—— When the Prison Trembles ——
Thunder rumbled beyond the prison walls. Inside, chaos brewed—the calm before the storm was already over.
"You're looking for death!"
The roaring voice belonged to none other than Harry, the drug lord, roared—a beast cornered. He'd gunned down several guards and seized their weapons.
Now, face to face with his nemesis, his eyes burned with rage.
Yet, before his words fully faded, Eren responded with a cold, almost imperceptible flick of his right hand.
The next moment, a scene that would haunt every onlooker unfolded—Harry's head slid grotesquely from his neck, tumbling several feet away before his headless body collapsed to the ground.
The crowd froze in horror, unable to fathom how he had died.
"Let this corpse be the boundary," Eren's voice cut through the silence, cold and unyielding as forged steel, "Cross it, and you die."
"Brother, we're all prisoners here—show some mercy! Let us break out together!" pleaded an older inmate, trembling with fear.
Though none understood how Harry had died, they knew with chilling certainty that the young man before them was responsible. Dread seeped into their bones.
"You are mistaken. I am not like you," Eren declared, his tone icy as he pointed at Harry's still-bleeding corpse. "I will count to three. Return to your cells at once, or share his fate."
The prisoners stared at the headless body, swallowing hard, fear and desire warring within them. The promise of freedom was so close—how could they simply give it up?
"Damn it! He's just one man! We have numbers—and guns! Why fear him?"
"Charge together! Shoot him dead!"
Several opened fire at once, and a hail of bullets rained toward Eren.
But every shot met empty air—Eren had vanished.
In the next instant, agonized screams erupted.
Every prisoner who had fired met the same fate as Harry—their heads flew from their shoulders, their headless bodies crumpling to the ground, blood pooling beneath them.
These hardened criminals had never witnessed such brutal, terrifying slaughter. Faces turned ashen, limbs went weak, and some even lost control of their bladders on the spot.
Thud, thud, thud...
Not one dared to hope for escape now. They dropped to their knees, kowtowing frantically in Eren's direction, begging for mercy.
The surviving guards finally exhaled in relief, the weight of responsibility lifting from their shoulders.
Had it not been for Eren suppressing the riot single-handedly, they would have borne unforgivable blame.
Gazing at his imposing figure, they felt nothing but awe and reverence—a death row inmate, yet he had cowed a mob of murderers with sheer presence alone!
"Leave."
With that one word from Eren, the prisoners scrambled back to their cells like frightened animals, not daring to hesitate.
Just then, Kane and Arden arrived with a fully armed backup team.
"Mr. Eren, are you alright?" Arden rushed forward, relief washing over him as he confirmed Eren was unharmed.
"Handle the cleanup," Eren said dismissively, turning toward his private cell.
---
—— The Talisman's Light ——
Seated in meditation, Eren examined the Golden Cicada Thread in his hand—a weapon so fine it was nearly invisible, lethally sharp, and perfect for killing without a trace. In his grasp, its potential far surpassed what the hunchbacked elder could ever achieve.
As he pondered, Arden entered.
Thud!
The moment he saw Eren, Arden dropped heavily to his knees, exclaiming, "Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Eren!"
Eren helped him up calmly. "No need for such formalities. What happened?"
"Mr. Eren, on my way here... I was in an accident!" Arden recounted, still shaken.
After receiving the prison's distress call, he had rushed over with reinforcements.
At an intersection, a out-of-control dump truck had slammed directly into his car.
The vehicle flipped, the fuel tank ignited, and the driver died instantly.
Just as Arden believed death was certain, a soft yet resilient light burst from his chest, enveloping him in a protective glow. It was that light that had saved him.
Trembling, he retrieved the jade talisman Eren had given him—now covered in fine cracks.
"This talisman saved my life! From now on, I'm yours to command!"
Even now, his heart raced with the aftershock of the close call.
Eren waved a hand. "You exaggerate. Between friends, such words are unnecessary."
After expressing his gratitude repeatedly, Arden asked respectfully, "Mr. Eren... did you already foresee this would happen?"
