[Dining Room.]
"What was that earthquake that happened? Did it affect the whole city or only our house?" Amara asked, her gaze sweeping over her husband and children.
"Well..." Ethan began, his eyes settling on Christopher. "That phenomenal tremor was caused by someone who broke through and entered the Supreme Level... But that person has yet to come forward."
Amara followed his gaze, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she looked at her eldest son. "Leave it for now," she said softly. "When they are ready, they will speak." She then clapped her hands lightly. "Now, everyone should eat."
A chorus of nods followed, and the family resumed their meal.
_
[Some Minutes Later]
BAM!!!
The dining room door splintered inwards, two of Christopher's personal guards and four of the family's security detail tumbling into the room, hitting the polished floor with sickening thuds.
The relaxed atmosphere shattered instantly. Ethan's and his family's faces hardened with a chilling intensity.
"Who dares attack the Valhalla family's residence... Is that person courting death?!" Adonis roared, leaping to his feet, his fists clenched.
Christopher, however, remained seated for a moment, his gaze fixed on the gaping doorway. Five figures strolled in, their movements arrogant, as if they were taking a leisurely walk through a public park. Their expressions were cold, devoid of any warmth, but the palpable aura of power surrounding them was undeniable.
"Five Legendary levels?!" Ethan breathed out, rising to his feet, his face grim.
"Which one of you is Ethan?!" The first man to speak was muscular, with short brown hair and piercing brown eyes. He wore simple red pants and a matching shirt, his gaze sweeping over the five occupants of the room.
"I can't believe you fools would attack my family," Christopher said, his voice dangerously low, a lethal glint in his hazel eyes as he slowly placed his spoon on his plate.
"You!" A thin, wiry man standing beside the muscular one pointed a finger at Christopher, his face contorted in a sneer. "The Number One Family sent us to eliminate all of you! Especially you, Christopher! You are a threat to their dominance!"
"Hahaha!" Christopher let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "The Golden Organization, still slithering in the shadows and blaming others... How pathetic!"
"Golden Organization!!!"
The name hit Katherine, Adonis, Ethan, and Amara like a physical blow. They all recoiled in shock, their eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and dawning horror as they stared at the five intruders.
The Golden Organization was a name whispered in fearful tones – a foreign, ruthlessly powerful entity known for nothing but murder, theft, assault, and kidnapping. Their notoriety was so profound that the late Supreme Tamer had personally hunted them down, believed to have eradicated them from the face of the earth.
"Who would have thought they were still alive!" Katherine muttered, her voice trembling slightly. "And this powerful?!"
"But Son, how do you know them?" Amara asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"They were the ones who attacked me on the highway," Christopher replied, his gaze unwavering. "Of course, I'd recognize these vermin."
He finally stood up, his movements fluid and deceptively casual as he began to walk towards the five intruders.
"What are you doing, Son! You alone can't face---" Ethan's warning was cut short as Christopher raised a hand, silencing him.
"You guys should continue eating," Christopher said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'll take care of these ants."
'I haven't truly tested my current strength yet... And these pathetic remnants will make for excellent practice.' A predatory smirk flickered across his face.
'I killed you all, I'm certain of it... I don't know how you're still breathing. Very well... I'll simply have to rectify that mistake.'
"Master Christopher!"
Ricky, despite his injuries, struggled to his feet, positioning himself defensively in front of his young master. The other guards followed suit.
"What are you all doing?" Christopher asked, his tone laced with exasperation. "Stay behind me. You were all thrown in here like discarded dolls, and now you're trying to play the valiant protectors? These five will just toss you around again, and you might end up smashing into me! Honestly, I can't have myself falling on the ground before these insects."
The guards exchanged embarrassed glances. Slowly, reluctantly, they stepped aside, clearing a path as Christopher continued to advance, stopping a few feet away from the five members of the Golden Organization.
"This brat is just a Legendary level, and he's acting all high and mighty!" another of the intruders sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
Christopher fixed his gaze on the five red-clad figures and scoffed.
"Be careful, Son!" Amara called out, her voice filled with concern.
Christopher gave a curt nod without turning back. Then, he addressed the intruders, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority.
"You four," he said, gesturing to the four men behind the muscular leader. "Take one step forward, kneel down, and apologize to my father, my guards, and then slap yourselves a hundred times each. After that... each of you will cut off one of your limbs, and then you will leave this residence and relay a message to your boss: he has two days to withdraw all his forces from Cordialia. Failure to comply will result in a personal visit from me. That is your first option."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in, before continuing, his voice hardening. "If you choose option two, you will lose both your arms and your cultivation, rendering you completely powerless."
"What the hell is this urchin spouting?!" one of the men exclaimed, bursting into raucous laughter.
"Only a Supreme being can abolish someone's cultivation, and you are clearly not a Supreme!" another added, his smirk wide and mocking.
"Yes!" a third chimed in. "And what makes you think we would ever choose option one?"
The muscular man, who was clearly the leader of the group, stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. The other four watched him with expectant expressions.
Instead of kneeling, he spat contemptuously on the polished floor. Then, he looked up at Christopher, his gaze filled with malice. "Do you really think we are here to play games, child?! We are here to kill every single one of you."
Christopher's gaze dropped to the glistening saliva on the floor, then slowly rose to meet the man's eyes. A palpable wave of killing intent radiated from him.
"You..." Christopher's voice was dangerously soft. "Lick it off the ground."
"Huh?"
The command not only stunned the five intruders but also left everyone in the dining room utterly speechless.
"What did you just say?!" The muscular man, easily two heads taller than Christopher, demanded, his voice now dark and menacing.
"If I have to repeat myself," Christopher replied, his voice as cold and sharp as shattered ice, "you will not like the outcome."
"You dare!!!" The man roared, channeling his energy, preparing to unleash an attack. But before he could even take a step, Christopher blurred into motion, appearing directly in front of him.
The man froze, his eyes widening in sheer horror as Christopher's hazel eyes seemed to ignite with a brilliant golden light. He felt a light pressure on his shoulder, and before he could even register who it belonged to, Christopher's chilling voice echoed in his ear.
"I said... lick it off."
With a swift, downward motion, Christopher's hand slammed the man face-first into the floor, his lips and nose landing squarely in his own spittle.
"....."
"...?!!!"
Not only the four remaining guardians behind the fallen man but the entire Valhalla family stood frozen, utterly stunned into silence.