Chapter 115: Huh???
’So this is the strength of an ancient family. She isn’t even the Head of the family; how strong is this head? And what is this forbidden rank?’ Asher thought, staring at the armored lady hovering in the sky.
No matter how overwhelming her aura seemed to the others, she was currently operating at the exact same rank he had just temporarily reached. He knew this with absolute certainty because her divine senses still couldn’t pierce his domain.
"Alright..." Her voice resonated across the ruined junkyard, vibrating against the twisted metal. "Daniel is what you called yourself. This is a task I am personally assigning to you... Locate the one who crossed this forbidden rank, even if it’s just a clue. Once you get this, come and find me in Sylvanguard... Just say my name when you get there."
’Sylvanguard? That’s the second country located north of the world’s map... It might not be as huge as Vaeloria, but it’s completely ancient,’ Daniel thought to himself, his entire body shaking. How would he dare search for an entity capable of killing him with a single finger? This mission was no different from throwing his life into the abyss.
"I..."
CRACK!
Dead silence instantly descended over the entire junkyard as everyone snapped their heads toward a massive pile of rusted junk.
The lady above frowned, her senses finally detecting a flicker of life behind the barricade. With a casual, dismissive wave of her gauntlet, the entire ten-meter mountain of solid iron was violently swept away into the wind, revealing Asher, his wives, and the kneeling Grayson.
"....?!!!"
Everyone was utterly dumbfounded. Even the lady was speechless.
’What is this? Why didn’t I sense their presence at all?!’ she thought, her unseen gaze locking onto the black-haired young man who casually stood up with a small chuckle.
"Who are you?!" she demanded, staring down at him from her mount.
Asher exhaled softly, stepping protectively in front of his wives. The borrowed EX-Rank strength had finally faded; anything borrowed from the system must surely be returned. Right now, he was back to being a baseline SSS-RANK, his terrifying aura entirely vanished. Yet, after listening to the cowering group of elites, he wasn’t actually scared. He had already unequipped all his Mythic-Tier gear, hiding it safely inside his system storage to ensure the lady couldn’t detect a single trace of residual divine energy.
After confirming his aura was perfectly concealed, Asher snapped his fingers.
".....?!"
Everyone stared in stunned horror as pitch-black shadows erupted from the ground, violently grabbing Grayson and forcing the massive mafia boss onto all fours directly behind Asher. With fluid, arrogant grace, Asher slowly sat down on Grayson’s broad back, treating an SSS-Rank underworld king like a piece of living furniture. He looked up at the armored lady with a fearless smirk.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Asher Aetheldawn, the Patriarch of the Fifth Ancient family. I am also the one who released that energy a moment ago," he revealed with a calm smile.
This was the most calculated way out. He didn’t know if this lady possessed any high-tier skills to detect lies, so he would rather claim the truth under the veil of his bloodline. Moreover, he firmly believed that, as a recognized member of the Ancient Families, she wouldn’t dare execute him rashly without risking an all-out war.
"Aetheldawn?" She paused, pulling on her horse’s glowing reins as she stared at him intently.
’He said he was the one who released that energy, but why is he only an SSS-RANK?’ She moved her piercing gaze toward the apocalyptic, twenty-meter-deep blade craters carved into the earth below. ’I didn’t make any mistake... If he is the one, does that mean he is now actively concealing his true rank? But why?’
After several tense moments, she asked aloud, "Then why are you only at SSS-RANK?"
The elites on the ground held their breath, staring at Asher in a swirling mix of disbelief, horror, confusion, and shock.
"Why would I unleash my full strength around kids?" Asher asked with a lazy grin, his expression the picture of aristocratic boredom.
’What the hell am I saying?!! She can kill me with one move!!’ Asher screamed inwardly, his heart pounding against his ribs, but his outward posture remained utterly unshaken.
"Umm..." She exhaled a long breath, seemingly buying his bluff. She lightly tapped her horse, which nodded intelligently and descended from the sky, halting gracefully five meters above the ruined ground.
"So you are the head of Aetheldawn?"
"I don’t repeat myself," Asher said, allowing a dangerous frown to form on his face.
"....?!"
She nodded slowly in acknowledgment. Raising both armored hands, she unclasped and removed her heavy helmet, finally revealing an otherworldly, beautiful face framed by long, flowing red hair and piercing, luminescent gray eyes.
"....?!"
Everyone, including Asher and even the stunning women standing behind him, was entirely dumbfounded, staring at the breathtaking beauty before them in pure silence.
"Lord Asher Aetheldawn, I am Astrid Sylvan... The first child of the Sylvan Ancient family. I pay respect to the senior," she said, bowing her head slightly. Her words practically stunned Asher in place.
Huh?
Astrid was clearly older than him, easily in her late twenties, yet she just called him senior? Was it strictly because of his supreme position as a Family Patriarch? He quickly filed that crucial political detail away in his mind and gave her a slow, dignified nod.
"You should know I am new to these family rules, but I want to ask one thing from you. What is the Forbidden rank?" he asked, his tone measured.
Astrid was silent for a long moment, her gray eyes studying him as if calculating whether she should divulge such classified information. After ten heavy seconds, she finally parted her beautiful lips.
"The forbidden rank is the rank those beyond ordinary humans could reach... Anyone in this rank is extremely powerful, capable of shattering the balance of the world. Which is why our Ancient families placed the absolute rule that no lowly human should ever reach that rank without assistance from us."
"Assistance? Is that another name for slavery?" Juliana suddenly interjected, stepping forward with a raised eyebrow, her rebellious nature unable to stomach the sheer arrogance of the global elites.
Astrid slowly turned her chilling gaze to Juliana. "I will ignore that because of your background..." She said coldly, her aura flaring just enough to serve as a warning before she turned her attention back to Asher.
"You can think of it however you see fit... The Ancient families want only peace for the people." She stated coldly, perfectly echoing the indoctrinated dogma that allowed her bloodline to rule the world from the shadows.