Chapter 196: The Difference.

“Finally…”

Councilor Albert could not hide the smile creeping onto his face.

’This is going to be fun. Let’s see how this naïve boy reacts,’ he thought smugly.

From a sleek, expensive car, a young man dressed in an elegant suit stepped out with practiced composure.

His posture was straight, his chin slightly raised, and his expression carried the unmistakable arrogance of someone born into power.

The moment the crowd caught sight of him, a wave of gasps rippled through them. Eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

“…the Steelwind family…”

“Huh! That’s the second young master of the Steelwind family!”

“What are they doing here?”

The murmurs spread rapidly, though everyone kept their voices low, as if afraid to attract attention. Their faces were filled with awe and unease.

It was an open secret that Awakener families formed the backbone of the Federation.

They might not appear frequently in public headlines, but their influence ran deep, touching every corner of power. Every move they made was closely watched.

And now, one of those powerful families had appeared in person.

Councilor Albert immediately stepped forward with a wide, welcoming smile.

“Young Master Kairon, what brings you here?” he asked, his tone respectful and eager.

“If we had known you were coming, we would have prepared a proper welcome banquet.”

Behind him, the other councilors also stepped forward, each wearing polite expressions.

Even those who were not aligned with the Steelwind faction understood the importance of showing respect.

Kairon merely nodded faintly, his expression proud and aloof. He did not bother to respond to their greetings.

Behind him stood a group of imposing men.

Each of them radiated a chilling aura that made ordinary people instinctively recoil.

They were known as Hunters—elite warriors cultivated exclusively by Awakener families.

Their presence alone was enough to suffocate the atmosphere.

Several people in the crowd instinctively took a step back, drawing in sharp breaths.

“What is going on here?” Kairon asked, his gaze locking directly onto Thoren.

Before anyone else could respond, Silas hurried forward.

He bowed deeply and began recounting everything that had happened.

But his words were far from the truth.

He painted Thoren as a bloodthirsty madman, an unprovoked killer who had slaughtered innocent people without reason.

And himself?

He portrayed himself as nothing more than a helpless victim.

“That is what happened, Young Master. I hope you can bring me justice,” Silas concluded, his expression filled with forced sincerity.

Behind him, Councilor Albert seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.

“Yes, Young Master,” he said solemnly. “Please enlighten this rookie and help him understand the laws that bind all Awakeners.”

“Just because one manages to return from the abyss does not place them above the law.”

His voice carried a tone of righteous indignation, as though he stood on the side of justice itself.

Kairon listened quietly, his expression unchanged.

After a moment, he gave a slight nod.

“Don’t worry. Since I’m here, nothing will happen to your grand—”

Bang!

His words were cut off abruptly by a sickening, crushing sound.

The noise echoed sharply through the silent air.

Everyone froze.

What… was that?

Slowly, as if compelled by some invisible force, the crowd turned their heads toward Thoren.

Huh!

Blood splattered across the ground.

Mixed within it were fragments of bone and brain matter, scattered grotesquely.

“NOOOOOOOO!”

Silas screamed.

His eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging from his forehead as he stared at the headless corpse of his granddaughter.

All reason vanished from his mind.

With a furious roar, he charged toward Thoren.

In that moment, he no longer cared about consequences.

Whoosh!

Before he could even take more than a few steps, a figure appeared in front of him.

Bang!

A powerful fist slammed into his chest.

The impact sent him flying backward like a ragdoll.

“Ahhhhh!”

He crashed violently into the wall of the Federation Building, his body crumpling upon impact.

Blood burst from his mouth, nose, and eyes as his chest caved inward.

He lost consciousness instantly.

Silence.

The entire area fell deathly quiet.

No one dared to breathe loudly.

Many felt their backs drenched in cold sweat.

Councilor Albert stared at Silas’s broken body and swallowed hard.

He hadn’t even seen the attack clearly—only a blur.

’What if he turns on me…?’

His heart pounded violently in his chest.

For the first time, fear truly gripped him.

He finally understood—

Thoren was not someone who could be reasoned with.

Not by logic.

Not by authority.

In front of him, Kairon was equally stunned.

Coming from a powerful Awakener family, he had always believed that no one in their right mind would dare oppose him.

But now…

Reality had proven otherwise.

Thud. Thud.

Before anyone could react, Thoren began to move.

His footsteps were not loud, yet to those listening, they struck like war drums echoing in their ears.

Muscles stiffened.

Breaths caught in throats.

Thoren stopped a few feet in front of Kairon and looked him directly in the eyes.

“Do you want to die?” he asked calmly.

The words were simple.

But they carried an overwhelming weight.

Kairon shuddered.

His lips trembled uncontrollably.

Suddenly, an immense pressure descended upon him.

His body quivered violently.

Breathing became difficult.

His vision blurred.

Thud!

He dropped to his knees, gasping desperately for air.

It felt as though his entire body was being crushed from the inside out.

His face twisted in terror.

Regret flickered across his expression.

’Am I… going to die?’

The crowd stood frozen, utterly stunned.

Even Councilor Albert instinctively took a few steps back, fear written all over his face.

The Hunters, despite their strength, did not move.

Their instincts screamed at them.

Danger.

Extreme danger.

No one dared act.

No one dared even breathe too loudly.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly.

Just when everyone thought Kairon would die, Thoren turned away.

“This should be the last time,” he said coldly.

Gasp!

Kairon inhaled sharply, his lungs finally filling with air.

His face flushed as he stared at Thoren’s back, fear etched deep into his eyes.

Only now did he understand the gap between himself and a true Awakener.

“Does anyone else have anything to say?” Thoren asked calmly.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

No one dared respond.

“Good.” Thoren nodded slightly.

One of his undead servants stepped forward and approached the unconscious Silas.

Pah!

A sharp slap landed across Silas’s face, jolting him back to consciousness.

Before he could even process what was happening, he was dragged forward and thrown to the ground before Thoren’s parents.

“Now,” Thoren said coldly,

“apologize for your wrongdoing.”

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