"You—!"
Old Gayle trembled with fury, his mana subtly rippling through the air like waves on a stormy sea.
Stephen, however, seemed to revel in the reaction, a smirk creeping across his face as he continued to twist the knife.
"You're not going to do it, are you?" he taunted.
"Even if you wanted to, that boy beside you wouldn't let you. After all, isn't his little sister the person he treasures most in this world?"
Alan's rage was no less explosive. He pointed directly at Stephen, voice trembling with fury.
"You filthy, cowardly bastard! If you've got a problem, take it up with me! Why drag my sister into this?!"
Stephen was silent for a moment… and then he chuckled—cold and mocking.
"Heh… Had you just died quietly at the hands of those bounty hunters, none of this would've been necessary, Alan."
"But no—you just had to be difficult. Too hard to kill."
"So really, you've got no one to blame but yourself."
