Journey to Become the Zenith

An Aura That Forced Them to Kneel [Part 2]

The people at the side were confused as to what they were seeing. The group of people with the Elmharts and the Valiers suddenly knelt on the ground, while Victor and Diana remained standing.

For several heartbeats, nobody understood what had just happened.

The street had become strangely quiet.

Only the faint rustling of leaves and the distant sounds of the city could be heard. A moment ago, the newly arrived group had entered with the confidence of people who believed they were coming to settle a problem.

Now every single one of them was on their knees.

Their weapons had fallen against the stone pavement.

Some were trembling.

Some were desperately trying to raise their heads.

None succeeded.

At the center of it all stood Victor.

His black hair shifted gently in the pressure-filled air, and his golden eyes carried an unmistakable trace of irritation.

Diana remained beside him, completely composed.

The contrast was almost surreal.

The crowd couldn’t understand what kind of person could make an entire group of powerful warriors kneel simply by releasing his aura.

”Who exactly is that man?”

”Didn’t he come here with the woman?”

”He’s not even attacking them...”

”Then why can’t anyone stand?”

”Look at that mage! He’s shaking!”

Whispers spread through the crowd.

Nobody dared to approach.

Even the bravest spectators instinctively kept their distance.

They could feel that something had changed.

This was no longer a simple conflict between a noble young master and an unknown traveler.

It had become something far more dangerous.

...

The Earl and current Patriarch of the Valier family, Cedric Valier, had rushed toward the city after learning that his son was in trouble.

He had not come alone.

Cedric had brought the most elite men under his command.

Among them were warriors who had followed him through countless battles. There were veteran swordsmen, powerful mages, and even a Saint-rank swordsman whose presence alone would normally make ordinary cultivators hesitate.

Cedric’s intention had been simple.

Find whoever dared provoke his son.

Subdue them.

Then deal with the consequences afterward.

The Valier family’s reputation had protected them for generations. Cedric had never imagined that someone would be foolish enough to openly challenge them in the middle of the city.

But the instant he heard his son’s voice—

”Father!”

Everything changed.

A tremendous pressure descended upon him.

Cedric’s pupils contracted.

His body suddenly became unbearably heavy.

It felt as though an invisible mountain had been dropped onto his shoulders.

”What...”

His palms struck the ground.

Cedric immediately circulated his mana.

Power surged through his body as he tried to reinforce his muscles and force himself back onto his feet.

He gritted his teeth.

His arms trembled.

His legs strained.

But nothing happened.

The pressure didn’t weaken.

No matter how much mana he gathered, his body remained firmly pressed against the ground.

”This... is impossible.”

Cedric’s breathing grew heavier.

He looked around.

What he saw made his heart sink.

The men he had brought with him were suffering the same fate.

Not a single one of them could stand properly.

Even the Saint-rank swordsman was completely helpless.

The man’s face had gone pale. Both hands were planted firmly against the ground as he struggled to push himself up.

But his arms trembled violently.

No matter how much strength he put into them, his body refused to obey.

A short distance away, the advanced-level mage was in an even worse state.

His entire body was shaking.

The trembling was so severe that his robes rustled continuously around him.

Cedric’s pupils tightened.

His mind raced.

What kind of person could suppress all of them so effortlessly?

A Saint-rank swordsman.

An advanced-level mage.

And several other trained fighters.

Yet none of them could even stand.

Then Cedric noticed someone approaching.

Footsteps echoed through the street.

Slow.

Unhurried.

A young man was walking toward him.

At first glance, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him.

Black hair.

Golden eyes.

Sharp, handsome features.

A black shirt beneath a golden jacket.

Black leather pants.

His clothes were neat, but they weren’t extravagant.

There was no overwhelming aura deliberately radiating from him.

He simply walked.

Yet with every step Victor took, Cedric felt the pressure around him grow heavier.

It was as though the air itself had become thick.

Breathing suddenly felt difficult.

Cedric’s throat tightened.

He watched Victor approach without saying a word.

The young man eventually stopped several steps away.

Then he looked down at Cedric.

Those golden eyes were calm.

Far too calm.

There was no anger in them.

No excitement.

Not even the slightest trace of nervousness.

It was almost as if everything happening around him was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Victor’s gaze shifted.

It landed on Simon.

The young master of the Valier family was still lying on the ground.

His face was wet with tears.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

Whatever arrogance he had carried earlier was gone.

Completely gone.

There was no trace of the proud young master who had been throwing his family’s name around only moments ago.

Now he looked terrified.

Small.

Helpless.

Victor stared at him for a few seconds.

Then he slowly rubbed his forehead.

He was genuinely starting to lose patience.

He had not even wanted any of this.

He had simply been in a good mood.

He had seen a woman in trouble and decided to help.

That was all.

Then those three bodyguards had shown up.

Honestly, Victor had even been looking forward to fighting them.

At least that might have been interesting.

Instead, this whole mess had somehow turned into a family gathering.

Victor let out a tired breath.

Then he finally spoke.

”Hey. How many more of you are coming?”

His voice carried clearly through the street.

Several spectators stiffened.

Victor pointed toward Simon with an irritated expression.

”You’re the father of this piece of shit, right?”

Cedric’s expression twitched.

Victor continued before he could answer.

”Then what? Is his grandfather going to come next?”

He raised one finger.

”And after that, his great-grandfather?”

A second finger joined it.

”How many more of you people are going to come?”

His voice rose slightly.

”I was in such a good mood.”

Victor looked genuinely frustrated now.

”I saw the woman over there and just felt like rescuing her. That’s it.”

His eyes shifted briefly toward the woman.

”I even thought those three bodyguards might give me a decent fight.”

He sighed.

”But your son...”

Victor looked back at Simon.

His expression became one of disbelief.

”...your son had to be the most idiotic pile of trash to have ever lived.”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Victor’s words echoed through the street.

Nobody dared to speak.

The spectators exchanged nervous glances.

Some lowered their heads.

Others quietly stepped farther away.

Nobody wanted to accidentally attract Victor’s attention.

Cedric, however, barely heard the whispers around him.

His mind was still struggling to process what was happening.

He looked at Victor.

Then at the Saint-rank swordsman.

Then at the advanced-level mage.

Then back at Victor.

His heart grew heavier with every passing second.

He still couldn’t fully understand how this had happened.

Cedric had arrived expecting to deal with a troublesome young man.

Instead, he had found his entire group crushed beneath an invisible pressure.

Even his strongest subordinate couldn’t move.

And the person responsible was standing there without even looking particularly tired.

Cedric swallowed.

His gaze slowly shifted toward Simon.

His son was still trembling on the ground.

Tears continued to run down his face.

Cedric’s expression became complicated.

For the first time since arriving, he stopped thinking about punishing Victor.

Instead, another thought quietly surfaced in his mind.

A thought he desperately wished wasn’t true.

’What kind of monster have you provoked?’