the shadows? His face was filled with murderous rage.

Duke Mobley? Duke Bailey? Or some Eighth-Level expert I've offended?

Several names of people he suspected flashed through Duke Patterson's mind.

Naturally, Hogg was not among them.

After all, Duke Patterson did not believe anyone could have discovered what he had done back then.

And a mere country noble could not possibly have the ability to kill two Seventh-Level Warriors.

Hogg's name had never even crossed his mind.

"Hmm?!"

As he was thinking, the man who had just left the chamber let out a muffled groan.

"Who is it?!"

Duke Patterson shouted, only to discover that the chamber had somehow been enveloped by a black curtain. His body trembled.

"Darkness-style soundproofing magic?"

"He's here for me?!"

Duke Patterson immediately realized something was wrong. The battle qi of a Seventh-Level Warrior surged from his body as he grabbed the sword hidden beneath the stone table.

However, as the chamber's stone door burst apart, countless tiny stones whistled through the air toward him, forcing Duke Patterson to block them with battle qi.

And behind the shower of rubble, a golden blur arrived in an instant!

"So fast!"

Duke Patterson felt his vision blur. Before he could even see the intruder's face, the sword in his hand was knocked away, and a chill ran across his neck.

A cold sword had already been placed against his throat from behind.

At least an Eighth-Level Warrior... perhaps even a Ninth-Level Warrior! Duke Patterson's heart went cold. When did I ever offend such an expert?

"I ask, you answer. Say one extra word, or give me a wrong answer..."

Moke applied slight pressure with the Iron Leaf Sword in his hand. Duke Patterson's neck immediately stung, and warm blood flowed down it.

"Y-yes!" Duke Patterson nodded frantically, standing at death's edge.

"You have anonymous magicite crystal cards from the Four Nations Bank, don't you?"

With anonymous magicite crystal cards from the Four Nations Bank, withdrawals depended only on the card, not the person. Even a dog carrying one could withdraw the money.

That was the Four Nations Bank's reputation.

"I do!"

Duke Patterson felt slightly relieved.

The intruder seemed to be after money. Perhaps that meant he could keep his life.

"Where are they? Tell me, and I'll spare your life." Moke's voice was cold.

He wanted to leave Duke Patterson for Hogg to kill. Today, he had only come to collect a little interest.

The family happened to be short on money, and Moke felt no guilt whatsoever about robbing him.

It only felt satisfying.

"In my bedroom. There's a hidden compartment behind the landscape painting on the wall."

Duke Patterson hurriedly said, "There are five anonymous gold cards from the Four Nations Bank inside. Each has one million gold coins deposited in it."

"That's all the wealth I have."

In order to stay alive, Duke Patterson did not dare conceal anything.

Slash!

A cold flash swept past, and one of Duke Patterson's arms was severed outright.

Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering his face. The warmth of it and the agony shooting from his arm made Duke Patterson want to scream.

But the sound caught in his throat. Before he could cry out, Moke knocked him unconscious.

"A severed arm can be reattached if your dear brother invites a Radiant Church mage, right?"

"Good. It'll be even more satisfying when Father kills you whole."

Moke quickly swept out of the underground chamber.

With his peak Ninth-Level strength after transforming, sneaking into Duke Patterson's Mansion was nothing. Even if he infiltrated Fenlai Palace, no one would discover him.

After all, Fenlai Palace did not have a Saint Realm expert.

"As expected, he didn't dare lie." Moke took out the five anonymous magicite crystal cards Duke Patterson had hidden and chuckled. "A full five million gold coins. Even Duke Patterson must be hurting badly over this, right?"

The Fenlai Kingdom had existed for so many years, yet its total accumulated wealth was only a little over one billion gold coins.

Duke Patterson's entire fortune probably only amounted to a bit more than ten million.

Five million in cash was enough to make him bleed.

More importantly, knowing that he had been targeted by such a hidden expert would likely leave Duke Patterson living in fear for the rest of his life.

