NOVEL WEB Chapter 80: A new era is coming
The dinner table was filled with warmth, laughter, and the scent of home-cooked food.. Arthur poured himself a small cup of tea, his hands calm, though his eyes held years of fatigue. Elise, his wife, silently refilled her bowl with soup. It was a peaceful moment.
Until the atmosphere shifted.
A sudden noise. The heavy thud of boots—many boots—echoed through the corridor, approaching fast.
Arthur's eyes narrowed. Elise froze mid-bite.
"What the—" Arthur began, but before he could finish, the dining room door blasted open.
Guards rushed in, faces pale. One of them tried to draw a weapon, but Elise raised a hand to stop him. Her eyes had already turned cold.
Then he appeared.
The man they never wanted to see again.
The man they had tried to escape—not out of fear, but because they knew it was pointless. Because some monsters couldn't be escaped.
Mathias Raven.
Elise's brother. The monster who had ruined everything.
He strolled into the room casually, flanked by men in black blazers, each holding rifles like props. But none dared move without his command.
His presence was chilling. He wore a crimson-red tailored coat, black shirt unbuttoned halfway, revealing his chiseled chest marked with strange symbols. His eyes were dark, deep like abyssal pits. A scar ran down the left side of his face, and a single gold tooth gleamed when he grinned like a devil.
He said nothing at first.
He simply walked over and threw himself onto the family's living room sofa, spreading his arms wide like a king entering his own throne room.
Then he spoke, voice smooth but venomous.
"All of you… leave." His men began retreating immediately. "Except you… Raphael." Chapter provided via M|V|L@EMPYR.
A tall, grim-looking young man stepped forward and stood by Mathias' side like a hound on a leash.
Raphael, his student,sharp eyes, military posture, a face that looked carved from stone. His aura was oppressive, not due to power alone, but the kind of darkness that lurked in killers.
"Yes, Master," Raphael said coldly.
Mathias smiled, then turned his attention to Elise.
"How are you, sister? It's been a long time. Look at you now... once the number one genius and the number one beauty. And now—" he let his eyes wander mockingly over the room, "—I expected to find you rotting in some slum. But seems like you picked a decent place."
Arthur stood up sharply.
"Why are you here, Mathias? We told you. We're not interfering. We chose to live our life away from all that. So why show up again?"
Mathias laughed—a cold, mocking laugh that echoed against the walls.
"I still remember the day you humiliated me in that duel, Arthur. You were one of the few who could match my sister back then… A commoner who turned everything into chaos…"
His grin widened as he leaned forward, voice filled with poison.
"But now? You're just a crippled trash. No chi in your body. A crippled bastard."
"Watch your mouth, you bastard!" Elise shouted, eyes blazing red. A wave of energy burst toward Mathias like a gust of force.
Mathias didn't flinch.
With a flick of his finger, he deflected it effortlessly. "Hah. You still have some strength left, my sister. But I'm not the Mathias of the past."
Dark energy pulsed around his hand,a black, corrupted chi that hissed like smoke. Without warning, he hurled it toward Arthur.
Elise moved instantly, stepping in front of him and blocking the attack. A searing burn appeared on her hand.
"What have you become, Mathias!?" she screamed.
He smiled like a devil possessed. "A monster, dear sister. One you can't imagine."
Then he stood, stretching his arms slightly.
"I didn't just come to see your new decor. I came because I discovered something... or should I say, someone."
He looked directly at them.
"You hid him quite well, sister… brother-in-law. But you didn't hide him from me."
Their faces paled instantly.
"You… what did you do to him?" Arthur asked, voice shaking.
"Nothing… yet," Mathias said calmly. "I only told my people to kill him. But he's quite good, your boy. A little slippery for someone without chi."
He chuckled again, darkly.
"Next time… I'll send a bigger surprise, just like the old days."
He paused, expecting them to plead, to bargain, to cry.
But instead,Elise chuckled.
"You still fear Father, don't you… Mathias?"
Mathias stiffened.
"What are you saying?" he asked coldly.
