Andrew knelt on the ground, holding Victoria carefully in his arms. The constant flow of his inner energy brought a hint of color back to her pale face, but the cold inside her body still bit at his hands.
Maurice drew back his gaze and smiled. “It’s useless. What you’re doing is nothing but futile. Her energy core is already destroyed. Fallen Grace is enough to make even the gods choke in regret. Victoria is truly an extraordinary woman, but her worst mistake was standing against the Driscoll family.”
Andrew remained expressionless, looking up at Maurice. “Maurice, are you trying to tell me you see yourself as some great overlord of Gabo Creek? You’ve built the Driscoll family and raised remarkable heirs. And now, you’ve once again proven your family is unbeatable.”
Maurice raised a brow and scoffed, “And isn’t that true? You have repeatedly disrespected us. You might toy with the Five Apex Families, but now you’ve seen the power of the Driscoll family, one of the Three Titans. In other words, you’ve learned what our influence in Blumedale really means.”
Andrew shook his head. “To be honest, I haven’t really seen it. I could kill your precious son Joe and your eldest daughter Scarlett right now, the two you care about most. I could make the Driscoll family suffer a humiliating defeat in Goldridge, and not just your family… I wouldn’t think twice about crushing the Fischer family either.”
Maurice’s brows twitched, his face darkening for an instant. Nonetheless, as the Driscoll patriarch, a man who schemed from the shadows, he had long since mastered the art of control.
High-level players like him could not afford to break composure. They had to project the calm, unreadable air of someone unshakable. Moreover, he saw no need to get riled up over Andrew’s words. Soon, the guy would just be another stepping stone in the Driscoll family’s rise.
“Go on,” he said with a smile, motioning for Andrew to continue.
Andrew’s lips curved in a cold grin. “I will. Maurice, have you ever seen a true bloodbath, where bodies pile so high they block the sun? You’ve been the head of the Driscoll family for decades, thinking your power lets you provoke even governors. But tell me, do you know what death actually feels like?”
Maurice fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he studied Andrew. Then, he watched as Andrew, still holding Victoria, slowly rose to his feet.
The pain in Andrew’s gaze hardened into pure killing intent, his eyes gradually turning blood-red.
Maurice frowned. “You still want to resist? Matthias may have failed, and the Driscoll family has no one else left to move, but I can kill you in one strike. Understand?”
Andrew’s smile turned cruel. “Maurice, I’ve just thought of a way to avenge Victoria properly: by killing you and wiping out every last member of the Driscoll family. That might comfort her a little.”
A flicker of unease flashed in Maurice’s chest, but he masked it with a cold laugh. “Insolent brat, still acting arrogant at death’s door.”
Behind his back, his hand clenched tightly, gathering violent inner force until his fist brimmed with power. Black energy swirled around him, its strength on par with Matthias‘.
It was proof enough that Maurice’s martial skill was not far behind the so-called number one martial artist of Gabo Creek.
Among the Three Titans, Maurice was known for his patience and cunning. He was the kind of man people called a master schemer.
“It’s time for you to die,” he said flatly. His fingers spread like claws as he thrust his hand forward, aiming to tear Andrew apart in a single strike.