"You can think of it that way if you want." Barrell licked his lips, a cold, mocking smile twisting his expression. "Do you even know who you're dealing with?" "And do you know who I am?" Merrick sneered, the muscles under his sleeve rippling. He suddenly grew taller in an instant and stepped forward, putting his back to Aiden. "Kid." "Huh?" Aiden replied. "Watch closely. This punch." "Why?" "Because this punch… is going to hit hard." In the next second, Merrick blurred, appearing right in front of Barrell. His fist, giant like a cooking pot, crashed down with a concussive boom. One solid hit landed square on his head. Bang! Barrell didn't even have time to react. The cold smirk at his lips shattered into shards of light and vanished into the air. He left quietly, almost peacefully.Aiden's eyes went wide, surprise written all over his expression. He kills the guy with a single punch? That is seriously brutal. Honestly, I do not see this coming at all. With Merrick's temper, he would at most rough up Barrell and make a point. I do not expect him to show zero mercy. That is just straight-up savage. "Th-this…" Everyone who had come with Barrell froze where they stood. No one even dared to breathe too loudly. They had never imagined things would spiral this far. "You guys. Anyone still got a problem?" Merrick asked, casting them a cold sideways glance. "N-no, no, none at all. That b*stard Barrell ran his mouth at Your Highness and even threatened both of you. He got exactly what he deserved." "Exactly. You stepped in out of pure righteousness. We truly admire that." "Beautiful hit. Absolutely perfect." Someone made a soft spitting sound, as if to say the man deserved it. They were scared out of their wits. There was no way they dared to object anymore. One after another, they started applauding, flipping sides so fast it was almost impressive. "At least you know when to behave," Merrick said with a snort. "Since we are here, I might as well make this clear. I am Merrick Jones, Elder of Glory of the Hall of Supremes. If any of you still feel wronged, the doors of the Hall of Supremes are always open. You are welcome to come seek revenge." "Ah… so you are Mr. Jones from the Hall of Supremes." They trembled where they stood, having never imagined that the man in front of them held such an exalted status. Barrell really died for nothing. Dominion is never going to pick a fight with a top-ranked powerhouse over someone like him, especially when he was the one in the wrong. The guy just had to act tough and show off when there was no need to do so. "So now that the kid's dead, who's actually calling the shots?" Merrick's body contracted, his form shrinking until he returned to normal. Honestly, I do not even need to bulk up to deal with small fry like this. Still, no matter how fancy magic attacks are, nothing beats landing punches and feeling every hit connect. And lately, I have either been running for my life from a dragon or getting intimidated by the Undying Phoenix. It messes with my head. I start questioning my whole existence. I am a top-ranked powerhouse. When did my life become so pathetic? Did I really come out of the Hall of Supremes, or am I just kidding myself? But right now, smashing an arrogant nobody like this with a single punch gives me ridiculous confidence. It feels better than using the smoothest shampoo on the planet. One word. Pure bliss! "It's me…" An older man with graying hair trembled as he stepped forward. "Mr. Jones, I am the deputy." "Good." Merrick gave a slight nod. "I hear you are handing out some kind of viscount-turned-duke title. Means you guys have to approve it, right?" "No, no, no. Not our approval." The older man waved his hands frantically, terrified that one wrong word would get his head blown off. "It only requires Prince Keldric's approval. We are merely acting as representatives." "Doesn't matter." Merrick casually dug at his ear. "Just tell me this. Can it be done or not?" "It can! Absolutely!" The older man nodded so hard it looked like his neck might snap. "We can sign the documents immediately and proceed with the territorial division."In a rush, he pulled out a map engraved with the name Leafport along with an official document and handed both to Aiden. The efficiency was pushed straight to maximum. With the full cooperation of all parties involved, what should have been a lengthy and complicated process was completed in just three minutes from start to finish. … The next second. Ding! 'Congratulations to Grendola player 'Nighthale' for becoming a Dominion viscount. The fiefdom system has been unlocked. Game time increased by two hours. All players in the Grendola warzone receive an additional ten minutes of game time. Players in Leafport receive an additional thirty minutes of game time.' Ding! 'Congratulations...' Without a doubt, Aiden became the first person in the world—and even across two lifetimes—to be granted the title of duke, triggering another Global Announcement."What? A duke already? That progression is insane." "Relax. It's Nighthale. You cannot measure him using mortal standards. Just get used to it." "True. But the extra game time is honestly amazing. Our advantage just got a lot bigger. We can level up and boost our strength much faster now." "Nighthale is freaking amazing!" Once the Global Announcement went live, a heated discussion naturally erupted everywhere. Compared to the previous time, aside from the shock, most players were far more focused on the increased game time this time around.