Chapter 188

"Smack!"

The final blow left Gabriel horribly disfigured: a crooked nose, a twisted mouth, and half his teeth knocked out. He looked utterly miserable. He collapsed, powerless. He never anticipated Dustin's strength; he couldn't even fight back. He passively endured the beating without resistance. Dustin's power might even place him in the top three of the Hundred Immortals.

"Did I see that right? Sir Gabriel was actually defeated? And so miserably?"

A long silence filled the martial arts gym before anyone spoke.

"Who is this guy? What kind of monster is he?"

However, the evidence was undeniable. Gabriel had lost, completely crushed throughout the fight. The so-called top ten of the Hundred Immortals, and his "Eclipse Strike"—his ultimate move—had become a joke. Dustin's strength far surpassed everyone's imagination. A single slap rendered Gabriel helpless.

"Who are you?" Gabriel asked, fear twisting his face. How could someone so powerful be in a small place like Swinton, and so young? It was simply unbelievable.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is, will you still be able to survive after this?" Dustin looked down coldly.

Gabriel froze, then burst into maniacal laughter, his face contorted. "Kid! I admit you're strong—exceptionally talented! But the problem is, you're just one person, and behind me stands the entire Horst family!

"The Horst family has thousands of disciples spread throughout Swinton's seventeen provinces! Will you defeat ten, a hundred, or even thousands of them? If you dare kill me today, you'll become the public enemy of the entire Horst family. You'll face relentless pursuit, day and night! Consider the consequences!"

Nigel and the others, initially shocked and confused, quickly recovered.

"That's right, so what if Dustin is powerful? He's still just a man with weaknesses. The Horst family is wealthy and powerful, with skilled warriors—some stronger than Gabriel. Once they learn of this and gather, they'll easily crush him," the crowd thought.

"A reckless person never achieves true strength!" Nigel shook his head, maintaining his calm smile.

"Exactly! No matter how powerful he is, he's still an ant against the great Horst family. He'll be crushed!," agreed the girl in the yellow dress.

"In this world, power and connections matter more than strength. This kid is as good as dead!" The group felt a thrill of anticipation at Dustin's impending doom.

"Are you so confident the Horst family can protect you?" Dustin asked, a meaningful smile on his lips.

"What, you still want to challenge the entire Horst family alone?" Gabriel sneered condescendingly.

"Challenge? You overestimate yourself. Call the Horst family and ask if they dare protect you," Dustin sneered.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. Seeing Dustin wasn't joking, he pulled out his phone. Dozens of missed calls made him frown; unease settled in his heart. He took a deep breath and called back.

His father's roar erupted from the other end.

"Gabriel! Where the hell have you been? Your phone's been unreachable! You despicable animal! What have you done? Our entire family is ruined because of you! I should have strangled you to death earlier to prevent this disaster!" His father's rage stunned Gabriel.

After a while, Gabriel tentatively asked, "Dad, what happened?"

"You still dare ask? It's all your fault! Because of you, our family is banned from killing by the military! Do you know who issued the ban? Adam Spanner! The God of War, Adam Spanner! One of the Spanner twins and the youngest chief commander in Dragonmarsh! What have you done to offend him?!"

Gabriel felt as if struck by lightning.

God of War? Adam Spanner? Kill Ban?

How could this be possible?

"Die! Just die! No one can, or dares, protect you! Only your death can save the Horst family!" his father's voice boomed.

Gabriel stood stunned, disbelief etched on his face. How could the world-renowned God of War, Sergeant Spanner, suppress the Horst family? Who could have requested Spanner's intervention?

"So? Do you still think the Horst family will stand up for you?" Dustin's indifferent voice cut through the silence.

"W-was it you?! Was thisall your doing? W-who are you? Why would even Sergeant Spanner stand up for you?!" Gabriel trembled, looking at Dustin in horror. He couldn't believe it. How could such a powerful person be hiding in Swinton?

"You don't deserve to know. I'll give you a chance to take your own life, to save your family." Dustin kicked Gabriel's broken sword towards him.

"Takemy own life?" Looking at the broken sword, Gabriel's face was ashen, his eyes filled with despair.

Before a shocked, astonished, and disbelieving crowd, Gabriel picked up the sword and severed his own neck. His head rolled, blood splattering on the ground.