Great-Grandfather(2)

"Don't tell me this little brat is your child," the old man pointed at Alvin with trembling fingers.

Alvin turned to Elena and said with a smile, "Mom, didn't I say I got a new job? It's at Master's place."

Yes, the old man is none other than Grizzle. Although people in this village know him as an ordinary blacksmith, he has another identity outside this village: the founder of the Rosewood family, one of the top three families in the Starshine Empire, and a 9-star grandmaster level blacksmith.

When Alvin addressed him as "Master," the old man's face darkened, and he scolded him. "Stupid brat! Who do you think you're calling Master?"

Alvin scratched his head. "Well, I figured if Mom calls you Great Grandfather, then I'd have to call you Great Great Grandfather, but that's a mouthful..."

Grizzle cut him off. "Just call me Grandfather, and what's with all this commotion?" Grizzle asked, casting his gaze over the scattered dead bodies on the ground.

Elena let out a long sigh and explained everything from the start. She didn't hide anything from him.

As he listened, Grizzle's expression changed several times. After Elena finished, Grizzle remained silent for some time and suddenly laughed. It was a laughter that sent chills down one's spine. "Good, good... a bunch of scoundrels with audacity."

Grizzle stepped on the dead body of Scarface lying on the floor and said with a cold smile, "Had you been alive, I would have forged you into a weapon, letting you experience the feeling of each fiber being cooked."

After some time he inquired softly, "I heard seven years ago you came to the capital to see me, but even after kneeling before the family manor for an entire day, your father ordered his servants to chase you away."

Hearing Grizzle's words, Alvin clenched his fists. He knew his mother was a proud woman, so for her to kneel down, he could sense the helplessness and despair in her heart. But the next words that came from Grizzle nearly knocked Alvin off balance.

 "So, when I returned from my seclusion, I took my hammer and gave your father, my disobedient grandson, a gentle beating until he was half-dead. If it weren't for your great grandmother stopping me, I might have truly beaten that scoundrel to death."

Hearing Grizzle say that with a face full of smile as though it was pretty normal, Alvin cursed in his heart. "Damn it, this old man is really a psycho. Who in their right mind would hammer their own grandchild to a half-dead state and call it a light beating?"

Elena lowered her head. "I won't blame father. If it weren't for my illness and the fear of my two little ones dying of hunger, I would have never returned to the capital, even if it meant starving myself to death."

Grizzle frowned at her response, he looked around the house. It appeared as though it could collapse at any moment. His eyes then landed on the two kids wearing tattered clothes, resembling beggars. Grizzle felt a pang of sorrow in his heart at the sight of their condition. "To think my descendants would face such a day,".

he took a deep breath and asked in a heavy tone, "Where is Raven?"

Elena sighed. "I don't know. Seven years ago, he went out to find medicine for my illness, and that's the last time I saw him. He never returned, even after all these years."

Grizzle frowned but he didn't say anything.

"Ahhhh..." Suddenly, a cry of pain echoed, and everyone turned around to see Alvin lying on the ground, his body trembling in agony.

"Brother... brother, don't scare Mia!" Mia cried, holding her brother's hand.

The dark tattoos on Alvin's body slowly faded away, and his body dried up as if someone had sucked all the water out of him. It was a ghastly sight that will send chills down one's spine.

"Alve... my child!" Elena rushed to his side. "Grandfather, treat him, please help my child!"

Grizzle quickly came over and placed his hand on Alvin's head and injected his Divine Essence into his body. Alvin's body stopped trembling, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Mia hugged Elena, asking with teary eyes, "Mom... brother... brother."

Elena embraced the little girl who was pointing at Alvin with teary eyes.

Grizzle comforted the crying mother and daughter, "He has used most of his energy; that's why he fainted. There is nothing to worry about; he will be fine after a good sleep."

....

At this time, somewhere in the universe,

In a realm far beyond the reaches of galaxies, there stood a palace so majestic, it seemed like the abode of gods themselves. Its grandeur eclipsed the stars, and its splendor could rival the heavens. At the forefront of this palace stood a towering statue of a man, its imposing figure seemingly reaching for the skies.

Had Alvin seen this magnificent statue, he would have recognized the familiar dark patterns adorning the man's body.

Suddenly ,the statue began to emit a radiant glow, casting its brilliance far and wide. It was as though the stone figure had come to life, imbued with an aura of dominance that permeated the very air around it.

Within the radiance of this divine glow, the statue appeared to transcend its stony confines, exuding an otherworldly presence that captivated all who beheld it. Its form seemed to pulsate with power, as if it held the secrets of the universe within its grasp.