Chapter 82: Chapter 82: The Difference in Treatment

Instantly casting magic, or even using instant-cast spells, wasn't particularly impressive to a powerful mage. However, the members of the Jones family had lived their entire lives in Stanlow City, their worldview limited by the confines of the city. Naturally, they were astounded.

"No... this isn't just instant-cast magic. That spell is extremely powerful, strong enough to stop Herbert's attack in its tracks. It must be advanced magic at the very least!"

"Oh my God, he can cast advanced magic instantly? What level of power does he have?"

Suddenly, the way the Jones family members looked at Dean Bruce shifted entirely.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Before Herbert Jones could even recover, the ground beneath him began to shift as if it had come alive. The earth molded itself into a cage, trapping him completely, embedding him into the ground.

When Herbert finally came to his senses, no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't budge the soil. It was like iron, leaving him with no choice but to lie there in utter defeat.

Once Dean Bruce was sure Herbert was immobilized, he turned his gaze toward Erla, who was still in the middle of casting his spell.

Since this was just a test of strength, Dean didn't interrupt Erla's casting. Instead, he watched with mild amusement.

To be honest, Dean Bruce didn't know much about the magic of this world. Observing more spells in action gave him the chance to learn, and he was happy to take advantage of that.

After all, the more he understood, the easier it would be to... persuade people in the future.

Several long breaths passed before Erla Jones finally finished his incantation. With a triumphant shout, he pointed both hands at Dean Bruce. The thunderous lightning behind him surged violently, transforming into a swarm of serpents that lunged at Dean with deadly force.

Feeling the magic's power, Dean Bruce simply shook his head. With a single step forward, the earth responded, rising to form multiple walls of solid earth, perfectly intercepting the path of each lightning snake.

Boom, boom, boom—

A series of loud explosions echoed as the lightning serpents dissipated one by one. The earthen walls, however, stood firm, not even showing a single mark.

Seeing this, Erla's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! That was my most powerful spell! How could it not affect you at all?"

Erla's confidence was shattered, but Dean Bruce had no intention of holding back. With another stomp of his foot, the ground beneath Erla began to tremble as well.

The stone beneath Erla Jones cracked and crumbled, creating a large pit that swallowed him as it solidified instantly, trapping him in the ground. He was stuck, unable to move or cast any further spells.

"What...?"

"How did this happen?"

"The fight is already over?!"

The crowd was completely stunned by the scene.

Even Obona Jones was in shock.

Though he was confident he could defeat both his sons in a fight, he certainly couldn't have done it with the ease that Dean Bruce had just displayed.

And it will not finish with that speed.

The fact that Dean Bruce's power surpassed his own left Obona feeling uneasy.

"Dean cast... a high-level spell instantly?"

"Good heavens, I need to chant for ages just to cast an advanced spell, and he did it without a staff or any tools, instantly. What level of power does that make him?"

"S-sister... what kind of monster did you bring home?"

Sounds of nervous swallowing could be heard all around. Even Dana Jones, Obona's wife, was astonished by Dean's strength.

In that moment, Dana made up her mind: they had to keep Dean Bruce within their family.

A man of his caliber joining their household would be an enormous boost to their family's standing and power.

And if Dean and Lina were to have children with even a fraction of his talent, the Jones family could secure their prosperity for hundreds of years to come.

"Quickly!" Dana ordered, turning to one of the servants. "Go and inform the butler—we must give Dean the highest possible treatment! And forget about the banquet preparations for now. All of you, stay and keep Dean happy!"

At Dana Jones' command, she turned and left the courtyard herself.

She was well aware that, given her age, she didn't have much in common with Dean Bruce. To make him feel comfortable, it was best to leave him in the company of her children.

As soon as Dana left, Ezra Jones, still worried about getting scolded or worse, slunk into a corner to avoid attention.

Meanwhile, two younger girls, the boldest of the bunch, approached Dean Bruce with curious eyes. One of them asked, "Brother Dean, what's your strength level? How could you defeat Herbert so easily?"

Hearing that, Herbert's mouth twitched slightly. If it weren't his younger sister speaking, he would have made sure she knew exactly what a punch felt like!

Erla Jones suddenly chimed in, "You must be at the level of a Grand Magus, or maybe even higher, right?"

"Only someone that strong could make me feel completely powerless."

Before Erla could continue, Lina Jones stepped forward and gave him a playful smack on the forehead, scolding, "Those tutors at the academy hold back because of the Jones family's reputation. Don't go thinking you're stronger than you are!"

"The further you go on the path of cultivation, the bigger the gap becomes. Even an ordinary Magus or Grand Magus could easily beat you without much effort!"

"I... understand," Erla sighed in defeat.

With the conversation veering off track, Dean Bruce was content to let it happen. After all, if he started boasting about his own power, it might raise suspicion. But letting others speculate about how strong he was? That was the safest approach!

Truth be told, Dean Bruce found the atmosphere within the Jones family rather enjoyable. Apart from Ezra staying in the background, the younger siblings were quite amusing, making sure Dean didn't feel bored.

Of course, their respectful behavior was partly due to the impressive strength Dean had demonstrated earlier.

Even a fool would know that angering someone as powerful as Dean could lead to disaster. So, the Jones children were extra careful around him.

After chatting with the younger siblings for a while, Lina Jones eventually led Dean Bruce to her bedroom.

The first act of their little performance had gone well. Now it was time to discuss payment.

After all, the second act, which involved going to the Lord's Manor, was going to be much more dangerous than dealing with the Jones family.

It was time to strategize about what might happen and how they would handle it.