Eren's expression was inscrutable. "Yesterday, I observed darkness over your brow—a sign of impending bloodshed. That is why I gave you the talisman, to ward off this disaster."
"So that's how it was! You truly are extraordinary!" Arden's admiration for Eren knew no bounds.
Eren's tone grew serious. "You must realize—this was no ordinary accident."
"It must have been orchestrated by one of my three 'friends'!" Arden's face darkened.
If they showed no mercy, he would no longer hold back.
From an inner pocket, he solemnly drew out three strands of hair sealed in a plastic bag and handed them to Eren.
"Mr. Eren, these belong to them. I leave this in your hands."
Eren accepted the hairs and nodded. "Do not worry. They will soon withdraw from the election voluntarily."
"I place my trust entirely in you!" Arden bowed deeply.
---
—— Bloodline in Question ——
As Arden prepared to leave, Eren stopped him again. "Wait. Did you bring the documents related to the Caelthorn family massacre from twenty-three years ago?"
"Right here." Arden personally carried over a thick stack of files. "Every existing record of the case is inside. I hope you can identify the true culprit and bring justice to the more than two hundred souls of the Caelthorn family."
After Arden departed, Eren immersed himself in the files.
After skimming through them, he took a sharp breath, his fists clenching tightly.
The scene had been one of extreme brutality—every member of the Caelthorn family, more than two hundred people, had been slaughtered. According to the records, only one infant, just days old, had disappeared.
But what shook Eren to his core was one specific detail: the files clearly stated that the missing infant was a girl.
"That can't be right... Shouldn't it have been a boy?"
His pulse quickened. Could it be—he wasn't a Caelthorn at all?
Three possibilities flickered through his mind:
one, he was never related by blood;
two, the records were wrong;
or three, Oliver Caelthorn had faked the child's gender to hide the real heir—himself.
Eren's brow furrowed deeply. His origins were more shrouded in mystery than he had ever imagined. He felt strongly that behind the Caelthorn massacre lay a vast, hidden conspiracy.
Moreover, the Caelthorn family of that era was no ordinary household—they surely had martial experts guarding them.
Why were there almost no signs of a struggle?
The only explanation was the same as with the Veyne family tragedy:
everyone had been subdued in their sleep, likely by some kind of incense, leaving them helpless against the slaughter.
Eren felt a powerful intuition—these two massacres, years apart, were undeniably connected.
---
—— The Trap Awakens ——
Early the next morning, Darius called to report: "Overlord, HelixPharm's product launch is the day after tomorrow. Miss Lyra asked me to inquire if you would be willing to attend."
"I'll decide then," Eren replied noncommittally, then asked, "Any movement from the Tri-Society Guild?"
"They've chosen the same day. Their leader, Marcus Voss, is holding a grand funeral for his son. Many of Novalis Sector's elite will be there. And..." Darius's voice grew heavy,
"The funeral location is right next to HelixPharm's launch venue!"
Eren let out a cold laugh. "The Tri-Society Guild is digging its own grave."
He saw through Marcus Voss's malicious intent in an instant.
"Darius, increase security around Lyra these next few days. Ensure her safety at all costs. Report anything unusual immediately," Eren instructed.
"Understood, Overlord! On the day of the launch, I will mobilize all elite members of the Iron Vow Gang for protection. However... there is one more thing..." Darius hesitated.
"Speak."
"Miss Lyra... she is spending heavily to place a bounty on someone through the dark web."
Eren paused briefly, suspecting she might be targeting the Overlordmind behind Hawthorne's death.
After ending the call, Eren sank into thought. Who had sent the assassins after him last night?
Marcus Voss? Eren quickly dismissed the idea. Having set a trap with the funeral, why would Marcus risk alerting him prematurely?
Damien Vale? His style suggested he would disdain such underhanded methods.
Then who? This was already the third wave of dark web assassins.
Recalling Darius's report, a thought crossed his mind—could Lyra be the one trying to have him killed?
But he quickly dismissed it. Someone as kind-hearted as her... surely not.
The night deepened. Somewhere beyond the city lights, the trap had already begun to close.