"Unless you hide in the palace forever, you could be assassinated the moment you step outside. Scare you to death, you old bastard." Moke felt thoroughly pleased.

Under the moonlight, he left Duke Patterson's Mansion and Fenlai City, returning to the Ernst Institute as though nothing had ever happened.

"Patterson! Patterson!" King Clayde hurried over as soon as he received the news.

On Duke Patterson's bed, he found the duke pale as a sheet.

At the moment, only the two brothers were in the room. Everyone else had been sent away.

"Brother!"

In such a private setting, Patterson addressed him just as intimately.

But he looked utterly miserable now, and even his voice was filled with fear.

"What exactly happened?!"

Although Clayde was older than Patterson, Clayde was a Ninth-Level Warrior. With his golden hair, he looked very young.

His stern gaze made Duke Patterson's heart tremble.

"Brother, I don't know what happened either!"

Duke Patterson hurriedly explained, "Yesterday..."

"An Eighth-Level, perhaps even Ninth-Level expert infiltrated your mansion, cut off one of your arms, and only took a few million gold coins?"

King Clayde shook his head. "Impossible. A Ninth-Level expert wouldn't lack that amount of money. The attacker was either Eighth-Level, or he was your enemy."

"Brother, how could I have provoked someone like that?" Duke Patterson shook his head frantically. "At the time, I only saw a blur, and he appeared behind me in a flash. An Eighth-Level Warrior couldn't possibly move that fast, could they?"

"Some who specialize in speed can." Clayde offered only that explanation.

"Enough. I'll invite a grand mage from the Radiant Church to reattach your arm."

Clayde frowned. "But for now, you'll live in the palace."

"Yes."

Patterson nodded repeatedly, then asked, "What about that assassin?"

"Can we track him down?"

"Trying to track an Eighth-Level or Ninth-Level Warrior? Far too difficult."

Clayde shook his head. "Unless he attacks again, there's no hope."

"Then my five million gold coins..." Duke Patterson was overcome with despair.

That had been the work of half his life, gone in a single day!

"Keep yourself alive first."

Clayde glanced at his younger brother, then walked out of the room.

Patterson has always handled affairs for me. Could someone be trying to deal with me this time?

After leaving Patterson, the golden-haired Clayde pondered the matter as well.

But they only dared attack Patterson and didn't dare come after me.

Clayde sneered. "Most likely, he's just an Eighth-Level Warrior skilled in speed."

"But even if he's a Ninth-Level Warrior, attacking me is nothing but courting death!"

Clayde himself was a Ninth-Level Warrior, and the captain of his guard was also a Ninth-Level Warrior. The rest of the guards were all elite Eighth-Level Warriors.

Working together, they could hold their own even against several Ninth-Level Warriors joining forces!

"Moke, where did you get so many gold coins? There must be twenty thousand here, right?"

Several days later, Hillman took the heavy bag from Moke's hands in utter shock.

The bag was truly quite heavy. Even as a Sixth-Level Warrior, he found it remarkably weighty.

Moke gestured for Hillman not to worry and handed him a magic crystal card. "Uncle Hillman, take these twenty thousand gold coins back to Father to improve your daily lives."

"There are one hundred thousand gold coins on this magic crystal card. It's Wharton's tuition."

"As for the magic crystal card, to avoid attracting attention, use it once you reach the O'Brien Empire."

"One hundred thousand gold coins?!" Hillman was instantly dumbfounded.

"It's only been a few days, and you've gotten over a hundred thousand gold coins?"

Hillman leaned close to Moke and lowered his voice. "Did you go rob someone?"

Moke looked at Uncle Hillman in surprise, then chuckled. "Uncle Hillman, as expected of the man who watched me grow up. You really do know me."

"You know my ass!"

For once, Hillman swore at Moke. Then he frowned again. "Your mother was a very kind person... You robbed bad people, right?"

"Duke Patterson," Moke said. "I even cut off one of his arms. You can tell Father about all this when you return."

"Tell him I'll leave Duke Patterson's life for Father."