As long as he turned Wayne into the Dark Knight, sharing the same secret, he wouldn’t have to be constantly on edge, fearing Wayne lording it over him in humiliation.
However, this required a lengthy process, during which he had to endure!
Hefei, Veronica, your taste is really something!
Austin could only console himself by focusing on the positives—the heir was top-notch in intellect, even shrewder than him, and the future of the Lando Family was promising. A bit of suffering didn’t count for much.
Neither uttered a word. A person had to bow their head under someone else’s roof and, while maintaining restraint, their looks towards each other grew ever more hostile.
In the dead silence of the corridor, every slightest sound was amplified, so much so that the sound of teeth grinding resounded from both of them simultaneously.
Why should I bow to such trash, can I kill him?x2
Teacher/Hefei, Veronica, you’ll forgive me, won’t you?x2
Life is tough, trash sighs.
"Austin, stop being silent. I know what you’re thinking, and let me tell you, it’s impossible," Wayne said through clenched teeth.
He knew it was futile; Austin’s heart had long since turned cold, but he had to make his stance clear.
"Since you know what I’m thinking, then you should also know, it’s absolutely impossible!" Austin replied through clenched teeth. If not for his wife and children, he would’ve gone to any length to stuff Wayne into a cement barrel and dump it into the river.
"To be honest, if not for the teacher and Veronica, for someone like you..."
Wayne, having been interrupted, turned his head and said with hate, "I really feel they don’t deserve this. You’re not worthy of them, not even Megan; you don’t deserve any of them."
It was okay, she had always been willing, and she would just have to endure it for a little while longer.
If she had to speak of a time when enough was enough, it was probably when there was yet another piece of societal trash in the house, making her as annoyed as looking into a mirror every day.
Wayne’s words hit Austin where it hurt most—his wife and kids were his Achilles’ heel. Wayne’s grip on them was the same as having a grip on him; he was genuinely without any recourse.
The two sighed repeatedly, deeply anxious about the future which loomed like the nearby sewers—damp, dark, and hopeless.
"Remember, I came here today for the teacher and Veronica; I don’t want to ruin this family," Wayne emphasized.
"I understand, and I’ll say the same to you. It’s not you I fear; it’s the thought of them getting hurt," Austin said at the same time.
The two spat at the same time. After all is said and done, it’s still about controlling him through secrets—pretending it’s for the sake of the family.x2
"Austin, is Megan not leaving?"
"No need, she knows everything."
"Bastard, you shouldn’t have told her the secret..."
Feeling the oppressive atmosphere upon hearing Austin’s warning, Wayne turned and punched the wall, extending his hand into the void.
He wasn’t entirely without a chance to turn the tables; by donning the Death Knight’s Vest System, he could pressure Austin to reveal his hand, forcefully exchanging secret for secret.
Perhaps compared to the Death Knight, Austin’s secrets were insignificant, but it would at least make him feel somewhat better.
Austin’s patience reached its limits, Wayne’s every word stabbing into his chest like a knife, each one flaunting a superior intellect.
He placed an Ancient Silver Coin in Megan’s hand, no longer suppressing the surging power within as he prepared to confront Wayne as the Dark Knight.
Austin was convinced that he too had a chance to turn things around. After transforming, he would force Wayne to show his hand, exchanging secrets by coercion.
Perhaps compared to the Dark Knight, Wayne’s secrets were nothing, but it would make him feel somewhat better and let Wayne know it wouldn’t be easy to manipulate him.
Death Essence filled the air, Shadowmare was unsheathed, a cold gleam reflected on Wayne’s pale skull head.
The grey vortex dissipated, and pitch-black Armor enveloped his torso and limbs, with the tattered cape falling from his shoulders. At the hilt of the Knight’s Sword, a Ruby emitted a crimson glow.
Darkness boiled, Twilight Deadlock was unsheathed, surging darkness flowed from Austin’s eyes, gradually covering his whole body.
The black vortex faded, a black cape covered the full body Armor, a black iron mask covered the face, and a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened on the Face Armor.
In an instant, two powerful auras surged in the sewer, clashing...
Who is it, where did the young master go, why is the Death Knight here?
Who am I, where am I, what’s happening?x3
The air stifled with Death Essence, the wind of darkness solidified, and the atmosphere once again fell into silence.
Two Knight’s Swords dropped to the ground simultaneously, the two knights hurriedly picked them up.
Wayne, holding his sword toward Austin, spoke in a refined and amiable tone, "Fuck, who the hell are you?"
"Fuck, how did you become the Death Knight?" Austin asked with a shaky voice.
"You don’t know who I am?"x2
"You didn’t guess... Impossible. You’re so smart; how could you not have guessed?"x2
"You really didn’t guess?!"x2
Austin was furious, so angry that his cape trembled. He had overestimated Wayne’s intellect—he was nothing but a fool, putting on an act that scared him.
Wayne was equally enraged, steam almost coming out of his head, the white light in his eyes intensively flickering, hating Austin for his pretense, and hating himself for overestimating Austin’s intelligence, having been battling wits with thin air all along.
That’s right, the note wasn’t there to make clear his identity, it meant nothing, just nonsensical rambling.
"Hehehe, who would have thought, I never would have expected that the husband of the High Priest of the Naturalism Church would be the Dark Knight."