"You're still doing things behind his back," she said with a mocking smile. "No matter how much you threaten us, you can't kill us. If you could, you would've done it already."
Arthur laughed too, standing beside his wife, defiant.
"Our son is a little troublemaker," he said, locking eyes with Mathias. "Please handle him carefully."
He grinned. "Because he is the weapon that will destroy you."
Mathias stared at them in silence, and then… laughed harder than before.
"Very good… very good!" he howled, clapping slowly. "I don't want this little play to be boring anyway."
He turned to Raphael.
"I also have a little weapon of my own. One that will kill your son."
Raphael stepped forward, expression cold. "Yes, Master."
Elise smirked.
"Well, this time, I hope for your sake… you play a better game."
Arthur added, "Because our son? He's a little demon… one you can't handle."
"I hope," Elise said, eyes sharp, "you give him enough 'play' to not bore him."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then Mathias, walking to the door, looked back one final time.
"The past will not be repeated, Mathias," Elise said firmly.
Mathias only smiled.
"We'll see, sister."
-----------------------------------
Walter sat quietly in the study room, hands folded behind his back, his sharp eyes closed as if he were deep in thought.
"Ethan…" he muttered under his breath. "He's the true key to all of this."
"What?" Natalie blinked in confusion. "How?"
"You said he's weak. You're weak in front of them, so how can Ethan be the key?" she demanded. "I personally checked. He doesn't even know how to use Chi. When I sparred with him, he hadskills but no chi."
Walter opened his eyes, a slight grin forming. "Yet," he said calmly. "He doesn't know it yet. But I will personally train him."
"What? You?!" Natalie stood up, shocked. "I always requested you to train me,begged you,but you always denied me! And now you're saying you'll train him? Pass on your skills to him?!"
Alistair, who had been silently listening, spoke with a soft chuckle. "He's a special case, Natalie. Even Carter and I were surprised when he agreed to train Ethan."
"And Ethan even accepted," Carter added. "He doesn't know how much of a sadist this man is. But… it will make him stronger. Much stronger."
"This world…" Alistair continued, "People don't know it, but there exists a special power. A power that can grant someone superhuman strength."
"Not many adapt to it," Carter said. "But those who do will gain immense potential."
"You know, both Alistair and I always tried," Carter continued. "We never managed to tame this energy. We even came close to death a few times. But still, we never truly held onto this superhuman energy."
Walter's voice suddenly sharpened. "Alright, come out. I know you're both hiding."
From behind the door, two figures sheepishly stepped out,Jasmine and Rhea. Their faces flushed with embarrassment.
"So you heard all of it?" Walter asked, his tone not angry but slightly amused.
"Yes…" they both replied in unison.
Carter let out a chuckle. "Well, now that you've heard it all, there's no point hiding it anymore."
"I was planning to tell Ethan myself," Walter said. "But it's better if he learns it from his parents first. I have a feeling... they'll be telling him soon. It's time."
He looked around the room, locking eyes with each of them.
"I sense it," Walter continued. "You all have the chance. The chance to tame this energy,to use it and become superhumans."
He paused for a moment, then added, "And there may be more like you in the future. I've been noticing it… The Chi in our environment is growing rapidly. There will be more superhumans appearing in the coming days."
He pointed at them, his voice steady but full of conviction. "So I say this to all of you,train. Learn to tame this energy. Because Ethan needs your help."
He smirked. "And I'm sure none of you want to become some side characters, do you?"
Rhea stepped forward, her fists clenched. "Grandfather, tell me. How can I do it?"
Jasmine nodded beside her. "I also want to do it."
Walter smiled. "Don't worry. You can all train with Ethan."
Carter laughed lightly. "I can't wait to see what kind of surprises that boy gives us next."
Walter nodded. "He's already shown glimpses of it. There's something more inside him. Something… different. The past, the present, the future,it's all revolving around him."
"And now," he said, placing a hand over the scroll in front of him, "a new era is coming."
The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Walter's words sinking into everyone's hearts.
"Train hard," Walter finally said. "Because this world is about to change. And we'll need all the strength we can get."