Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 713: The Calm Before the Slaughter

Varnos fixed his gaze upon Daniel. The residual effects of that lightning strike still coursed through his frame, a violent tremor that left him feeling as though his very essence might shatter into shards.

He exhaled deeply, forcing his racing thoughts into a state of composure. Years ago, he had walked that self-destructive road of blind rage, only to witness the ruin it brought. He understood all too well that this conflict could not be resolved through sheer anger. His current strength was insufficient to overcome his adversary, a fact he acknowledged with painful clarity.

Nevertheless, the burning desire for vengeance had clouded his judgment so thoroughly that maintaining control felt like an impossible battle. He was certain that tomorrow, upon facing Alaric, the master of the Goblin Guild during the ceremony, he would succumb to that fury once more.

"Should that rage seize you again, you will surely endure that agony once more—the sensation that your physical form is being torn apart by the lightning," Daniel remarked, as if he had peered directly into Varnos's deepest anxieties.

"Haha, well, I suppose that settles the matter of worrying," Varnos managed to say with a stiff smile.

"Father, are you feeling better now?" Lana inquired from across the room. Given that she remained unaware of the full history, the extent of her father's animosity toward the Goblin Guild was beyond her comprehension.

"I am quite alright. Let us return to the matter at hand. They refused to retract the invitation despite suffering such a defeat? It is evident they are orchestrating something against us."

"That thought has plagued me as well. It is incredibly suspicious that the Goblin Guild would let the invitation stand. They did not even lodge a formal complaint against you."

"This successor ceremony is unlikely to be as straightforward as we might hope," Daniel added, harboring his own grim sense that the event would spiral into a significant crisis.

Indeed, ever since he had ascended to the position of Lord of Dragons within the Dragon Valley, his instincts had relentlessly signaled that an ominous threat was approaching.

Could the Goblin Guild's ceremony be the catalyst for this disaster? But what harm could they possibly do to him? Given his current level of power, he strongly doubted anyone within that guild possessed the strength to pose a genuine threat.

Did that imply an even darker secret? Or perhaps they held some hidden weapon capable of harming even him?

A deep furrow creased his brow. If such a threat existed, he had no choice but to heighten his vigilance and craft a contingency plan.

"Father, why don't we simply boycott the event tomorrow? Would that not be the safer option?" Lana suggested, observing the troubled expressions on their faces.

"That is not an option. We must attend. If they intend to strike, they will find a way regardless, and I refuse to appear cowardly," Varnos declared, shaking his head in firm dismissal.

"But Father, the danger is immense! What if they have devised a scheme to eliminate us? What if they unleash an attack? We will be on their home turf, stripped of any tactical advantage!"

"There is no cause for alarm. I doubt they would dare strike us in the presence of so many elite Awakened. Even if they attempted treachery, we have means to facilitate our escape."

"It is still a reckless gamble! Daniel, please talk some sense into him!" Lana cried out, her voice laced with desperate frustration as she turned her eyes to Daniel.

"I stand with your father. Our attendance tomorrow is mandatory," Daniel replied, surprising her with his unwavering support.

"Both of you? Have you lost your minds? This is an obvious trap!" Overwhelmed, Lana slammed her fist against the table.

The furniture, unable to withstand the sudden impact, splintered instantly.

"I refuse to accompany you tomorrow! If you are determined to go, you can face it alone!" With that, she pivoted toward the door.

Before crossing the threshold, however, she faltered and let out a broken sigh.

Silence filled the room. Neither man made a move to restrain her. In truth, perhaps it would be safer if she remained absent, removed from the looming danger.

"No matter my objections, you both intend to go through with this, don't you?" Lana asked, her back still turned.

"That is correct," Varnos replied.

"Ah... fine, I shall go with you. But the moment any sign of danger emerges, we leave immediately." She opened the door, exited the chamber, and slammed it decisively shut.

"I have never witnessed her behave in such a manner," Daniel muttered once the girl had vanished.

The Lana he knew was a beacon of charisma and leadership—a gifted soul who was tireless in her efforts, always favoring logic over the whims of her emotions.

Yet, the version of her he had just seen was driven by raw, unchecked feeling, abandoning all reason in favor of her heart.

"She is terrified. It is just as she was when she lost her mother. Back then, she was consumed by the fear of losing me as well. I led myself to believe she had outgrown that fear, as I was always by her side," Varnos sighed.

No one understood his daughter better than he did. Lana projected a shield of strength, and she truly was formidable, but every individual harbors vulnerabilities.

This, too, was true for his eldest daughter. Beneath that surface, she was a frail girl, paralyzed by the dread of watching another family member perish.

The loss of her mother at such a tender age left deep emotional scars that, despite the passing years, had clearly never fully mended.

Lana was gripped by the dread that her father might commit a fatal error at the ceremony, or that the Guild had prepared a trap that would cost him his life.

Under ordinary circumstances, there would be no cause for such concern, but they were all too aware of the wicked nature of the Goblin Guild and the depths to which they would sink.

The fact that they had not filed a complaint after his actions was profoundly suspicious. Such vindictive enemies would never let a transgression go unpunished unless they were weaving a more sinister retribution.

That realization was the source of Lana's mounting panic.

"Perhaps it truly is for the best if she does not join us," Daniel considered, voicing his thought aloud.

"You sense it too? That something monumental is set to unfold tomorrow?" Varnos paused, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Daniel offered a sober nod. He was reasonably confident that conflict was inevitable, even if the scale of the impending disaster remained an enigma.

"Spend the remainder of the day with your own kin," the guild leader advised, his tone signaling that it was time for Daniel to depart.

Daniel made no reply, offering no parting words. He simply turned, pulled the door shut behind him, exited the guild, and headed homeward.

He committed the remaining hours to his family, exactly as he had resolved.

Deep in his chambers, the guild leader extinguished every light and sat amidst the suffocating gloom. Only his eyes remained visible, flickering with an intensity reminiscent of the stars.

Clutched within his hand was a photograph. In the darkness, its details remained shrouded, yet it was painfully clear that the image held supreme value to him.

He traced the features of the woman in the photograph with gentle, trembling fingers.

"Do not fret, my love. If they engage in foolishness tomorrow, they only grant me my deepest desire... They provide the very opportunity I crave... Even if it necessitates my own end... I shall ensure every one of them is brought to ruin..."