"You seem to have truly miscalcted today, Danny Roberts. Did you really believe I, Neil Parker, would be a mere pawn for ckwood?"


    Neil chuckled softly.


    "However, Bryce from Cedar County offered our Parker family quite a handsome reward. Five years of our efforts, helping them return to Cedar County unnoticed."


    "You..."


    Danny''s vision cked out, a mouthful of blood staining his lips.


    "You treacherous Parker family! The allies of the Sunshine Mansion will avenge me!"


    "You overestimate your so-called ''allies.'' Who hasn''t engaged in dealings with my Parker family? Bring forth evidence, then we''ll talk about vengeance."


    Neil rose to his feet, sighing deeply.


    "I thought you, Danny Roberts from Kylin Mountain, had something up your sleeve. To think you couldn''t even outmaneuver a mere subordinate of ckwood, instead bing a pawn, a jester dancing for another''s amusement. I foolishly believed you could topple ckwood. I overestimated you."


    "I..."


    Danny struggled to speak, but Neil offered him no chance.


    With a casual p of her hands, two Competent Force from the Parker family emerged, instantly charging towards Danny.


    Within moments, the severely wounded Danny was in.


    This man, arrogant and domineering under ckwood''s nose, convinced he had uncovered ckwood''s weakness, swore to bring about ckwood''s downfall.


    Yet in the end, he never even caught a glimpse of ckwood himself, dying at the hands of his supposed panion.''


    Victor sighed, watching as Neil prepared to retrieve the body.


    He bowed hastily.


    "Master, our agreement included eliminating those from Carter Duke''s Mansion. How should I exin this?"


    "Exin? What exnation? Do you have any idea who Carter Kyle is? The Emerald Empire has its Power Ranking. Every name on that list possesses the potential for Basic Mastery, Kyle ranks twenty-third. If I could kill him, do you think I''d be standing here making deals with you?"


    Neil scoffed.


    "And your master, if I were to be injured in a battle with Kyle, I doubt I could escape this ce either. ckwood''s influence is far-reaching indeed."


    "..."


    Victor remained silent for a moment, then nced at the body Neil was dragging.


    "Master, I wish to purchase this corpse. Please, name your price."


    The two began their morbid transaction.


    In the distance, a group d in white, their chests emzoned with the symbol of a scale, concealed their presence.


    These were the Psychics.


    "Master, should we strike?"


    One of the Psychics made a throat-slitting gesture.


    The leader''s eyes glinted coldly.


    Despite the distance, his gaze remained fixed on Neil.


    He raised a hand slightly, stopping his eager subordinate.


    "That woman from the Parker family is no simpleton. She must have sensed something to let Kyle go. She wouldn''t have acted so calmly without an escape n or the means to defeat us. We don''t engage in unnecessary risks."


    With that, the group made no further moves, turning back towards Cloudview County.


    Upon reaching Border Town, the leader removed his mask and donned his armor.


    His flowing white hair cascaded down his shoulders as he strode towards a burly man in simple clothes, carrying a coffin on his back.


    Together, they gazed towards the distant Endless Forest.


    "Grandfather, Danny is dead."


    "What of the other two families?"


    "They escaped. I found no opportunity to eliminate them all. I have failed you and our Forebearer."


    "No matter. The world is vast, and there''s time yet."


    ...


    The battlefield in Cedar County raged.


    High above, five powerful auras shed, sending ripples across the sky.


    Shane and Lester, witnessing Cedar County''s plight, had attempted to intervene.


    However, they were intercepted by Bill the Daoist and Owen, and now, Elder Phillips had joined the fray.


    The Druids, caught off guard by the ferocity of Cedar County''s forces, were in disarray.


    They hadn''t anticipated such resistance after all these years.


    ckwood''s hidden experts, stationed in the surrounding mountains, further added to the Druids'' woes.


    [Your family''s meticulous nning over the years led to the establishment of the ''Dawn'' faction within the Sunshine Mansion. Victor, out of favor within Kylin Mountain, joined their ranks. Later, he aligned himself with Daniel and Jessica, forming ''The Oracle Chamber''.]


    [Under your family''s orchestration, Danny became a pawn, feeding false information to the Druids, diverting their attention. This misinformation also lulled other factions within the Sunshine Mansion into a false sense of security!]


    [Through connections forged between Phillips and ''The Oracle Chamber'', your family struck a deal with the Parker family of the Sunshine Mansion''s Fortune Sanctum. This allowed Phillips to secretly approach Cedar County and aid your family in eliminating Danny.]


    [Family Willpower +5]


    [Your descendant, Daniel, reports his failure to eliminate all three families, expressing his disappointment.]


    "They''ve done well enough."


    Ethan surveyed the battlefield below.


    His descendants charged into the fray, wielding their Forebearer Psychic Positions.


    Over the years, he had grown ustomed to seeing them treat these artifacts as both protective talismans and deadly weapons.


    A surge of pride swelled within him.


    ckwood had truly matured.


    The children of what was once Gratitude Vige had all found their ce, whether as rulers, shadowy figures pulling strings from the darkness, or fierce warriors on the battlefield.


    His gaze fell upon Luna, locked in a perilous struggle.


    Without hesitation, Ethan channeled his own Forebearer Psychic Position, joining the fight alongside her.


    [3 Family Willpower consumed. Activating skill: ''Forebearer''s Divine Punishment''!]


    "What is that?"


    The sh of mighty warriors raged far from the main battlefield.


    A Druid priest, his movements swift and ghostly, fought with the aid of protective totems and incredible regenerative abilities.


    He had already wounded Luna.


    But suddenly, the Druid froze, his eyes drawn to the sky.


    Lightning crackled, converging upon Ethan''s Psychic Position, infusing it with the power of two thunderbolts.


    The air crackled with the raw energy of the storm.


    With the empowered Psychic Position floating before her, Luna, her features contorted in a feral snarl, charged alongside it.


    "The Forebearer stands with us, descendants of ckwood!"


    "Kill!"


    ...


    One monthter.


    [Special Event - Support Cedar County: Complete]


    [Your family''s meticulous nning over the years, through various means, has brought Phillips back to Cedar County. The Psychics of Cedar County have returned to their homnd, reiming half of their territory. Your family''s surprise attack has cut off the Druids'' retreat, trapping arge number of them within Cedar County.]


    In Cloudview County, outside the walls of Glory City, a courtyard bustled with powerful figures from three great counties.


    The people of Cedar County had retaken their homnd, but it was a vastnd.


    Even with the support of Cloudview County, it would take at least a decade topletely drive out the Druids.


    Glory City, strategically located in the center, became a gathering point for these powerful figures, ready to lend their support at a moment''s notice.


    "Congrattions to Bryce on reiming your homnd."


    Among the crowd, Duke Jon offered his congrattions to Bryce.


    His expression held no hint of resentment, only genuine joy.