The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Jamie and Heather held onto his hand, their little faces turned up towards Emma, eyes filled with eager anticipation. They were so irresistibly adorable, their gaze could melt even the coldest heart. Emma opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh in

front of the children. She even wondered if Dustin had brought them on purpose.

Jamie looked at her, blinking with a hint of caution. "Mommy?" Emma's heart clenched, and she quickly crouched down, her eyes flitting back and forth between the two kids. "You've grown so much, and you're both so beautiful."

Seeing that she wasn't upset, the kids broke into big smiles. Jamie and Heather were now just over a year old and, thanks to good nutrition, they seemed to be developing faster than most, walking steadily without a wobble. Their speech wasn't quite fluent yet, but the word "Mommy" came out clear and strong, showing they'd been practicing at home.

Emma didn't really want to talk to Dustin, unsure of what to say, so she stood up. "I'll start dinner." Dustin quickly bent down to scoop up each child, placing them back on their chairs. "You rest, I'll cook."

Emma remembered Dustin's knack for cooking. He hurried into the kitchen, noticing how much the place had changed since his last visit. The house had been rebuilt beautifully, like a little slice of paradise. The fridge was stocked with fresh produce, and there was even a freshly prepared chicken, showing Emma had been taking good care of herself.

He washed his hands and got to work on the meal. The kids sat in their chairs, cheerfully calling out, "Mommy, mommy." Emma smiled, gently tousling their hair.

Two hours later, Dustin served up a meal of four dishes and a soup. The familiar aroma washed over Emma, stirring up memories from the depths of her mind. Keeping the kids in mind, Dustin had finely chopped everything and arranged the plates beautifully. The soup was thick, and he'd even made pancakes just for the kids. After serving them, he filled Emma's plate. "Emma, let's eat."

Emma lowered her lashes and quietly picked up her fork. Throughout the meal, Dustin was busy wiping the kids' mouths and gently reminding them not to be picky eaters. Emma sat there, realizing she knew little beyond nursing them. Barely touching her food, she went to wash the dishes.

Dustin tried to persuade her to sit down, but Emma insisted, making further discussion pointless. "Where's the bathroom? I'll give Jamie a bath," he asked. Emma pointed towards the bathroom, which was thankfully equipped with a bathtub.

Dustin filled it with warm water and placed Jamie inside. Jamie, with his long eyelashes, playfully splashed the water, giggling. Dustin's clothes got soaked, but he couldn't resist pinching Jamie's cheek. "No splashing, let's get you all cleaned up."

When Emma entered, Dustin had

extra stool. Emma wanted to help but felt awkward. She held Jamie's hand, and he smiled at her,

but Dustin held him securely, gently drying him off. Jamie laughed, bare-bottomed in Dustin's arms, and Emma noticed Dustin's pants were almost soaked through. Dustin lightly tapped Jamie's bottom, and Jamie looked up, accidentally tugging

his hand,

it

"Daddy, daddy." "Stay here for a bit, I'll take your

Chapter 873

words settled in, two figures emerged slowly

with excitement from his position far away. Despite his men being scared off by Felix's strength, John's

are you so happy?" his assistant, Eugene Klein, asked, confused by

should have fled immediately after the failure.

are terrifyingly skilled. Felix won't make it out of this, so I'm celebrating early, Go on, open that bottle

Skyward Guild and the Greenes had sent two lethal experts, which explained why the Elders' Council had decided not to get involved. At that point, the outcome seemed pretty clear. Back at the scene, Felix smiled as the two

at his words. "Interesting," one said, while the other added, "The young man's quite confident in his abilities. No wonder the Elders 'Council asked us both to handle this-better safe than sorry." Felix was surprised by the news. "Oh? The Elders' Council isn't involved? Then you

elders. They were bo Im, but their presence subtly made the ground beneath them sink by about an inch,

Blood Realm experts? You really think that highly of me?" Felix said with a

champagne in the distance, finding it more delicious than ever. "That's right, Felix! How could you possibly

martial artist from Dragonia, he knew exactly what that level of power meant. He

so slow that the Blood Realm