Demonic Pornstar System novel Chapter 556

Chapter 556: The Ashen Knight

"Who are you clowns?"

The words landed heavy, as if the mountain air itself had decided to carry them farther than Kaiden intended.

For a heartbeat, the gathering ground froze.

Conversations cut off mid-sentence. Boots stopped crunching against gravel. Even the fluttering banners seemed to still, caught in an awkward suspension as dozens of awakened turned their attention toward the source of the disturbance.

Shock rippled outward in visible waves.

The ash-blond man’s eyes widened first, his smug expression cracking just enough to betray genuine disbelief. Beside him, the three women stiffened, their alert stances sharpening as they quickly reassessed Kaiden. He visibly went from a useless loser to a rude, useless loser in their eyes.

"You..." the blond man began slowly with incredulity bleeding into his voice, finding it hard to accept that this was reality. "You really don’t know who I am?"

Kaiden tilted his head. "Should I?"

That did it.

A scoff burst from the man’s lips, sharp and derisive, though there was tension underneath it now. "If you don’t know an S-tier awakened in your own country, then that says a lot about your competence."

S-tier.

That single designation carried immense weight.

Kaiden’s gaze sharpened. He studied the man properly now. The posture. The aura density. The sigils on his jacket. The faces of the women flanking him.

Nothing clicked.

Which was impossible.

Kaiden knew every S-tier awakened in the country. Not vaguely. Not by reputation alone. He knew their names, their abilities, their combat footage, their guild affiliations, and their public records. He’d spent nights doing exactly that: learning the people who could become allies, rivals, or existential threats.

This man was none of them.

Which was exactly why Kaiden called them clowns. If he knew he was speaking to an S-tier, he might’ve been a bit more selective with his words. In his eyes, these were just wannabe troublemakers who were either simply jealous of him or opportunists who wanted something, something they could gain by talking smack to him.

In either option, he just wanted to dismiss them and get on with his day.

But, alas, it was not meant to be.

After a few seconds of scrutiny, Kaiden spoke again.

"Were you imported from some obscure country or something? I know most of the A-tiers in the country, let alone S-tiers."

The reaction was immediate.

"No!" the blond man snapped, offense flaring hot and fast. His composure slipped further, irritation bleeding into his aura as it spiked unconsciously. "I was born and raised in the States!"

That answer only made the silence worse.

The crowd grew tense, the air thickening as people began to realize things were going south. The blond man’s ego was clearly hurt, and Kaiden did not seem to be in the mood to apologize for his rudeness. Those who were not so sure about their own abilities began to back away slowly, electing to watch from a safe distance.

While the association forbade attacks between competitors, it didn’t hurt to be safe. Even if the attacker was seriously punished for their actions, that did not help much if you were already turned into pulverized meat.

Someone in the crowd clearly reached the same conclusion. Except, instead of backing away, they chose to intervene.

"Oi!" a voice shouted from somewhere behind the second ring of onlookers. "He’s the Ashen Knight!"

The effect was instant.

The murmurs didn’t just grow—they exploded.

Kaiden raised an eyebrow.

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