Colton Manor, Guest Room.
The curtains were half-drawn, allowing the afternoon sunlight to squeeze through the gaps; the room was very quiet.
There was only the slight hum of medical equipment and Nico's steady breathing.
He lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, his face pale and his body wrapped in bandages.
A needle was inserted into the back of his hand, with a transparent tube connecting to an IV bottle at the head of the bed, the medicinal liquid falling drop by drop.
Leo stood by the bed, looking down at Nico without saying a word.
His expression was calm, but Vivian, standing at the door, could feel the things suppressed beneath that calm.
Goreinu and Kastro stood on the other side, bloodstains still clinging to their clothes.
Vivian took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Mr. Leo."
Her voice was a few notches lower than usual.
"This time, it was our Colton Family's fault. We didn't expect the Ten Dons to take action personally."
She paused, looking at Leo's back.
That white figure remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard her speak.
Vivian's heart sank as she continued.
"If you wish to punish us, we are willing to accept it. We will accept any demands you make."
"We will take responsibility for all of Mr. Nico's medical expenses and ensure he returns to health."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her hands and stood there quietly.
Her face was expressionless, but her heart was in turmoil.
She had indeed anticipated that Leo would intervene to help, but she hadn't expected his companion to be so severely injured.
She had underestimated the level of shamelessness of those old ghosts, the Ten Dons.
She feared that in a fit of rage, Leo would directly target the Colton Gang for retaliation.
She didn't doubt that Leo could destroy the Colton Family; those tens of thousands of creatures were the best proof.
Therefore, she adopted a very humble posture; whether Leo wanted to strike or punish, she would take it all.
As long as Colton remained, as long as she still had a chance to turn the tables.
The air froze for a long time.
Perhaps it was only a few seconds, perhaps longer.
Leo finally spoke.
He didn't turn around, and his voice was very calm.
"If the Colton Gang submits to me, I will spare your lives."
Vivian's body stiffened.
Goreinu and Kastro were also stunned; the two exchanged a glance but said nothing.
Vivian's lips moved, but no sound came out.
A chill originating from the depths of her Soul crawled up her spine, making her shiver involuntarily.
She looked at Leo's back—the person she had always thought she could borrow influence from, utilize, and ask for help in critical moments.
Standing there now, he seemed like an existence she had never truly known.
"I will only give you five seconds to consider."
Leo's voice carried no emotion, yet it made Vivian's face turn incredibly pale.
Vivian's breathing stopped completely as a sense of defeat and a thirst for power tore wildly within her heart.
Submit to Leo and hand over the Family's century-old foundation to someone else?
But—what if she didn't submit?
Without his help, the Colton Family would surely disappear.
Douglas was still there, the Ten Dons were still there, and all those hiding in the shadows waiting for her to fall were still there.
They wouldn't give her a second chance.
Time was quietly slipping away...
Five.
Four.
Vivian's nails dug into her palms.
Three.
She remembered the words her father said before he died: Colton will be handed over to you in the future, don't let it fall.
Two.
She remembered standing at the manor gate, watching those men a head taller than her bow their heads and call her Leader.
One.
She closed her eyes and then opened them again.
She let out a sigh and lowered her head.
"I, Vivian Colton, am willing to submit to Mr. Leo. The entire Colton Family is at your disposal."
Leo finally turned around.
He looked at Vivian, at her lowered head, and at her slightly trembling shoulders.
He nodded and said only two words.
"Very good."
Goreinu stepped forward, his head lowered.
"We were careless this time. We didn't expect them to have an ambush. Kastro and I will take full responsibility; we will make them pay the price."
His voice was heavy, as if suppressing something.
Kastro also stepped forward, standing beside Goreinu.
"Master, it's all our fault. Please punish me."
Leo looked at them and shook his head.
"You two don't need to blame yourselves. Since you accepted the commission, there will be risks. As long as everyone is okay, that's what matters."
He turned, walked to Nico's bedside, and reached out, his palm resting on Nico.
A soft green light emerged from his palm, enveloping Nico's entire body.
Nico's brow twitched slightly.
Beneath the bandages, those horrific wounds began to heal, broken bones rejoined, and torn muscle fibers regenerated bit by bit.
His complexion regained its color at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his breathing became steady and strong.
A few seconds later, Nico opened his eyes. He saw Leo, was stunned for a moment, and then struggled to sit up.
"Grandmaster Leo—"
"No need to get up."
Leo pressed down on his shoulder.
"Lie down. Your injuries are eighty percent healed, but you still need to rest for a few days."
Nico wanted to say more, but Leo glanced at him.
"I command you as your Grandmaster, lie down."
Nico opened his mouth and obediently lay back down. His eyes were slightly red, but he didn't speak.
Leo withdrew his hand and looked down at the tattoo on the back of his hand.
[Life Energy consumed 20%] [Rank: 78 (90%) → 78 (70%)]
Leo turned and walked toward the door.
Vivian, Goreinu, and Kastro exchanged glances and quickly followed.
Second-floor conference room.
Leo sat in the main seat, Vivian sat to his left, and Goreinu and Kastro sat opposite them.
"Tell me the specific situation."
Goreinu took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Everything has been going smoothly during this time. But starting yesterday, the Douglas Family went crazy, sending out all their manpower, not even caring about their lives, to fight the Colton Family to the death."
"There are rumors that the Douglas heir was killed, and they suspect Colton did it. Vivian said to ignore it; we repelled several waves of Douglas's attacks, and their people suffered heavy casualties and retreated."
"Later, we advanced toward Douglas Manor. When we reached the main road at the foot of the mountain, the other side sent people out to block us. We encountered those three Nen Users from Meteor City. Right as we engaged—"
He paused, as if recalling that moment.
"Someone suddenly emerged from the ground. He drilled straight out from underground and attacked Nico. Nico reacted quickly, using 'Ken' to protect his body, but that person didn't come alone; another person attacked from the side. Nico couldn't dodge and was hit."
He clenched his fists.
"When we saw this, we rushed to Nico's side. The Colton Family's people covered our retreat. For some reason, they didn't pursue us and let us leave."
Leo's expression didn't change.
"What did the other person look like?"
Kastro spoke up.
"Short stature, bald. Wearing casual clothes."
Leo nodded.
He knew who these two were: Worm and Porcupine of the Shadow Beasts.
One was skilled at stealthy attacks from underground, and the other could control all the hair on his body, making him a bane for close-quarters combat.
He just didn't know if only these two had come or if all ten Shadow Beasts were here.
But it didn't matter; he could easily crush these fellows.
Leo stood up.
"I see."
He looked at Vivian.
"Have your people ready to take over Douglas's territory and influence."
Vivian immediately stood up, her voice much stronger than before.
"Understood. I'll go down and prepare right away."
She turned to leave, her high heels clicking on the floor with a rhythm much faster than when she had arrived. The door closed softly behind her.
Leo turned to look at Kastro and Goreinu.
"Let's go. It's time to wipe out these rats."
If he didn't strike with lightning speed, how could he face these companions who trusted him and were willing to follow him?
Goreinu and Kastro exchanged a glance and followed.
He didn't care about these gang forces at all, not even the Ten Dons.
It was time for those positions to change hands.
He had originally planned to act a bit later, but this was fine too.
He would take this opportunity to push Vivian into a position among the Ten Dons.
Leo stood up and walked out of the conference room, followed by the sound of two sets of footsteps.
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100 POWER STONE = BONUS CHAPTER
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