Journey to Become the Zenith

The Young Master’s Desperate Plea

While the young master was still confused as to why his subordinates were panicking, Victor started walking forward.

His footsteps were neither hurried nor heavy.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Each step landed against the stone pavement with a strange calmness that made the atmosphere feel even more oppressive.

The surrounding crowd instinctively moved aside.

Nobody dared to stand in Victor’s path.

The young master, however, was still unable to understand what was happening. His eyes moved between the unconscious Günter and his two remaining bodyguards.

Why were they suddenly so nervous?

Günter had fallen, yes, but that did not mean the situation had completely turned against him.

He still had two Master-ranked swordsmen beside him.

As long as those two acted, everything would be settled.

At least, that was what he believed.

But then Victor began approaching him.

The young master’s expression twisted.

His earlier arrogance slowly gave way to irritation.

"What are the two of you doing?! Kill this fcking bstard!"

His voice rose sharply as Victor continued walking toward him.

The young master took an unconscious step backward.

He immediately noticed what he had done and stopped himself.

He couldn’t allow himself to look frightened in front of so many people.

He was Simon Valier.

The next Earl of the Valier family.

People should be afraid of him.

Not the other way around.

The two Master-ranked swordsmen exchanged another glance.

Their hands tightened around their weapons.

They understood that there was no more room for hesitation.

They had already warned their young master to retreat.

He had refused.

Now, they could only fight.

One of them shifted his feet.

The other lowered his center of gravity.

Their mana began circulating through their bodies.

The crowd backed away even farther.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Some people had already started leaving.

They did not want to be caught in whatever was about to happen.

The tension had become almost suffocating.

Victor kept walking.

His golden eyes remained fixed ahead.

He did not even look particularly interested in the two swordsmen standing between him and Simon.

That indifference made the two men even more cautious.

One of them swallowed quietly.

"Don’t underestimate him."

His companion gave a barely noticeable nod.

They were Master-ranked swordsmen.

They had fought countless battles.

They knew that sometimes the most dangerous opponent was not the one shouting threats, but the one who remained completely calm.

Victor stopped several steps away.

For a brief moment, nobody moved.

The wind passed through the street.

A few leaves rolled over the pavement.

Then—

The two swordsmen moved.

They were about to draw their weapons.

But they never got the chance.

A massive force suddenly struck both of their chins.

Bang!

Bang!

The impact happened so quickly that the crowd barely understood what they had seen.

The two Master-ranked swordsmen were lifted from the ground at almost the same time.

Their eyes widened.

Their weapons had barely left their sheaths.

Then their bodies went limp.

Thud!

Thud!

They crashed onto the pavement.

Silence descended once again.

The young master’s mouth fell open.

His eyes trembled as he stared at the three bodyguards lying unconscious before him.

Günter.

The first bodyguard.

And now the two Master-ranked swordsmen.

All three were down.

None of them had managed to seriously resist.

For several seconds, Simon simply stood there.

His mind refused to accept what his eyes were showing him.

No.

This wasn’t possible.

Those two were Master-ranked swordsmen.

They were supposed to be among the strongest people protecting him.

Yet Victor had defeated them before they could even draw their weapons.

Simon slowly turned his head.

Victor was still approaching.

Step by step.

The young master’s throat went dry.

Only now did the reality of the situation finally reach him.

He was alone.

His bodyguards were unconscious.

The man he had provoked was walking directly toward him.

And there was no one left between them.

"Stop, don’t come near me! I’m f*cking Simon Valier, I’m the next Earl! You cannot touch me!"

The words came out louder than he intended.

But there was fear beneath them.

Real fear.

Simon began backing away.

One step.

Then another.

Victor continued forward.

Simon stumbled backward, his breathing becoming increasingly ragged.

His heel suddenly caught against the edge of a stone.

"Ah!"

He lost his balance and fell.

Thump!

Simon landed on his buttocks.

His expensive clothes were covered with dust.

His face had gone pale.

The proud young master who had previously acted as though the entire city belonged to him now looked completely different.

He stared upward.

Victor stood before him.

The sunlight fell across Victor’s black hair, while his golden eyes looked down without the slightest trace of pity.

Simon instinctively tried to crawl backward.

His palms scraped against the stone.

"No..."

Victor’s expression remained calm.

But there was something dangerous hidden beneath that calm.

His earlier desire to enjoy a proper fight had been ruined.

And Simon was responsible.

Victor finally spoke.

"Not only did you look at Diana in such a disgusting way, you even talked to her with your filthy mouth, but more than that, because of you I wasn’t able to enjoy a good fight."

His voice was quiet.

That made it worse.

There was no shouting.

No uncontrolled rage.

Every word was deliberate.

"Of course, killing you quickly isn’t going to cut it."

Simon’s entire body stiffened.

Victor took another step.

"First I’m going to cut off your tongue for talking to Diana the way you did."

------------------------------

Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

--------------------